Here are some audio and video trends for 2018.
Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess because of a silent goodbye to the 3.5mm audio plug, Majority of new headphones introduced at CES were wireless and there are several different wireless systems. Bluetooth audio has historically sacrificed sound quality for convenience relative to a wired connection. However, there are a couple of standards now that promise “better-than-CD” audio quality. For wired connections where we once had the solid reliability of a 3.5mm analog connector working with any jack shaped to receive it, there’s now a divergence of digital alternatives:Lightning, USB-C, and Sony’s 4.4mm Pentaconn connector.
Voice, connectivity and AI took center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show. Alexa Skills and the Voice Experience is really getting off. With over 15 million Amazon Echo devices shipped and 244 million projected by 2022 it is expected to take lead with Google Home Assistant and Apple Homepod with Siri following. Also Google Assistant was mentioned a lot in CES. Google Sold 6.75 Million ‘Google Home’ Devices In the Last 80 Days. ‘Language assistants were a big topic at this year’s CES. More and more manufacturers like JBL and Creative are integrating smart helpers into their WLAN speakers. Alexa support comes to 2018 TVs from Sony, Hisense and LG. Google launches smart displays with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. There will be also other competitors aiming to this market, for example “China’s Google,” shouted out most loudly for voice. Microsoft’s Cortana had a crappy CES so it seems that Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs (HP, ASUS, Acer and others). Introducing Single-Chip Solutions for Building Alexa-Enabled Products.Sony launches a bunch of new headphones and adds Google Assistant functionality to the line.
Binaural, ambisonic, spatial, surround, 3D will be talked about. The most accessible exhibitions of this technology are in Youtube VR and Facebook 360, where users can interact with 360º videos that contain spatial audio. AR/VR was hot topic at CES 2018.
Sound bars are popular for compact home theater setups. Traditional home cinema systems with AV receivers and large speaker arsenals are only used by film and sound enthusiasts who sacrifice space in the living room for this purpose.
People listen to four hours of audio content every day. Streaming platforms like Spotify take a big bit of that. Streaming accounts for 41% of music consumption was the 2017’s most jaw dropping statistic. People will also listen a lot of music from YouTube.
Acoustics-based NFC is being pushed to market as it requires only a microphone and speaker, eliminating tags and chips. Chirp and LISNR are two emerging companies facilitating soundwave communication.
Wireless headphones and speakers become more common. Portable loudspeakers without cables are more popular than ever with music listeners. Most popular connection technology is Bluetooth.More and more manufacturers are breaking away from the cable and are showing new models and updates of completely wireless in-ear headphones at the CES 2018.
There is a bit of nostalgia involved: Several traditional technology tries to make come-back in 2018. The traditionalists among the music lovers continue to use records, so new record players keep coming. Cassette tapes making a comeback thanks to young, independent artists. Artists like Justin Bieber, Eminem and Metallica have all put out material on tape recently as a recent blockbuster film “Guardians of the Galaxy” put a hero center stage with a Sony Walkman. Tube amplifiers are back for traditionalist audiophiles that think that tubes can make your music to sound better.
4K video resolution is hot and 8K going to be pushed to market. TV has progressed to the 4K ultra-high-definition stage with its 3,840 × 2,160 pixel resolution. LG Display has made a 65-inch rollable 4K OLED TV. LG displayed 8K OLED TV at CES. Samsung has technology scales the image resolution to a 8K with AI. LG, Panasonic, and TCL put the spotlight on the chips that do the video processing: For the foreseeable future, any advances in image quality will be coming from these chips, not from the displays themselves.
Welcome ATSC 3.0 in USA: In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued new rules that will let TV broadcasters adopt the next-generation wireless TV standard designated ATSC 3.0. This new standard defines the specifications for ultra-high-definition (UHD) or 4K over-the-air (OTA) digital TV. But over-the-air is minority in USA as roughly 75% of households pay for their TV reception for cable or satellite distribution.
Home theater headsets have come a long way. AR/VR is hot. Oculus partners with Xiaomi to launch the Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone.
Wired peripherals and electronics are still a major part of the market. Cabling for AV systems will have new features: a new HDMI standard and how active cables will provide both power and video to consumer devices.
3D cameras are hot. HP’s Z 3D Camera puts Sprout’s scanning power on your PC. Intel’s new cameras add human-like 3D vision to any machine.
When almost all AV products are pushing more and more features, it seems that almost Everything is too complicated for an average Joe.
Sources:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2018/01/10-audio-marketing-trends-2018
http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/avf-News-Audio-Trends-CES-2018-11264743.html
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback
http://aeaaudio.com/why-tubes-are-back-and-how-to-get-in-on-it/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/coolest-best-audio-gadgets-ces-2018/
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/alexa-support-comes-to-2018-tvs-from-sony-and-hisense/
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332845
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYhgJlEn880
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7368-tekoaly-skaalaa-televisiokuvan-8k-tarkkuuteen
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/6/16859102/lg-display-rollable-oled-65-inch-ces-2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/eagle-wearable-home-theater/
http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/free-tv-keeps-getting-better-welcome-atsc-30
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/18/intel-realsense-ready-to-use-depth-cameras/
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/hps-z-3d-camera-puts-sprouts-scanning-power-on-your-pc/
841 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
iFixit:
Teardown finds HomePod has great build quality, but a saw is needed to open the device; some parts, including the fabric mesh, can be easily removed — Tools Featured in this Teardown — Introduction — Apple’s beloved voice assistant is back again, this time in more of a Mac Pro wearing a jacket.
HomePod Teardown
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/HomePod++Teardown/103133
Tomi Engdahl says:
HDMI accelerates to 10K video
Just a year ago at the Las Vegas CES Fair, the HDMI Forum said it was preparing the next version of the bus standard. At the end of the year, HDMI 2.1 was released and the bus speed grew to 48 gigabits per second. That’s enough to transfer 10K video.
The data rate was a big jump when switching from version 2.0 to version 2.1, as raw data grew from 18 gigabytes to 48 gigabits per second.
