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While several QuickTime Live! attendees have wondered if Apple will ever update its
QTVR (QuickTime Virtual Reality) Authoring Kit, Panoscan is showcasing its panoramic
digital camera, the Panoscan System, which the company says offers the perfect solution
for capturing high quality cubic movies.
The Mac-enabled digital system, working in conjunction with Apple's new QuickTime VR
capability called "Cubic VR," is being featured in today's Product Showcase at the
Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA. QuickTime 5.0 will include a new codec for panning in
all axes via QuickTime VR.
The main advantage of cubic VR is that it allows the viewer to look straight up and
straight down-- broadening the traditional range of view. You can visit Panoscan's
Web site for examples of these new movies. Cubic movies are also smaller in file size
than the previous high angle of view cylinder movies.
The Panoscan System enables a full-range of motions, including fully spherical image
called an "equirectangular image," when used in combination with a 16mm fisheye
lens and the Kaidan offset bracket. The resulting image requires no stitching and can
be easily converted to cubic format for retouching and viewing with the new QuickTime
Cubic VR feature, says Ted Chavalas, Panoscan president and product inventor.
He says that, with Phase One's digital line scan technology built-in, the Panoscan
produces high-resolution 360-degree digital images with unparalleled resolution,
extreme light sensitivity and extraordinary capture quality. Panoscan's maximum capture
speed is 125 lines per second. With the new software upgrade, being introduced at
QuickTime Live, Panoscan now has a maximum image size of 7,000 pixels by 44,000 pixels
over 390 degrees. "We are proud to demonstrate the high-performance Panoscan System
technology at the second annual QuickTime Live! event," Chavalas says in a press release.
"With our 'no compromise' solution to panoramic and spherical image capture, Panoscan is
poised to make the convergence between panoramic photography and virtual reality seamless
and adaptable. When it comes to all-around features and benefits, including portability,
we believe that Panoscan is the clear choice for VR and panoramic imaging professionals."
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