Imagine if you could create a life-like hologram of a given subject—and then be able to study and experience every detail of that subject later without being physically near it. Sounds like science fiction, right? We’re living in an era when such futuristic technology is already available to us! To make this kind of experience a reality, we can capture the rays of light that bounce off a particular subject, and what makes this possible is “light field media.”
CableLabs’ Immersive Media Experiences team has been researching the ways that light fields can transform the ways we live, learn, work and play. Today, there are already many ways to capture light fields, ranging from the latest smartphone cameras to professional light stage studios that capture the tiniest of details. To view a light field, the latest holographic displays provide high-resolution 3D video without the necessity of headwear or face tracking. Experiencing this technology in person feels like magic!
OTOY’s LightStage
How 10G Will Deliver an Immersive Future
10G will bring unprecedented speed, reliability and security to the world, which is why it’s essential for enabling light field media. Light fields require tremendous amounts of data—more than any other technology that currently exists. Traditional photographs and videos store only a grid of pixels, whereas light fields track exponentially more light rays of colors and directions. Although the ecosystem continues to evolve and reach more people, the cable industry is also preparing to deliver these immersive experiences over the network.
As part of our strategy to support the emergence of immersive media, CableLabs is a contributing member of the Immersive Digital Experiences Alliance (IDEA), a collaboration between diverse experts across immersive media technologies. IDEA is producing royalty-free specifications that enable standardized end-to-end conveyance of immersive media. These standards will make it possible to create, distribute and enjoy immersive content as the landscape grows richer over time.
From CableLabs’ Near Future series
Watch our 10G and immersive media experiences video, in which the Immersive Media Experiences team demonstrates how light fields work and showcases the latest commercially available light field displays.
