My picks from audio and video trends for 2016:
Smartphone have increased screen sizes and have finally become mobile TVs: Smartphones have overtaken the tablets as the most popular mobile device for viewing videos. The most watched content were targeted at teenagers videos and animation series for children.
Smartphone cameras are great, or at least close enough to great that you don’t notice the difference. We’ve reached the point where you’ve got to work pretty hard to find a phone with a mediocre camera. Compared to a DSLR, smart phone cameras are lousy because they use tiny sensors, but still the camera in your pocket is crazy good considering the limitations manufacturers work under. The vast majority of top-tier smartphones use Sony sensors for their main cameras. The molded plastic lens elements in many cameras have reached the point where they’re essentially perfect. Smart phones are already deployed in many newsrooms for mobile journalism video shooting as it is easier (and cheaper) to learn how to film and edit on your phone than it is to use a big camera.
For new smart phone camera technologies you could see array of lenses to enable Lytro-like refocusing, create 3-D depth maps, and improve image quality in low light. In many cases smart phone cameras and DSLR are complimentary: Although the smartphones have decimated the point-and-shoot segment, sales of DSLR and other high-end rigs remain.
Live streaming video from smart phone becomes mainstream. Periscope was one of the first apps to really make live streaming events simple and easy enough that people wanted to do it. Many other apps are following the trend. Facebook begins testing live video streaming for all users.
Drone videography will ger more popular as drones become more popular. Many people will learn basic and creative aerial filming techniques for drone video cameras.
Whether or not the 2016 International CES holds any big surprises remains to be seen. This year’s CES will focus on how connectivity is proliferating everything from cars to homes, realigning diverse markets. It is quite probable that 4K TV will be big at this years’ CES show due to growing demand and falling prices. 4K becomes mainstream in 2016. CES will also have some 8K sets, though the market for 8K is at least five years away if not more (Tokyo Olympics in 2020 may be broadcast in 8K). Some new display technology is coming. LG has already demoed rollable 55, 66 and 77-inch OLED-based panels. Avegant’s Glyph technology literally beams video content onto your retinas. Analysts Predict CES 2016 Trends article gives you more ideas what to expect.
We can finally declare that 3D image in TV was a flop. Five years ago, it was estimated that the 3D technique can occupy the rapid pace of living cinemas addition. Then slowed different with technologies. But why the technology is virtually failed even though every new TV set has been added to display the 3D image as an option? Analysts said some people lack the ability to stereoscopic vision and for many, the 3D image caused eyestrain or nausea. Stereo image is to be left to various virtual reality applications.
After a year in which the weakness of smart TVs were exploited, Samsung goes on the offensive in 2016. Samsung’s new Tizen-based TVs will have GAIA security with pin lock for credit card and other personal info, data encryption, built-in anti-malware system, more. Samsung’s betting big on the internet of things and wants the TV to sit at the heart of this strategy. Samsung believes that people will want to activate their lights, heating and garage doors all from the comfort of their couch. If smart TVs get a reputation for being easy to hack, then Samsung’s models are hardly likely to be big sellers.
Whole TV industry need to go through a major transition as in most major developed markets, TV growth is slowing and in some cases stagnating. TV will account for 38.4 percent of the $503 billion global ad market in and will drop to 38 percent of the market in 2016. Digital ad spending will overtake TV as biggest category by 2017 or 2018.
Streaming video will be big in 2016. Almost all of the networks are streaming their content and streaming media is going mainstream fast. Third, 15% of American adults report they have become “cord cutters” – meaning they have abandoned paid cable or satellite television service. Many of these cord cutters say that the availability of televised content from the internet and other sources is a factor in their move away from subscription television services.
There seems to be a strong nostalgic audio trend going in. Whether it’s a sweet portable record player, a tabletop wooden radio or a full-size jukebox, the market for vintage-inspired electronics remains strong. Aside from record players, the vintage trend carries over to radios and speakers.
It seems that Americans were willing to spend on vinyl records. Nielsen numbers show that vinyl record sales rose 260 percent between 2009 and 2014, and sales for 2015 are on track to beat 2014’s total vinyl sales of 9.2 million units. Vinyl records generated more revenue in the first half of 2015 than free-to-use streaming services, but that’s not the full story. Despite vinyl sales increase it’s clear that the future of the music industry is digital. Total revenues from the digital music sector is expected to rise while physical sales will drop. Future is filled with streaming music services – both subscription services and free.
On the other end of audio spectrum High resolution audio tries to push to market at CES (again). Hi-Res Audio is the fastest growing category in music. Apple Music is planning to launch new its Hi-Res music streaming in 2016.
W3C group formed in the summer of 2015 a new working group: The Music Notation Community Group consists of representatives from some of the biggest names in the music notation software business who’ve come together to create a standardised way to display western music notation in your browser. It believes are achievable goals that can be met in 2016.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Motion Control Camera Rig Produces Money Shots On A Budget
http://hackaday.com/2016/07/18/diy-motion-control-camera-rig-produces-money-shots-on-a-budget/
Motion control photography allows for stunning imagery, although commercial robotic MoCo rigs are hardly affordable. But what is money? Scratch-built from what used to be mechatronic junk and a hacked Canon EF-S lens, [Howard’s] DIY motion control camera rig produces cinematic footage that just blows us away.
Using the Swift programming language, [Howard] wrote a host program automatically detects the numerous stepper and servo motor based axis and streams the position data to their individual Teensy LC based controllers. To the professional motion graphics artist , these shots aren’t just nice and steady footage: The real magic happens when he starts adding perfectly matched layers of CGI. Therefore, he also wrote some Python scripts that allow him to manually control his MoCo rig from a virtual rig in Blender, and also export camera trajectories directly from his 3D scenes.
On top of the 4-axis camera mount and a rotary stage, [Howard] also needed to find an electronic follow-focus mechanism to keep the now moving objects in focus. Since the Canon EF-S protocol had already been reverse engineered, he decided to tap into the SPI control bus between the camera and the lens to make use of its internal ring motor.
h’s homemade motion control
http://howiem.com/wordpress/index.php/2016/07/14/hs-homemade-motion-control/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Harrison Weber / VentureBeat:
Netflix Q2: international net subscribers 1.5M versus its forecast of 2M, misses on quarterly revenue with $2.11B; stock down 15%+ — Netflix now has 83.18 million subscribers after adding just 160,000 subscribers in the U.S. and 1.52 million abroad last quarter, missing the modest expectations it set back in April.
Netflix now has 83 million subscribers, but it grew slower than ever in the U.S.
http://venturebeat.com/2016/07/18/netflix-now-has-83-million-subscribers-but-its-growing-slower-than-ever-in-the-u-s/
Netflix now has 83.18 million subscribers after adding just 160,000 subscribers in the U.S. and 1.52 million abroad last quarter, missing the modest expectations it set back in April. The company blamed its sluggish growth on an unexpected uptick in churn, possibly due to the company’s decision to end grandfathered prices for longtime users.
The streaming giant reported $2.11 billion in revenue and $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter.
The company says it expects to add 300,000 U.S. subscribers and 2 million abroad in Q3.
Tomi Engdahl says:
James Phillips / The Official Microsoft Blog:
Microsoft debuts free preview of Microsoft Stream, a video sharing service for businesses, which will replace Office 365 Video as the de facto video experience — Video is one of the most powerful ways we connect, communicate and learn today – breaking down geographic boundaries and bringing …
Introducing Microsoft Stream: the secure destination to manage and share videos for businesses of all sizes
http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2016/07/18/introducing-microsoft-stream-the-secure-destination-to-manage-and-share-videos-for-businesses-of-all-sizes/#sm.0018qtf6313jgehksw91oag4ome77
Video is one of the most powerful ways we connect, communicate and learn today – breaking down geographic boundaries and bringing a distinctly human element to digital interactions. Myriad platforms exist in the consumer space to upload and share live or on demand in a matter of seconds. As one of the most consumed and shared content types on the internet, video is increasingly an important part of our personal lives. We believe video can – and should – be just as impactful in the workplace.