Currently, the HDMI bus transfers at least 5.98 gigabytes per channel. When connecting three channels together, the maximum speed of 18 gigabytes is reached.
The resulting 2.1 specification allows virtually the transfer of data required by 8K-level 60 Hz video. In the 4K signal, the picture can be updated 120 times per second. At best, image resolution can be increased to 10K levels.
Almost 900 million units sold last year with HDMI-equipped devices.
In total, there are almost seven billion HDMI devices in the world.
USBC bus can also be used to transfer HDMI signals
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7551&via=n&datum=2018-02-13_16:11:42&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
WOW: Panasonic Develops Industry’s-First 8K High-Resolution Global Shutter organic sensor!
https://www.43rumors.com/wow-panasonic-develops-industrys-first-8k-high-resolution-global-shutter-sensor/
Panasonic had a major announcement today. The world’s first 8K Global Shutter sensor! This kind of sensor can be expected to be used by the future GH6. Check out the stunning details in this press text:
Panasonic Develops Industry’s-First*1 8K High-Resolution, High-Performance Global Shutter Technology using Organic-Photoconductive-Film CMOS Image Sensor
The new technology enables 8K high resolution and high picture quality imaging without motion distortion, even in extremely bright scenes.
With the technology, it is possible to capture images at 8K resolution, even in high contrast scenes, such as a field under strong sunlight and shaded spectator seats under a stadium roof. Moreover, by utilizing the global shutter function that enables simultaneous image capture by all pixels, it is expected to be able to capture moving objects instantaneously without distortion, be utilized for multi viewpoint cameras (performing multi-view synchronized imaging using plural cameras) and used in fields requiring high-speed and high-resolution, such as machine vision and ITS monitoring.
Tomi Engdahl says:
VideoLAN VLC releases version 3.0 with HDR and 360-degree video
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/videolan-vlc-releases-version-3-0-with-hdr-and-360-degree-video/
The popular cross-platform, open-source video player VLC has received a significant update in 3.0, the first in what will be called the Vetinari branch. It adds support for HDR, including both 10-bit and 12-bit color and 360-degree video.
The update is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and soon, Linux.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Murata – Small RF noise filter for audio lines in portable devices
https://www.electropages.com/2018/02/murata-small-rf-noise-filter-audio-lines-portable-devices/?utm_campaign=2018-02-14-Electropages&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=Murata+-+Small+RF+noise+filter+for+audio+lines+in+portable+devices
Murata has released the NFZ03SG_SN series, an RF filter in 0201 size for audio lines in portable devices including tablets and smartphones. The series is claimed to be the smallest chip filter on the market offering high attenuation at communication frequencies while giving very low distortion to audio signals. Parts within the range can be chosen for typical attenuation impedances between 330Ohms and 1600Ohms at 900MHz and between 400Ohms and 1200Ohms at 1.7GHz. DC resistances range between 0.6Ohms and 1.7Ohms and rated current between 305mA and 180mA.
At 0201 chip size
Murata introduces 0201 inch audio line noise filter for smart phones
https://www.murata.com/en-us/about/newsroom/news/product/emc/2018/0206
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has introduced the NFZ03SG_SN series of audio line noise filters at a size of 0201 inch size (0.6×0.3mm), which is the smallest size in the industry. Mass production of these products began in January 2018.
330 to 1600 ohm at 900 MHz
Designed to have an impedance peak at communication frequencies
0.6 x 0.3 mm size
Tomi Engdahl says:
From the Nokia era, Tampere is known as one of the world’s best camera center of technology for the cameras. Now, US-based Axon launches a product development unit in the city that focuses on improving the imaging capabilities of future technology.
Tampere’s strong mobile technology expertise has emerged from Nokia’s and University’s research work in signal processing and imaging. The area has developed around the camera expertise and signal processing an imaging ecosystem coordinated by Business Tampere, which includes active companies and researchers.
In addition to Axon’s security technology company, Axo’s imaging ecosystem will benefit other companies already operating in Tampere, such as Huawei, Intel and Nokia.
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/02/06/tampereelle-kamerateknologian-tuotekehitysyksikko-takana-entisia-nokialaisia/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A coveted image sensor reduces the size of camera
The French CEA-Leti Research Center has developed a promising image sensor technology that will significantly reduce the size of camera modules in the future. A coveted image sensor means that the optics required by the camera can be clearly lower than before.
There are many ways of disruptive technology. The technology can be used to implement a concave CMOS or CCD cell phone, cameras, telescopes, medical imaging equipment and various industrial surveillance equipment.
According to Let, the same technology can be used, for example, in astronomy infra-red sensors, flyers and automotive microns, not to mention the added industrial and artificial reality applications.
Leti calls his technology as Pixcurve. The proto will be presented at the Photonics West 2018 fair in San Francisco.
According to Let, a concave cell provides a higher quality image with a device that is smaller, simpler, and cheaper to manufacture.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7516-kovera-kuvakenno-pienentaa-kameran
Tomi Engdahl says:
Earbuds Go Beyond Entertainment
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332950
Earbuds are not widely esteemed as a hotbed for new technology development. But while few people were watching, these little audio gadgets have gone remarkable evolution, as demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show last month.
Launching a new era for earbuds is a team of engineers at Qualcomm — formerly at Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) — known for their technical chops in wireless connectivity and audio technology. Qualcomm acquired CSR in 2015.
Until recently, the biggest advance in earbuds was when they went totally wireless, as seen in Apple’s Airpods. While Apple got a lot of flack for their decision to forgo a headphone jack on their iPhones, this started a trend to cut the cord between a music source and earbuds, or between earbuds.
Audio processors go inside earbuds
However, with its new Bluetooth SoC, dubbed QCC5100, Qualcomm isn’t just proposing low-power Bluetooth wireless connectivity between handsets and earbuds. Qualcomm is putting a whole new audio and application subsystem inside earbuds. In other words, now that earbuds have their own batteries, designers can put an SoC inside.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Clips camera uses machine learning to capture spontaneous moments in everyday life
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2017/10/google-clips-camera-uses-machine-learning-to-capture-spontaneous-moments-in-everyday-life.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-02-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1999156
Google has announced the release of Google Clips, a small, hands-free camera that uses a machine learning algorithm to look for good moments to capture in everyday life.
