3D

Meridian Audio announced on Wednesday that its HD621 HDMI Audio Processor now supports 3D video formats, thanks to a firmware update.

Meridian's HD621 is the link between a Meridian system and the latest sources that use HDMI. HD621 separates HDMI audio and video, usually carried via the same cable, delivering pristine audio to a Meridian system. Meanwhile the video content is fed direct to the display via a single cable, eliminating additional switching. And now, the HD621 gets even better with its brand new firmware which adds support for 3D video formats.

HD621 also performs up- and down-sampling of digital audio, and includes Meridian's FIFO buffering technology to remove jitter and deliver a significant improvement in sound quality from all HDMI sources.

The 3D capable firmware is already being installed in all new HD621 HDMI Audio Processors, and is now available to all Meridian retailers and installers who can update products already installed in customers' homes.

This week at CES, SIM2 is unveiling the world's first LED 3D active projection system, the M.150.

Featuring advanced DLP imaging technology, the M.150 acts as an LED video interior design system, allowing you to paint your home with light and color using your personal photographs, art, mood lighting, or movies.

SIM2's M.150 is a "one-of-kind solution for discerning customers who desire a unique way to enhance the beauty of their home with a window of light created with cutting-edge projection technology." The M.150 projection system can give your home a subtle visual ambiance, or create a bright, colorful reproduction of your choice of digital imagery.

"When quality is combined with unparalleled technology and design, it harmoniously creates a visual experience that can be described only as fine art," said Alberto Fabiano, Executive Vice President of SIM2 USA. "This system is a defining direction for the New Year. SIM2 is offering a product that transcends traditional home cinema, and provides a unique visual solution to 'video furnish' one's home with light."

For more information on SIM2, go to www.sim2usa.com.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show takes place in Las Vegas in January and if you thought 3D was hot in 2011, just wait and see what 2012 has in store. One company we're already excited about it LO3D, manufacturer of the word's first HD digital 3D photographic system.

Allen Lo (inventor of the Nimslo 3D camera in 1980) and company partners who pioneered 3D photo imaging - Nimslo 3D film cameras, Kodak & Konica 3D single-use film cameras - have been working together on this technology for nine years. Those attending CES will get to see the end result - the first commercial 3D Digital Printer, 3D Digital Paper for prints, 3D Digital Cameras & glassless 3D Digital Photo Frames.

Just one look and you can tell that LO3D's 3-lens consumer camera (pictured above) is different from your typical 3D camera. All other 3D cameras have only two lenses – which is fine taking video for TV viewing but not ideal for 3D photos because of a narrow viewing angle (approximately 10º). The LO3D 3-lens camera extends the viewing angle of a 3D photo to 50º.Read more

There's a new app that lets iPhone and iPad users take 3D pictures. Called Snapily 3D, it's available now through the App Store. The app offers users several shooting and view modes (including gyroscope and anaglyph mode - 3D glasses are required) and once a picture is taken, you can easily share your photos via email or on Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. 3D prints can also be ordered for $3.99 per print, right from your device.

In addition, Snapily is launching a new online service for 3D camera and 3D smartphone owners which will print high-quality 3D files (including MPO and JPS formats). The process is simple: after uploading your 3D pictures to www.snapily.com/3Dprints, you can order the 3D prints directly from the website and have them shipped to you within days. 3D prints start at only $3.99 each.

"Shooting, sharing and printing high-quality 3D pictures has never been easier or more affordable!" said CEO Vered Levy-Ron. "By pioneering the very first app that turns iPhones and iPads into 3D cameras, we are leveraging our established 3D expertise to literally bring the 3D experience to consumers' fingertips. 3D is the future and we are already there making it affordable for everyone to enjoy." Read more

Last week we told you about the H9500BD, Acer's latest home theater projector capable of converting 2D content to 3D. Today we have the HR274H, a 27-inch 1080p 3D display from Acer that also turns most 2D content into 3D.

The HR274H sports its own internal chip-based solution which does the 2D-to-3D conversion (this feature can be switched on or off on the monitor), and a single HDMI cable carries the video from a 3D-enabled PC, Blu-ray player, game console, cable set-top box or camera to the monitor.

