Designed to reduce the amount of mechanical adjustments made to 3D camera rigs during live shoots, Sony’s new MPE-200 3D Processor announced at NAB provides a variety of digital alignments to stereo imaging HD cameras, allowing a control experience similar to the use of mechanical servos.
The MPE-200 processor works in conjunction with Sony’s MPES-3D01 stereo-image processor software to digitally simulate the adjustments that are currently performed mechanically. This allows stereographic engineers to easily manage multiple camera and rig parameters. The MPE-200 will also be used during the FIFA World Cup for the first ever recording of that event in 3D.
“Adding the ‘3rd Dimension’ creates a number of production challenges,” said Rob Willox, director of 3D business development for Sony Electronics. “True stereoscopic work requires two identical pairs of lenses, cameras and camera processing equipment. The cameras must match perfectly for color, and all imaging parameters must be matched between the two cameras. Our new processor can greatly reduce the error rate in live 3D production, leading to precisely aligned, high-quality 3D images.”
Using Sony’s high-performance Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E) microprocessor, the MPE-200 can – in real time – detect, analyze, display and correct adjustment errors, such as mismatching of optical axes, or inconsistent color settings. Each multi-image processor displays actual camera images with waveform information that indicates alignment and set-up errors. Operators can use this information to identify problems and easily correct them by changing various parameter values at their computer while watching the GUI. They can also take “snapshots” of frequently used settings and store them in a “shot box” to be recalled as needed.
- Vergence correction
Corrects for camera misalignment that may occur when moving cameras together or apart so as to converge the lines of sight at the perceived position of the 3D image plane. - Trapezoidal correction
Corrects for trapezoidal distortion that may occur when twin cameras are toed-in about their center during shooting. - Reflected image correction
Inverts the reflected image when shooting with a rig that uses a half mirror.
These capabilities free the camera operator from having to visually detect errors and spend considerable time adjusting and readjusting the cameras. Using the MPE-200, operators can receive critical adjustment information from their monitors, making camera setup faster and more reliable.
The MPE-200 can also convert the results into various transmission-ready formats, for example side-by-side or top-and-bottom images for viewing on a monitor, or a signal suitable for broadcast.
(press release, pdf)
