Video Matchmoving

In cinematography, match moving is a visual-effects technique that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the photographed objects in the shot. The term is used loosely to refer to several different ways of extracting motion information from a motion picture, particularly camera movement. Match moving is related to rotoscoping and photogrammetry. It is sometimes referred to as motion tracking.

This is an incredible demo.



2D3

boujou

There is a free demo Version of Boujou available here. The pay for version cost $10,000 USD

Another similar software package:
Syntheyes Also very expensive.

Wikipedia on Match_moving

Virtual Sets

You can click to see the high res images.

This is the state of the art in Chroma-key / Bluescreen.  A computer generate set is place not just behind but around the actors.

When you pan, zoom and dolly the cameras the set moves in a realistic way relative to the actors.

Pay particular attention to the glass table.  That's what's amazing is it's transparent and yet shows the virtual set behind it.

http://www.brainstorm.es/

There are using mechanical encoders to track camera motion.

There are now mechanisms to do this entirely in software but it's usually a post production and not live.


You can probably do something like this in Adobe after effects using Motion tracking and chroma-key but it wouldn't quite be the same.

Mini-toslink S/PDIF audio

Many laptops are starting to support mini-toslink.

 

I think this is the coolest thing because it supports legacy analog stereo audio, as in your old head phone jack, 1/8 mini, and also spdif optical digital audio using the same connector.

It can send up to 125 Mbit/s of perfect digital audio.
5.1 Surround sound, Dolby Digital Plus, TrueHD, and DTS HD audio streams.

Up to 48 kHz sample rates with 24 bit digital audio.

As good as any professional could ask for.

The connector on the left is a mini-toslink to toslink optical adapter, and on the right is a 1/8 mini analog audio jack.

Notice the transparent plastic optical pipe in the center.

More info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-TOSLINK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spdif

This one is interesting, some poor guy had the end connector break off.
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/apple-desktops/65625-mini-toslink-broke-inside-audio-jack.html

3D Video Capture with Kinect

I have been meaning to write about the Kinect for some time now. It's very cool and one of the most exciting things to happen in a long time. It's from Microsoft but it's really technology developed from a small Israeli company PrimeSense.



By combining the color and the depth image captured by the Microsoft Kinect, one can project the color image back out into space and create a "holographic" representation of the persons or objects that were captured.

No project page yet, but it will go up on my regular web site, http://idav.ucdavis.edu/~okreylos/ResDev


2 Kinects 1 Box

Two Kinects join forces to create better 3D video, blow our minds

Microsoft Kinect web site

Holographic 3D Digital Projection Explained

Musion a company in the UK is selling a system to do "Live Stage telepresence"

There technique is based on the very old Pepper Ghost effect.

The new part is they use a patented an "eyeliner foil", made of very tightly stretched, thin, transparent Mylar plastic foil set at a 45 deg angle.

For more info see the following links:

Holographic 3D Digital Projection Explained

http://www.musion.co.uk/watch_setup_video.html


US Patent 5865519

http://www.musion.co.uk/pdf/USPatent5865519.pdf

History of Peppers ghost

http://www.eyeliner3d.com/

World’s Smallest Video and Voice Recorder

Not sure if the claim is true, but small and low cost.

BluSens looks like in importer for Chinese gear. So even though their listed as the manufacturer it may not be, as I don't see this camera listed on the web site.

Still at $29 for a no frills sd card video recorder, this is very cool.

Recording Definition: High Definition
Flash Memory Card: miniSD
Computer Interface: USB
Resolution: 720x480 30 fps
Color: Black

 $29 from tigerdirect.com

Tandberg Attempts To Patent Open Source Code

From Slashdot

"As if the current situation with software patents wasn't bad enough, it appears a new phenomenon is emerging: companies are watching the commit logs of open source projects for ideas to patent. In this case, Tandberg filed a patent that was step-by-step identical to an algorithm developed by the x264 project — a mere two months after the original commit. The particular algorithm is a useful performance optimization in a wide variety of video encoders, including Theora."

VGA interfacing AVR microcontrollers

VGA interfacing AVR microcontrollers
[Lucidscience] demonstrates how to push data to a VGA monitor from your AVR microcontroller.

It turns out that it is pretty simple.

http://hackaday.com/2010/11/23/vga-interfacing-avr-microcontrollers/

Nokia Superbreakout

Nokia Superbreakout

If you like LCDs and microcontrollers chances are you have used a Nokia 6100 Display. Turns out there are many other displays that are cheaper, better and just more fun. Here are a few other Nokia displays running on a universal breakout board. More at rossum.posterous.com

Synthetic views create virtual cameras.

