DDD Group (LSE: DDD.L - news) , has developed software and hardware products that enable the viewing of 3D images without the need to wear special spectacles. The company has just signed a 3-year deal with nWave Pictures to covert a number of movies into its TriDef format. Could be one for the watch list.

sandrew64,

I have to agree, not much point in hanging onto a falling or sideways trading share when there are opportunities to increase your capital elsewhere.

A friend of mine held sportech, and it has halved since he bought. He told me he was going to hang on for them to recover, but wanted to buy another stock but didn't have any trading funds available.

I suggested to him he might want to consider which was the more likely to incerease, and he agreed the stock he wanted rather than Sportech. I suggested he sell sportech, and buy his chosen stock with the funds.

Last Tuesday he sold Sportech and bought....Asia Energy!

Nice one!I don't know if I can match his success rate, but I'll have a go.I also had Sportech- I probably bought in at the same time as your friend(somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one who picks a few dogs , but luckily traded them in for DFD a couple of months ago.Not a rocket like Asia Energy unfortunately but a good steady climber that should do very well on their next results.

DDD is no.4 in Shares Mag Blue Sky Portfolio, a leading developer of software to make TV, computer and mobile phone screens look three-dimensional. The technology converts 2D content to 3D in real-time or off-line, allowing people to view pictures in three dimensions without glasses or specially adapted screens.A hot product is TriDef DVD software that converts standard consumer DVD movies into 3D as they are played. The Alliance with Arisawa involving a cash injection and equity stake last year means DDD has over 1 million cash and plenty of sales opportunities.

It takes 2D images and, according to reviewers, makes a bad job at comverting them to pseudo 3D. It does this by making guesses based on colours in the picture (large blue areas at the top probably the sky). It does not as is said above "make TV, computer and mobile phone screens look three-dimensional". It requires 3D screens to do it. Normal screens will no do. 1m in cash is unlikely to last even 6 months at DDD's cash burn.

Arisawa does not even have a 3D screen in production yet. It is all pie in the sky and window dressing. I expect a dilutionary new share issue cash call from DDD soon.

This has been in a solid downtrend for nearly 1 1/2 years. It is beacuse it makes no profits, has little turnover, has few customers, has a high cash burn and hardly any cash. It is also a technology that has little consumer interest. High Definition TV is where the manufacturers are putting their money for the medium term future.

the chart looks like it has hit the bottom with a higher low set last week,if it can get above the 15p level should see new buyers come in.i do not own stock.cheers woodie

This is the funniest thing I have read about DDD for ages.

"The RT3300, combined with the televisions pre-installed 2D/3D screen and a pair of comfortable, attractive polarized glasses for each viewer, will allow astonishing 3D viewing from anywhere in the room."

So the idea of glasses free viewing hasd been given up. That was their only selling point. This looks even more doomed than before.

Of course you can see why this is necessary. It is because the special 3D screens only work if you are sitting almost dead centre and can see the sweet spot where the 3D works. If you combine that with the poor conversion from 2D to 3D then you have a useless product.

Now they have had to resort to the old fashioned method of special glasses. This means that everyone in the room will have to wear the glasses otherwise the screen will look very strange. Have you ever looked at a 3D screen without the glasses - it is unwatchable. So the whole room has to have the special glasses on.

This is really funny. Arisawa must be crazy.

dear haystack, you seem to have very strong opinions on this company.is it really that bad??

Haystack is just talking nonsence...Shares Mag don't just published nonsence for the fun of it!

3D vision using spectacles on projected films and TV has been around for 30 years or so. In fact I have two separate and different sets of spectacles still in one of my drawers. It never was more than an occasional experiment though, apart from the Imax theatre in Disneyworld and perhaps a few others.

Proper 3D films needed expensive shooting equipment as two camera views from two different angles were required, for each and every scene and camera angle that was shot (and in a full-length film that is a lot of camera shots). These were then combined into a colour-coded film which was then unscrambled again into two angles through use of the specs. This process was horrendously expensive and was as far as I know only carried out for a small number of short films such as are shown at Disneyworld. Even with present-day computer technology I doubt very much that the profit and loss equation would work out.

As far as automatic programs to recognise foreground and background etc., well I guess in principle a film could be remastered using such technology with human intervention to override the guesses of the program. Using the technology to make a 2D DVD into a 3D DVD at the consumer end would scarcely be expected to work reliably.

It is true.
I just found the page

http://www.ddd.com/techapp_tv.htm

In conjunction with Arisawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. DDD is launching the first consumer solution for watching any television show, DVD, or video in 3D.
A new breed of television will be introduced in 2005 which allows the viewer to use a remote control and switch the television into 3D mode by activating the TriDef RT3300 Media Converter, a DDD-designed set-top box that converts any 2D video signal into 3D.