Today we are announcing the free preview of Microsoft Stream, a new business video service that democratizes access to and discovery of video at work. Starting today, anyone with a business email address can sign up for the preview in seconds and begin uploading, sharing and tagging videos in their organization. By taking the “work” out of managing video storage and security, Microsoft Stream enables organizations and their employees to communicate and collaborate with video more easily.
Many Microsoft customers have already started to embrace the power of video for their business using Office 365 Video. Microsoft Stream builds upon the learnings and success of Office 365 Video, and over time the two experiences will converge, making Stream the de facto video experience in Office 365.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kurt Wagner / Recode:
NBA to create two original programs to stream exclusively on Twitter, post more game highlights on the social network and Vine — But Twitter isn’t getting any game broadcasts. — Twitter has secured the rights to stream live video content from the NBA starting next season.
The NBA is creating two new TV-style shows exclusively for Twitter
But Twitter isn’t getting any game broadcasts.
http://www.recode.net/2016/7/19/12218624/nba-twitter-streaming-deal-new-shows
Twitter has secured the rights to stream live video content from the NBA starting next season. It’s just not the content you’re thinking of.
The two sides have agreed on a new deal in which the NBA will create two “live original programs” (i.e., TV shows) that it will stream exclusively on Twitter. It will also double the number of NBA game highlights it posts to Twitter-owned properties, including Vine, and those highlights include ads that Twitter and the NBA make revenue from.
What Twitter is not getting, though, is the most valuable content the NBA has to offer: Actual game broadcasts. Recode reported earlier this month that the two sides were talking about a deal, and has heard from multiple sources that Twitter inquired about game broadcasts. Obviously that didn’t happen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wall Street Journal:
How Apple’s assertive negotiating style alienated cable providers and networks, and hurt its efforts to revolutionize the TV industry — In search of its new big thing, the company has alienated cable providers and networks with an assertive negotiating style; ‘time is on my side’
Apple’s Hard-Charging Tactics Hurt TV Expansion
In search of its new big thing, the company has alienated cable providers and networks with an assertive negotiating style; ‘time is on my side’
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/apples-hard-charging-tactics-hurt-tv-expansion-1469721330-lMyQjAxMTA2ODI2ODEyODgyWj
Apple Inc. executives had every reason for optimism when they approached Walt Disney Co. in early 2015 to join the streaming television service Apple planned to launch. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger is an Apple director and had said he was keen to strike a deal.
Disney, which owns channels such as ESPN and ABC, was stunned, though, when Apple executive Eddy Cue made demands that would have upended decades of cable-industry and Hollywood practices, people familiar with the discussions say.
In particular, Apple wanted to freeze for several years the monthly rate per viewer it would pay to license Disney channels. TV channels usually get annual rate increases and rely on them to fuel profit growth.
Disney balked. Similar talks with media giants that included 21st Century Fox Inc. and CBS Corp. also stalled. When Apple debuted its newest Apple TV set-top box last September, it announced no streaming TV service.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ina Fried / Recode:
Microsoft launches Pix, a free camera app for the iPhone that uses AI to enhance photos
Microsoft thinks it can do a better iPhone camera app than Apple
Born in the company’s research labs, Microsoft Pix focuses on taking better pictures of people.
http://www.recode.net/2016/7/27/12278592/microsoft-pix-challenges-iphone-camera
Don’t look now, but Microsoft is becoming a serious player in the world of iPhone apps.
It has already brought over Office and subsumed well-regarded email app Acompli and calendar app Sunrise into a revamped Outlook for iPhone. Now, Microsoft is looking to offer up a rival to the built-in camera app.
Microsoft Pix, a free app from Microsoft Research, focuses first and foremost on delivering better pictures of people. It does this by continuously taking pictures when the app is open and using an algorithm to choose the best shot or shots from among 10 images (seven just before the camera button is pressed and three after).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google has sold 30 million of its Chromecast media streaming devices
That’s up from 25 million in May.
http://www.recode.net/2016/7/28/12318412/google-30-million-chromecast
On its earnings call, Google rarely shares new figures. But it did give us one today: The company has shipped more than 30 million units of its Chromecast streaming dongle, CEO Sundar Pichai said on the second-quarter earnings call.
“We realized a lot of computing intersections happen at the intersection of hardware and software,” Pichai said, before touting Chromecast’s sales.
The device, which competes with the Apple TV and Amazon Fire products, has been the company’s best selling hardware product — although Amazon stopped selling it last fall. In May of 2015, Google said it had shipped 17 million units in Chromecast’s first two years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
YouTube is now 97% encrypted so you can watch your cat videos in peace
http://thenextweb.com/google/2016/08/01/youtube-now-97-encrypted-can-watch-cat-videos-peace/
In a blog post, YouTube today announced that its video service is now 97 percent encrypted.
The company blames not being at 100 percent on some devices being unable to support modern HTTPS, and it hopes to “phase out insecure connections” over time. How long that’ll take remains a mystery, but given that it was at 77 percent in November 2014, full encryption shouldn’t be too far from the future.
HTTPS is important in services like video streaming because it can protect users from hackers planting malware via insecure connections.
YouTube’s road to HTTPS
https://youtube-eng.blogspot.se/2016/08/youtubes-road-to-https.html
We’re proud to announce that in the last two years, we steadily rolled out encryption using HTTPS to 97 percent of YouTube’s traffic.
We’re also proud to be using HTTP Secure Transport Security (HSTS) on youtube.com to cut down on HTTP to HTTPS redirects. This improves both security and latency for end users. Our HSTS lifetime is one year, and we hope to preload this soon in web browsers.
97 percent is pretty good, but why isn’t YouTube at 100 percent? In short, some devices do not fully support modern HTTPS.
In the real world, we know that any non-secure HTTP traffic could be vulnerable to attackers. All websites and apps should be protected with HTTPS
Tomi Engdahl says:
Matthew Lynley / TechCrunch:
Pinterest to launch native video player in the next few months, wants to leverage its visual search technology for better discoverability of videos
Pinterest starts expanding its visual search tools to video
https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/04/pinterest-starts-expanding-its-visual-search-tools-to-video/
Video has generally been available — and is often shared — on Pinterest, but it hasn’t quite received the same treatment that the company’s traditional content has seen.
Over the next few months, however, that will be changing. Pinterest is starting to test ways to get video running directly on its services, including building a native video player. And beyond that, it’s going to start implementing its visual search tools on those videos, giving the company more data on how to deliver it to users at the right moments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook starts testing MSQRD selfie filters in Canada and Brazil, opening to your camera instead of a status update prompt on top of your feed — Snapchat opens to the camera by default to spur content creation, and now Facebook is trying the same starting with an Olympics-themed test in Brazil and Canada.
Facebook tests MSQRD selfie filters and opening your camera atop feed
https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/05/facebook-camerafeed/
Snapchat opens to the camera by default to spur content creation, and now Facebook is trying the same starting with an Olympics-themed test in Brazil and Canada. Instead of just the “What are you doing?” text status update prompt, users will see an open camera window as Facebook executes on Mark Zuckerberg’s promise to put “video at the heart of all of our apps.”
The new feature also sports the first official integration of Facebook’s acquisition MSQRD’s animated selfie filters, which are similar to Snapchat’s selfie Lenses. Using MSQRD’s object recognition tech, users can swipe to apply different Olympics face paint like Brazilian flags and “Go Canada!” that match the contours of their face.
“The way that people share has changed a lot” Facebook Product Manager Sachin Monga tells me. “12 years ago, most of what was shared was text”
“If you look at what people are sharing, now it’s mostly photos, and soon it will be mostly videos. ”
Here, Facebook is trying to combat the reported decline in original content sharing. According to figures attained by The Information, original content sharing like status updates, photos, and home-made videos, was down 15% year over year on Facebook as of February.
Opening the News Feed to the camera will encourage Facebook’s 1.1 billion daily users to take and share more photos and videos. And thanks the MSQRD filters, people can jazz up their face so they feel less self-conscious or basic about sharing selfies.