An image sensor size or model is not named—though The Verge is reporting that a 12 MPixel sensor is being used—but the camera features a 1.55 µm pixel size, auto focus adjustment, a 130° field of view, a frame rate of 15 fps, auto low lux and night mode, 16 GB storage, as well as motion photos (JPEGS with embedded MP4s), MP4, GIF, and JPEG, with no audio. Additionally, the camera has Gorilla Glass 3 for durability, as well as USB-C, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth LE for connectivity.
Google Clips is a tiny camera that uses AI to automatically photograph family moments
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/4/16402682/google-clips-camera-announced-price-release-date-wireless
Tomi Engdahl says:
Machine vision software: Growing and evolving with the market
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2018/01/machine-vision-software-growing-and-evolving-with-the-market.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-02-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1999156
“Vision is getting into many more markets and applications at the moment and people are realizing what you can do with machine vision technologies,” she said. “To a greater extent manufacturers and end-users are embracing it and learning about it, meaning vision is permeating more and more into mainstream applications.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
Wojcicki sees YouTube Red as a music service, has no plans to compete with video streaming services; media execs say subscriptions make creators little revenue — What, exactly, is YouTube Red? That’s a question creators and YouTube network executives might want to ask more than two years …
Neither Hulu nor Netflix nor Spotify, YouTube Red is having an identity crisis
https://digiday.com/media/neither-hulu-netflix-spotify-youtube-red-identity-crisis/
What, exactly, is YouTube Red? That’s a question creators and YouTube network executives might want to ask more than two years after YouTube launched its subscription streaming offering.
Launched in October 2015, YouTube Red has always been positioned by YouTube as three services in one: It offers ad-free access to all of YouTube; it’s a music streaming service that also gives access to Google Play Music; and it’s consistently releasing original movies and TV shows, starring Hollywood talent and homegrown stars that users already subscribe to.
Two years later, this has created somewhat of an identity crisis for the streaming service.
One thing’s for sure: Subscriptions aren’t a meaningful moneymaker on Red just yet.
Subscriptions are driving scant revenue
According to five media executives that oversee multiple high-performing channels on YouTube, YouTube Red subscription revenues are scant compared to the money they can make from advertising. One executive at a network that gets more than a billion views per month on YouTube said YouTube Red subscription revenue accounted for about 7 percent of the network’s “YouTube-monetized” revenue in 2017.
The four other media executives shared similar findings.
YouTube has never publicly released numbers on the number of subscribers for YouTube Red. A year after launch, YouTube Red reportedly had 1.5 million subscribers, with another million subscribers trying the service for free.
One big caveat is that YouTube Red has only been available since its inception in five countries: the U.S., Mexico, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
YouTube divvies up subscription revenue differently than how it shares revenue from advertising. With YouTube’s ad products, YouTube takes 45 cents of every dollar generated from its ad products. With YouTube Red subscriptions, YouTube takes 45 percent of all subscription revenue and then divvies up the remaining 55 percent based on total watch time per channel. Essentially, the longer a YouTube channel owner can convince a Red subscriber to watch its videos, the more it will earn.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gibson Guitar Faces Imminent Bankruptcy After 116 Years In Business
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/02/16/gibson-guitar-bankruptcy/
We’ve been hearing about declines in guitar sales for years. Now, one of the most storied guitar makers in history — Gibson — may be in serious trouble.
“The situation facing the iconic Nashville-based music instrument maker, which has annual revenues of more than $1 billion, is far from normal,”
Gibson Guitar started in 1902, and has been interwoven into the musical life of America ever since.
Back in 1952, the company produced its first signature Les Paul, one of the most famous guitar series of all time.
One question is whether sagging guitar sales are playing a role here. This has been a growing problem for years, thanks to surging interest in EDM and rap. But broader cultural shifts are also putting the guitar in the rearview. Indeed, the recurring ‘rock & roll is dead’ cliché may finally be coming true — and seriously impacting Gibson’s bottom line.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Build A Better MEMS Microphone
Why it’s so difficult to model noise for MEMS condenser microphones.
https://semiengineering.com/how-to-build-a-better-mems-microphone/
Noise Sources in MEMS Microphones
All microphones generate noise, in the electronics, the package and the sensing element itself. In a MEMS condenser microphone the noise of the sensing element is dominated by thermal noise (also referred to as Johnson-Nyquist noise) created by the flow resistances of the sound port, back plate perforation holes and diaphragm vent holes. Physically, the origin of the thermal noise is the random motion of the molecules of air associated with these the flow resistances.
In practice, the level of noise generated is closely linked to the sensitivity of the microphone: less noise comes at the expense of a lower sensitivity and vice-versa. For this reason, the Signal to Noise ratio (SNR) provides a good indication of performance. The SNR is the difference in decibels between the noise level and the sensitivity under a 1 kHz, 94 dB SPL (1 Pa) reference signal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Machine vision sales in Germany hit record high in 2017, continue to project upward
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2018/02/machine-vision-sales-in-germany-hit-record-high-in-2017-continues-to-project-upward.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-02-19&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2007653
Sales within the German machine vision market rose by 18% in 2017, totaling 2.6 billion euros, but the upward trend is expected to continue, as the VDMA currently forecasts 10% growth in 2018.
“VDMA will present the exact figures in June. But one thing is already clear: The machine vision industry achieved record sales also in 2017 and will keep up its growth course,” said Anne Wendel, head of the VDMA sector group Machine Vision, at the VISION CEO Roundtable
Tomi Engdahl says:
Silicon Microphone
https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/product/sensor/silicon-microphone/?acctid=5416
The popularity of voice user interfaces and the usage of audio recording to share information and experiences are increasing dramatically. However, the performance of microphones often limits the potential of today’s cutting-edge devices. Not anymore!
