Sensio Executive Says Hisense Agreements with Sensio, Stream TV Networks ‘Complementary’

Hisense will initially build Sensio’s stereoscopic Hi-Fi 3D decoders into LCD TVs for the China market, but negotiations with Sensio are underway to expand that reach globally, LaBerge said. Stream TV’s glasses-free Ultra D technology -- which it claims Hisense will build into 42-inch and 46-inch LCD TVs -- will complement Sensio in taking the Hi-Fi 3D content it in autosterescopic, LaBerge said. Sensio Wednesday announced an agreement with Hisense.

"What the agreements tell me is that Hisense is really serious about moving forward with 3D,” LaBerge said. “It confirms to me that they are serious and it’s not a one off strategy. In having agreements with Sensio and Stream, it tells me Hisense really wants to get into 3D.” Hisense officials weren’t available for comment Wednesday. Hisense is focusing R&D efforts in China on 3D, U.S. Marketing Director JoAnne Foist has said (CED Aug 21 p5).

While the base of Stream’s Ultra D is built around some of Philips’ autostereoscopic technology -- a business Philips shut down in 2008 -- one of major advances is being able to handle real-time 2D/3D content conversion, LaBerge said. Philips’ autostereoscopic technology previously required 2D/3D conversion be handled in post-production, he said. Hi-Fi 3D consists of an encoder and decoder and combines subsampling with reconstruction algorithms that interpolate missing data to a high level of accuracy to provide maximum fidelity to an original 3D image. Sensio and Stream have had discussions regarding their respective technologies, LaBerge said. Sensio’s technology will initially target Hisense’s stereoscopic TVs, while Stream is developed for autostereoscopic models, Stream CEO Mathu Rajan said. Stream’s technology can convert stereoscopic content to autostereoscopic, Rajan said.

Sensio is preparing for the start this fall of its 3DGO! 3D video-on-demand service that’s expected to start with 30 to 50 titles from the likes of National Geographic, Starz Digital Media and Big Pictures Digital Productions, LaBerge said. Sensio initially planned to have the service available in June with 50 to 60 titles (CED Feb 3 p1). It also planned to have three major studios signed on, one of which was Starz, LaBerge said. Big Picture has a library of 12 3D IMAX films, including MacGillivray Freeman Films’ Grand Canyon Adventure and Arabia and Giant Screen Films’ Dinosaurs Alive!. The goal is to have 100 titles available a year after the service starts, he said. The titles, including films and documentaries, will be available for 24-hour and 48-hour rental periods, depending on the title and priced at $6.99 to $7.99, LaBerge said.

"It has taken a bit longer than expected because there were technical issues that we needed to resolve, including physical implementation” of the 3DGO! platform on chips and rights management, LaBerge said. “There also were delays in getting traction and everyone on board” with the 3DGO! platform, which involves seven to 10 companies, including NeuLion and Deluxe, which are providing servers and backend services and post-production for content, LaBerge said. Deluxe will take content and encode it with Sensio Hi-Fi 3D technology. Sensio has pacts for four to five chip suppliers for Hi-Fi 3D-compatible decoder ICs that can be upgraded to add 3DGO!, including Mediatek and Marvell Technologies, LaBerge said. Hisense is using one of Sensio’s Hi-Fi 3D chip suppliers, he said. LaBerge declined to identify the IC developer.

Vizio and TCL, which have Hi-Fi 3D TV agreements, will field sets compatible with 3DGO!, LaBerge said. The Vizio sets will be compatible via a field upgrade and downloading the 3DGO! app, he said. TCL is expected to ship 3DGO!-equipped sets in 2013. TCL has demonstrated 55-, 46- and 43-inch standard 3D LCD TVs, along with a 58-inch 21:9 model. Hisense hasn’t finalized which screen sizes it will introduce, LaBerge said. Sensio is working with Hisense and TCL to eventually bring 3DGO! to China, though many hurdles, including required government approvals, remain, LaBerge said. “It looks promising."

Sensio also is pitching companies on Autodetect technology, but hasn’t landed an agreement, LaBerge said. Autodetect automatically determines a video stream’s input format and processes it in the correct mode, company executives have said. Autodetect, which is compatible with 2D, and side-by-side, top-and-bottom and Hi-Fi 3D, is being developed using technology acquired in Sensio’s 2010 purchase of Algolith. “Autodetect is being presented to chip developers first as part of our roadmap and to TV manufacturers so they can push for it,” LaBerge said.

Sensio also has signed two licensing agreements for its Sensio S2D Switch technology, which is designed to switch the viewing mode of a 3D feed from 3D to 2D or between 3D formats. It supports HDMI’s 1.4a’s frame-compatible formats.