The Study Session was jointly organized by the Service/Contents Committee and Broadcasting & Live Action Shooting Working Group at the SGI Hall in the Yebisu Garden Place, Tokyo on May 23.
There was an introduction and demonstration of "high definition 3D liquid crystal TV" by NHK Technical Services, INC.
There were 40 members at the study session for a total of 74 people attending.

Lecture Summary
A facility for experiments of various research and business projects related to the 3D industry named "Advanced Knowledge Field" was opened under industry-government-academia collaboration in UDX in Akihabara Cross Field. This facility consists of the "Akiba 3D Theater" which handles presentation of 3D images, "Akiba 3D studio" for exhibitions and hands-on programs concerning 3D images and technologies for 3D image creation, "Akihabara Advanced Academy" which offers courses to study digital content creation and "Akihabara Advanced Labo" which evaluates the safety and comfortableness of 3D images for further improvement of the quality of 3D images. The lecture introduced the outline of 3D-related projects which are organized and operated by the Institute of Creative Industries & Culture by using this facility.

Lecture Summary
Multiview images are a type of basic data to create 3D images under live action shooting, and further development of applications in various fields including 3D displays and free viewpoint images is expected. Based on such a background, standardization of Multiview Video Coding (MVC) was established by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) which is a conference for international standardization of coding of images. In the first part of this lecture, a summary of the current activities of MPEG MVC was given. Considering transmission of 3D images in the future, improvement in the reusability of 3D contents and interconnectivity of various 3D displays should be secured, however, the purpose of the current MPEG MVC is transmission of multiview images as is which does not meet such essential requirements for future development. Considering such a situation, examination of data formats which handle various 3D input and output methods for future 3DTV and consolidated 3D image communication was made in the latter half of the lecture. As one of the candidates as a consolidated data format, an explanation of a method called "light field rendering" which describes information of 3D scenes based on light was made as well as possibilities of its application as a standard data format of 3DTV.

Lecture Summary
"Reports on presentation of 3D high definition at 'NAB2006' and introduction of high definition 3D liquid crystal TV" were made by using the photos which were taken at the venue at the exhibition, and an explanation of basic principles of high definition 3D liquid crystal TV was made.

Lecture Summary
"3D Cinema Forum" was born under cooperation from Professor Aoki of the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, Mr. Seno, a researcher, and many others of around 250 persons in December 2005. It is brand-new like a young chick with a swaying walk. Looking at the current situation on the other side of the ocean, famous movie producers in Hollywood such as George Lucas and James Cameron waved a flag and made an appeal to the world by emphasizing that we are and will be in the era of 3D cinemas. To react to their cheers for 3D cinemas, we expressed our determination to exert our efforts to maintain and develop this enthusiastic atmosphere further. I understand that the 3D Consortium has been active under the same purpose as ours through various activities. Why don't we "make a yell of our love to 3D as the center of the world," and work hand in hand in the future, too.

Lecture Summary
"Chicken Little" which was released on December 23, 2005 all over Japan was run in the form of a standard film and also in the form of a digital 3D movie, and attracted the largest audience in Japan to the Cinema Ikspiari. The reaction of the audience to the digital 3D cinema was marvelous, and the 17-week road show (the standard version ended after 9 weeks) ended successfully.
* Process - The process of the presentation of this digital 3D movie was explained.
* Contents of equipment used to present the movie - Explanations of each type of equipment such as a DLP projector, a cinema server and a 3D filter which is provided by Real-D were made.
* Success as a business - Impacts on the size of the audience attracted and the effects on publicity were explained.
* Expectations of 3D in the future - Attractiveness of 3D which cannot be experienced at home as a part of the entertainment business and expectations in the future were explained.