Eventually, Facebook wants to build even more “magical augmented reality” into its camera, Monga says. Facebook already had graphic filters called “Profile frames” and the ability to add drawings, text, and doodles to your photo uploads. You also could save animated selfies from MSQRD and upload them to Facebook.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to watch the Olympic opening ceremony — and everything else — on TV or online
It’s easy! Or hard! Depends how much time and money you want to spend on this.
http://www.recode.net/2016/8/5/12389088/her-name-is-rio
Unlike previous Olympics, the ceremony will be the only thing that you can’t see live, either on TV or on the web in the United States.
But every single competition in every other event, from archery to wrestling (did you know trampoline was an Olympic sport this year?) — some 6,700 hours worth of sports — will be available live, either on TV or over the web. As long as you have a pay TV subscription.
If you’re a pay TV subscriber, or you know someone who is, watching the games is simple.
If you don’t pay for TV, you can still get almost all of that, legally, by pretending to be interested in paying for internet TV and signing up for a free trial from Sling TV or Sony’s Playstation Vue.
The last option is to go old school and buy an antenna and watch NBC’s free HD broadcast coverage, which will generally be presented in tape-delayed packages aimed at broad audiences
In the past, this kind of conversation was centered almost entirely on YouTube, which used to be a haven for unauthorized video of stuff like the Olympics but eventually cracked down** on that kind of thing.
if you’re on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms a lot during the Olympics, you may very well see highlight clips of varying quality pop up during the events
They may not stay there for long (though they may be there for a while)
Tomi Engdahl says:
US Copyright Office sides with cable companies against FCC’s set-top rules
Set-top box rules could enable piracy, copyright official warns.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/08/us-copyright-office-sides-with-cable-companies-against-fccs-set-top-rules/
The United States Copyright Office has sided with cable companies in their fight against a Federal Communications Commission plan to boost competition in the TV set-top box market.
The FCC proposal would force pay-TV providers to make channels and on-demand content available to third parties, who could then build their own devices and apps that could replace rented set-top boxes. Comcast and other cable companies complain that this will open the door to copyright violations, and US Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante agrees with them. The Copyright Office provided advice to the FCC at the FCC’s request, and Pallante yesterday detailed the concerns her office raised in a letter to members of Congress
The Copyright Office, which processes registrations of copyright for books, music, movies, software, and other works, says that under the FCC plan, third parties “would have no way of knowing all of the requirements and limitations” imposed by licensing agreements between programmers and pay-TV providers.
Among other things, such requirements can be related to the types of devices that video may be viewed on, limitations on advertising, and channel lineups, the letter said. For third-party devices such as the Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV, contracts can also include “requirements to exclude applications used for the consumption of pirated works” before allowing pay-TV content on the device.
While the existing CableCard system already allows access to pay-TV content on third-party devices, the Copyright Office argues that this is not equivalent
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has insisted that third parties will have to respect copyright under his proposal, but fellow Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has expressed concerns about copyright.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Abby Ohlheiser / Washington Post:
International Olympics Committee rules ban the posting of Olympics GIFs, Vines, and other short videos for everyone but broadcast rights holders, NBC in the US
The IOC is cracking down on Olympic GIFs. But how effective can it be?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/08/05/the-ioc-is-cracking-down-on-olympic-gifs-but-how-effective-can-they-be/
If there’s a viral moment at this year’s games in Rio, the International Olympic Committee wants to make sure it comes only from authorized social media sources. The IOC’s always-strict rules governing the use of moving images from inside the Olympics now include specific prohibitions on unauthorized Vines, live-streams and GIFs.
“The use of Olympic Material transformed into graphic animated formats such as animated GIFs (i.e. GIFV), GFY, WebM, or short video formats such as Vines and others, is expressly prohibited,” say the IOC’s rules for media outlets covering the Games.
A separate document outlining social media rules for all accredited individuals attending or participating in the Games says that the IOC is fine with people posting still images from the Olympic venues (so long as they are “consistent with the Olympic values” and abide by several other behavioral directives), but not so for anything that moves
Why does any of this matter? Well, the rules (particularly those banning the use of short, animated clips from the Games) will restrict the use of one of the best tools out there to appreciate some of the Summer Games’ most popular sports.
The rules discussed above are basically supposed to ensure that no one sees any Olympic moments from sources that don’t hold the rights to show them.
In the U.S., the rights holder is NBC, and it’s going to do as much as it can to try to control the social conversation around the Games this year.
NBC partnered with many of the platforms that might otherwise compete against its coverage, including Snapchat, BuzzFeed, Facebook and Instagram. There will be Facebook Live feeds from the Olympics, but for U.S. viewers, the rules aim to make sure those moments come only from NBC or other authorized accounts.
it is inevitable that they will be memed, GIFed, and remixed beyond the IOC’s control
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building a Full-Spectrum Digital Camera on the Cheap
http://hackaday.com/2016/08/05/building-a-full-spectrum-digital-camera-on-the-cheap/
The sensor on your digital camera picks up a lot more than just the light that’s visible to the human eye. Camera manufacturers go out of their way to reduce this to just the visible spectrum in order to produce photos that look right to us. But, what if you want your camera to take photos of the full light spectrum? This is particularly useful for astrophotography, where infrared light dramatically adds to the effect.
Generally, accomplishing this is just a matter of removing the internal IR-blocking filter from your camera.
Making a full spectrum camera — Canon EOS-M teardown
https://tinkerings.org/2014/10/27/making-a-full-spectrum-camera-canon-eos-m-teardown/
I’ve been wanting a full spectrum camera for ages, but I didn’t want to risk performing surgery on my ‘proper’ DSLR to get one. But for $350, I’m just comfortable with my tinkering skills to risk the attempt.
What exactly is a full spectrum camera? Well, a standard CCD or CMOS sensor is actually sensitive to more than just ordinary visible light. Camera manufactures well know this and try to avoid it, since to their customers it’s a nuisance if their photos don’t match what their eyes see. Even worse, since all lenses have some element of chromatic abberation, and don’t focus IR or UV light as well as they focus visible light, the extra light can often just show up as a ‘haziness’ rather than a clear image.
Camera designers use two ways of combating this problem.
‘Hot mirror‘ — This filter blocks infrared from reaching the sensor. It’s located inside the camera, and is sandwiched just above the sensor chip.
‘UV filter‘ — This blocks the UV in sunlight from creating unexpected effects on the image. It’s usually an optional extra that’s placed on the end of the lens.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CMAF: MPEG Aims to Ease Online Video
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2016/07/cmaf-mpeg-aims-to-ease-online-video.html?cmpid=enlmobile07122016&eid=289644432&bid=1457930
At its 115th meeting, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) reached the first milestone for the Common Media Application Format (CMAF), which is intended to define a standard for encoding and decoding of segmented media. The aim is for a single format for OTT distributors and playback support for all consumer electronics devices.
“The ultimate goal is to reduce complexity when delivering video online,” Will Law, chief architect, Akamai’s (NASDAQ:AKAM) media division, wrote in a recent blog.
The issue is such an important one that it has brought together unlikely collaborators – Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL). The two giants, along with Akamai, Edgeware and other partners, worked together to submit CMAF to MPEG, which accepted it into the standardization process in February.
While there has been a move away from proprietary media protocols, most content distributors still have to make what Law refers to as two silos of content – HLS and MPEG-DASH. In other words, they have to encode and store the same audio and video data twice in separate file containers.
“These same files, although representing the same content, cost twice as much to package, twice as much to store on origin, and they compete with each other on Akamai edge caches for space, thereby reducing the efficiency with which they can be delivered,” Law wrote.
CMAF suggests file containers that closely resemble those currently used in DASH, so there can’t be much work needed on DASH encoders, workflows, Law explained in the blog. Apple and the HLS community, however, will have to abandon the use of transport stream (TS) file containers.
What DASH currently uses is a variant of ISO Base Media File Format, called fragmented MP4 (fMP4).
Once CMAF is standardized, Apple, Android and Microsoft operating systems and devices are likely to adopt quickly. However, legacy devices will still be around that require TS-based HLS.