This is something I have been thinking about and wanting to do for the past 15 years. Well someone finally did it.

The idea is to place a number of cameras around a stadium. These camera are sent to an image processing system that constructs a real time 3D model of the live action with texture maps.

This is then fed to a high end graphics card that can generate a 3D view of live action from any view point.

These KDDI's solution is taking some shortcut and the images look like cardboard cutouts playing on the field. Still I think the main idea comes across.

I want to be able to do with with enough quality and resolution that we could do this for the Superbowl. Football would never been the same. A high end professional studio solution, not just a run on your PC end user solution.




3D Free Viewpoint Video in Sports Stadium

KDDI R&D Laboratories has developed the world's first technology for synthesizing and displaying 3D video of stadium sports in real time, from any angle chosen by the viewer. This technology was exhibited at CEATEC JAPAN 2010.

"Until now, the viewing angle for live soccer has only been changeable by switching between camera positions. This technology provides a new video experience, by offering views from angles where cameras can't be installed, such as the middle of the pitch or in the air."

"This screen shows the stadium as seen by eight HD cameras, and these are synthesized pictures from places where cameras aren't installed, including aerial views, and shots from in among the players. On the other hand, this screen shows pictures from a single high-resolution camera, of the sort used for 4K rather than HD. This system creates pictures from any angle chosen by the viewer. Because the camera has such a high resolution, there's relatively little loss of picture quality even if it zooms right in among the action."

This technology uses a unique method to enable high-speed estimation of players' positions on the field in 3D. It utilizes the fact that when soccer is broadcast, the image consists simply of players and a background.

"What viewers mainly want to see is the players. So we thought of technology for synthesizing pictures that look natural, by cutting out just the parts with players, and putting them against a plane. Then, the plane is transformed, in line with the direction or angle the viewer has chosen. The pictures you're seeing now are being synthesized in real time using a single PC. So if you have a PC at home, this kind of 3D processing can be viewed immediately on a 3D TV."

KDDI has also developed server technology that stores stadium 4K video content taken from many angles, then extracts and delivers pictures at high speed with low processing load. This achieves a real-time delivery system for pictures from any angle chosen by the viewer.

Pioneer Network Vision Head Up Display

At CEATEC JAPAN 2010, Pioneer presented a next-generation in-car display device, the Network Vision Head-Up Display.

A laser projector, using red, green, and blue laser light sources projects information, in full color onto the windscreen, overlaid on the drivers field of vision. The aim of the Network Vision HUD is to provide safe, convenient access to content by networking with a smartphone. In this way, the display can access navigation services, traffic news, and electric vehicle services, as well as recommendations for each user's favorite content.

"In terms of technology, this display is a laser projector, with an RGB laser light-source module. It forms a small screen and uses a special-purpose combiner, which is a half-mirror, to enlarge the picture and project it in mid-air. This achieves a big-screen display, which hasn't been possible with HUDs before. The screen size is equivalent to 25 inches. Because the light source is a laser, this display achieves high brightness, high contrast, and full color - features that distinguish it from previous HUDs."

This Network Vision HUD is based on Pioneer's laser module technology, which was originally developed for DVD and Blu-ray drives, and Pioneer's own SmartLoop service platform, developed through its experience in the car navigation business.

"Here, we're demonstrating the SmartLoop shared traffic-news service. For example, information about congestion, sent from other cars, can be shown on the HUD. And as an application for EVs, we're also demonstrating how this display can navigate to the least crowded charging station within the driving distance remaining on the battery."

Pioneer is currently developing this display, with the aim of market launch in 2012.

Hitachi Laser Micro-Projector

Hitachi Laser Micro-Projector

This projector works by scanning laser light in two dimensions, using an MEMS mirror. It can be made compact and energy-efficient, so it's expected to be used in mobile phones and digital cameras.

"Because this projector has a laser as the light source, it doesn't involve the concept of a focal point. So a feature of this projector is that it's always in focus, regardless of the projection distance. This enables it to show pictures even when tilted, like this. Also, the picture gradation is achieved by controlling the laser output. For example, in black areas, no electrical output is used, so this projector is very energy-efficient."

Because the projector is focus-free, it can project onto spherical surfaces. With an ordinary projector, the edges of the picture would be out of focus or distorted, but with this one, there's no blurring or distortion. It can also project onto complex shapes, so it's expected to be used for digital signage.

"This projector works by combining the light from red, green, and blue lasers, and directing it onto an MEMS mirror. The light is scanned by moving the MEMS mirror. So this is a scanning projector; the scanning method is very similar to that used in a CRT."

