DIY 3D Movies

At CES, a pair of firms have been showing off ways people can make their own 3D films at home.

Always fancied making your own 3D movie, but though it would never be possible? Well, things might be changing for aspiring amateur filmmakers. Two companies at CES have been demonstrating technology that can make 3D filmmaking possible on a budget.

English company PDT has the Minoru webcam, an odd-looking beast whose two lenses are set about as far apart as human eyes. The software that comes with it turns the images into what’s known as an anaglyph, according to the BBC. That means you do still need those familiar colored glasses to see the image in 3D, although any movies you shoot can be shared on YouTube. The webcam can also be used for more normal 2D work.

Meanwhile, TD Vision was showing off a new codec that makes it easier to show 3D images on more screens. It only stores the information about the parts of each frame that change to evoke the 3D effect.

"The magic is in the method of how it compares the left and right view," said TD Vision spokesman Ethan Shur. "It takes only the differences, the delta, the changes."

The company has also developed the prototype of a 3D camcorder.