“Standardization is one thing, but the main trigger for this effort will be client availability. With Apple already supporting it in Safari on Mac and having announced support in the upcoming iOS 10 release, (and) DASH clients already supporting it, it is reasonable to believe that this will actually be a real change.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber-optic modules form versatile transmission system
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4442345/Fiber-optic-modules-form-versatile-transmission-system?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20160711&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20160711&elqTrackId=a7c208297a1e4c67a49f874a9e236a58&elq=87066f29b8e2450ca51c0a2cea99cb8a&elqaid=33033&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=28859
PFO-100R/T fiber-optic receivers and transmitters from Link Electronics enable 3G/HD/SD-SDI or ASI fiber-optic transmission. The SDI pathological-test–compliant modules operate with single-mode or multi-mode fiber-optic cable and include a built-in equalizer, cable driver, reclocker, and jitter-elimination circuitry.
The PFO-100R (receiver) and PFO-100T (transmitter) are a matched pair for specific wavelengths, either the standard 1310 nm or any requested wavelength between 1270 nm and 1610 nm. These tiny receiver and transmitter modules support SMPTE ST 424 (3G-SDI 3-Gbps), SMPTE ST 292 (HD-SDI 1.5-Gbps), SMPTE ST 259 (SD-SDI 143/270/360-Mbps), and SMPTE ST 310 (DVB-ASI).
Capable of transmitting up to 24 miles (40 km) or 48 miles (80 km),
The system uses its own power supply or any 5-VDC supply.
Tomi Engdahl says:
4K 4 U: How to Prepare for UltraHD Video
http://www.btreport.net/hangouts/2016/06/4k-4-u-how-to-prepare-for-ultrahd-video.html?cmpid=enlmobile07122016&eid=289644432&bid=1457930
4K/UltraHD video is coming – consumers are buying the TV sets, and more content is becoming available. But actually delivering 4K video presents some significant challenges for service providers. Where will the bandwidth come from? What capacity planning needs to be done?
4K 4 U: How to Prepare for UltraHD Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66xUCS4FCwA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Here is article that shows how many survival reality TV programs are very much fake:
Reasons why Naked and Afraid is totally fake
http://www.nickiswift.com/19882/reasons-naked-afraid-totally-fake/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_1134068&utm_content=234
On Discovery’s hit survival reality series Naked and Afraid, two naked strangers are dropped off in the wilderness and challenged to survive for three weeks. The official description of the show claims that “Each duo will be left high and dry with no food, no water…and no clothes.
The psychological impact of isolation is touted as one of the most important aspects of the show. Filming locations vary from episode to episode, and while some are more isolated than others, the contestants are never really alone. They are constantly followed by cameramen, producers, and medics. While the contestants are generally left alone at night, the production camp is within walking distance and earshot.
In a 2013 interview, executive producer Denise Contis told the Wall Street Journal that “There is no manipulation, no element of scripted reality.” Despite this claim, it seems that as with most reality shows, producers and crew members will put their thumb on the scale from time to time in order to tilt the story.
Read More: http://www.nickiswift.com/19882/reasons-naked-afraid-totally-fake/s/scripted-drama/?utm_campaign=clip
Tomi Engdahl says:
Challenges of Delivering 4K and 8K Video
http://us.socionext.com/solutions/video-broadcasting/challenges-delivering-4k-8k-video/
One of the specific challenges facing the video broadcasting world is to deliver high-quality video content in 4K and 8K formats from point A to B at significant distances. Since transmission bandwidth of a certain link is fixed, say cable or cellular network, it is required to push more and better quality video data to consumption devices like TV, tablet and smartphones. An important solution is HEVC codec products which double the compression ratio and enable 50% or more in bandwidth savings compare to today’s H.264 format.
Various technologies improve video consumption experience, including High-Dynamic-Range (HDR) encoding, statistical multiplexing (StatMux), Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) encoding.
As an example, the Socionext encoder can compress a 4K 60P real time HEVC video using only a quarter rack unit. And, it utilizes only 8W of power, which can provide a 90 percent power saving as compared with other solutions that complete the same tasks.
In addition, the single channel HEVC content is transmitted using only half the bandwidth required with the conventional H.264 – 7.5Mbps versus 15Mbps.
And there is more – statistical multiplexing software such as that provided by Socionext can analyze video streams and maximize bandwidth allocation so that multi-channel contents can be uplinked simultaneously to the satellite. This kind of simultaneous uplink saves broadcasters much time and money as opposed to relying strictly on the constraints of the uplink bandwidth.
Like most broadcasters, Socionext envisions a steady evolution from HD technology through 4K and onto 8K in a relatively compressed period of time.
The challenges of delivering 4K and 8K video
http://embedded-computing.com/guest-blogs/the-challenges-of-delivering-4k-and-8k-video/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transmitting High Quality 4K Video Signals Over a 5 Meter Cable
Intersil’s ISL3x411 USB redrivers offer extended functionality for advanced protocols operating with line rates up to 11.1Gbps. The devices provide a 300% cable extension over passive copper solutions, making them ideal for DisplayPort™ USB-C long active cables.
Signal Integrity ICs for USB Type-C: 4K Video Demo
http://www.intersil.com/en/tools/videos/4k-8k-usb-c-displayport-cable-video.html?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=interface&utm_content=isl36411&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWmpRelkyTTNNR1ptT1dNNSIsInQiOiJlamhKak1RWXpjRmwyQ0Z1bGMxZG5wVjlHSkNZRDRJRnNIRWljdmZpVGRJdlNzcmxFNjZRa0NlZDBNejNjYUVNb3VQck9cL21tY2ZoN3BaczVnWklwQ20wQStoNFwvbSt2S204Nkdad3paXC82WT0ifQ%3D%3D
Tomi Engdahl says:
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Hulu phases out its own free streaming service, inks deal with Yahoo to provide TV episodes to Yahoo View, Yahoo’s new ad-supported TV streaming site — Hulu inks deal with Yahoo to provide free, ad-supported episodes of TV shows — Hulu is moving to an all-subscription model …
Hulu Ends Free Streaming Service
http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/hulu-free-streaming-end-yahoo-1201832578/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Steven Perlberg / Wall Street Journal:
NBCU signs multi-year deal to make original shows for Snapchat, drawing on familiar brands including SNL, The Voice, and the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
NBCU Signs Deal to Make Snapchat Shows
Network will debut ‘The Voice on Snapchat’ and E! News show
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/nbcu-signs-deal-to-make-snapchat-shows-1470650401-lMyQjAxMTI2MDAwODcwNDgzWj
NBCUniversal is bringing some of its most recognizable brand names to Snapchat.
NBCU is aiming to bring content from ‘The Tonight Show‘ to Snapchat this fall.
The Comcast Corp. -owned media giant, whose networks include E!, Bravo and the NBC broadcast channel, has signed a multiyear deal with the disappearing-messages app to create new “shows” for its growing media hub. NBCU will rely on some of its most recognizable franchises for the initiative—like “Saturday Night Live,” “The Voice,” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
NBCU says it won’t use Snapchat to simply disseminate repurposed TV clips, as it does on YouTube and Facebook for Mr. Fallon’s show, for example. Rather, “This is going to be more of an original show production,” said Ron Lamprecht, executive vice president of business development and digital distribution at NBCUniversal.
“The idea that you’re going to take a horizontal piece of content, even if it’s great, and just crop it vertically isn’t going to work,” he said.
The announcement comes shortly after Snapchat unveiled a redesign of its “Stories” and Discover pages
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open-source video platform Kaltura raises $50M from Goldman Sachs, confirms plans to IPO
http://venturebeat.com/2016/08/08/open-source-video-platform-kaltura-raises-50m-from-goldman-sachs-confirms-plans-to-ipo/
Open-source video platform Kaltura has raised $50 million from Goldman Sachs, as the New York-based technology company finally confirmed its plans to go public.
Founded in 2006, Kaltura is a platform that allows media companies and publishers to manage, analyze, and monetize their online videos, and it offers a range of APIs, covering transcoding, distribution, and more.
