Stereoscopic errors in converted films: how and where they arise

3D stereo leaves nobody indifferent – it has got a lot of delighted supporters and many critical opponents. The opponents sentence 3D to death because of its technical problems and stereoscopic errors, causing headache and eye-strain. However, many problems can be solved, if to try to understand their reasons.

MSU Graphics & Media Lab managed to do it in its VQMT3D (Video Quality Measurement Tool 3D) Project. The Project’s purpose was to analyze the stereo films and to investigate the potential reasons of the irritating annoyance, causing headache and eye-strain, and also to find inexpensive ways to automatically detect the stereo errors that occur in S3D films during the conversion process. The Lab has already issued two reports on the films captured with stereoscopic camera systems. The third report is dedicated to quality analysis of S3D films converted from 2D footage during post-production. In the third report the Lab investigated and analyzed the artifacts that are the most typical for the converted films: edge sharpness mismatch and the cardboard effect. It is available for a free download to all industry professionals.