Background
The market for entertainment products continually evolves in the search for ways to improve the audience experience and sense of involvement.
2-D representations no longer give the sensation of presence (even with wide screen and Dolby sound). There are different approaches to increasing the sense of presence by using the third dimension: one involves stereoscopic display, to give the illusion of three-dimensionality to the scene, another is to immerse the viewer in a three dimensional environment.

Both these approaches are difficult and neither has yet been widely adopted by the media industry. Most ‘3-D media’ currently exhibited is artificially processed 2-D material and the dimensionalisation process gives varying quality and depth representation: it is hard to get beyond the sensation of rather flat objects with depth separation. The special spectacles needed to view most current 3 D are uncomfortable and cause headaches (which are not experienced by people viewing real 3-D scenes). They also only give a true perspective vision for one viewer location.

Despite 3 D CGI being widely used for films shown in 2-D, virtual reality and immersive methods have so far only found a limited application in simulation-based entertainment. However, the media industry knows that astonishing the public is still a route to large audiences and financial success. It is believed that high quality presentations of stereoscopic and immersive images at home and at public entertainment spaces (such as cinemas) will offer previously unimagined levels of experience.

Challenge
The project will result in new compelling and thrilling entertainment experiences. We will demonstrate and evaluate experimental productions along with the enabling hardware and software technology. Standardisation initiatives will help to establish an ‘open’ (non proprietary) data format and process framework for industry-wide development of spatial media and media technologies, with application potential further than purely leisure functions.

Innovation
The innovation from 2020 3DMedia project consists of new and engaging 3D media forms, creating the technologies for producing and presenting these 3D surround audiovisual media as a viable product. Through the project an end-to-end system will be developed and demonstrated, consisting of capture, post production, secure network transmission, playout, and end-user customisation blocks. Both media and associated technologies will possess a compelling nature, with high degrees of realism and thrill. One of the fundamental aims of the project is to recapture the excitement once associated to Cinema in its pioneering days, and to extend it over diverse forms of entertainment, including home cinema and immersive interactive media products.

Key factors required to achieve this degree of innovation are:
• Technologies and formats for 3D-sound and 3D-image capture and coding, including novel high-resolution cameras
• Technologies and methods for 3D sound and image postproduction
• Technologies for the secure distribution and display of the new media
• Tools for the new spatial media technologies and their creative application

Impact
We expect to produce a significant scientific, technical and socio-economic impact that can be summarized through the following achievements:
• World leadership in a new generation of media technologies providing significantly higher performances in terms of built-in intelligence, scalability, flexibility, speed, capacity, ease of use and cost.
• Quick response to new and sustainable market opportunities based on converged business models between content, telecom, broadcast and consumer electronics industries.
• Widespread adoption of new digital media consumption and production patterns. Enhanced quality of life through new usage forms contributing to social, intellectual and leisure well-being. New opportunities for content production and exploitation