Infineon XENSIV™ MEMS microphones introduce a new performance class for digital MEMS microphones that overcomes existing audio chain limitations. IM69D130 is designed for applications where low self-noise (high SNR), wide dynamic range, low distortions and a high acoustic overload point are required.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber-optic cables terminate with detachable HDMI connectors
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/02/fiber-optic-cables-terminate-with-detachable-hdmi-connectors.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-02-26&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2015464
As the latest high-bandwidth fiber-based cabling product to hit the custom installation market, the Celerity 18Gbps Fiber Optic HDMI cables are available in lengths up to 1,000 feet, and come with matched pairs of detachable transmitter and receiver connectors. Available now, Celerity’s Universal Fiber Optic (UFO) cables continues the company’s “2 Steps to Fiber Optic HDMI” design philosophy that eliminates the need for tools and fiber termination.
Delivered as a complete system, the plenum-rated Celerity UFO fiber is available in lengths of 35 feet to 1,000 feet, and it comes with matched pairs of detachable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) HDMI connectors.
Celerity Fiber Optic Cables are Simple to Terminate with Detachable HDMI Connectors
https://www.cepro.com/article/celerity_fiber_optic_cables_simple_terminate_detachable_hdmi_connectors
The Celerity 18Gbps Fiber Optic HDMI cables are available in lengths up to 1,000 feet, and come with matched pairs of detachable transmitter and receiver connectors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Over-the-Air TV Gets a Makeover
http://www.mwrf.com/commercial/over-air-tv-gets-makeover?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180220_MWRF-001_239&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=15435&utm_medium=email&elq2=99dc979739a04b0087e46caa5c3f578c
ATSC 3.0 isn’t a tweak: It’s a complete transformation that combines over-the-air content up to 4K UHD with streaming content from broadband, along with high-def audio, interactive features, and lots more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dan Primack / Axios:
Spotify files with SEC for $1B direct listing, will use SPOT as stock symbol; reports 71M paid subs, up 46% YoY, $4.09B revenue in 2017, up from $2.95B in 2016 — Music streaming giant Spotify today filed for a $1 billion IPO. Axios had previously reported on the company’s confidential filing, but the new paperwork is public.
Spotify files for its unusual IPO
https://www.axios.com/spotify-files-for-ipo-1519846047-29cfcfb2-cb73-4503-9625-f10754933cd5.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony teases an ultra low light camera for its future phones
https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/26/sony-teases-an-ultra-low-light-camera-for-its-future-phones/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
The news appeared to be targeted at last night’s Samsung Galaxy S9 reveal as much as anything. And as Sony happily pointed out on stage, it beat Samsung to the punch with super slow motion, when it introduced 960FPS shooting with last year’s flagship.
Mobile World Congress 2018
February 26 – March 1, 2018
Sony teases an ultra low light camera for its future phones
Posted Feb 26, 2018 by Brian Heater (@bheater)
This morning’s Sony press conference was a real whirlwind. The company announced two new phones and the availability of its Xperia Ear Duo, still managed to wrap it all up in about an hour. All said, it was actually kind of refreshing to be in and out so quickly. There was a quick “one more thing,” however, as it teased a future camera technology aimed at shooting in ultra low light conditions.
The news appeared to be targeted at last night’s Samsung Galaxy S9 reveal as much as anything. And as Sony happily pointed out on stage, it beat Samsung to the punch with super slow motion, when it introduced 960FPS shooting with last year’s flagship. Of course, as anyone who follow the industry will happily point out, people don’t actually buy Xperia phones, really. So being first doesn’t really count for that much, beyond serving as a kind of proof of concept of what the company’s working on.
With that in mind, it’s almost as useful to tell just an audience of tech journalists that it’s working on a solution to low light shooting and feature a couple of demos at its booth. Of course, the new Xperia XZ2 has a couple of camera tricks of its own, including, most notably, 4K HDR video shooting. But those looking for a Sony handset that really tackles the problem of low light are going to have to wait.
Samsung, meanwhile, takes a promising step in that direction this week, with the dual aperture S9, which ports that technology over from the company’s recently released flip phone, of all places. Like Samsung’s offering, the new Sony device will sport dual lenses
Low light has been something of a stumbling block for handsets — and, indeed both Samsung and ZTE have made a major selling point for their newly announced phones. After all, a large percentage of social media shots happen in poorly lit places like bars and restaurants.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch:
Google AI can now easily replace the video background in YouTube stories on mobile, available in beta to a limited number of YouTube creators
Google’s new YouTube Stories feature lets you swap out your background (no green screen required)
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/01/googles-new-youtube-stories-feature-lets-you-swap-out-your-background-no-green-screen-required/
Google researchers know how much people like to trick others into thinking they’re on the moon, or that it’s night instead of day, and other fun shenanigans only possible if you happen to be in a movie studio in front of a green screen. So they did what any good 2018 coder would do: build a neural network that lets you do it.
This “video segmentation” tool, as they call it (well, everyone does) is rolling out to YouTube Stories on mobile in a limited fashion starting now — if you see the option, congratulations, you’re a beta tester.
A lot of ingenuity seems to have gone into this feature.
On mobile, though, and with an ordinary RGB image, it’s not so easy to do. And if doing a still image is hard, video is even more so, since the computer has to do the calculation 30 times a second at a minimum.
Well, Google’s engineers took that as a challenge, and set up a convolutional neural network architecture, training it on thousands of labelled images like the one to the right.
The result is a fast, relatively accurate segmentation engine that runs more than fast enough to be used in video — 40 frames per second on the Pixel 2 and over 100 on the iPhone 7 (!).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Brian Stelter / CNNMoney:
The Weinstein Company avoids bankruptcy through a $500M takeover led by Maria Contreras-Sweet; deal includes up to $90M in compensation for Weinstein accusers — Weinstein empire unravels amid scandal — The Weinstein Company’s bankruptcy talk has been replaced by deal talk.
