3D – It’s the quintessential root of all that is exciting and good, at least in my world. Few things can command attention better than an object flying straight at you from behind an LCD screen. That’s exactly what Popstar’s 3D display technology is all about.

What is a 3D display? I’ll spare you the nitty gritty details and get right to the gravy – It’s an LCD screen that gives you the illusion of 3D as if you were wearing 3D glasses … except you don’t need the glasses! The screen sports a special multi-view lenticular lens, which is a fancy way of saying that it shows each eye different things. By doing this, a pretty grass valley becomes a deep, breath-taking moment as each viewer experiences the depth that only a beautiful 3D scene could provide.

This exciting technology is perfect for industries who want multiple viewers to see every aspect of their product at the same time, on every side that can’t be viewed in a picture, magazine or even a traditional 2D animation. Take an engine apart and spin it around in 3D, zoom in and out on parts from a complicated surgical procedure, visualize the next openGL-capable 3D shoot-em-up game at a conference, these are all possible scenarios with Popstar’s 3D display technology.

I read things like the above in all sorts of marketing campaigns on the Internet and they all sound great. But being the senior technologist with my company, I don’t have the luxury of engaging in fantasy. What does it actually take to put one of these presentations together – what are the steps I need to do to make this sort of thing happen?

Screen rental and content creation.

Screen Rental
Like all transactions, you have the option of buying or leasing. If you’re like me you’ll know immediately what your budget allows. The advantage to buying vs. renting is cost, if you have a lot of uses for the screen that is. If you host lots of events (or handle the hosting for others) each year, then purchasing a screen like this may be in the cards. On the other hand, if you have two tradeshows a year, renting is probably a better option.

Sometimes I’m asked for my opinion on purchasing decisions, my response is usually to rent, at least at first. For any technology whether it’s 3D, grass seed or bubble wrap, I don’t buy a lot of anything until I’ve had a chance to test it – if it’s a good match then I’ll make some decisions as to buy or rent again. That’s one of the reasons we partner with rental companies who offer, among other things, 3D screens. This eases the hassle of scheduling delivery and setting up the screen at your event. But getting the screen to you is only half of the puzzle, what about the content?

Content Creation
By nature of my career I’ve learned a lot about many different technologies, and I can say with few exceptions that content creation can be one of the most rewarding and beneficial sides to building a business. It can also require some experience to make even the simplest jobs beautiful. From resolutions to color palettes to page layout to software applications, multiple facets of weirdness gel to make a presentation that is either unforgettable or annoying, effectively communicated or intentionally ignored. Creative types are experimental, curious and most of all masochistic, so this type of work appeals to us. If you decide you’d like help creating content, 3D or other, you know which weirdos to call. Whatever you do keep this in mind - Content Is King. Choose your creative team wisely.

As far as the content files themselves, they use familiar formats like mpg and wmv (windows media files). These file formats are very established and common in the video and graphics industry. If you have a video or piece of content anywhere on DVDs or the web, it’s likely your content has seen one of these formats. That’s the beauty of this 3D technology, you can re-use familiar material and with a little more work, display it in unfamiliar  and completely unique ways.

Once your creative is approved and your screen is rented or purchased, getting it set up is a simple phone call and you’re off and running. With a 3D screen complementing your presentation, be prepared to receive a lot of attention. The 3D screen will draw them in, then it’s up to you to wow them with your product or service.

Visit this page for a complete interactive on how 3D can help bring your product or presentation to life!

http://www.popstarnetworks.com/digital-signage-products/3D.php

Dave Hutton
Senior Technician & 3D Artist

Dave Hutton is the Senior Technician & 3D Artist for Popstar Networks. In this position he is responsible for training and documentation as well as 3D & general technical work. Dave enjoys working with people and has a technical background building systems, programming scripts and automation tools, video editing & motion graphics as well as 3D modeling and animation. Dave spent over ten years in the advertising and computer industries and loves all things graphics & technical. A Missouri native, Dave is a self-professed computer junkie and loves gadgets, new technology, biking and frisbee.

Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read the Popstar Blog! My name is Steve Hagenlock, I am one of the founders of Popstar Networks, where I’m the Chief Technology Officer. I plan to use this space to carry on a dialog on topics concerning the Art and the Science of Digital Signage.

For nearly 20 years, I’ve been involved in the creation of products which display computer generated graphics on televisions. From the earliest Interactive Television applications, to cutting edge Broadcast Animation software to the state of the art Digital Signage software products we have available today, I’ve been privileged to be involved with this business of digitally turbo-charged mass communication technology.

Looking back, many of the communication challenges that we faced are the same as today, such the effective use of text and graphics formatting for specific resolutions. The lack of computing horsepower, broadband networks and modern core technologies focused your energies, as a producer, toward making sure your message was delivered clearly through the limited capabilities available. This often meant tight loops, low resolution graphics, highly compressed audio loops and very creative packaging techniques.

Looking forward, our industry is faced with a dizzying array of options for digital communications on large format television screens. Our industry deals with an acronym soup that would bring even the most hardened government bureaucrat to declare alphabet bankruptcy. Want some MPG you say? H.264, DiVX or MPEG2? Making sense of all of this activity can be a mentally draining and time consuming task; this space will help demystify the Art and simplify the Science of Digital Signage. After all, it’s all about communication, and effective communication is what we do around here!

As mentioned, I plan this space to be a dialog, so please feel free to ask a question if you wish to. I’ll do my best to respond without using acronyms. Next up is “The effect of Internet Scale on the Digital Signage Industry”. Until then, keep your screens lit and your weekends free!

Popstar Networks, Inc., working together with Philips 3D Solutions, has introduced an update of their feature-rich digital media software, FrontStage™, to support Philips 3D technology and network needs of the companies’ client, Cinema Scene Marketing. Cinema Scene recently selected Philips 3D displays to be part of their nationwide digital signage network placed in movie theaters to provide a unique and exciting visual experience to moviegoers. Cinema Scene also chose Popstar’s FrontStage™ digital signage software for 2D and 3D content playback and network control. In addition to software, Popstar is providing technical consultation and creative services, including the production of 3D content for Philips 3D displays. Read the rest of this entry »

Cinema Scene Marketing, one of the nation’s leading providers of in-theatre promotions, announced today they have recently selected Popstar Networks as a key strategic partner for the new Cinema Scene Digital Media Network. Read the rest of this entry »

Popstar Networks and digital broadcast services provider Campus Connections Media today announced that Campus Connections will begin deploying Popstar’s digital signage software solutions within their current and future network of digital screens on college campuses across the U.S. Read the rest of this entry »

Popstar Networks, a provider of end-to-end solutions for digital signage and interactive touchscreen kiosk systems, announced today that it has been awarded a long-term contract to provide software, remote management and content development services for JetSet Media, a leader in providing digital advertising opportunities for reaching the single most elite demographic in the world. JetSet currently owns and operates a network of advertising supported LCD displays in 70+ private airport hangars across the United States. Read the rest of this entry »