iZ3d Announces Demo Day Sat Jan 31 At Fry's & MicroCenter Stores

Not Playing in 3D Yet? iZ3D Announces a Demo Day at Fry's Electronics and MicroCenter Stores Nationwide

Get Into Your Favorite Game With an iZ3D Monitor This Saturday!

iZ3D, Inc., designer, developer and pioneer of advanced stereoscopic 3D visualization systems, is pleased to announce that a hands on demonstration of it’s popular 22-inch switchable 3D/2D monitor display system will be featured at all Fry’s Electronics and MicroCenter stores this Saturday, January 31, 2009.

The iZ3D display is the only true full resolution 3D display with a 170-degree 3D viewing angle so the whole family can play together. The only thing you need is a pair of iZ3D passive polarized glasses that virtually eliminate headaches, fatigue, or eye-strain common with other 3D displays. Three pairs of glasses are included with each monitor and additional pairs are available for $9.99. The company’s industry-leading 3D software display drivers are also included and offer users more software control over the 3D effect and the ability to toggle between 2D and 3D on the iZ3D monitor making it the ideal overall display solution for the home.

Most popular games were created in 3D; players just couldn’t see the effect with a flat 2D monitor. Hundreds of off the shelf games are playable today in 3D with more games and movies arriving in 2009. As an industry leader, iZ3D offers the best 3D technical support and new driver releases of any 3D display maker. Plus it’s just more fun to play games and watch movies in 3D than in ordinary flat 2D!

The live demos will be given at Fry’s Electronics and MicroCenter stores nationwide beginning this weekend. Fry’s Electronics stores are located in California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and Nevada. Micro Center stores are located in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. Consumers can easily find a listing of store locations and obtain information on iZ3D’s products and special offers at 3Drulez.com.

The Plug n Play iZ3D 3D monitor package includes:

• 22-inch wide screen 3D/2D keyboard switchable LCD monitor
• 3 pairs of passive polarized 3D glasses (5 other models are
available online)

• iZ3D Stereoscopic 3D and Anaglyph 3D software drivers (other drivers are available online)
• Power and video cables
• Quick-start guide
• Free membership into iZ3D’s upcoming 3D gaming network
• 1 year warranty
• Technical support and customer service

Monitor specifications are:

• 22-inch wide screen LCD
• 1680 x 1050 resolution
• Up to 170-degree 3D viewing angle
• 5ms response time
• 700:1 contrast ratio
• 16.7-million colors
• 300 nits

iZ3D’s approach to stereoscopic 3D puts the 3D enabling technology in the display as opposed to other solutions that require users to wear the technology on their face. The iZ3D approach has the advantage of inexpensive multi-user social 3D experiences and headache-free viewing.

The solution is compatible with 32- and 64-bit Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Vista operating systems, games written for DirectX 8, 9, (and soon 10), and requires a graphics card with 2 video outputs (VGA, DVI, or HDMI). Most games written in the last six years are already designed for 3D, but have until now lacked a way of displaying them properly. Games that have been tested by iZ3D, MTBS, and customer testers can be found at 3Drulez.com.

Availability and Pricing

The iZ3D 22-inch monitor has a new manufacturers suggested resale price of $399.00 and is currently available at Fry’s Electronics and Micro Centers as well as online stores including Staples.com, Frys.com, Newegg.com, Amazon.com, PCMall.com, CriticalBuy.com, iz3d.com, and other online shopping sites.

iZ3D Version 1.09 Driver is available at www.iz3d.com. The standard iZ3D S-3D output and anaglyph output are included with an iZ3D monitor purchase. All other drivers can be purchased at $49.99 per output.

In cooperation with AMD and ATI, iZ3D is also exclusively offering an ATI 3D DLP output free to AMD customers. Additionally, for a limited time, iZ3D is also offering a $50.00 rebate to ATI Radeon customers that purchase an iZ3D monitor. For more information visit www.3Drulez.com.

Source: iZ3d Press Release

Watch The '08/09 NBA All-Star Game In 3-D

Earlier this week it was announced that Turner Broadcast and the NBA had teamed up with Cinedigm Digital Cinema to broadcast TNT's "NBA All-Star Saturday Night" live in 3-D.

In all 80 digitally equipped theaters in 35 states across the United States will broadcast the game. Participating theater chains include Carmike Cinemas, Celebration Cinemas, Cinema West, Emagine, Galaxy Theatres, Marquee Cinemas, MJR, NCG, Rave Motion Pictures, Showcase and UltraStar Cinema.

The event will employ Cinedigm's CineLive technology, which enables live 2-D and 3-D streaming currently to more than 80 theater complexes with more than 160 3-D screens in the U.S. Cinedigm expects to further expand its CineLive network throughout 2009 to at least 150 locations.

The 24th annual NBA All-Star Saturday Night broadcast, expected to be one of the year's most watched sporting events, is scheduled to air on Saturday, February 14th, 2009 at 8 pm ET on TNT. NBA All-Star Saturday Night on TNT last year was the most watched in the event's 23 year history.

Readers may recall that earlier this year Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks broadcast their March 25th games against the L.A. Clippers in 3-D.

For fans looking to experience the live 3-D action you can find the closest theater near you by visiting the Cinedigm Digital Cinema homepage. And for even more details checkout the NBA's official press release.

NBA In 3-D

What’s the next best thing to being at a live NBA game? How about watching it in 3D? Mark Cuban is using his NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas to orchestrate a rare 3-D broadcast of a live event.

"I think 3-D will play a huge role in out-of-home entertainment for the next few years," said Cuban, founder of HDNet. "It will be a unique experience for watching sports, concerts and special events that only theaters will be able to offer."

Tuesday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers will still be televised in traditional 2D, but will also be broadcast in 3D using the same technology used to shoot the “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour” movie.

FSN Southwest is producing the event along with 3-D production innovator Pace, which supplied its Fusion 3-D camera system and mobile unit as well as the production crew. The game will be displayed at the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas on a 40-foot screen. Two Sony SXRD 4K 10,000 lumens digital cinema projectors will also be used.

Pace and the NBA began testing 3-D theatrical broadcasting about a year ago when they presented invitation-only live 3-D HD viewing parties of the NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas.

In addition, the NBA's Cavaliers and Pace offered a live screening in Cleveland's home arena of the NBA Finals from San Antonio in 3-D HD. The March 25 broadcast will be the first NBA game to go to a theater.

Read more from the Reuters article.

Make 3D, An Innovative 3-D Modeling Advance

Technology Review covers an article on new innovation in 3d modeling. Two researchers Andrew Ng and Ashutosh Saxena have developed Make3d, a Web service that lets users turn a single two-dimensional image of an outdoor scene into an immersive 3-D model.

According to the article Make3D's current algorithm only works on outdoor scenes or landscapes. With very limited support for indoor pictures and even people. However they are working to extend the algorithm to a broader range of settings, as well as improving the current site.