Cineform "Neo3D" for Final Cut Pro
 

Thanks, Tim.

This looks like a really big deal. Will you get the chance to stop by their booth while you're at NAB? (Or are you just making a lightning visit to the FCPUG Supermeet for the JVC presentation and back out again?)

If you do get the chance to stop by, it would be great to know the minimum specs for the computer (I already noted that a Kona card is needed), the price and any info about where these "inexpensive 3D TVs" can be gotten from.

And do they have plans for a future Compressor plug-in which can export from the FCP timeline and encode it into a 3D Digital Cinema Package (DCP) ready for distribution?

Thanks.

The most inexpensive 3DTV would be any CRT paired with a IR transmitter and active shutter glasses. This is what I use while editing 3D but unfortunately it flickers at 60HZ and it is only NTSC. I use a simple interlaced matte (that I created in Photoshop) and the Travel Matte - Luma mode to interlace the two video layers together while editing in FCP.

There are a bunch of 3D monitors available for gamers, designers and desktop editing but the next step up is probably Samsung's PN42A450 or PN50A450 Plasma TV. I've seen the 42" version retail for as low as $699 Canadian! It cycles at 120Hz and also uses an IR transmitter with active shutter glasses. It is HD and uses the "checkerboard" pattern instead of upper/lower interlaced.
The only issue here (I tested it with by Macbook at the store) is that the output resolution has to be 1024 x 768 @ 60Hz. I couldn't get my shutter glasses to sync with it but I suspect they can't cycle higher than 60Hz anyway. I'm going to order the glasses meant for this display and then go back to try again.
It appears from the press release that Neo3D supports side by side, over/under and interlaced modes (as well as anaglyph) but not the checkerboard format. Too bad. There are also a bunch of DLP 3DTVs use the checkerboard format.

Here's a fairly up-to-date list of 3D-Ready TVs http://www.3dmovielist.com/3dhdtvs.html

And there will be many more displays revealed at NAB09! I've saw a couple at a CES preview that blew my mind.

Speaking of monitoring, if you had the space, and the budget, would anyone suggest editing on a polarized setup. I think the most prohibitive thing now is the cost of a silver screen, and I'm not even sure how prohibitive that is. (I haven't priced them yet). I anticipate more and more 3d type work coming my way and am trying to figure out what my post setup will be.

The press release and all of Cineforms links to the Neo3D is down. Does anyone know if this will support something other than FCP? The Apple platform is so limited in options when working with 3D compared to windows where stereoscopic hardware and software tools have been on the market for many years. That's all virgin territory on OSX still.

Cool way of creating 3D interlace Tim. Had not thought of doing that. I wonder if it could be made to work with my Zalman using full screen preview? Have to play when I get home.

Avid Media Composer and Vegas can do interlaced/polarized on the Zalman out of the box. Premiere Pro and FCP can't.

Neo3D Trial Download now Available
 

You can now download the Neo3D trial from the Cineform site.

Here's technote on how it works.
Cineform Tech Blog Blog Archive First Light and First Light 3D Workflow Tutorial (Mac)

Thanks for the link Tim on (my bloody valentine)
did they really have those differenes between left / right views in the shoot? or were they there were illustrative purposes only?

I've been killing myself trying to get prosumer gear to be "perfect" so its heartening to know that even pro gear has these kinds of discrepencies...
liek left right brightness issues (mirror rig or not), vertical misalign and god forbid... rotational errors and even frame sync issues after using genlock?

anyhow... to someone who has asked earlier in this thread... instead of using silver screens..
heres a few tips

1) you can use a paint from Goo Systems called screen goo.. search for their silver paint for 3d. This way you can get someone whos skillful, to paint a wall or plywood to whatever size u like

2) You can also use a good backprojection normal white screen... if you have the space to put your projectors to do back projection. This way you can use passive polarized solution without the need for a silver screen

Regards
Clyde

What? First, rear projection screens are not white. Second, many if not most depolarize.

ron labbe
studio 3D

Dalite sells rear projection screens designed for 3D polarized light. I think they actually have a 3X gain too.
I'm not sure about the other manufacturers, but I'm considering the Dalite in a motorized housing for our studio.

Hi Ron,
Yes I stand corrected. Rear Projections screens are "usually" not White, more Gray.
But yes (some) can retain polarization.

This I have seen myself.

Regards,

P.s I'm more interested in the review of the scenes from My bloody Valentine.
were there really all those issues present as shown in the link? or are they being used for illustrative purposes only? (to show the capablilty of NEOscene 3d?)

Regards
Clyde

There are screens that are made that don't depolarize... Stewart, Da-Lite and Harkness make them, among others. The point is that the statement "You can also use a good backprojection normal white screen..." is not quite true!

ron labbe
studio 3D