Weinstein Co. strikes $500M deal to sell off assets
http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/01/media/weinstein-company-deal-sell-assets
The Weinstein Company’s bankruptcy talk has been replaced by deal talk.
With some help from New York A.G. Eric Schneiderman’s office, the beleaguered Weinstein Co. board and a group of investors have struck a $500 million deal to sell most of the studio’s assets to an investor group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet.
Both sides still have work to do. But the deal could take effect in the coming weeks.
With those assets, the investors will form a new company, essentially wiping away the stain from the Harvey Weinstein abuse scandal that shook Hollywood last fall.
The Weinstein Co. will continue to exist in some form, as a shell of its former self, possibly for legal reasons.
The new company, which has not yet been named, will include a compensation fund for Weinstein’s accusers. Up to $90 million will be allotted for the fund.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bloomberg:
Sources: Apple is planning to launch high-end headphones with noise canceling and wireless pairing as early as end of 2018, but has faced development challenges — Company is rapidly growing wearables and accessories segments — New headphones could potentially cannibalize some Beats sales
Apple Turns Up Audio Ambition With High-End Headphones
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-05/apple-is-said-to-turn-up-audio-ambition-with-high-end-headphones
Company is rapidly growing wearables and accessories segments
New headphones could potentially cannibalize some Beats sales
Work on the Apple headset has been on-and-off over the past year. The company encountered similar problems with the HomePod during its development, including multiple redesigns, according to the people.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
The latest plans call for headphones targeting the high-end of the market, replicating Apple’s approach with the $349 HomePod speaker, released earlier this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arielle Pardes / Wired:
Snapchat should focus more on camera tech that made it great in the first place rather than adding features that make it look like a social network
Stop Calling Snapchat a Social Network
https://www.wired.com/story/stop-calling-snapchat-a-social-network
First, it was the rampant copycatting of Stories. Then, the spectacular failure of Spectacles. Then the Great Millennial Migration to Instagram. And the redesign so universally hated that more than a million people signed a petition to undo it. Oh, and that tweet from Kylie Jenner—queen of the teens and formerly the most popular person on Snapchat—declaring that Snapchat was over and done.
The year since Snapchat went public has been full of ups and downs—and downs and downs.
The best part of Snapchat has nothing to do with any of that. The best part is the camera. It’s what taught a generation how to selfie, introduced the internet to augmented reality, and primed millions to experience the world through a lens. Even without all the AR bells and whistles, the camera and its filters just makes you look good. (Like, maybe even too good.) Snapchat can’t compete with Facebook or Instagram in terms of daily users, but there are 3.5 billion Snaps created every day. Name one camera that’s produced as many photos.
When Snap launched in 2011, it didn’t want to compete with the likes of Facebook or Twitter. It wasn’t out to “connect the world;” it just wanted you to take pictures.
Even now, there are no likes, no retweets, no comments. You open the app, and you’re looking through a len
Snapchat, though, wasn’t supposed to look like a social network. “It was supposed to be this fun little place for your friends,”
“Instagram has so many more resources and such a headstart. Snapchat needs to figure out how to get out of that headwind.”
Forty years ago, another camera company found itself in a similar situation: Polaroid.
Snapchat and Polaroid have more in common than you may think. Both companies oriented themselves around a camera. Neither of them made any money selling hardware. Both imagined photography as something social and instant; both became a platform for trading nudes. And both had to stand up to rivals who brazenly copied their best innovations.
In Polaroid’s case, that rival was Kodak.
“For Kodak, it was a business thing. For Polaroid, it was almost personal,”
Polaroid sued. Shortly after filing the lawsuit, Edwin Land—the company’s founder and CEO—stood before Polaroid’s shareholders and reportedly told them that while Kodak had all the resources in the world, Polaroid had something better. “The only thing that keeps us alive,” he said, “is our brilliance.”
Land would spend the next 14 years in court, but in the end, it paid off. Polaroid was awarded the biggest settlement ever in a patent case at the time
Of course, Polaroid also had patents. Snap has no such protection against Instagram (or any of its other copycats) and features like Stories are not easy to protect under intellectual property law. But that’s fine. Like Polaroid, Snap has something brilliant: the coolest camera of its time. For Snap, that’s way more valuable than Stories.
Edwin Land used to tell his teams: “Don’t do anything that someone else can do.” That’s part of why Polaroid became as successful as it did
Tomi Engdahl says:
MuxLab’s latest AV-over-IP fiber extender delivers uncompressed 4K/60 video globally
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/02/muxlab-avip-fiber.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-03-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2022539
MuxLab (Montreal, Quebec) says its AV over IP 4K/60 Uncompressed Extender, Fiber (model 500761) “offers a new twist to an existing favorite [product].” Like MuxLab’s other IP-based extenders, this device delivers 4K/60 video from one or many sources, among one or many displays.
The unit connects sources to displays through a 10Gig Ethernet Switch, enabling an easy, scalable way to implement virtual matrix switch and splitter configurations. “Massive video walls can be created at nearly any user-defined scale, provided the network bandwidth is available,” according to a company press release.
MuxLab’s AV over IP 4K/60 Uncompressed Extender, Fiber (model 500761) supports both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs for greater compatibility. The systems’ transmitters and receivers can connect to the Switch using OM4 multimode fiber cable, effectively transmitting up to 1300ft (400m) in distance so equipment can be stored far from the installation and accessed remotely.
Resolutions up to 4K/60 are supported when using both HDMI and DisplayPort. When uncompressed, zero latency video is delivered at 4K/60 (4:2:0). With light compression and visually lossless latency (less than one frame), video is delivered at 4K/60 (4:4:4).
The unit supports analog audio alternatives, with the ability to insert two-channel audio on the transmitting side and extract it at the receiver. Both transmitter and receiver come equipped with a 1G Ethernet Switch port to connect network devices. RS232 and IR provide remote control options.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Surprising expert advice: “Do not make videos”
Jussi Koski , a vlogging priest found under YouTube Pastorific, gives a peculiar point to some of the company’s reflections.