“Video is booming — it is the favorite data type for communication, collaboration, teaching & learning, marketing, and entertainment,” said Ron Yekutiel, Kaltura chairman and CEO, in a press release. “Kaltura is in a unique position to capitalize on this huge market opportunity since it provides the broadest set of video products and capabilities to customers across all industries.”
Kaltura works with organizations across a range of sectors, including publishing and enterprise, and counts the likes of Bank of America, Intel, SAP, Oracle, Groupon, Nestle, Philips, Viacom, Vodafone, HBO, Warner Brothers, and Target among its clients.
http://corp.kaltura.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
NASA’s new camera makes rocket engines look like Hollywood CGI
HDR video of a seriously powerful booster
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/8/12404970/nasa-hdr-camera-rocket-boosters-test-watch
NASA has created a camera that can film slow motion footage of booming rocket engines with higher dynamic range than ever before. It’s called the High Dynamic Range Stereo X camera, or HiDyRS-X, and late last week the agency released some of its footage to the public for the first time.
The three-minute clip shows the most recent test of one of the boosters for NASA’s upcoming Space Launch System rocket in unprecedented detail.
Where regular high-speed cameras usually only captures video one exposure at a time, HiDyRS-X can capture multiple exposures at a time. Those exposures are then combined into one HDR video that looks like it came straight from a Hollywood VFX house.
Space Technology
Game Changing Development
High Dynamic Range Stereo X (HiDyRS-X)
http://gameon.nasa.gov/files/2015/11/FS_HiDyRS-X_150504.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
SIGGRAPH 2016: Still Addicted to Computer Graphics
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330267&
Still looking for light in all the odd places…
I haven’t been to the AMC SIGGRAPH conference in more 20 years, but the mere mention of the special interest group (SIG) still evokes fond memories. Excerpts from last week’s gathering (July 24-28) in Anaheim ― particularly the computer animation contents ― reminded me once again of what I had missed. It was technology ― the pure computation muscle it takes to animate a 30-second video sequence, or a feature-length film, for that matter ― is what still fascinates.
There is hardly a commercial animated or special effects film or lead-in to the 10-o’clock TV news that isn’t supported by computer graphics. The SIGGRAPH gathering reminds animators of how many machine cycles it takes your graphics processing unit (GPU) to light up a video screen.
Follow the light
Despite the intensified fascination with immersive realities (AR and VR), the technology for animating a computer graphics screen, remains very much familiar. “Pay attention to where the light comes from in each frame of the film,”
Looking at presentations, pictures and the on-line renderings made available from SIGGRAPH on line, it turns out the basic questions haven’t changed. We’re still trying to identify where light comes from in a graphics picture frame. Only, the scale and sophistication has grown massively: What color does your 16th-million pixel have to be if you’re rendering a chase through thick fog? You have to account for every pixel ― millions of them ― by asking the same question:
In terms of the pictures it renders, your graphics processing unit (GPU) will treat each pixel as some combination of red, green and blue, and separately calculate the light intensity (256 levels, 28) 8-bits for each color. Thus, on a computer graphics screen, each pixel represents one of 16.7 million possible colors (256 x 256 x 256), refreshed ― depending on the horizontal scan rate ― 60 or 75 times per second. Historically, there was a component called a Graphics DAC, or RAMDAC, three digital-to-analog converters on one chip, which would execute RGB color combinations and light intensity levels for each pixel. While the RAMDAC disappeared inside the integrated GPU after 2006, the principles of operation are largely the same today: The GPU determines the color levels and light intensity for each pixel on the screen, still asking the same basic question: Where does the light come from in each frame?
To be sure, there are algorithms and programming techniques which speed the computation of pixel light intensity, specialized hardware to speed the delivery of pixels to a display screen, and cataloged software subroutines that can supply code for illuminating furry animals.
Know that, SIGGRAPH presentations (those viewable online) seem divided between physics-and-math tutorials on what happens to light on various reflective and light-absorbing surfaces, and graphics product announcements with demonstrations intended to make film makers like George Lucas sit up and take notice.
SIGGRAPH University – Introduction to “Physically Based Shading in Theory and Practice”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-A0mwsJRmk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Body Talk: Crowdshaping Realistic 3D Avatars with Words (SIGGRAPH 2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6F22RFO9HU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Edmund Lee / Recode:
Disney buys a 33% stake for $1B in streaming firm BAMTech, now spun out of MLB digital business, and plans streaming sports network — If cord-cutting ever gets bad, Disney now has an easier way to go direct to consumer. — Disney is buying a one-third stake in streaming video company BAM Tech …
Disney is investing $1 billion in streaming tech and will launch a streaming sports network — but it won’t include ESPN
If cord-cutting ever gets bad, Disney now has an easier way to go direct to consumer.
http://www.recode.net/2016/8/9/12416466/disney-1-billion-streaming-tech-espn
Disney is buying a one-third stake in streaming video company BAM Tech for $1 billion and will eventually launch what it calls an ESPN-branded subscription streaming service that — here’s the important part — won’t include ESPN.
The deal values BAM Tech, backed by Major League Baseball, at $3 billion.
We told you about a potential deal between the two earlier this year, and now it’s official.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wall Street Journal:
Concerned about revenue split, algorithm tweaks, and ad sales control, TV content owners like the NFL, Disney, and NBCUniversal resist Facebook video deals
TV Companies Resist Facebook Video Deals
‘Premium’ content owners have doubts about advertising arrangements
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/tv-companies-resist-facebook-video-deals-1470823203-lMyQjAxMTE2MTE1MDAxODAxWj
The National Football League, Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp. ’s NBCUniversal are among television content owners that are resisting striking deals with Facebook Inc. for its video features, concerned about ceding control to the social networking giant and undermining the value of their programming.
Facebook has been courting premium content owners for its “Suggested Videos” feature and Facebook Live, its new live-streaming product, people familiar with the matter say. Media companies want to partner with Facebook to get in front of a massive pool of viewers on their phones, but they have serious concerns about Facebook’s proposed deal terms and its recent algorithm changes for how content surfaces in users’ News Feeds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Blender for Visual Effects
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/blender-visual-effects
Video editing and visual effects are two closely related fields. They’re also dominated by expensive proprietary software. There are open-source alternatives to some of these packages, and some of them stand up very well by comparison. Blender and Natron are two outstanding examples of FOSS software that give the big names a run for their money.
Blender was once a commercial package, but the source was opened and given to the community. Since then, it’s enjoyed contributions from hundreds of developers and has an enviable collection of powerful features. As a community project, the addition of new features is driven by the needs of the users.
In fact, many professionals favor Blender over the likes of Maya.
But while the power is there, it can be hard to learn. To say there is a steep learning curve is more than an understatement. The impressive examples together with Blender’s wide availability has led millions of people to download it and take it for a spin.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:
Microsoft acquires Beam, a livestreaming service that lets viewers interact with videogame streamers during broadcasts — Microsoft has acquired Beam, a Seattle-based interactive game streaming service that lets viewers play along with streamers as they watch.
Microsoft acquires Beam interactive game live streaming service
https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/11/microsoft-acquires-beam-interactive-game-livestreaming-service/
Microsoft has acquired Beam, a Seattle-based interactive game streaming service that lets viewers play along with streamers as they watch. Beam’s model takes the mostly passive interaction that streaming fans may be used to from services like Twitch and YouTube, and adds the ability for viewers to interact with the streamer via crowdsourced controls.
Players interacting through Beam can direct the play of the person streaming, doing things like setting which weapon loadout they take into battle for multiplayer shooters, for example. It launched at TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016, and won our Startup Battlefield competition.
