All Mobile Video’s new Stereoscopic 3D production truck uses Miranda multi-viewers for 3D/2D monitoring

One day 3D - the other day 2D

“Our new production truck is certainly the first with the ability to monitor both 3D and 2D on the same screen”, says Lee Blanco, Director of Engineering at AMV. “We’ll be able to provide full Stereoscopic 3D TV services in one location on one day, and then address 2D requirements in another location the next day, without a huge overhaul to our operations.”

Due to be fully operational by the summer of 2010, the new 53ft long truck expands along 47ft of its curb-side and 33ft on the roadside. AMV anticipates providing Stereoscopic 3D production services to a number of rock concerts, Broadway theatre presentations, a championship ballroom dancing competition, as well as sporting events such as football, hockey, boxing, basketball, and baseball. The truck is equipped with a total of 18 cameras, twelve of which are fitted with 3ality ‘T-block’ on 3ality 3D camera mirror-rigs to capture stereoscopic 3D content.

The Kaleido-X16 multi-viewers enable a total of 128 inputs

The Kaleido multi-viewers can display Stereoscopic 3D sources originating on two wires at 1.5Gbps (Dual Link), on a single wire at 3Gbps (Level B), or the frame compatible formats which place the left and right images side by side, or top and bottom, in a single HD Raster. Stereoscopic 3D sources can be combined on the same display with HD and SD sources, with full flexibility regarding layout configuration. Each area of the truck, namely Engineering, Production, Audio, Camera Shading and Tape, has its own multi-viewer layout. The multi-viewer outputs are connected directly to Sony Stereoscopic 3D displays using a mixture of portrait and landscape orientations.

The Kaleido-X16 multi-viewers enable a total of 128 inputs to be displayed across 16 LCD screens within the truck. The HD-SDI outputs from each multi-viewer can provide a copy of the multi-viewer display, and this can be fed to the truck’s router for distribution throughout the truck, and outside for commentary or other requirements. The multi-viewers are tightly integrated with the truck’s router so that any of the router signals are immediately available for display on the monitor wall.

See AVM's Epic 3D at NAB at the Sony Booth

One of the advantages of using the Kaleido-X16 in a truck is its very low noise, which allows the multi-viewers to be installed underneath desks, without disturbing the operators. This also saves precious space in the truck, and removes the need for costly DVI cable extenders.

In addition to the Stereoscopic 3D multi-viewers, Miranda is also providing interfacing equipment, including the new 3DX-3901 3D signal processor which is used to convert among the many types of Stereoscopic 3D signals in the truck. The processor also provides correction and electronic alignment of images coming from the 3ality mirror rigs. When the truck is used for 2D events, the 3DX-3901 transforms into a normal 3Gbps/HD frame sync and up/down/cross converter, avoiding the doubling up of equipment in the truck.

'Miranda has always been very supportive, and from our perspective has always been highly customer-driven. It has delivered new 3D capabilities specifically for AMV’, adds Lee Blanco.

AMV’s new Stereoscopic 3D truck can be seen in the Sony Booth C11001 at NAB2010, April 12th-15th.

About Miranda

Miranda Technologies Inc. (TSX: MT) develops, manufactures and markets high performance hardware and software for the television broadcast industry. Its solutions are purchased by content creators, broadcasters, specialty channels and television service providers to enable and enhance the transition to a complex multi-channel digital and HD broadcast environment. This equipment allows customers to generate additional revenue while reducing costs through more efficient distribution and management of content as well as the automation of previously manual processes. Miranda employs approximately 560 people at its Montreal headquarters and in its facilities located in Wallingford (UK), Grass Valley (California, USA), Paris (France), Tokyo (Japan), Zaltbommel (Netherlands), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Beijing (China) and Hong Kong.