2K, 4K, 3D...

The Storage Nightmare

All this amount of information requires a huge storage capacity. A long project in 4K can occupy about 100TB without taking into account that the storage must not only save a lot of data but also offer throughput, that is, responsiveness. And here, engineers face a terrible trade-off: While the prices of storage and infrastructure in general have dropped considerably, no one can afford to oversize a facility. It would be very expensive to provide a project with a capacity of 100TB if for a long time it will not produce but a few commercials in HD.

On the other hand, much more costly can be the "fall short" mistake. Interrupting a project due to lack of capacity – unacceptable – or having to expand urgently in the middle of a project is the worst nightmare of any engineer. The needs of any project must be estimated in advance.

For several years it was thought that SAN technology solved a large part of the storage problems. However, today there are smarter san products that enable storage virtualization by combining different technologies to achieve infrastructure optimization.

Quantel, for example, offers the concept of Genetic Engineerin, a system designed to absorb materials, work on them and deliver them in collaborative flows respecting the data rate of 4K. Recently, Gemini, a post company from India, acquired such an infrastructure to share DI flows between different stations. At the heart of the system, GenePool, allows you to share 16 hours of 4K or 64 of 2K, supporting two Pablo stations for 4K, a 4K iQ station for editing, graphics and special effects and a Sam data server that opens the system to external applications. The system is also equipped with Quantel's Stereo 3D software, which is ready to post-produce in this new technology taking advantage of new market opportunities. Gemini also invested in Arri film scanners and D-21 cameras, also from Arri, to integrate them into the DI system.

...and then came the 3D

The big Hollywood studios have taken the new wave of 3-dimensional very seriously. The technology is so mature and the opportunity so good, that many broadcasters and video game producers are ready to jump into the ring.

3D television, live, at home, without special lenses, is the next step. Workflows are ready to be implemented and investments are already beginning to be seen. Several companies have jumped into the ring, and Quantel and 3ality Digital show that they are ahead of the curve. Here we look at some examples.

3ality Digital provides tools capable of working on common post-production operations such as comforming, basic effects and 3D coloring.

Specific post-production operations for 3D productions are color balance of 3D images, manipulation and convergence of Z axes, image alignment and layer work. These technologies also allow detailed analytical reports of qualitative measures that provide total control during the post-production process.

3ality Digital's 3play Image Assurance technology enables live streams of perfect 3D images over a 2D infrastructure. It optimizes the 3D experience and automatically protects and compensates for irregularities that can occur in 3D image flows and that are often the cause of headaches in viewers. On December 4, 2008, a football game between the Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers was broadcast live in 3D. The signal was received in three theaters prepared with RealD technology with an audience of special guests. 3ality Digital made the production with its SIP2100 stereoscopic analysis and correction systems and a Quantel Pablo system for inserting 3D graphics. "The combination of these systems allowed us a fast and accurate completion according to our times. Previously, working with stereo graphics inserts was very difficult," says Steve Schklair, president of 3ality Digital. "By working with the two systems in tandem we eliminated a step of trial and error in stereoscopy. Pablo's stereo tools, especially regarding live convergence and the ability to work with both eyes simultaneously, allowed us to meet our time goals, while the SIP2100's real-time image processing made it possible for us to have a perfect product from the first time since we could see what's in. we were doing in stereo."

This integration between the Pablos and the SIPs shows a trend in terms of post-production of live stereoscopic programs. Specifically, this is evidence that some of the problems that many industry experts anticipated for stereoscopic broadcasting can be solved with tools that are available on the market.

Recently, Nascar Media Group announced that it will use Quantel's Pablo, with the 3D stereoscopy toolkit for the completion and color correction of its post-production projects. Pablo will also offer a complete environment of on-line post-production, including the management of native RED material and 3D Stereoscopy projects, as the sports event production company tries to address this new media opportunity to offer it to its wide audience.

Jeff Lowe, executive director of broadcast and new media at NMG, commented: "There is a constant growth in demand for top-level color correction, both in traditional workflows and in new technological paradigms, such as RED. We can't wait to start working with the new 3D options that Pablo allows to edit 3D files in real time, something that only with Quantel is it possible to do."

Quantel also announced a strategic partnership agreement with Spatial View that will make it possible for content creators of all sizes to accelerate the development of 3D projects at affordable costs and more easily. The first project of this partnership will be the development of a plug-in that allows stereo 3D material produced in Quantel systems to be viewed on a wide range of Spatial View devices, including 3D displays, computer monitors, and the iPhone 3G, without the need for  3D glasses.

Spatial View is a technology developer for 3D stereoscopic image processors and displays that allow you to view, without special lenses, presentations rich in 3D content for key markets, including retail, POS, professional design, gaming, entertainment and animations. Spatial View's latest product, the Wazabee 3DeeShell, allows you to view 3D content on the iPhone 3G, without lenses.

Brad Casemore, vice president of Spatial View, noted that 14 3D films will be released this year, while 40 are expected in the coming years. "The industry's estimate is that in 2010 70% of movie tickets will be for 3D works.

Common video frame sizes

Source: Kona Systems