CONTENT PLAYBACK

What kind of computer do I need to run an Exceptional 3D display?

Processor: Intel Core Duo Processor 2.5+GHz, 3M, 1066
Operating System: Windows 7
Memory: 4GB, DDR3, 1066MHz, 2 DIMM
Hard Drive: 500GB
Video Card: NVidia Quadro, GeForce Series | ATI X Series - 1GB Memory

Can the Exceptional 3D video player convert DVD's into 3D for no glasses viewing?

No. The Exceptional 3D player only plays back files that are created especially for Exceptional 3D monitors.

Can an Exceptional 3D monitor play back 2D content?

Yes, Exceptional 3D monitors can play back both 2D and specially formatted 3D content.

Can I plug a DVD player into an Exceptional 3D monitor and watch a 2D movie or 2D content?

Yes. Plugging the DVD player into the HDMI port on the Exceptional 3D monitor will allow playback of DVD content in 2D.

Can I plug a DVD player into an Exceptional 3D monitor and watch a 3D movie with glasses?

No. Exceptional 3D monitors can only play regular 2D content or specially formatted glasses free 3D content.

Can the Exceptional 3D player run on a MAC?

No. The Exceptional 3D player runs on PC only.

Does an Excpetional 3D monitor have internal speakers?

No. Most commercial monitors including Exceptional 3D monitors do not have internal speakers. For sound you will have to connect external speakers to the playback computer.

Can I use an HDMI cable to connect the Exceptional 3D monitor to the playback computer?

No. Currently we suggest the use of a DVI cable.

3D CONTENT CREATION

Can the Exceptional 3D video player work with 8 tiled 3D video?

No, however our content Node based compositor has tools to take 8 tile input and transcode it to our media player format and playlist. This will of course leave the end (#9) zone as a mono zone but all the rest will be stereo.

What are the possible refresh\raster rates? Are they selectable? Please note that Film is 24 fps and Digital is 30 drop fps.

We stick to 24 fps for minimum file / size reasons when using uncompressed formats. However that is up to you when using our software and compressed versions. You can use 30 if you choose, but understand that moving forward, all native progressive HD and original content will be 24 frames and that is where all the displays work best.

Does the render software do 3:2 pulldowns to convert 30 fps to 24 fps?

No. It is frame based software.

What compression format is recommended if uncompressed HD is too big?

DIVX MP4 is our proprietary format as it can carry the multiple 3D streams.

Can we see any examples of your content?

Without our Exceptional 3D screen it would only be seen as 2D.

Is it possible for us to create all content in house?

Yes. Exceptional 3D would train your content creators on our 3D tool set.

What is meant by "3D enhancing" with regards to the production?

The most cost effective way to create content is to take existing assets from the client and add 3D on top or within. We can repurpose an already existing spot.

What are the costs associated with creating a 3D spot from an existing 2D spot? And how long would a 30 second spot take when the client provides all the assets?

Without reviewing the materials it would be impossible to provide a quote. Assuming we get everything in a 3d animation format and simply need to tweak and re-render, this could be as little as $50 per finished second. To create animations from scratch depending on their complexity can be upwards of $500 per finished second.

What final file format would we need to send you so you can re-render 2D content into 3D?

3Dmax or Maya files, the supported image files and plug ins such as texture maps and\or videos. Where possible for composited projects, uncompressed video or stills, green screen elements, text fonts, and project files such as After Effects, combustion, nuke, Digital fusion etc.

What image file types can we use in your player?

JPG image will work in our player, just make sure that it is a 24bit RGB file not a CMYK file. The compression should be Baseline jpeg. PNG will also work.

To show any 2D image files on our 3D screen, make the resolution of your file 1280 x 720. When you import it into the player, double click the file in the playlist (bottom portion of the screen) you will see further preferences such as how many seconds you want the file to stay on the screen, and how you want to scale the image. Any of the image stretching choices should work, but if you have any problems then choose 'stretch to full display size'. By doing the image sizing this way, we anti alias the image to look better thru our lens. Save the playlist and you are ready to go.

Z.L.I.C.E. 3D is crashing while I try to use settings button with Edit/Tools/Video Optimizer tool @ profile = DivX 6.X 2. I have Core2Duo 6600 (no quad core as described in the know problem section manual ) Xvid has been tried and it works!

Do not use Xvid as it is unsupported Freeware. Please deinstall Xvid, and install DIVX. This should cure any issue you have with streamlab video tools.

Is it possible to make a 9 tile arrangement image or video without Z.L.I.C.E. 3D?

We do not use 9 'tile' format as the compression. We use a proprietary 9 stream format which allows more resolution per each 9 streams, and yes you do need Z.L.I.C.E. 3D to create our 'streams' into the one file for the 3D Movie Center.

What is the 2D-plus-Depth format?

There are several ways in which 3D content can be stored and transmitted. The 2D-plus-Depth (2D+Depth, 2D+Z, etc.) format stores a greyscale representation of an image side-by-side with the 'real' image.

With the greyscale representation - the so-called depth map - a depth value is assigned to every pixel of the 2D content. These depth values - in shades of grey - are used to render a 3D representation on the 3D display. In the actual 3D experience, the lighter an area is in the depth map, the nearer it seems to the viewer.

