Making the business case for 3D adoption

Not many technologies can claim to have been popularised by hordes of blue aliens and a Mad Hatter. 3D, however, is no ordinary format. Blockbuster movies like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland may have helped consumers accept the technology, but will the corporate market see the possibilities of 3D beyond the silver screen?

Those who think the technology is just a passing fad are in the minority. BSkyB has claimed that the majority of European homes will own a 3D TV by 2014. And the broadcaster, along with vehicle manufacturer Telegenic, has signed a deal with Sony to produce its first OB truck, which will transmit live in full 3D.

BSkyB is also working with LG to provide pubs throughout the land with 42in 3D TVs.

Serious money, then, is being spent to ensure this 3D revolution isn't another false dawn, as was the case in the 1950s and 1980s. But is there a place for it outside of living rooms and multiplexes?

Is 3D the business?

3Ducation managing director Andy Duckworth believes in the business case for 3D. The self-confessed 3D evangelist says the technology can have practical benefits - his company is using stereoscopic active 3D technology to produce learning tools for schools. 'Studies have shown that students remember 3D objects better than 2D ones. Schools will be able to record 3D programmes and show them like they did with VHS tapes.'

Sony UK's B2B sales director, Jonathan White, agrees that 3D is now finding its feet, but says there are still hurdles to overcome. 'The opportunity to use 3D within the corporate market is less clear cut than the commercial one. The challenge that companies currently face is not the availability of the technology, but the way they use 3D content to better connect with their customers or employees.'

Sony's 4K SXRD projector was used at Cardiff University to create a life-sized virtual reality environment for medical students (AV, November/December 2009). Sony is also talking up the possibilities for the events sector, with its equipment featuring in experiential projects for Jaguar and Landrover - Holovis produced a 'virtual reality cave', using Sony 4K projection, to simulate the vehicles' exteriors and interiors.

Not everyone in the events sector is so optimistic. Despite producing a successful 3D event for sports channel ESPN, Creative Technology's business development director, Scott Burges, dismisses 3D as a gimmick. 'I'm a heathen when it comes to 3D. For me it's just another medium for people to make money from. Companies that have watched Avatar need to think very carefully. It's simply not affordable to go the full hog,' he says.

'To get the best out of the displays you also need a silver screen, which has an added cost. Live events need big budgets to consider it. Michael Jackson's final concert was set to have an LED screen with polarised filter to create a 3D effect. This looks alright, but you need money to waste.'

JVC sales executive Kris Hill rejects these comments. He says: 'There will always be doubters when new technology emerges, but with live events the possibilities are huge. You have a captive audience and advertisers can use the 3D glasses for branding.'

XL Video's project manager Chris Saunders adds: 'We are developing our own 3D system, and this will be released when we are happy that it's right for the applications. 3D screens are not commonly used at live events yet, and the technology in some areas is still in its infancy.'

Corporate demand

Nevertheless, Christie's vice-president EMEA, Dale Miller, has noticed an increase in his company's 3D output. He says certain sectors are outperforming others in 3D adoption, highlighting Christie's business with the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Fiat, Renault and Volkswagen.

He also points to Christie's work with the aerospace industry. 'Airbus used our systems to model the interior of its aircraft with various layouts and "skins" for different airlines - and for the A380 Series itself,' he says. 'In some cases 3D is used to design the very factories and assembly plants that will be used to make these aircraft.'

A sticking point for those reluctant to jump on the 3D bandwagon is content, or, to be precise, the lack of it. Rushes, which creates 3D videos and animations, acknowledges the technology's current shortcomings. Its head of 3D, Jonathan Privett, says content will initially be limited to computer animation as the cost of creating a second eye for live footage is too high.

Privett adds: 'All manner of products, especially those with existing CAD data, can be rendered in 3D by post-production companies. Companies can also provide a service to create and direct any animated material that can almost always be used as an alternative to live-action photography, and at much lower cost for stereo films.

'Producing live-action work is more costly and involved, with the need to shoot in stereo. This barrier will take some time to disappear for the average production as the cost is at least 35 per cent more. A number of companies are also marketing automated hardware that converts traditionally acquired film into 3D at a low cost.'

Christie's Miller calls for wider education on the production of stereoscopic content. 'There is some very poor-quality 3D in the market that is at risk of undermining the tremendous potential of this sector,' he adds. 'We've seen the lighter side of 3D and the novelty, but also serious uses for 3D in corporate communication where the technology provides a rewarding perspective for applications such as construction and town planning.'

Content in some areas is already far advanced, according to JVC's Hill, with the medical sector using 3D for brain scans, for filming operations and in student training.

The cost of 3D

The technology, then, is out there now, waiting to be harnessed by the corporate market. The big questions are: what is the bottom line when it comes to funding your project? And what is the best equipment for the job?

A variety of factors affect the price of 3D, including screen size and quality of content and image. The active 3D versus passive 3D debate is also still an issue for buyers. 3Ducation's Duckworth is pushing for the adoption of active stereo, citing its superior stereoscopic visuals, reduced cross-talk between left and right eyes, and its lack of pixel alignment problems.

For TV sets, markets such as videoconferencing and exhibitions will have to weigh up the pros and cons. Sony's 3D TV prices are approximately a 50 per cent hike on its current HD sets, with prices from other manufacturers coming in at around £2,500-£4,000.

These screens have their issues, according to Hill, who says the 120hz 3D images can cause eyestrain after long viewing periods. He is also sceptical about the glasses-free technology currently available. 'True glasses-free 3D is still about seven to 10 years off. Current technology only works when a viewer is in a certain spot, which is impractical.'

For producing content, 3Ducation puts costs at anything from £5,000 to £15,000 depending on the job specification.

Another option is JVC's 2D-to-3D converter. The company's IF-2D3D1 image processor uses its own algorithms to offer four 3D mixed formats combining leftand right-eye images. It can allow real-time, on-location monitoring for crews shooting in 3D. The device, which costs £25,200, is even admired by Creative Technology's Burges, who praised its functionality when it was employed in demonstrations for ESPN.

While some sections of the corporate sector have been slower than others to adopt 3D, the general direction for the technology seems to be upwards. If corporate buyers do a bit of swatting up first and prepare to open their wallets that bit wider, 3D could bring genuine added value.