Beam founder and CEO Matt Salsamendi told me via email that Xbox’s community focus is specifically what made them a good fit for the young company.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Intel introduces Joule, a new chip module for developers to bring computer vision tech to cheap prototypes
Intel’s new Joule system can help gadgets see and understand the world
Computer vision in a tiny package
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/16/12505278/intel-joule-computer-vision-ar-vr-drones-idf-2016
Intel today introduced a new chip module it calls Joule, a tiny board for developers designed to bring powerful computer vision technology to cheap and easy-to-make prototypes. Joule is essentially a tiny and powerful computer with all its standard up-to-date parts. But it also has enhanced sensors powered by Intel’s RealSense tech that make it suitable for powering software for drones, robots, and other gadgets to help those devices see, analyze, and collect data about the real world. Intel says this type of vision and data collection should let Joule be used for automation as well.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lauren Goode / The Verge:
Intel announces Project Euclid, a compact RealSense module that brings cameras, motion sensors, and onboard communications to robots
Intel’s Project Euclid is a RealSense module for robots
It’s almost too easy to make a robot
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/8/16/12504678/intel-project-euclid-robots-realsense-module-tiny-computer
Among other announcements today, including a new VR reference design and a partnership with Microsoft to bring mixed reality to the mainstream, Intel said it has created a module aimed at robotics makers and developers.
Called Project Euclid, the module is based on Intel’s RealSense “perceptual computing” technology. It’s a small, candy bar-sized developer kit that “brings sensors to any robot,” said Intel CEO Brian Krzanich during the company’s keynote.
It has an atom processor, cameras, motion sensors, onboard communications capabilities, and a battery. Basically, it’s meant to bring a bunch of things needed to build robotics into a small, self-contained PC.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nikon announces the D3400, its first entry-level DSLR with always-on Bluetooth
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/8/17/12508990/nikon-d3400-snapbridge-bluetooth-price-specs-date
Nikon has officially announced the D3400, the company’s newest entry-level DSLR. It is (somewhat obviously) a successor to the D3300, and the D3200 that came before it. The new camera doesn’t boast many changes, but there is one big one: this will be the first entry-level DSLR with the company’s Snapbridge software, an always-on Bluetooth Low Energy connection that lets the camera automatically transfer images to a user’s smartphone — no Wi-Fi required.
Snapbridge was introduced with the D500, a more expensive prosumer DSLR, earlier this year at CES, and so far the feature has seen a slow rollout.
The new camera uses the same 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor found in the D3300, and it also (again) has no low pass filter — a trend in recent years that has allowed camera makers to squeeze more detail out of their image sensors at the cost of making them more susceptible to moire.
The D3400 will be sold — in black or red — as a kit with Nikon’s new image-stabilized and quiet-focusing 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens, which was also announced at CES. That package will cost $649 when it goes on sale in September
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using Robotics To Film the Perfect Hamburger Shot
http://hackaday.com/2016/08/21/using-robotics-to-film-the-perfect-hamburger-shot/
It’s no secret that a lot of time, money, and effort goes into photographing and filming all that delicious food you see in advertisements.
That’s what [Steve Giralt] set out to do, and to accomplish it he had to get creative. Each component of the hamburger was suspended by rubber bands, and an Arduino timed and controlled servo system cut each rubber band just before that ingredient entered the frame. There’s even a 3D printed dual-catapult system to fling the condiments, causing them to collide in the perfect place to land in place on the burger.
Behind the Scenes of a Perfect Burger Drop
http://twistedsifter.com/videos/behind-the-scenes-burger-drop-with-steve-giralt/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Windows 10 update breaks operation of many webcams:
After installing Windows 10 Anniversary Update. A USB webcams regardless of the brand are no longer able to play MJPEG or H.264-encoded video, and they can only be sent YUY2-encoded video.
“One of the main reasons that Windows is decoding MJPEG for your applications is because of performance. With the Anniversary Update to Windows 10, it is now possible for multiple applications to access the camera in ways that weren’t possible before. It was important for us to enable concurrent camera access, so Windows Hello, Microsoft Hololens and other products and features could reliably assume that the camera would be available at any given time, regardless of what other applications may be accessing it. One of the reasons this led to the MJPEG decoding is because we wanted to prevent multiple applications from decoding the same stream at the same time, which would be a duplicated effort and thus an unnecessary performance hit.”
“So yes, MJPEG and H.264 being decoded / filtered out is the result of a set of features we needed to implement, and this behavior was planned, designed, tested, and flighted out to our partners and Windows Insiders around the end of January of this year. We worked with partners to make sure their applications continued to function throughout this change, but we have done a poor job communicating this change out to you guys.”
“. If you’re having issues adapting your application code to the NV12 / YUY2 media types, we’d like to support you through the changes you may need to make.”
Sources:
http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4881:windows-10-paivitys-rikkoo-webbikamerat&catid=13&Itemid=101
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsdesktop/en-US/9d6a8704-764f-46df-a41c-8e9d84f7f0f3/mjpg-encoded-media-type-is-not-available-for-usbuvc-webcameras-after-windows-10-version-1607-os?forum=mediafoundationdevelopment#fc5c100a-c661-43cd-9540-bb4591e3d1fe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Model 3364 | USB 3.0 HD Video + Audio Capture Device
http://www.sensoray.com/products/3364.htm
Model 3364 is a USB 3.0 video capture device available in SDI (3364-SDI) or DVI (3364-DVI) versions. It captures uncompressed HD/SD video in resolutions up to 1080p60, and will overlay and compress resolutions up to 1080p30. It can simultaneously send both compressed and uncompressed video to the host computer. The DVI version also captures component, VGA and composite signals (with appropriate adapters).
Audio can be captured from a microphone or line source using an optional 3364TA accessory board. Audio may be sent uncompressed, or it may be compressed and multiplexed into a transport stream along with compressed video, or both simultaneously.
The unit is a UVC (USB Video Class) device, which means it does not require a device-specific driver and can be easily controlled using popular video APIs such as DirectShow and Video4Linux. Sensoray provides Software Development Kits (SDKs) for several operating systems to accelerate application development. Our fully functional demo program illustrates model 3364′s capabilities and serves as an excellent starting point for custom designs.
Model 3364 is available as a bare board or in a robust metal enclosure, with either two SDI or two DVI connectors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung Reminds Us That You Can’t Make People Use an App They Don’t Want
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/16/08/22/1713248/samsung-reminds-us-that-you-cant-make-people-use-an-app-they-dont-want
Samsung has announced that it will be discontinuing Milk Music on September 22. The announcement comes a year after the South Korean technology conglomerate shuttered Milk Video, another service that didn’t receive the traction Samsung was hoping.
Samsung reminds us — again! — that you can’t make people use an app they don’t want
More reminders to come from Verizon, Comcast and AT&T.
http://www.recode.net/2016/8/22/12585034/samsung-milk-music-video-verizon-comcast
Tomi Engdahl says:
North Korea Unveils Netflix-Like Streaming Service Called ‘Manbang’
https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/08/23/002218/north-korea-unveils-netflix-like-streaming-service-called-manbang
North Korea has unveiled a set-top box that offers video-on demand services similar to Netflix. The service is called Manbang, which translates to “everywhere” in Korean, and allows consumers to stream documentaries about Kim Jong Un and other “educational” programs, as well as five live TV channels.
North Korea ‘Netflix’ device unveiled
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37154456
Tomi Engdahl says:
PlayStation 3 Games Are Coming To PC
https://games.slashdot.org/story/16/08/23/1848206/playstation-3-games-are-coming-to-pc
PlayStation 3 games are coming to Windows. Sony said Tuesday that it is bringing its PlayStation Now game-streaming program to Windows PCs. The service broadcasts PlayStation 3 games over the internet similar to the way Netflix beams movies to devices like Roku.
PlayStation games are coming to PC, and other signs the end is nigh
http://www.cnet.com/news/playstation-games-are-coming-to-windows-pc/
Soon, you won’t need a PlayStation to experience games like God of War or Uncharted. Also, cats and dogs are living together now.
Sony is actually, really, truly bringing PlayStation 3 games to your Windows PC, console wars be damned.
The catch: you’ll be playing those games over the internet with Sony’s streaming game service, PlayStation Now. Think Netflix.
PlayStation Now has already been around for a couple of years on the PS4, PS3, PS Vita handheld, plus a handful of Blu-ray players and smart TVs. For $20 a month or $45 for three (£13 monthly in the UK, but alas, not available in Australia), the service gives players unlimited access to a long list of over 400 PlayStation 3 games. (The service is available only in those countries as well as in Canada and Japan, with Belgium and the Netherlands currently in beta.)