What plug-ins come with the toolkit?

The toolkit comes complete with Max and Maya plug ins allowing the creation of 3D video content for our Exceptional 3D screens. Our Z.L.I.C.E. 3D is a post compositor that assembles your Maya or Max output streams into our proprietary 3D format. After Effects is also a compositor, but cannot assemble the video into 3D multi streams. You can prepare content in AE and export it over to assemble in Streamlab for now.

Flash is a standalone software player application. It is possible to create an active x control call code from Flash to control our player. You have access to our downloads, which includes the active x programming document. Your Flash programmer will be able read this document and then code a flash hook to our player. Flash does not have an architecture to support plug-ins from us so we chose to use the active x control.

Are there any issues with 3D videos with high polygon counts?

When it comes to rendering, high polygon counts take longer, and we have found acceptable compromises in optimization to reduce render times. Since we use a lens application to the LCD panel that divides the resolution for the 3D appearance, it results in lower perceived resolution in each eye view. The extremely high detail provided by your scanning may not be fully appreciated through our lens and matrixing process, so therefore a lower polygon count and lower resolution texture maps may be acceptable. In receiving scanned 3DMax files, or .3ds files in the past, providers have offered 3 resolutions of Low Medium and High poly count. We can then choose which one is best for the final render quality and 3D perception. We prefer the high which gives us the opportunity to optimize if needed.

ACTIVE-X PLUG-IN INFORMATION

Do you have an SDK?

The 3D Movie Center Active-X Control is a software interface that allows the user to play Exceptional 3D formatted videos in their own player system, or in 3rd party scheduling system applications.

What does the SDK contain?

The 3D Movie Center Active-X Control installer contains a standard setup for the 3D Movie Center Library Edition. Which includes all the standard functionality of the GUI based 3D Movie Center, such as play, stop, previous, next and a host of other commands. In addition, the Active-X control fires back some events to give feedback, e.g. when a video has finished or was aborted.

What about licensing?

The Movie Center Active-X Control requires a special license from Exceptional 3D. This license needs to be activated on the one computer where the player shall be used.

What programming language is your SDK?

Active-X controls are independent of the actual software developing platform and can be used by many languages, e.g. Visual C++, Visual C# or Visual Basic. Please refer to the documentation of your programming platform to find out how to include ActiveX controls into your own applications.

Do you include sample project files?

The Movie Center Active-X package contains a sample application in a ZIP file: TestMFC_AX.zip. This project can be opened in Visual C++ 2005. It implements a simple MFC dialog application, which offers some buttons to initialize and close the player, play some specific content file and so some control actions like Pause. This application can run as soon as the Active-X control is installed in the system.

In the Display configurator, is it possible to change the optimum distance (ie to set up the desired viewer position)?

No. However, we can change optimum distance by creating a custom Exceptional 3D lens. This can be available by custom quantity order.

We have just installed the new 3D Movie Center Libaray 1.6.5. We are integrating your software to run inside of a specific window on our monitor. Every time we launch and play a 3D file we expect that the movie would play in a smaller window pane but instead the movie always plays full screen at a resolution of 640x480.

The 'place window on top of others' check mark within our application must be unchecked to allow for random resizing. In addition, there is a hidden parameter "HWNDParent" where you can specify a parent window for the playback window. Use this function with the HWND parent handle as HEX value. In this case, the player window is created as a real child window, which is always visible within the parent window.

EXCEPTIONAL 3D NETWORK INFORMATION

What OS does your network run on?

We use either Windows 7 or Windows XP Pro.

Are there methods of delivering the 3D content using our current digital signage tools?

Yes. With the ActiveX SDK developers can create an Exceptional 3D player within their existing Content Management Solution.

Do you have your own proprietary software?

No. All of Exceptional 3D's software has been developed by third parties. Our lens is the only proprietary feature.

What is your solution for scheduling and network delivery for 3D content?

We are constantly expanding our partnerships with some of the best Digital Signage companies that are available in the market.

NO-GLASSES 3D GAMING INFORMATION

Does Exceptional 3D have a realtime 3D driver for video games?

Yes, the driver is available for purchase. It will need to be configured specific to your game or application.

3D DISPLAY INFORMATION AND SIZES

Can Exceptional 3D build a Video Wall?

Yes. These are custom 3D video walls, please speak to your representative for information.

Are Exceptional 3D displays only HD?

Yes.

Can Exceptional 3D retrofit existing LCD's or do we need new monitors?

No. Our custom 3D lens overlay is specific to each display manufacturer.

Can I still watch regular television or 2D-Video on an Exceptional 3D display?

Yes. All Exceptional 3D displays are capable of playing back standard 2D content.

How does the display receive and playback content?

All Exceptional 3D displays require a computer for playback of 3D content.

How does the system work?

Exceptional 3D displays use specially designed lenses and content to achieve the 3D effect.

What are the viewing distances for your 3D displays?

Minimum viewing distance for:
10.1" = 1 foot
24" = 2 feet
32" = 4 feet
42" = 6 feet
46" = 8 feet
55" = 10 feet

Optimum viewing distance for:
10.1" = 2 feet
24" = 4 feet
32" = 6 feet
42" = 8 feet
46" = 12 feet
55" = 16 feet