VideoEFx box transforms your 2D content to 3D (hands-on)@CES

[Silversurfer]

By Jacob Schulman posted Jan 8th 2011 5:42PM
Hands-On



3DTV is "cool and all," but one of the biggest challenges to its adoption is a lack of substantial content. VideoEFx is a small company with a nondescript booth situated somewhere in the ginormous Las Vegas Convention Center, but what it's showing off is quite remarkable. A small black box about the size of an iPhone, it can take any 2D content and convert it to 3D in real time. Our first impression was one of amazement, especially given the fact that we were watching ourselves in real time through a standard 2D video camera hooked up to the TVs in the booth. When we asked how such a thing could be possible, we got hints about some fairy magic creative engineering that employs similar visual cues that your eye processes when you look at anything. Apparently some broadcasting companies have expressed interest in using the tech to power their own 3D streams due to the simplicity (and cost effectiveness, we assume) over current 3D filming solutions. We know you can't experience it from wherever you're tuning in, but take our word that this is some seriously impressive stuff -- even if other companies have achieved similar 2D to 3D conversion magic within TVs before. Still, not all sets offer this capability, and this even doubles as a three port HDMI switch. It'll carry a $400 price tag when it lands in April.



























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[Silversurfer]

is this a game changer, is anybody from this forum at CES so as to report back on the validity of this solution?

[Likay]

Just as much of a game changer as if you were blind... Don't even have to see it.

[cybereality]

As much as we would all want a magic solution like this, I just don't think it can give accurate results. I have seen a few different implementations of 2D->3D conversion, and the results aren't that great. I mean, they do something for sure. And for specific content it can work OK. If you get the right movie in the right scene you might have something impressive. But I doubt it could hold that quality for a whole movie (even even a single episode). And even if this magic algorithm existed, I don't think it could run in real-time. Just look at some recent movies that were converted (Saw 3D, Piranha 3D). They had professionals spend months converting each frame by hand, and it still looked like crap. How is some magic black-box the size of an iPhone going to do a better job in 16 milliseconds?

[yuriythebest]

yup snakeoil

[Likay]

As much as we would all want a magic solution like this.

Agree. Just pushing in the favourite movie, press play and adjust stereo and ready to go. I definitely wouldn't mind it myself. If possible it's a long path there though.

I would expect something like this: 3dfier.
Some think it's all good (if they're not lying) but just wait until they've developed their stereopsis sense.

[cybereality]

Some think it's all good (if they're not lying) but just wait until they've developed their stereopsis sense.

Yeah, its funny like that. A bunch of people over at AVS seem to be impressed by Samsung's built-in 2D->3D. My only guess is, like you said, they are not experienced enough with 3D to understand what they are seeing. Just like so many recent movies have been converted and most people don't understand the difference, or notice at all. Although they are getting better at it. For example, I saw the 3D trailer for Priest and I falsely thought it was a native 3D movie.

[yuriythebest]

[cybereality]

AHahAHAHahAHHAahHAh!!!!!!!!!!!! That never gets old.

[Likay]

Hilarious!!!! ^^



And yes, surely there are similarities. Look at the signs!
I think i go for the brick though....