Open Letter to the Volumetric Video Industry
Dear Colleagues and Visionaries,
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In the realm of technology and media, we often invoke the metaphor of "standing on the shoulders of giants" to emphasize the importance of building upon past achievements. Today, we are those giants, responsible for laying the foundation upon which future visionaries will innovate. Our domain encompasses visual media, consumer devices, and the many formats that bridge the two worlds seamlessly.
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At this juncture, we stand on the brink of a paradigm shift in broadcasting: the real-time transmission of volumetric video to millions of viewers. This isn't merely an enhancement of the viewer's experience; it's a complete revolution. Envision a reality where audiences can navigate spaces inaccessible to traditional cameras—a world where such capabilities are not only within reach but are expected as part of everyday viewing.
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This leap forward echoes the pivotal moments in the history of the motion picture industry, from the groundbreaking inventions of Thomas Edison to the omnipresence of today's social media platforms. Yet, the current pace of technological advancement and infrastructure development far outpaces the creation of content. We're entering a realm where concepts like reality capture and neural radiance fields define a new era of 3D, tangible, walk-around content. Consider the vivid potential in sports broadcasting, where viewers can immerse themselves in the action, standing on the ice during an NHL playoff game or courtside for a high-flying NBA dunk.
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While our network connectivity and hardware capabilities are primed for this revolution—bolstered by technologies such as fiber optics, Wi-Fi 6, and 5G—the critical missing piece remains the content itself. History underscores the significance of standardized formats in unifying industry efforts, from the format wars of VHS vs. Betamax to Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD. Each conflict, though fierce, paved the way for future advancements. For instance, Blu-Ray's triumph and the adoption of the h.264 codec laid the groundwork for the streaming revolution accelerated by the advent of 4G technology. These milestones were built upon the digital evolution of camera technology, from professional-grade equipment like RED cameras to the ubiquitous smartphone cameras we carry in our pockets.
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As we usher in this new era, akin to the birth of cinema itself, we encounter a landscape brimming with potential yet fragmented by over twenty disparate formats across industries like gaming, computer animation, and architectural design. What we urgently require is a unified media format capable of harnessing today's technological possibilities and paving the way for content that fully exploits them.
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Let us, therefore, unite to define this new standard—a standard that will serve as the foundation upon which future generations of creators will build. Through alignment of our visions and technologies, we can forge a robust platform for the innovative content of tomorrow.
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Sincerely,
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Denny Breitenfeld
President
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Volumetric Format Association
https://www.volumetricformat.org
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