Web3D Consortium launches content initiative
The Web3D Consortium on Tuesday announced the Rich Media 3D (RM3D) initiative,
aimed at developing an open standard for rich media content, including 3D graphics,
video and audio, to be transmitted over the Internet and used in digital broadcast
applications.
The Web3D Consortium has created an RM3D working group that aims to develop
a straightforward way of communicating content to ensure that new types of Internet
devices, including Internet terminals and set top boxes. can receive and present
rich media, said Neil Trevett, president of the Web3D Consortium. The working
group also aims to simplify the development of content, Trevett said in an interview.
The initiative is being driven by equipment makers and companies that supply
graphics and content, the Web3D Consortium said in a release Tuesday. Representatives
of 3Dlabs Inc., ATI Technologies Inc., Eyematic Interfaces Inc., iVAST Inc.,
OpenWorlds, Shout Interactive LLC, Sony Corp., SRI International and the Austrian
company Uma comprise the working group. They intend to publish an initial draft
standard next month and final specifications in December.
Much of the technology behind an RM3D specification already has been developed
by Sony for the emerging interactive television market. Content developers have
become involved in further development of the RM3D standard because a lack of
open standards is an impediment to their business, the Web3D Consortium release
said.
"Sony have done significant work in this area and they are offering it
to the group as a potential starting point," Trevett said.
One of the first tasks of the working group will be to determine if the work
Sony has done so far -- under the project name Blendo -- is a reasonable starting
point, said Trevett.
"I personally expect the group to embrace Blendo, which Sony has generously
put into the open standards track," Trevett said. "That will be the
mechanics by which we can achieve rapid progress" on the standard.
The RM3D initiative is intended to closely interoperate with the MPEG-4 standards
group to enhance the Web3D Consortium's contributions to that standard so that
future versions of the MPEG-4 specification it will be possible to include 3D
graphics along with audio and video. RM3D will also interoperate with current
Web3D technologies, such as VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language).
As a Web3D Consortium working group, RM3D membership is open to all, and companies
that would like to contribute are encouraged to join. Further details are available
at the Web3D Consortium's Web site. The URL for the current draft of the specification
is http://www.web3d.org/WorkingGroups/rm3d/rm3dcontacts.html.
» posted by ITworld staff
IDG News Service
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