Like Netflix or any other streaming service, the quality can vary wildly depending on your internet connection — Sony requires a solid 5Mbps connection at all times, and that doesn’t change today.
What changes is the size of Sony’s audience. With a Windows laptop or tablet, you aren’t tethered to a big-screen TV. You could theoretically take these PlayStation games anywhere — and wherever you go, your saved games stream with you.
There are some caveats, though. In addition to the pricey monthly subscription and the stable internet connection, Sony recommends your Windows device have a 3.5GHz (or faster!) processor for best results.
And you’ll need a DualShock 4 controller to play on Windows, instead of the older DualShock 3 that worked just fine with PlayStation Now on other platforms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lucas Shaw / Bloomberg:
Sources: Google’s Daydream service is launching “in the coming weeks” as the company pays YouTube stars for VR content and helps promote some Hulu projects — Company to release Daydream virtual reality service in weeks — Google said to back games, short films with YouTube celebs
Google Recruiting Web Stars, Hulu for Virtual Reality Push
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-23/google-said-to-recruit-web-stars-hulu-for-virtual-reality-push
Google is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece in virtual-reality films and programs, part of a plan to line up exclusive content for the debut of its new Daydream service in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Google will help promote projects from Hulu LLC and fund the production of 360-degree videos with YouTube stars like the Dolan twins and Justine Ezarik, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deals. The division of Alphabet Inc. has also partnered with video-game producers and sports leagues to boost its biggest virtual-reality initiative.
“It’s apparent they’ve spent a lot of money internally,” said Finn Staber, co-founder of TheWaveVR, a virtual-reality startup developing a music app for Daydream.
The company is relying on apps, shorts and games to promote Daydream, a hybrid store and software service that Google hopes will be the dominant way people engage in virtual reality, much like Android is for smartphones. An update to Android software that will support Daydream began rolling out Monday. The idea is to encourage the growth of the technology and ensure Google maintains a central role in helping people find things to watch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fujifilm’s X-A3 Camera Mashes Up Retro Looks and Selfie Smarts
http://www.wired.com/2016/08/fujifilm-x-a3/
Is there really such a thing as a “retro-themed camera” anymore? Throwback styles are the norm. Take Fujifilm’s latest mirrorless camera, with its aluminum body swathed in faux leather. It’ll look great in your study next to your globe bar and real-leather-bound tomes.
The Fujifilm X-A3 is built around a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, which is the same size as the imager found in most consumer DSLRs. Like its predecessor, the X-A1, the X-A3’s new sensor has a Bayer pattern color filter like practically every other camera.
That means you’re not getting the unique “X-Trans” sensor in the higher-end Fujifilm X-T2 and X100T, which was designed to make images look like they were shot with film cameras. With the X-A3, sharpness and color likely won’t look as delicious.
Then again, those X-Trans cameras cost more than twice as much as the X-A3.
The X-A3 can boast a few bonus features, like manual exposure controls, RAW mode with in-camera processing, an ISO range that reaches up to 25,600, and the ability to control the camera remotely via Wi-Fi. But clearly, this is a camera built for more casual shooters.
Tomi Engdahl says:
YouTube Plans To Bring Photos, Polls, and Text To Its Video Service
https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/08/24/233200/youtube-plans-to-bring-photos-polls-and-text-to-its-video-service
YouTube is developing a feature internally called Backstage where users can share photos, polls, links, text posts, and videos with their subscribers. Backstage is expected to launch by the end of the year, possibly this fall, on mobile and desktop, initially with select popular YouTube accounts and with limited features, VentureBeat has learned. Akin to a Facebook Timeline or Twitter profile, Backstage will live alongside the Home and Videos tabs within individual YouTube channels.
Inside Backstage: YouTube’s plan to bring photos, polls, and text to the video service
http://venturebeat.com/2016/08/24/inside-backstage-youtubes-plan-to-bring-photos-polls-and-text-to-the-video-service/
YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing service, is looking beyond video to keep its homegrown stars — and their fans — from departing to competing platforms.
Amid competition from Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter, YouTube is developing a feature internally called Backstage where users can share photos, polls, links, text posts, and videos with their subscribers. Backstage is expected to launch by the end of the year, possibly this fall, on mobile and desktop, initially with select popular YouTube accounts and with limited features, VentureBeat has learned.
Akin to a Facebook Timeline or Twitter profile, Backstage will live alongside the Home and Videos tabs within individual YouTube channels. Posts shared to Backstage will appear in reverse chronological order, and, crucially, will also appear in subscribers’ feeds and notifications, making them highly visible to fans.
While Backstage is expected to introduce entirely new types of content to YouTube, including tweet-like text posts and topical polls, it also presents new opportunities for video sharing. Backstage will eventually enable users to share both traditional YouTube videos and Backstage-only videos, possibly creating an opportunity for more intimate, or even ephemeral, video sharing between YouTubers and their fans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
USB Type-C to replace the 3.5mm head phone jack & introducing USB-IF certified USB-C chargers
https://blogs.synopsys.com/tousbornottousb/2016/08/19/usb-type-c-to-replace-the-3-5mm-head-phone-jack-introducing-usb-if-certified-usb-c-chargers/
During IDF 2016 there was a lot of buzz around USB Type-C. Two of the hot topics were USB Type-C for audio and the announcement by the USB-IF to offer certification for Type-C chargers. Also, Synopsys demonstrated our USB-IF Certified 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gb/s) host and device solution.
So lets first talk about USB Type-C and the 3.5mm audio jack. There has been some recent press on the possibility that USB Type-C will replace the 3.5mm audio jack completely. My own opinion is that this is the right time to make the switch. There are a couple of reason but one is that most products are pushing to get slimmer and slimmer, smaller and smaller and they just can’t tolerate multiple connectors. Using a slim, small Type-C for power, audio, display and more just makes perfect sense. Added to this the new USB Audio Standard, which is not public yet but Synopsys has access to, forces improved power management lowering power consumption when using USB for Audio making it a net zero vs. the classic 3.5mm audio jack solution. The bonus to product developers is that when using USB Type-C for audio the component count thus bill of material will be reduced. This either means cheaper products or larger margins. We are seeing and servicing many new design starts in this area as the race to deliver products leveraging audio across USB Type-C heats up. What do you think about audio moving to USB Type-C? Post a comment below and voice your opinion.
Comment from page:
The legacy 3.5mm audio jack is also a known entry point for dust and water, interfering with sensitive internal circuitry and possibly destroying the phone. Removing the 3.5mm jack allows phones to be more tolerant to real life conditions without adding costly gaskets and seals in addition to (cumbersome to use) covers and flaps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
An infrared camera is ideal for mobile phone
Panasonic has developed a suitable thermal imaging camera image sensor to mobile phones. It also test cards and smart phones Bluetooth application is available.
Panasonic has developed a Grid-EYE camera modules for many years. In addition to the latest version of the module is becoming a trial card with the image sensor in addition to a low-power Bluetooth Low Energy Module PAN1740. The card will also Atmel’s ARM Cortex-M0 based microcontroller ATSAMD21.
Panasonic Grid-EYE-image sensor is 64 pixels arranged in 8 × 8 matrix. Each pixel has a thermoelectric sensor
Image resolution has been compared to commercial thermal cameras modest, but price is class of its own.
Panasonic has also implemented a smart phone application that allows using a Bluetooth connection to transfer the thermal image trial card to your phone. This phone’s screen can be viewed on the thermal image and the phone’s own camera image on top (app available for iPhone now and Android later)
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/08/25/lampokamera-sopii-kannykkaan/
More:
https://industrial.panasonic.com/ww/products/sensors/built-in-sensors/grid-eye
http://www.digikey.com/en/product-highlight/p/panasonic-electric-works/grid-eye-infrared-array-sensors
GRID-EYE BLE-capable thermal camera
A tiny, sub-$100 8×8 pixel thermal camera with BLE connectivity
https://hackaday.io/project/1389-grid-eye-ble-capable-thermal-camera
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook is giving away the software it uses to understand objects in photos
DeepMask and SharpMask are now open source
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/25/12630850/facebook-fair-deepmask-sharpmask-ai-image-recognition
Facebook is open sourcing a set of computer vision software tools that can identify both the variety and the shape of objects within photos. The tools, developed by the Facebook AI Research (FAIR) team, are called DeepMask, SharpMask, and MultiPathNet, and all three work in tandem to help break down and contextualize the contents of images. These technologies, though not in active use in consumer Facebook products right now, are similar to the software the company uses to describe photos to blind users, a feature it calls “automatic alternative text” that launched back in April.
