One of the display technologies that is being used in Virtual Reality (VR) headsets is OLED-on-Silicon. Recently, a new partnership was formed between US-based Kopin and two Chinese partners: BOE and Olightek. The three have agreed to form a Joint Venture (JV) to build new state-of-the-art OLED-on-Silicon manufacturing facility in China to serve anticipated needs […]
Light field displays, volumetric displays and eventually, holographic displays are all in development with the first commercial products coming soon. Such displays require a lot of image points (some call them voxels or volume pixels) and a lot of data. As a result, methods to format, encode and deliver these intense data streams are also […]
There is mounting evidence that VR is not necessarily an isolating experience, but one which can and will become very social. Virtual Reality Arcades or VRcades may indeed be one of the next big ideas that drives VR into the mainstream. Clearly, the availability of reasonably-priced VR headsets from Sony, HTC, Oculus — together with […]
With High Dynamic Range (HDR) TVs offering 600 to 1000 cd/m² of peak luminance and various levels of black, many are concerned that the experience in the cinema is starting to lag behind the home experience. IMAX and Dolby offer HDR cinematic experiences, but a solution for mainstream theaters is needed, too. But a new […]
I can’t really crown Sony’s CLEDIS display my best of show winner, as I have only been here one day and have not seen all the cool stuff yet – but this one will be hard to top. It truly is a new display category, as it is the first commercial product using a new […]
Anyone in the ProAV markets needs to also track what is going on in the consumer electronics world – especially what happens at CES each year. There were many important developments in virtual and augmented reality, wearables, PCs, projection, connectivity and more. I spent my time focused on another hop topic related mostly to TVs […]
The UHD-TV specification calls for a new color gamut, the so-called 2020 gamut. It expands the RGB primaries to the edge of the spectral locus to create the biggest color gamut yet. Displays that can achieve this gamut, or close to it, will show us colors we have never before seen on electronic displays, which […]
Most of you have probably heard of the term Internet of Things (IoT) which refers to the fact that millions and soon, probably billions of devices will be connected to information via the Internet. Recently Andrew (Drew) Jamison at Scalable Displays has been chirping about what he calls the “Internet of Display” (IoD). Since reading […]
By now you have probably heard the buzz about high dynamic range, or HDR. But you may also be wondering if this is something you need to know more about, how it might impact your business and when. This article may help a little in answering these questions. First of all, what is HDR? In […]
It used to be that organizations would set up multiple wired infrastructure networks to handle phone, data, video, audio, control, security, KVM, etc. Now, multiple options are emerging that can allow one or two networks to do all the stuff of multiple networks in the past. That is creating lots of new opportunities for hardware, […]
At CinemaCon last March in Las Vegas, Barco debuted a new theatrical concept that featured three screens in the theater — a main screen and two side screens. The idea was to offer a more immersive experience, which they showed with some compelling content. Now, Barco Escape is ready to roll out this fall in […]
The other day I had a chance to return to my alma mater – The University of Colorado at Boulder. There, I got a chance to meet with the team running the newly renovated Fiske Planetarium – a state-of-the-art facility that can handle 8K image files. What this system can do may amaze you – […]
Practically everyone now offers a collaboration solution was the clear take away from my recent visit to InfoComm 2014. From telecons to document sharing; from video calling to video conferencing; solutions in all shapes and sizes could be had. I met with a number of companies at InfoComm and learned about many solutions, but clearly […]
Rumors have been flying today because of a story written by the Nikkei Asian Review claiming that Sony is getting out of OLED TVs to focus on 4K LCD TVs. On the other hand, we have seen reports that quote Sony as denying this development. What exactly is going on is unclear, but it is […]
CinemaCon was last week and NAB is next week, but there has been no let up in the news flow from these events. Let’s take a look. CinemaCon was a watershed for news about the future of the cinema. Laser projection was a hot topic we covered a few times: Christie Takes a Different 6p […]
Many consumers and professionals alike think 3D is out and 4K is in. A new forecast report on 3DTVs from Futuresource got me thinking about the trajectories of these two mega-trends. The reality is much more nuanced than a simple in/out conclusion. Let’s start with the forecast. Futuresource says that by 2017, 58 percent of […]
