3DTV and 3D video communications

Abstract

With wider availability of low cost multi-view cameras, 3D displays, and broadband communication options, 3D media is destined to move from the movie theater to home and mobile platforms. In the near term, popular 3D media will most likely be in the form of stereoscopic video with associated spatial audio. Recent trials indicate that consumers are willing to watch stereoscopic 3D media on their TVs, laptops, and mobile phones. While it is possible to broadcast 3D stereoscopic media (two-views) over digital TV platforms today, streaming over IP will provide a more flexible approach for distribution of 3D media to users with different connection bandwidths and different 3D displays. In the intermediate term, free-view 3D video and 3DTV with multi-view capture are next steps in the evolution of 3D media technology. Recent free-view 3D auto-stereoscopic displays can display multi-view video, ranging from 5 to 200 views. Transmission of multi-view 3D media, via broadcast or on-demand, to end users with varying 3D display terminals and bandwidths is one of the biggest challenges to realize the vision of bringing 3D media experience to the home and mobile devices. This requires flexible rate-scalable, resolution-scalable, view-scalable, view-selective, and packet-loss resilient transport methods. In this talk, first I will briefly review the state of the art in 3D video formats, coding methods, IP streaming protocols and streaming architectures. We will then take a look at 3D video transport options. There are two main platforms for 3D broadcasting: standard digital television (DTV) platforms and the IP platform. I will summarize the approach of European project DIOMEDES which is developing novel methods for adaptive streaming of multi-view video over a combination of DVB and IP platforms. I will also summarize additional challenges associated with real-time interactive 3D video communications for applications such as 3D telepresence. Finally, open research challenges for the long term vision of haptic video and holographic 3D video will be presented.