The following entertainment article was written for Spreety TV Online by professional journalist Carolyn Giardina.

Spreety Contributor Richard Kroon Authors A/V Encyclopedia

By Carolyn Giardina

A member of the Spreety family, contributor Richard W. Kroon, has recently had his first book published.

“A/V A to Z” is an extensive, 763-page encyclopedic dictionary of media, entertainment and other audiovisual terms. The dictionary contains more than 10,000 terms whose users would range from prosumers to professional in the field.

Kroon is a former employee of the Motion Picture Association of America. While, there, he came to the realization that as the digital age arrived, both professionals and consumers where finding many terms and concepts to be confusing. Seven years later, and with assistance from more than 30 consultants and editorial assistants, the dictionary was completed.

“This should be useful to anyone who would like to learn more about the industry, including prosumers,” explained Kroon, who is a manager at the program office of Technicolor.

He noted that more and more content consumption is moving to the Internet, and this is reflected in the book. “When you get into Internet distribution, there are some unique terms, for instance ‘HTML streaming’ — what exactly is that, versus a download? Those terms are in the book,” he said. Additionally, the book includes listings such as HDMI, as well as topics such as the limitations and benefits of Digital Video.

Kroon also covers why you might see a letterbox or window-box when viewing content on a TV display. A window-box is described in the book as a widescreen image presented in a widescreen TV inside a black box (meaning that there are black bars on the top, bottom and sides of the image), essentially created a ‘postage stage effect.’ Kroon explained: “With a window-box, you have duelling display aspect ratios. A lot of TVs have a feature where you can zoom in or change the display to correct for some of that.”

Kroon is already working on his next book — a dictionary of terms for the emerging stereoscopic 3D marketplace.

The following entertainment article was written for Spreety TV Online by professional journalist Carolyn Giardina.

Mobile Computing Sales On the Rise

By Carolyn Giardina

The Consumer Electronics Association has made some positive predictions about the state of its industry, underscoring the growth in online video content, which is clearly a driver.

According to the organization’s semi-annual “U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecast,” the consumer electronics industry will exceed initial revenue projections for 2010, with growth of three percent over 2009 and overall shipment revenues of $174.9 billion in the U.S. The report also suggests that industry shipment revenues will climb four percent to an all-time high of more than $182 billion by 2011.

Mobile computing products are expected to become the industry’s primary revenue driver by 2011. CEA projects that sales of laptops, netbooks, tablet computers, and related products will reach more than $26 billion in shipment revenues by next year. Most of the growth in the computing category will be driven by tablet PCs as more companies enter the marketplace, CEA predicted.

Wireless handsets are also seeing growth. CEA projects that by 2011, these products will result in $26 billion in sales. Smartphones continue to be the key driver in the category, with more than 54 million units expected to ship in 2010, an increase of nearly 31 percent. By 2011, more than 66 million smartphones will ship to dealers, generating $19.6 billion in revenue.

“We anticipate a robust holiday quarter,” reported Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis.

CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro summed up in a released statement: “The response to innovative new products like tablet computers and 3D displays, and continued growth of other product categories, illustrate that consumers love technology. The freedom to innovate delights consumers, sustains our industry and strengthens the economy.”

CEA produces the annual Consumer Electronics Show, next slated for January 6-9, 2011 in Las Vegas. Registration is now open.

How does a guy get a hot date with 21st century technology?

Filmmaker, actor, and comedian Jamie Hall partnered with Pete the Wonder Dog to come up with the perfect plan. The result is an enjoyable, fun video about the power of Twitter.

Spreety recently took Pete the Wonder Dog and Jamie out to lunch, at a park, to learn more about these rising stars.

Due to a birth defect, Pete was a pure bred reject. Unfit for competition, Pete’s future changed when Jamie came along. Through luck or a twist of fate, Jamie took heart in the underdog, and the two have made films ever since.

As for Jamie, his uncle was the original Predator, Kevin Peter Hall, and his father played professional basketball. In 2007, Jamie was honored with an Emmy Nomination in the category of Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming for his work on the A&E reality-documentary series “Intervention.”

Jamie is also an experienced On-Camera Host, having hosted the Los Angeles Film Festival highlight series “FesTV.” Jamie’s zany comedic antics have been featured on BET’s “Hell Date”, Comedy Central’s “The Chocolate News” as well as ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Jamie also hosts the LIVE Improvised Music and Comedy Show known as BLOUZEFEST…in 3D!

Looking forward, Jamie predicts in the year 2020 that entertainment technology will advance to the point of dynamic substitution for in place ads. Translated, if a character is drinking a soda, the brand on the can could change to the highest bidder that day.

As for today, Jamie and Pete the Wonder Dog continue to find clever and original ways to entertain. The enjoyable Follow Me on Twitta is located at http://www.followmeontwitta.com/ .

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The “Spreety Rising Stars” series is to raise awareness of fresh, original entertainment talent. For more information, please see Spreety TV Online at http://Spreety.com .

The following entertainment article was written for Spreety TV Online by professional journalist Carolyn Giardina.

CubicVue Takes 3D to Mobile Phones and Portable Media Players

By Carolyn Giardina

Randal Kleiser — the director behind films such as the musical Grease — believes that consumers will be soon be watching content on portable devices including mobile phones, tablets, gaming consoles and netbooks in stereoscopic 3D.

In addition to working as a director, Kleiser is a partner in startup CubicVue, which has developed a color filter that allows a viewer to see 3D without glasses. The filter could be installed in a consumer device or layered over a portable screen.

“The tremendous advantage of the CubicVue filter is that is extremely inexpensive and requires no new software or hardware,” said Kleiser, who got his start in 3D when he directed Disney’s 70 mm 3D theme park film Honey I Shrunk the Audience. “Any flat screen with 3D content that has simply been encoded into this magenta/green format will work. It can be used on existing devices, instead of having to go buy costly new equipment.”

The CubicVue technology uses magenta and green as the two colors in the system, though CubicVue partner and chief technology officer Michael Mehrle said the technology could be developed to support other colors. Mehrle, who invented the technology, added that the currently-supported format is available in a range of existing content on the Internet, meaning that it could be viewed in 3D using the CubicVue system. Additionally, Mehrle said that a free open source code would be available for companies or consumers who wish to encode their own 3D content. This could include short films, video games, or even 3D content from new consumer 3D camcorders that are coming to market.

“Available 3D content is growing by the day,” Mehrle said.

Suggested CublicVue partner and chief development officer Robert Auten, who is a video game industry veteran: “Movies will likely be first to the party. It’s easier to provide a better passive experience, but the level of excitement people will have from stereo gaming will in a sense mean the killer app for mobile 3D will be games.”

CubicVue aims to identify partners to bring the technology to market before the end of the year.