On July 30, Norwalk, Conn.-based Trans-Lux announced a new LED tube as a T8 fluorescent tube replacement, which I learned about on a visit to the company a couple of weeks ago. Most LED replacements have had a narrow emission cone of perhaps 120 degrees. This new product has a wide 300-degree cone and frosted […]
HDBaseT is a funny name for a new connector that is likely to have a big impact on ProAV integration as well as connections in the home. In a nutshell, it is a networked-based protocol that allows delivery of video, audio, control, Ethernet and power over a Cat5e/6 cable – something almost every professional installation […]
One of the most visible themes at this year’s Projection Summit and InfoComm was the emergence of multiple solutions aimed at Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) collaboration. Companies we talked with that are supporting this trend included Barco, Mersive, TideBreak, Christie, Epson, and Mitsubishi – but there are many more. What is clear is that […]
That’s right – we heard it from none other than movie producer Jon Landau. Starting March 28th and running for two weeks, you can see the new GI Joe: Retaliation movie at the AMC Theater’s Burbank 16 EXT Theater in 3D using a laser projector. The 65-foot screen will be powered by Christie and will […]
By Chris Chinnock Insight Media had a chance to visit with 2D-to-3D conversion house StereoD (Burbank, Calif.), where President William Sherak gave us a tour, discussed the 3D conversion pipeline, and provided screenings of some recent high profile Hollywood conversions. My conclusion? 3D conversion has come a long way in two years and can now rival, […]
As we expected, 4K and OLED displays were one of the key highlights from CES 2013. 3D technology and products were clearly well represented, but did not command the headlines they have at past CES events. But that’s just fine. It proves that 3D is moving beyond the introductory hype phase into a sustainable, product, […]
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By Chris Chinnock There is no doubt that the big news (and hype) from CES 2013 will be around 4K or UHDTV panels, monitors and TVs. They deserve to be recognized and promoted, but I suspect they will be over hyped. The hype bubble will burst when consumers realize they want one, but they have pay […]
By Aldo Cugnini As Insight Media’s Chris Chinnock described last week in his column, several companies are now working on enhanced audio reproduction that goes beyond 5.1 channels. With 3D video, the developers maintain that a new “virtual” sound placement must be created to augment the 3D experience. Cinema technology providers Barco and Dolby are among the companies pushing […]
By Chris Chinnock Business & Strategy – Yes, we got the headline right – from Disney. That’s because the Walt Disney Company has now agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion and create three new Star Wars episodes (7, 8 and 9). And they will undoubtedly be in 3D. The deal was announced October 30. […]
The Korean government is placing a bet on large transparent and flexible OLEDs. According a several industry reports, the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy will fund the project, which will be led by LG Electronics. The amount of funding was not disclosed, but it is part of the agency’s new Future Flagship Program. This is […]
For those of you who are not familiar with the term “service compatible,” this refers to a new broadcast standard that could augment, and maybe replace, the current 3D broadcast standard called “frame compatible.” The frame compatible format has allowed cable and satellite providers to deliver 3D content to 3DTVs with minimal upgrade to their […]
I am in Japan this week to attend the 3DSA conference, which is sponsored by NICT (National Institute of Information and Communications Technology). Part of the research conducted by NICT, and the focus of 3DSA, is on futuristic display technology. This week we also picked up word that the Japan Football Association (JFA) is promoting […]
By Chris Chinnock Sr. Editor/Sr. Analyst, Insight Media Blu-ray Disc Association web site has no information about the 3D spec release or any details about how to access it. According to news reports and the people we have talked to about the spec over the last few months, “encoding of 3D video will be done […]
By Chris Chinnock Insight Media, Senior Analyst and Editor I am writing this after two days of Projection Summit here in Orlando, Florida on the evening before the opening of InfoComm 2009. This has been a tough year for almost every company and trade shows alike. Over the next couple of days we will report […]
By Chris Chinnock, President, Insight Media While there is concern about consumer rear-projection TVs, the professional side of the projection business is quite healthy. That was the consensus of analysts from Techno Systems Research, iSuppli and Pacific Media Associates, who all gave presentations at the sixth annual Projection Summit conference, held just prior to InfoComm. But perhaps […]
