Cineform Neo3D + Kona LHi

[zak forrest]

Can I view side-by-side 3D content on a panasonic 3D plasma using Neo3D and a Kona LHi ?


For an even lower budget, could I simply use a Zalman as my main, or second computer display, and view my 3D stuff with Neo 3D ?


Can I use Neo 3D to burn framepacked 3D blu-ray discs, and play them on a 3D blu-ray player into a Panasonic 3D plasma?

Is this a viable way to do stuff on the cheap? I don't think I will be able to use the "2 hd-sdi cables into a Davio box" workflow for this job, so could I edit and join my 3D footage using Final Cut and Neo3D, check it on the Zalman computer display, and then every now and then BURN a frame packed 3D blu ray and view THAT on a Panasonic VT25 3D plasma ?

[Mark L. Pederson]

For an even lower budget, could I simply use a Zalman as my main, or second computer display, and view my 3D stuff with Neo 3D ?

Yes. This is exactly how you would do it. Use the Zalman as your second display - direct from GPU - no Kona needed.

[zak forrest]

is there a certain zalman that is the one to get

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Can I view side-by-side 3D content on a panasonic 3D plasma using Neo3D and a Kona LHi ?

Yes.

For an even lower budget, could I simply use a Zalman as my main, or second computer display, and view my 3D stuff with Neo 3D ?

Yes. You can also do this with the plasma screen to. You don't need a Kona, or similar, you can run a DVI to HDMI or DisplayPort to HDMI or whatever right to the panny monitor.

Can I use Neo 3D to burn framepacked 3D blu-ray discs, and play them on a 3D blu-ray player into a Panasonic 3D plasma?

Neo3D doesn't let you create the blu-ray discs. You will need authoring software and currently I don't know who is offering 3D BD offering on the cheap. You will of course need a 3D blu-ray player as well. Although, there are other ways, if you can live without frame-packed full resolution 3D.

Is this a viable way to do stuff on the cheap? I don't think I will be able to use the "2 hd-sdi cables into a Davio box" workflow for this job, so could I edit and join my 3D footage using Final Cut and Neo3D, check it on the Zalman computer display, and then every now and then BURN a frame packed 3D blu ray and view THAT on a Panasonic VT25 3D plasma ?

Yep, works just fine. Although there's a catch with the 3D frame-packed BDs. The only advantage to generating frame-packed 3D would be to view in full resolution. Which is a great reason to do this. But I really don't know how to do this on the desktop right now or on the cheap. 3D BD streams are all MP4 AVC. Both Sony and Panasonic's authoring tools are pretty expensive or you can have them do it for you from their authoring facilities. The 3D tools I know of involve creating two HD streams, one for each eye, and then using a 3D encoding tool to join them into a 3D compliant AVC file.

You can always make standard BDs with over-under or side-by-side images -- I believe you can master these streams right out of Neo3D and write them with Compressor or take them into an authoring tool like Encore, etc.. These will work on the Panasonic plasmas, the Zalman monitor, or just about every other 3D monitor I'm aware of, like the JVC or Hyundai 46" polarized LCDs -- Samsung 3D LCD/Plasma, Sony, LG, etc.. Any display that supports side-by-side or over-under that will enable you to manually engage those modes.

The Zalman monitor is an awesome tool for 3D workflow, especially on-set use. They're super cheap for what they are compared to other options (JVC 46" polarized LCD is over $8K!). And they let you use super cheap polarized glasses. Great for on-set use, but I don't care for the alternating polarized lines approach. When you're close enough to see the lines, it just looks like bad interlacing... Oh, wait, it is...

My preference would be the 24" Zalman - ZM-M240W

There's also the ACER 23.5" monitor, which I think uses the same TN panel that Zalman is using, but I haven't seen this monitor myself. Amazon has it for about $360.

[zak forrest]

THANK YOU gentlemen