A set of polarized, passive 3D glasses are included, and Film-patterned retarder (FPR) technology in the display and glasses allow for flicker-free 3D viewing, reducing eye strain.

"The Acer HR274H delivers the highest level of realism available for fans of 3D games, TV programming, movies and photos," said Chris White, senior director of product marketing, Acer America. "Every detail is so clear, bright and rich in color, immersing yourself in your favorite game or movie has never been so utterly exhilarating." Read more

Acer on Tuesday unveiled its latest home theater projector - the H9500BD - featuring Full 1080p HD projection, 3D capabilities, even 2D-to-3D conversion in high definition.

Aimed at the home theater enthusiast, this baby does it all - video, gaming, photos and more – projecting images up to 300 inches diagonally. All the popular 3D technologies are supported, such as Blu-ray 3D and DLP 3D for movies, as well as NVIDIA 3DTV Play and 3D-compatible gaming consoles. A pair of Acer ActiveShutter 3D glasses is included and Acer 2D-to-3D technology automatically converts any 2D signal into 3D.

As stated above, images are displayed in Full HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution for 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios. The projector also has a lens shift feature for flexible placement. Additional features include AcuMotion for picture clarity in fast-moving scenes, a 50,000:1 rated dynamic contrast ratio, up to 2000 ANSI lumens, and ColorBoost II and ColorSafe II technologies.Read more

The LG 55LW9800 is the world's first passive 3D TV to achieve the coveted THX 3D Display Certification

LG Electronics USA just announced its NANO FULL LED CINEMA 3D HDTV, model 55LW9800, the latest 3D new gadgets from LG. The 55-inch LW9800 is the world's first passive 3D TV to achieve THX 3D Display Certification, and was exhibited last week at CEDIA in the THX booth.

Some of the fantastic features of this new gadget includes a NANO FULL LED display, which employs a thin film incorporating a full array of LEDs, giving it more uniform light distribution and detailed local dimming from over two hundred addressable sectors. Then NANO technology also allows for an incredibly narrow bezel and thin depth of just 1.08 inches.

LG's TruMotion 480Hz refresh rate provides a smooth, sharp and realistic picture, and the 3D Display Certification confirms the 55LW9800 meets THX's qualifications for having the correct gamma, luminance and color temperature, resulting in superior 3D picture quality and performance.Read more

Pioneer Electronics announced three new Blu-ray 3D players at CEDIA - the BDP-140, BDP-52FD and BDP-53FD, the last two being Elite branded models. All three offer improved loading times, wireless capability (AS-WL300 required), and audio/video streaming from Pandora, YouTube and NetFlix. Additional features include high definition audio and video playback from both USB and DLNA sources.

The new players deliver a 1080p HD picture, as well as include 3D video output with the latest HDMI 1.4a. All three models can up convert standard definition video to 1080p resolution, and deliver excellent color reproduction, thanks to 36-Bit Deep Color support. Each model also supports high-quality audio formats such as DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD and Super Audio CD. The Elite models add in Precision Quartz Lock System (PQLS) Bit-Stream Multi-channel for jitter-free reproduction of Blu-ray Disc, DVD-Video/Audio, Super Audio CD and CD content. Read more

With over 350 3D PC games now available, gamers shopping for a new monitor should check out ViewSonic's new V3D245 -- a 24-inch 3D, Full HD (1080p) LED monitor featuring a built-in NVIDIA 3D Vision wireless emitter and NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses. Simply connect the V3D245 to an NVIDIA GeForce-equipped PC to play 3D games in full 1080p, view 3D videos and photos and stream 3D web content.

The V3D245 is designed to deliver both 2D and 3D beautifully with its 120Hz frame refresh rate, fast 2ms video response time, 20,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and 300 nits high brightness. In addition, the monitor's HDMI 1.4 input allows you to connect it to your Blu-ray 3D player or PlayStation 3. Integrated two-watt SRS Premium Sound speakers are also included.

ViewSonic's V3D245 3D monitor (with included pair of NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses) will be available mid-to-late August 2011 for $499. Read more