The RT3300, combined with the televisions pre-installed 2D/3D screen and a pair of comfortable, attractive polarized glasses for each viewer, will allow astonishing 3D viewing from anywhere in the room. DDD and Arisawa will joint market the solution, along with feature-length 3D motion pictures from nWave Pictures NV, and others, that are designed to feature off-screen effects.
............................

There is even a second page with a picture of it.

http://www.ddd.com/hardware_rt3300.htm

3D Conversion in a Set Top Box

The TriDef RT3300, teamed with a 2D/3D TriDef supported television and a comfortable pair of polarized glasses, has initiated the era of 3D television viewing.

Its very simple: plug your S-VHS or composite video sources (cable box, antenna, DVD player, VCR, etc) into the RT3300, plug the other end into your television (with VGA or DVI input) or PC monitor, sit back, and enjoy. The RT3300 comes with infrared remote that allows you to enable or disable 3D viewing. The RT3300 is based on DDDs revolutionary Realtime Conversion Process.



Can you believe it? It was actually true. They expect you to wear polarised glasses.

And it is not even April 1st.

ROFLMAO

i often have double vision after drinking stella. would this help me to see a lovely 3D effect on the screen?

Kathryna, having double vision and wearing 3d glasses are completely different.You would not get the proper effect when looking at a 3d screen.I hope that clears things up.

If you had enough to drink you might be unable to tell the difference.

The TriDef DVD Player draws on the advanced image analysis technologies developed for DDD's offline 3D media conversion service. The real time conversion feature delivers immediate access to 3D DVD blockbuster movies for owners of 3D display and complements DDD's high quality offline conversion process by delivering an easy to view 3D effect that is based on the availability of 3D depth cues in the original movie.

In addition to the play back of conventional DVD movies in 3D, the TriDef DVD Player is capable of playing original 3D movies including the library of 3D feature length movies that were recently licensed from nWave Pictures. This combination is designed to offer the widest possible choice to 3D display owners.

Lots of interesting views and posts on this BB. For what it's worth I've just dipped my toe into DDD for the first time. I'm guessing from my reading that half of the posters will think I'm mad while the other half may nod knowingly at the wisdom of my choice.......I just hope that it will be the latter half who are the more insightful!

Very good news....DDD up 14% now


DDD Group PLC
08 March 2005


DDD AND SHARP CORPORATION EXPAND SOFTWARE LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR NEW SHARP 3D
NOTEBOOK PC



Santa Monica, Calif. and Huntington Beach, Calif. (March 8, 2005) 3/4 DDD Group
plc (AIM: DDD), the 3D software and content company, today announces that it has
expanded its world-wide license agreement with Sharp Corporation ('Sharp'),
increasing the per unit royalties paid by Sharp for DDD TriDef(R) software
shipped with each new Sharp 3D notebook PC.


The new agreement adds DDD's TriDef DVD Player real time 2D to 3D conversion
software to the range of DDD software products that are bundled with Sharp's new
second generation ActiusTM AL3D ('AL3D') 3D notebook PC. The inclusion of TriDef
DVD Player is an important milestone for DDD since the ability to easily view
today's popular content in 3D is critical to the future growth of the market for
3D display products.


Based on state of the art, high performance processors from Intel and NVIDIA,
the AL3D is now available in the United States and Japan, with an estimated end
user price of $3,499. DDD will continue to resell Sharp's range of 3D notebooks
and 3D desktop displays to professional business users in the medical,
pharmaceutical, education, oil & gas and manufacturing sectors in the domestic
U.S. market and overseas.


The AL3D also includes DDD's TriDef Visualizer OpenGL(R) software for Mercury
Computer Systems' amira(R) ('Mercury'). Using the amira visualization solution,
AL3D users can quickly review a wide variety of 3D models for medicine, biology,
physics and engineering. Under a separate agreement with Mercury, DDD will
receive a TriDef Visualizer software royalty for end users who purchase the full
amira license that is supplied for a time limited evaluation with each AL3D.


'We continue to be impressed with the growing capabilities of the TriDef
software suite,' said Mr. Ian Matthew, 3D Business Development Manager at Sharp
Systems of America. 'The new TriDef DVD Player has created a lasting impression
with everyone who has had the opportunity to see their favourite DVD movie
instantly appear in 3D. Enabling amira to work in 3D using TriDef Visualizer has
also greatly increased the number of 3D models that can be quickly and easily
viewed in 3D for a wide variety of professional applications that are being used
by our target customers.'


'We are pleased that DDD has once again been chosen by Sharp to provide a
variety of professional and consumer solutions for their second generation 3D
notebook PC,' said Chris Yewdall, Chief Executive of DDD. 'We continue to
receive a very positive response from our customers to the crisp, clear and
precise three-dimensional visual experience that the Sharp displays deliver.'

The note book is only sold in small numbers to specialist business companies.

heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy wankstaff

The above statement says 'professional and consumer solutions', Haystack has got it wrong.

Is this a significant new revenue stream for DDD or another false dawn?

What will the impact be on the bottom line FY revenue?