ViewSonic introduces glasses-free 3D camcorder

ViewSonic 3DV5 is a pock-sized device capable of capturing images in 3D.  I can produce 720p HD video images in both 2D and 3D, and will capture JPEG still images. 

The camera features a 2.4-inch monitor that will display 3D images that are viewable without glasses.
In addition, viewers can watch 3D recordings on standard computer monitors using special passive red/cyan glasses that ship with camcorder.

The content is also viewable on Nvidia 3D enabled PCs using Nvidia 3D kit glasses, and on most new 3D TVs using glasses supplied with that equipment.


10MB of internal memory
SD/SDHC card slot with support for up to 32GB cards
mini HDMI output and USB port
MP4 format
4x digital zoom
stereo microphone. 
$180 suggested retail



More at: Twice.com

Video & Audio recording in the browser.

Well I have been researching capture audio and video in a web application.

The one thing I want to do is avoid having users install native applications on the users PC to run.

In addition the thought of having to write and maintain 3 different version of the application, one for Windows, another for OS X and yet another for Linux is not very appealing.

Each OS has it's own different development tools and libraries and so it would require 3 different code trees.

I had hopes for the SDL library which I have had success in making a video player with a  single code base that compiles and run on all three OS's.   Unfortunately SDL can not capture audio or video, it's really intended for game developers.

So I have found some more attractive alternative that run in the browser.

First I will mention Mozilla Labs, Rainbow which I have a lot of hopes for but it's not ready for Prime time.

"The Rainbow add-on for Firefox is an early developer prototype that enables web developers to access local video and audio recording capabilities using just a few lines of JavaScript."

The other 2 options is Flash and Java.  Both of these work quite well and are mature.

Flash requires writing code in actionscript. 
There may be opensource compilers available but before it required buying the macromedia tools. 

Java also provides a good solution, but capturing is poorly documented.

C# and Active X may also be able to do this, but it's Microsoft only solution that will only work in MSIE.

3D TVs Not Selling3D TVs Not Selling

Huge Shocker — 3D TVs Not Selling
From: Slashdot

"It comes as no surprise to the vast majority of us who haven't rushed out to buy a 3D TV, but according to a DisplaySearch report consumers aren't doing their part to make 2010 the year of 3D TV, says blogger Peter Smith. And the stats are even worse than Smith imagined they'd be: 'DisplaySearch estimates that 3.2 million 3D TVs will be shipped in 2010. Note, that's shipped, not sold. 3.2 million equates to 2% of all flat panel displays shipped (as far as I can ascertain, that's worldwide shipments). So yeah, there are not many 3D TVs being shipped this year. But wait, that's not the end of the bad news. In Western Europe (the only region where they offered this data point) sales of 3D glasses are less than 1 per 3D set sold. In other words, a lot of Western Europeans who buy a TV with 3D capability don't even bother to buy the glasses to use that feature.'"

More amazing Digital Video Mapping

The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo.

Digital Video Mapping during 600 years anniversary of the astrological tower clock situated at Old Town Square in center of Prague. Mapping: The Macula  Coworking animators: Michal Kotek Lukáš Duběda Sound: data-live  Production: Tomato...

Transparent conductors

Transparent Conductors are a critical part of LCD's, O-LED, epaper, eink and many other displays.
It also needed for  solar cells, and electroluminescent displays.

Indium tin oxide (ITO)

pedot - Orgacon

aluminum doped zinc oxide

stannous chloride - re: Jeri Ellsworth http://www.teralab.co.uk/Experiments/Conductive_Glass/Conductive_Glass_Page1.htm



http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Liquid-Crystal-Display-LCD.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display

http://plc.cwru.edu/tutorial/enhanced/files/textbook.htm



Orgacon is the tradename for PEDOT

http://www.agfa.com/en/sp/solutions/orgacon_electronic_materials/index.jsp

 http://www.qprox.co.k...r/OrgaconEL350_datasheet.pdf

Legacy Sound Blaster Audio Support

Many old programs and games for DOS require old sound cards. Sound Blaster being the most common.

There is a Sound Blaster Emulator for Windows Available in the open source world just for this purpose.

The VDMSound Project

Microsoft's Strategy has shifted, so what!

on ZDNET: Microsoft: Our strategy with Silverlight has shifted

Who gives a rat's ass.   The only reason I use Silverlight is because Netflix requires it.