Through machine learning, a widely used AI training technique, Facebook is able to teach algorithms how to perform traditional human cognitive tasks by feeding what are called neural networks large sets of data.
The process by which a neural net identifies these objects is called segmentation, which asks the computer a series of yes / no questions about an image in an attempt to classify its contents. That’s DeepMask’s role, whereas SharpMask is used to refine the selection of objects for better accuracy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shop-built Inspection Camera Lends Optical Help on a Budget
http://hackaday.com/2016/08/26/shop-built-inspection-camera-lends-optical-help-on-a-budget/
Stereo microscopes and inspection cameras are great additions to your bench, but often command a steep price. So this DIY PCB inspection microscope might be just the thing if you’re looking to roll your own and save a few bucks.
It’s not fancy, and it’s not particularly complex, but [Saulius]’ build does the job, mainly because he thought the requirements through before starting the build.
The camera itself is an off-the-shelf USB unit with a CS mount that allows a wide range of lenses to be fitted. A $20 eBay macro slider allows for fine positioning, and a ring light stolen from a stereo microscope provides shadow-free lighting.
DIY PCB inspection microscope
http://kurokesu.com/main/2016/08/02/diy-pcb-inspection-microscope/
Software recomendation
I tried many software packages to record video from USB camera and/or screen in the past. Some of them were better, some worse and some hopeless. But when I tested Open Broadcaster Software was surprised in a good way. It can record USB video, screen, mix views, has transitions between scenes and on top of that can stream directly to Youtube (or other service) live feed. It was definitely worth mentioning!
https://obsproject.com/
OBS is completely free! Not a dime! There are no subscriptions, no payments at all. OBS is available to everyone, with source code publicly available on github for anyone to help contribute.’
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lauren Goode / The Verge:
Inside NBC’s Olympic live streaming operation, which required a remote support staff of 1,100+ in Stamford, Connecticut — For NBC, this year’s Olympic Games coverage was more than just a series of household rating points; it was a moment of truth in a fast-changing media world.
Here’s the tech NBC built to stream the Olympics — now can it replace TV?
The audience is moving to streaming faster than the money
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/26/12646224/nbc-rio-olympics-2016-coverage-tv-ratings-streaming
For NBC, this year’s Olympic Games coverage was more than just a series of household rating points; it was a moment of truth in a fast-changing media world. To say the network won silver in prime-time television ratings would be kind: no matter which article you read, it points out that ratings were down by double digits at different points throughout the games. To say the network took home the gold in streaming video would also be an overstatement: online viewership was up, but the online experience wasn’t quite ready to replace the traditional TV experience.
Streams of the Olympics worked well, but the overall experience was fragmented
Then there’s social media, which would normally seem ancillary to both TV and online streaming but has become a growing component of the sports landscape — Twitter is streaming entire NFL games this year, for example. NBC was active on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube throughout the entirety of the Rio Games, and partnered with BuzzFeed to create content for Snapchat. But some clips seemed truncated, with quick cuts at key moments. Facebook and YouTube videos were capped at 45 seconds, with a slide at the end pointing viewers back to other means of watching the games on NBC. In essence, the footage that lived outside NBC’s paywalls was treated differently. This was true even on an internal level — to wit, clips cut by the “highlights factory” weren’t made immediately accessible to NBC Olympics social media team
“If the sports revolution is televised, the people may not watch it”
The Olympics have shown that second-screen content may no longer be just second screen, which means NBC would need to take a whole new approach to what that content actually is — not repackaged TV segments, 45-second snippets on YouTube, or delayed events, but something produced specifically for new platforms, and in a satisfying way.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Matthew Braga / Bloomberg:
As major tech firms focus on voice assistants, microphone makers face pressure to improve product that hasn’t seen much change since 2012
The Sad State of Mics Is Holding Back Siri and Alexa
The billion-dollar digital mic industry hasn’t seen much improvement since the launch of the iPhone 5.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-25/the-sad-state-of-microphones-is-holding-back-siri-and-alexa
Apple, Amazon.com, Google, and Microsoft are among the companies trying to get you talking—to your phone, to your TV remote, to the funny-looking speaker on your desk. Amazon’s Alexa can order a cookbook and Apple’s Siri can set an oven timer for the cake, while Google’s Home silences the smoke alarm and Microsoft’s Cortana texts party guests to bring a dessert, all via voice commands. It’s impressive right up until the virtual assistants start responding with a familiar chorus along the lines of: “I’m sorry, I didn’t get that.”
These kinds of features test the limits of the microphones they require. The mics in most consumer technology haven’t kept pace with the advances in, say, cameras. They still aren’t great at focusing on faraway voices or filtering out background noise, and they often require too much power to be listening at all times. So the race into voice control by device makers is putting fresh pressure on the handful of obscure companies leading the $1 billion global market for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones. The message: We need better hardware, software, or both.
Apple and its rivals have challenging, albeit straightforward, demands. They want a higher signal-to-noise ratio
and a higher acoustic overload point
Those factors are becoming more important as device makers add more mics. There’s one in the first iPhone, three in 2014’s iPhone 6, and four in last year’s 6S. Motorola’s Droid Turbo smartphone has five mics, and Amazon’s smart speaker, Echo, has seven.
Market leader Knowles, which shipped about 1.4 billion MEMS mics last year, has turned to software. The company is building audio-processing algorithms into the mic chips themselves, which can recognize when to activate a device’s other audio processors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kinect and Raspberry Pi Add Focus Pulling to DSLR
http://hackaday.com/2016/08/27/kinect-and-raspberry-pi-add-focus-pulling-to-dslr/
Prosumer DSLRs have been a boon to the democratization of digital media. Gear that once commanded professional prices is now available to those on more modest budgets. Not only has this unleashed a torrent of online content, it has also started a wave of camera hacks and accessories, like this automatic focus puller based on a Kinect and a Raspberry Pi.
A DSLR camera for video
http://kinectfocuspuller.weebly.com/about.html
The Canon 5Dmk2 was a game changer for independent video makers. It delivered a stunning footage quality at a fraction of the cost of a professional camera. The shallow depth of field of a full frame DSLR camera is a strong asset, but keeping your subject in focus is a challenge. Even now, 8 years later my Canon 6D still cannot keep a subject in focus during movie recording. You need to focus manually, which is very very hard with a shallow depth of field.
With 3D sensing technology evolving in a fast pace (lidar becoming affordable due to the developments in autonomous vehicles, TOF (time of flight) sensors, Intel Realsense, …) I felt it was time to give it a new try.
A Kinect based focus puller
A Raspberry Pi 3 is can easily read the camera and the depth map of a Kinect. By selecting a region of interest on the touchscreen, the Pi looks for the nearest distance in the region of interest and drives the focus ring of the camera with a stepper motor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low Noise Floor Microphone
http://hackaday.com/2016/08/28/low-noise-floor-microphone/
video isn’t much without audio. Handheld recorders with small built-in microphones have a fairly high noise floor so [Matt] has a Rode NT1-A — a pricey but very quiet microphone. However, for field work, it isn’t handy since it requires a power supply and preamp to go along with it.
Another problem is that for stereo recording you need two and because they are quiet, they tend to pick up handling noise so you probably need to mount them on tripods. That’s all too much to carry around, especially on a hike. So [Matt] cannibalized two microphones. He repackaged them in a shock mount (made from a bird feeder and elastic), and added a battery pack and a custom preamp
The Ultimate DIY Microphone (super low self-noise!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quuHV9pTyoo