JVC and 3DV to Market World's First Real-Time, Depth-Sensing Camera System

JVC Professional Products Company has announced its marketingagreement with 3DV Systems to sell the ZCam(tm), the world's firstreal-time depth-sensing camera system, in the United States.

Designed to meet the demanding requirements of the professionalproduction market, 3DV Systems' ZCam enables studio and professionalbroadcast cameras to capture an additional dimension (depth), givingproducers the ability to perform keying without the need for a fixedcolor background. It enables the integration of three-dimensionaleffects in real-time.

The ZCam employs depth-sensing technology that supplements everyvideo frame with an additional frame called the "Zbuffer" which enablesoperators to capture and manipulate 3D data in real-time. Real-timeseparation utilizes depth keying rather than chroma keying, whichnormally requires blue screen compositing.

In this application, foreground elements can be shot and displayedagainst any background and in any lighting environment. ZCam capturesand maps the third dimension so the user can place objects in variouspositions in a scene and implement special effects immediately,including illumination and augmentation of the 3D scene, allowing theintroduction of real and virtual objects without the normal bluescreen. JVC and 3DV have essentially "put the studio inside thecamera," opening up vast creative opportunities in production and livebroadcasting.

"JVC developed critical optical components for ZCam," said RobertMueller, executive vice president of JVC. "It's a perfect fit for oursales organization. When ZCam is attached to our cameras, users getincredible benefits, including the ability to place graphics anywherein a frame, whether in front or behind a subject in real-time withoutthe limitations of bluescreen technology. The combination of JVC and3DV's groundbreaking technology will take studios to an extraordinarynew level."

Ori Braun, president of 3DV Systems, stated, "We are excited aboutthe immediate opportunity this agreement offers us. JVC is the leadingmanufacturer of professional cameras and has a remarkable salesorganization."

About 3DV Systems

3DV Systems develops object video sensor chipsets that allowhigh-end broadcasters, video professionals, and video-enabled consumersto take advantage of new creative possibilities, breakthroughefficiencies, and enhanced video delivery. Headquartered in SiliconValley, 3DV Systems was founded in Israel in 1996 and is privatelyheld. For more information about 3DV Systems, call (408) 450-5900 orvisit www.3dvsystems.com.