Samsung Electronics this week announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with 3D image processing specialist Sensio Technologies over the latter’s S2D Switch technology. The deal will allow the Korean TV manufacturer to implement Sensio’s patented S2D Switch innovation – which among other things includes 3D-to-2D conversion – on its 3D-capable HDTV displays. Both companies chose not to disclose the financial details of the reached agreement.
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| Samsung licenses 3D-to-2D conversion tech from Sensio |
A Samsung official said that the company has the greatest respect for the intellectual property rights of Sensio Technologies, and that it values the mutually beneficial relationship they are building. The Seoul-based conglomerate also confirmed that users around the world will be able to benefit from the continued use of the Sensio S2D Switch technology in its 3D-enabled televisions.
According to Sensio’s CEO and president Nicholas Routhier, the signing of this latest agreement – combined with the licensing of other manufacturers in 2011 – means that the company has achieved another significant milestone, proving the worth of its S2D Switch patent licensing strategy. He added that the value of its S2D Switch patent and its overall patent portfolio has now been considerably improved by reaching a deal with the world’s leading 3D TV maker.
Routhier advised that the signing of this agreement is expected to make a huge difference in the negotiations that are currently ongoing with other 3DTV manufacturers that have been considering whether or not to fit the S2D Switch in their extra-dimensional offerings.
The proprietary S2D Switch from Sensio allows users to switch between different 3-dimensional viewing modes, or convert a 3D feed to a 2D picture. Protected by both international and US patents, the technology is compatible with the most widely-used 3D formats supported under HDMI 1.4a, such as side-by-side (SbS), top-and-bottom (TaB) and checkerboard.
3D to 2D conversion? So is this something more advanced than simply discarding one of the “eye” views?
What good is 3D-to-2D conversion?
For when there aren’t enough 3D glasses to go around?
Lol.
Anyone with a 3DTV and a 3D blu-ray collection knows that there are times when you simply want to watch something in 2D instead of 3D. For example, just tonight my wife and I watched Piranha 3D, but since she has been sick with a headache all day she didn’t want to watch it in 3D.
That’s easy enough to do when you’re watching the movie on blu-ray (just select the 2D option). But when you are watching a 3D film on cable, or streaming it on the internet, there is no way to watch it in 2D unless you utilize Sensio’s S2D Switch. I think it’s a great option to have on a 3DTV.
Now I’m off to play some Uncharted 3 in 3D on my PS3…