Next-Generation Video Cameras Cover All Angles

The days of the ordinary video camera with a small focal area
and a single point of view may be coming to an end. Advances in immersive
technology have created cameras and viewing systems that produce
360-degree, panoramic, interactive imagery, according to a panel of
researchers and industry experts. Applications are being driven by the
Web,
video games consoles and the increasing availability of bandwidth.

The Digital Hollywood conference in Beverly Hills, California, today put
together
a panel of six to discuss "Immersive Technology on the Net - Expanding the
Visual Horizon." The conference concerns the convergence of entertainment
and the Internet.

The members of the panel were: Hapet Berberian, senior vice president and
general manager, integrated systems, for RemoteReality; Bill Gubbins,
senior
vice president of entertainment, IPIX; Richard Bohnet, CEO, Enroute
Imaging;
Robert Holtz, founder and president of Zeros & Ones Inc; Dr. Edward C.
Driscoll, Jr., president of BeHere; and Richard Qian, senior researcher
and
architect, Intel Architecture Labs, Intel Corp.

Gregory Peter Panos, co-chair, SIGGRAPH-Los Angeles, moderated the
panel and despite the fact that the participants are competitors in the
field, there
was no professional jealousy on display. In fact, two of the panelists
declared that all six were "pioneers" in expanding the visual and
interactive
world.

They also agreed that immersive technology has many potential uses,
especially in the travel and tourism industry, entertainment, real estate,
advertising, and news and sports reporting. It also has implications for
the
business world, as it has the potential to change the face of
videoconferencing.

According to Berberian, the growth of the immersive imaging business
"depends on the compatibility of enabling technologies such as viewers and
video editing software, as well as increasing the number of commercially
viable applications on the Web."

One panelist said that he believes that Sony's PlayStation 2, which is
scheduled for release in North America October 26, will be a good option.

"Immersive movies involve tremendous amounts of data, and we need a
platform to play them on," said Bohnet. "The PlayStation 2 will be able to
process large amounts of video data, and it will be widespread. By next
year, there will be more PlayStation 2s in place than all broadband
providers
combined."

The availability of bandwidth was cited by many as a factor in the growth
of immersive technology. Several panelists said that their companies
currently
support both narrowband and broadband applications, but they are clearly
moving towards broadband.

"We are all broadband hogs," quipped Driscoll. "We want more bandwidth."

Said Holtz, "The technologists and the content developers need to get
together to give consumers a compelling reason to say, 'if I spend $300
more,
I can see this feature or get that additional capability.' The broadband
infrastructure is coming, and the trend is towards broadband, not away."

Qian's presentation gave a look at what immersive technology could mean
for
sports broadcasting.

"The viewer will be able to personalize and interact with sports content.
He
can pick his own camera shot and control zoom, click on the players for
biographical information or statistics, and even purchase merchandise or
sports drinks online after seeing it on the screen.

"It is a whole new category of sporting entertainment," he said.

More information on the Digital Hollywood conference can be found on the
Web, at http://www.digitalhollywood.com.