I really don't have much patients for Artificial Complexity.
Streaming really isn't that hard, I had full screen full motion working great in 1996.
Meanwhile Microsoft with one press release killed any interest Investor had in us because they would say, "how can you compete against Microsoft".   Well I watch the next 5 years go by, Microsoft never delivered and my technology had reached HDTV levels by 2001.

Still no one could get it out to the public till Macromedia Flash did it in stealth mode in 2002, and it's not streaming, it's a progressive download.
By keeping is secret they were able to get people to install the Video player while no one even knew it could play video.



Even then it took YouTube in 2005 to get the public's attention and get final general acknowledged that the Internet is indeed ready for Video.

Here we are 14 years after 1996 when I was demoing it at my little company in Los Angeles, Digital Video Technology and Internet Broadcast Systems and it's only this year I am finally seeing thing progress to where I was in 2001, 9 years go. And that's streaming HDTV which is now the rage.

I just feel like Microsoft has been nothing but an obstruction. Not enabling the technology yet blocking others with working technology from forward progress because everyone is "waiting" for Microsoft's grand solution.

Well we saw it. Yawn. Oh yea DRM.

I was grabbing 1080p HD movies from the internet using Bit Torrent back in 2001 and it took 9 years for the Industry to offer it legitimately.

Then I see broadcasters trying to pull shows off Hulu and try to put up pay-walls.

Meanwhile I get shows on Bit Torrent, many even a week earlier then the US Broadcast, posted most likely by UK viewers.
Even same day I get show 2 hours before they are broadcast in California because they air in New York 3 hour earlier.

I get a 1 hour show in about 10 to 20 minutes using bit torrent.

The worst part is bit torrent isn't even all that good of a protocol.

The World has changed. I am sorry telco's and cable companies, but those that own wires are just pipes in the future.

Telco's saw the first wave with Voip and it's variations like skype, google talk etc, where they can't own your Phone any more.

Soon Cell Carriers will get hit with it too. It's inevitable just wireless pipes.

I can already root my droid cell and make it in to a Wifi access point. Then using a wireless Ethernet bridge from Linksys in to a Cisco encrypted VPN box and Cisco IP phone, presto awesome phone service in to my employers voip network. It's works just as well as the old Ma Bell phone service, maybe better even.

Oh and it's super secure! Why can't my cell sound that clear in the first place! Only problem is it's a mess of wires and boxes.

Cisco, now there is one of the few companies that actually knows what there doing. At least for making boxes anyhow. Cisco could also be so much more.

There is no reason a Cable company couldn't offer Full Cable service to anyone anywhere on the planet using vanilla Internet. And their wires are just become nothing more than an Internet Bandwidth service.

I have already seen people to high speed channel surfing and live video over the net. Heck I implemented something like it if for a CCTV DVR I architected for VCT Vision.

I can listen to many radio stations from anywhere in the world, yet my local TV channel is limited to just the local area. Why!

Why can't I watch streaming shows from HBO?

These companies are so locked up in legal contracts that it's inviting, no begging, for someone like Apple and Google to come in and take over there Industry.

I am just waiting for a real player to come in produce high quality shows for Internet consumption. And I don't mean posting on youtube.

Meanwhile I have watched so many Set Top Box companies build cool boxes with all sorts of neat tricks, and bite the dust. I have participated in 3 first hand, and must have met so many other people also did the same. Must be almost 100 by now.

Most recently was the founder of Prismiq Inc. You should hear his horror story. Millions wasted on an beautiful front end and back end solutions only to find out the industry has no intention of pulling it's head out of it's ass.

Worst yet I could have told him the outcome from my experiences in 1994 through 1997 trying to pitch the big players.

In 1996 CNN did a news story where they showed my product "Livecam" and then trade markets and send me a cease and desist letter.

I had friends that did an amazing video over IP trial back in 1993, something like 50000 households video on demand. USA Video. You should hear the horror stories.

It's like listening to war veterans about how we where just cannon fodder.

Seem about once a month I have someone contact me wanting to do a set top box play or video over cell phone play. One little piece of advice, Don't do it!

Diminished Reality

Well you've heard of Augmented Reality where computer generate objects are place in to images of the real world. Well now there is Diminished Reality where things in the real word can be removed and hidden.



PopSci Article: Voodoo Software Removes Objects From Video In Real Time


Wait till this technology is integrated in to augmented reality HUD's (Head Up Displays) in 10 to 20 years.

If the clip above doesn't blow you mind check out these videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTBS7s_17B4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5vIXX1cBkA

At this point it's become obvious that without a certifiable solid "chain of evidence" CCTV video can not be trusted.

Altering video footage has become child's play if you have the right software.