“Do not make videos,” said Koski, “as long as many companies and others have gone to social media and YouTube to do really bad content,” said Koski, “if the channels want to take over, they have to do the content with the skills.
Source: https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/asiantuntijan-yllattava-some-neuvo-ala-tee-videoita-6704754
Tomi Engdahl says:
Drones, Augmented Reality, UHD TV – High-End Video SoCs Need Emulation
https://www.mentor.com/products/fv/techpubs/download?id=102191&contactid=1&PC=L&c=2018_02_27_veloce_drones_emulation_wp_v3
New markets for multimedia and high-definition video chips are quickly becoming the next wave fueling the electronics industry. One market that demonstrates a mega-appetite for electronics is the drone…
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Multi-OTT’ on the rise
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/03/multi-ott-on-the-rise.html?cmpid=enl_btr_btr_video_technology_2018-03-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to Parks Associates, more than one-third of U.S. broadband households subscribe to multiple over-the-top (OTT) video services, including 15% subscribing to three or more. At the same time, penetration of traditional pay TV service subscriptions among households with broadband has fallen below 80%, its lowest point in the past seven years.
“The pay TV industry is facing a massive shift in consumer viewing, service selection and purchasing, forcing companies throughout the ecosystem to re-examine how they do business,”
Ads and OTT: Get your metadata right
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/02/ads-and-ott-get-your-metadata-right.html?cmpid=enl_btr_btr_video_technology_2018-03-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Most broadcasters are now forced to stream linear content on-demand via over-the-top (OTT) platforms – consumers more or less demand it. It’s no longer avoidable, given that OTT is dominating the way in which video content is consumed, representing a seismic shift in the content delivery industry.
A small proportion of those from the broadcast environment yet to go OTT don’t fully understand just how complex streaming linear content OTT can be. At the same time, pure OTT providers often underestimate the difference between packaging content destined for OTT from the start, and the reformatting of originally linear content. One of the most difficult challenges is inserting and replacing ads, and this poses a problem given that ads are inextricable to the monetization of OTT provision. The solution to this challenge lies within the correct and accurate application of metadata.
OTT vs. broadcast
In the case of the OTT provider, it is easier (than for broadcast) to personalise the viewing experience to ensure the viewer receives ads more targeted to their interests. OTT providers are also aware that ads originally meant for OTT streaming will naturally be cleared for use over the Internet.
Linear broadcasts, on the other hand, may contain ads that the broadcaster does not have the right to stream over the Internet, or perhaps aren’t relevant or suitable for streaming to a viewer from a certain geographical region. Consider if a certain country has a ban on gambling; an ad for a gambling site would have to be removed and replaced if a viewer was watching from that country.
Within the OTT space, it’s possible to make last-minute decisions regarding the insertion of dynamic ads. In the broadcast environment, however, when linear channels are streaming OTT, it is a whole other ball game.
Getting the metadata right
Before the boom in OTT viewing, metadata was an often-overlooked tool. Today, it remains under-appreciated despite its importance for many broadcast operations. In fact, metadata has been a key enabler of the OTT trend.
Metadata can describe a whole host of meanings within content, including whether an ad has rights clearance for Internet use, what exactly the content of the ad depicts (gambling, for example) and it can also hold information regarding the length of the ad. This is but a tiny example of the type of sophisticated and in-depth information metadata can describe.
When described within linear content, metadata can alert the downstream OTT delivery system, ahead of time, if the ad coming up can be used (depending on the criteria set), or if it must be replaced. Better still, metadata within other ads can be trawled by the system to find a suitable ad for replacement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Akamai taps Eurofins for OTT QoE testing
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/02/akamai-taps-eurofins-for-ott-qoe-testing.html?cmpid=enl_btr_btr_video_technology_2018-03-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Eurofins Digital Testing will provide Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ:AKAM) with research into over-the-top (OTT) video quality of experience (QoE). The deployment is intended to give both Eurofins and Akamai customers an objective dataset to help inform OTT workflow decisions.
Eurofins and Akamai have developed a way of understanding OTT QoE by running frame-by-frame capturing and automated testing of multiple encoding profiles on a variety of playback devices such as smart TVs and mobile phones, while simulating common conditions seen in the Internet. The resulting dataset is intended to allow Akamai and Eurofins to advise their customers on playback issues that affect OTT QoE and measures to help improve the viewer experience.
“Akamai is recognized as one of the most relied upon leaders for innovative, next-gen content delivery across various devices and platforms,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The digital cameras are to be communicating with each other
Foxconn, Nikon, Scenera, Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Wistron have set up a new consortium to get Digikameras to talk to each other. The consortium was named NICE, the Network of Intelligent Camera Ecosystem.
NICE compatible cameras can record images and video, which is why more data is available. This includes RGB and infrared boxes, as well as audio and metadata. This information can be used to identify movement, facial and object objects, and other artificial intelligence applications.
For NICE cameras, for example, the video is filtered by key information that allows the clips to be split. Users are expected to develop a simple mobile connection with their applications.
In addition, encrypted connection to the cameras is created and all images and data sent from the camera are encrypted. Third party and cloud services provide an interface that allows cameras to join applications and storage services.
NICE cameras primarily aim for surveillance and IP cameras. In addition, the rapidly expanding target are IoT devices cameras.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7667&via=n&datum=2018-03-07_16:09:03&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trump Promises Copyright Crackdown as DoJ Takes Aim at Streaming Pirates
https://torrentfreak.com/trump-promises-copyright-crackdown-as-doj-takes-aim-at-streaming-pirates-180308/
President Trump says the US is “acting swiftly on intellectual property theft”, noting that the country cannot “allow this to happen as it has for many years.” Coincidentally, or not, a panel in Capitol Hill yesterday discussed the streaming box threat, with the MPAA revealing that the Department of Justice is looking at “a variety of candidates” for criminal action.
For the past several years most of the world has been waking up to the streaming piracy phenomenon, with pre-configured set-top boxes making inroads into millions of homes.
While other countries, notably the UK, arrested many individuals while warning of a grave and looming danger, complaints from the United States remained relatively low-key.
“The piracy activity out there is bad, it’s hurting a lot of economic activity & creators aren’t being compensated for their work,” he added.
Tom Galvin, Executive Director at the Digital Citizens Alliance, was also on the panel. Unsurprisingly, given the organization’s focus on the supposed dangers of piracy, Galvin took the opportunity to underline that position.
“If you go down the piracy road, those boxes aren’t following proper security protocols, there are many malware risks,” he said. It’s a position shared by Fried, who told the panel that “video piracy is the leading source of malware.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
FogScreen, a technology company that has developed a Finnish foam screen, has had little publicity for years. The explanation can be found in the trade register: the original FogScreen company filed for bankruptcy five years ago on 1.3.2013. Technology development continues in the new company, says Tekniikka & Talous .
Source: https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/suomalaisfirma-konkurssiin-tahtasi-piilaaksoon-ja-listasi-jo-vuosia-sitten-useita-jattiasiakkaita-6705579
More: https://www.tekniikkatalous.fi/talous_uutiset/suomalainen-sumuseinayritys-meni-konkurssiin-teknologian-kehitys-jatkuu-edelleen-6705500
Tomi Engdahl says:
The wall-mounted television turns into info-board – or transparent
One of Samsung’s newest televisions is the QLED- Anbient collection, which can be turned on almost all the time. When a person enters the room, the unit can automatically display weather information and change real-time information. Or the screen may be virtually almost transparent on the wall.
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/03/08/seinatelevisio-muuttuu-infotauluksi-tai-lapinakyvaksi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tribeca Film Festival unveils its VR and AR lineup
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/08/tribeca-immersive/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival released its Immersive lineup this morning, including 20 virtual reality and augmented reality pieces in the Virtual Arcade, plus five that are part of the Storyscapes competition.
The lineup includes some big names from the film world
Tomi Engdahl says:
I’m Back® pro. Low cost 35mm digital Back
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/samellos/im-back-pro-low-cost-35mm-digital-back/
Digital or analogue? No need to choose, you have both.
The first low-cost digital back for your 35mm camera. For those who always wanted to have a “hybrid” camera working with photographic films or in digital mode
After 5 years and dozens of prototypes later, I’m Back® launches its final version
The joy of joys is that I kept costs very low, not using large sensors, but through a system called “image photo over the focusing screen” and therefore the entire 24×36 area is optimised and digitally recorded.
The design of this product is called “Depth-of-field” (DoF) adapter. In normal digital cameras, the image from the lens is directly projected onto the sensor. So the smaller the size of the sensor, the more the image is cropped which we call crop factor. In this DoF adapter “digital back”, the image is projected onto the focusing screen. And then we use a digital camera to take a photo of this focusing screen. There is no crop factor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Future of Television Is Flexible, Bright, and Larger Than Life
http://theinstitute.ieee.org/technology-topics/consumer-electronics/the-future-of-television-is-flexible-bright-and-larger-than-life
Next wave of models offers roll-up screens and interactivity
LG, General Electric, Samsung, and other companies are competing to create the next best way to watch television. They debuted their latest models at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Peter Kafka / Recode:
Netflix data shows that while only 25% of users sign up on TVs, most viewing, ~45% after one month and 70% after six months, happens on TVs
You can watch Netflix on any screen you want, but you’re probably watching it on a TV
https://www.recode.net/2018/3/7/17094610/netflix-70-percent-tv-viewing-statistics
Most Netflix subscribers sign up on phones or computers. But 70 percent of viewing happens on TVs.
You can watch Netflix in almost every country in the world, on any device you want. But the odds are very good that no matter where you watch Netflix, you’re going to watch it on a TV screen.
Netflix says 70 percent of its streams end up on connected TVs instead of phones, tablets or PCs.
That number isn’t a shock — Netflix has been clear about the importance of TVs for a long time, and it’s why the company has spent a lot of energy working out integration deals with pay TV distributors like Comcast and Sky — but it’s a good reminder that not everything is moving to the phone.
Netflix isn’t an outlier, either. Last fall, for instance, YouTube said that its live TV service, which it had pitched as a mobile-first offering, was generating more than half of its streams on TVs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook launches AR effects tied to real-world tracking markers
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/09/facebook-ar-marker/
Facebook’s augmented reality camera is evolving beyond selfie masks and randomly placed 3D objects to using location markers in the real world that trigger AR experiences in a precise location. Spotted today, Facebook confirms to TechCrunch that it’s testing the feature in closed beta with promotions for the upcoming Ready Player One and Wrinkle In Time films. And in April, it plans to add tracker-based AR to its AR Studio tool open to all developers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kathleen Chaykowski / Forbes:
A deep dive into Facebook’s big bet on expertise in AR; CTO Mike Schroepfer says the company needs it to remain relevant in 10 or 20 years — Mark Zuckerberg got his first taste of the Oculus Rift, the pioneering virtual reality headset, in January 2014. Standing in one of the few Facebook …
Inside Facebook’s Bet On An Augmented Reality Future
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathleenchaykowski/2018/03/08/inside-facebooks-bet-on-an-augmented-reality-future/#15561d814d56
Tomi Engdahl says:
CoaXPress gains support as bandwidth rises
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/print/volume-23/issue-2/features/coaxpress-gains-support-as-bandwidth-rises.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-03-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2029287
Faster bandwidths and triggering capability added to increased data integrity will cement CoaXPress as the high-speed camera/computer interface of choice.
To date, the CoaXP standard is supported by over 50 vendors of cables, connectors, intellectual property (IP), transceivers, cameras, frame grabbers, simulators, range extenders and software. Many of these can be found on the website of the Japan Industrial Imaging Association (JIIA; Tokyo, Japan; http://jiia.org) and at the CXP website (www.coaxpress.com).
While the high-speed channel is used to transfer data from the camera to the PC, a serial 20.83Mbps frame grabber-to-camera channel is used for I/O (such as camera triggering) and camera control. Up to 13W of power can also be provided over the cable for powering the camera from the frame grabber, host computer or external power supply. Both the 6.25Gbps data channel and 20.83Mbps channel used for triggering and device control use 8b/10b encoding to achieve a DC-balanced signal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Insta360 teases new ‘FlowState’ stabilization tech for 360 cameras
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/14/insta360-teases-new-flowstate-stabilization-tech-for-360-cameras/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
360-degree camera maker Insta360 just released a video that shows off a new feature it’s calling “FlowState,” which stabilizes a ‘flat,’ traditional HD video frame by extracting it from a 360 capture. This might be a familiar technique if you’ve followed what GoPro and Rylo are doing with their own 360 cameras, but Insta360’s take looks powerful and feature-rich, based on this clip.
the stabilization tech not only produces video that looks like it’s shot on a gimbal, even for fast, bumpy action like from a camera mounted on a dog’s back, but also allows for interesting effects like following even very small moving objects (butterflies) and doing dramatic time dilation effects combined with cinematic pans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AAEON’s VPC-5600S opens up new horizons for NVR technology
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/aaeons-vpc-5600s-opens-up-new-horizons-for-nvr-technology
AAEON launches the VPC-5600S, a network video recorder (NVR) with a possible eight PoE ports, each supported by their own LAN chips.
The VPC-5600S recently picked up coveted COMPUTEX d&i and Taiwan Excellence Awards, and AAEON network security division product manager Josh Chen has labelled it “the perfect surveillance system.” AAEON is currently the only company to offer NVRs featuring eight PoE ports with individual LAN chips. With this hardware specification and the device’s 7th Generation Intel® Core™ processor, users will receive the highest quality images from multiple sources without any danger of data loss. With an additional four USB3.0 ports and two LAN ports, the VPC-5600S can support up to 14 high-grade surveillance cameras.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MSolutions Video
MSolutions showcases its latest HDBaseT tester at ISE 2018
http://buyersguide.cablinginstall.com/m-solutions/videos/msolutions-showcases-its-latest-hdbaset-tester-at-ise-2018.html
MSolutions showcases the MS-TestPro HDBaseT tester at ISE 2018 and announces two major upgrades:
The MS-TestPro is now THE ONLY TESTER IN THE WORLD that can verify the retransmission functions that are inherent in HDBaseT Spec. 2.0
Tomi Engdahl says:
uCameraCube
https://www.hackster.io/delmans/ucameracube-c64263
Camera module built using uCube framework.
uCameraCube is a parametric camera module build using OpenSCAD uCube library. It is build with Raspberry Pi and Raspberry Pi camera and comes in three versions, which vary in the type of optics used.
Thin Lens version
M12 Lens version
T-Mount version
Tomi Engdahl says:
Insta360 teases new ‘FlowState’ stabilization tech for 360 cameras
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/14/insta360-teases-new-flowstate-stabilization-tech-for-360-cameras/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
360-degree camera maker Insta360 just released a video that shows off a new feature it’s calling “FlowState,” which stabilizes a ‘flat,’ traditional HD video frame by extracting it from a 360 capture. This might be a familiar technique if you’ve followed what GoPro and Rylo are doing with their own 360 cameras,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google explores how light fields shape VR environments in new free app
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/14/google-explores-how-light-fields-shape-vr-environments-in-new-free-app/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Lighting can make or break the right photo — when it comes to static environments inside virtual reality that users can move around in, this becomes exponentially more true.
Today, Google released a new app for VR devices focused on helping users make sense of “light fields.” They’ve also got a blog post running down some of the research work they’re doing.
https://www.blog.google/products/google-vr/experimenting-light-fields/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adnan Farooqui / Ubergizmo:
Lenovo’s Mirage Solo Daydream VR headset and VR camera available for pre-order, company says they will ship May 11, headset will cost $400 and the camera $300
Lenovo Mirage Solo VR Headset Now Available For Pre-Order
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2018/03/lenovo-mirage-solo-vr-headset-pre-order/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to make a low-cost guitar amp with Linux
https://opensource.com/article/17/8/linux-guitar-amp?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
With just a guitar, a cable, and open source software, you’ve no need to “Gimmie Some Money” to take your home recording studio to 11.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Light Fields Trying to Get the Jump on Magic Leap
https://hackaday.com/2018/03/16/google-light-fields-trying-to-get-the-jump-on-magic-leap/
Light Field technology is a fascinating area of Virtual Reality research that emulates the way that light behaves to make a virtual scene look more realistic. By emulating light coming from multiple angles entering the eye, the scenes look more realistic because they look closer to reality. It is rumored to be part of the technology included in the forthcoming Magic Leap headset, but it looks like Google is trying to steal some of their thunder.
The magic sauce is in the way the image is captured, as Google uses a semicircular arrangement of 13 GoPro cameras that are rotated to capture about a thousand images. The captured images are then stitched together by Google’s software to create the final image, which has a light field effect. It is thought that the forthcoming Magic Leap headset needs special optics to create this effect but the Google version works on standard VR headsets.
Experimenting with Light Fields
https://www.blog.google/products/google-vr/experimenting-light-fields/
With light fields, nearby objects seem near to you—as you move your head, they appear to shift a lot. Far-away objects shift less and light reflects off objects differently, so you get a strong cue that you’re in a 3D space. And when viewed through a VR headset that supports positional tracking, light fields can enable some truly amazing VR experiences based on footage captured in the real world.
This is possible because a light field records all the different rays of light coming into a volume of space. To record them, we modified a GoPro Odyssey Jump camera, bending it into a vertical arc of 16 cameras mounted on a rotating platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You can watch Netflix on any screen you want, but you’re probably watching it on a TV
Most Netflix subscribers sign up on phones or computers. But 70 percent of viewing happens on TVs.
https://www.recode.net/2018/3/7/17094610/netflix-70-percent-tv-viewing-statistics
Tomi Engdahl says:
Configuring Linux for music recording and production
https://opensource.com/life/16/1/configuring-linux-for-music-recording-production?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
https://opensource.com/life/16/1/configuring-linux-for-music-recording-production?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY