We are excited to announce that Stream to 3D - Complete 5 is now live on Gumroad! This milestone release brings with it live‐video and screen‐capture conversion  to 3D.

What’s New in Release 5

Screen Capture in 3D
Transform your entire desktop or a specific region into a live 3D experience:

Live Video Input
Convert any real‐time video feed from webcams and capture cards into immersive stereoscopic 3D.

Upgrade & Purchase

Existing Gumroad Customers
Your Complete or Real-Time product variant license now includes version 5, you will be prompted to upgrade automatically.

New to Stream to 3D?
Grab the version that suits you, subscription or one-off payment

Release 5 Documentation

Live Video & Screen Capture Conversion Guide

We are committed to providing our users with the most immersive and comfortable 3D viewing experience. Until now, our technology has leveraged two key mechanisms to convert 2D videos into lifelike 3D:

Temporal Offset: Utilising the Pulfrich effect, our temporal offset mechanism enhances your favourite scenes with a dynamic depth effect, creating a vivid 3D perspective.

Frame Stabilization: To ensure a smooth and enjoyable viewing experience, Stream to 3D offers an optional frame stabilization feature. This adjusts the motion between the left and right eye views aiming to eliminate viewer discomfort when viewing 3D content.

We're thrilled to announce a new feature that takes this technology even further. In the updated version of Stream to 3D, it is now possible to adjust the temporal offset, and thus the intensity of the depth effect, in fine grained increments. This adjustment allows for precise control over the 3D effect, enabling a more tailored and realistic 3D experience that can be adapted to the content and viewer preferences.

We are thrilled to announce the release of Stream to 3D version 4, a substantial update that leverages your feedback to significantly enhance; the 3D effect, usability and device compatibility.

This update brings groundbreaking improvements, making 3D conversion more intuitive, accessible, and satisfying for users worldwide. Highlights of this version include:

• Graduated 3D Effect Mode: Introducing a new graduated 3D effect mode that allows users to customize their viewing experience with depth effects ranging from "subtle and comfortable" to "deep and intense."

• Enhanced Device Compatibility: With the new Configuration Wizard, users can now optimize their 3D content for a wider range of devices, ensuring the highest quality experience.

• Intelligent Configuration Wizard: Automatically detects screen and video resolutions to select the best 3D output format, tailoring the conversion process to match device and video specifics.

• Advanced Video and System Analysis: Offers optimized output by assessing video characteristics and system performance, enabling a tailored conversion process that maximizes quality.

• Expanded Frame Rate Support: Improved compatibility with a variety of frame rates ensures global compatibility and precision, adjusting intelligently based on the video's origin.

• Customizable Quality Preferences: Users can now specify their desired quality settings through the Configuration Wizard, balancing processing speed with visual fidelity.

Availability and Migration Details:

• The Release 4 update is now available for the "Complete" and "Standalone" versions of the Stream to 3D product on all stores (Steam, Gumroad and Itchio) ensuring all our users can benefit from these enhancements.
• Customers will be prompted to update the next time they use the product. We've made every effort to ensure a smooth transition, with Release 4 designed to automatically migrate existing configuration settings and files from version 3.5, preserving your tailored setup and preferences.

This update reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, driven by the feedback and needs of our user community. We are excited for you to experience the new features and enhancements of Stream to 3D version 4.

We are thrilled to announce that Stream to 3D, Release 3.5, is now available on the Steam store! For additional purchase options see also our website Stream to 3D store.

With Stream to 3D, you can now easily convert and experience your favourite 2D videos in stunning, immersive 3D in real-time.

Release 3.5 brings audio track and subtitle track selection support for both conversion and streaming.

Stream to 3D is the ultimate software solution that brings your 2D videos to life by converting them to 3D as they are played back or streamed. Whether you are a VR enthusiast, 3D projector owner, or simply want an enhanced visual experience, Stream to 3D unlocks a world of possibilities.

Key features include:

• Fully automatic, real-time 2D to 3D video conversion and on-the-fly playback
• Ability to stream converted 3D videos in real-time to phones, tablets, smart TVs and VR headsets
• Cutting-edge algorithms and technology for ultra-realistic 3D environments
• Offline conversion capabilities to transform your entire 2D video library into 3D
• Optimised for VR headsets like Oculus Quest for immersive 3D video viewing
• Customisable settings and presets for tailored 3D experiences
• Wide format and resolution support up to 4K

With Stream to 3D and Steam, enjoying 3D content is easier than ever. Just download, launch the software, open a 2D video, and watch as your favourite movies, shows, and videos leap off the screen with incredible depth and realism.

Whether using Virtual Desktop, BigScreen, streaming to your headset or projector, or viewing offline converted videos, Stream to 3D offers an unparalleled 3D experience.

Don't settle for 2D. Step into your own holodeck today and immerse yourself in entertainment like never before with Stream to 3D, now available on Steam!

See the Steam store page for more details and to download your copy, or for additional purchase options see also the website Stream to 3D store. We can't wait for you to experience your videos in a whole new dimension!

I have added a new page with a wider range of example videos to better illustrate the performance of the 2D to 3D conversion technique applied by Stream to 3D:

Stream to 3D - 2D to 3D Video Conversion Examples

The 3D video examples below have been converted to 3D by Stream to 3D. They have all beeen sourced from 2D originals provided as Free Stock Videos by the Pexels community, license here. We would like to share our appreciation for the work of the videographers and acknowledge their contribution

I want a holodeckThomas Judge

Hi,

I thought that I would post briefly about the new Stream to 3D release.

The main feature, of Release 3, is first class support for streaming converted video over; HTTP, RTP, UDP or RTSP. This means that you can now stream 2D to 3D real-time converted videos to your headset directly without using a PC Media player, Virtual Desktop or BigScreen.

Pigasus VR Media player is one example of an Oculus VR headset based media player that supports video streaming. VLC also supports several streaming formats on a wide variety of devices including PCs, Smart TVs (including 3D TVs), Phones etc.

See here for a link to the additional streaming functionality in Stream to 3D:

https://iwantaholodeck.com/stream-to-3d-streaming/

The default conversion format has also changed to ".mkv" from ".mp4" for new installs. You can also now specify this format in the "Settings/Conversion" menu.

The ".mkv" format is better suited as a default as it let's the video be read while it is still being converted. That is, you can now start playback of converted videos before conversion has finished.

You can also now control the file name pattern used by Stream to 3D to distinguish files that are already in 3D format. This new setting is in the "Settings/Format" menu. A regular expression is used. This is useful if you are using your own 3D file naming conventions, for example.

A new 3D output format has also been added, "Anaglyph 3D (Red/Cyan)". So, you can now output 3D video on 2D devices and watch with Red/Cyan glasses!

Check out the full product overview here.

The release of Stream to 3D has gone well. There is now an active community on the Stream to 3D Discord Server. I have really enjoyed hearing what people are now doing with the product. For example, people are using it with their Augmented Reality glasses, VR headsets and 3D projectors, sharing content with their friends via the likes of BigScreen, and targeting high-resolution, bit rate and frame rate 2D to 3D video conversion tasks on their favourite content.

I wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the free one week trial of Stream to 3D and how to take advantage of it. The Stream to 3D - Real-Time version of the product includes this by default. You can sign-up here and there is a brief overview of the purchase process is here.

A number of requests for additional features have already come in. Indeed,  I have already released a feature update to include one of the requested features in the form of frame rate conversion. Frame rate conversion was always on the "to do" list, but the discussions on Discord has spurred me to action.

3D output in Stream to 3D is generated at 24 FPS by default. With the update, it is now possible to select 3D output frame rates at up to 120 FPS, with a range of standard frame rates in between; 30, 48 and 60. I have updated the examples page to include some 48 FPS output using the trailers from Avatar 2 and Pacific Rim.

Frame rate conversion is a resource intensive activity, but in proving on my modest 3060 GPU base laptop, I have managed to achieve real-time conversion frame rates of 48 FPS on 1080p input with HSBS 3D output. Obviously, unless you have a beast of a machine, the higher frame rates would be more appropriate to apply in off-line conversion.

Thank you for your interest in the site. Have fun!

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this. I really appreciate the suppport. Well, it is finally here!

There is a one week free trial option, as well as standalone purchase and subscription options.

Stream to 3D allows you to easily watch 2D videos, converted to 3D in real-time, in BigScreen Steam VR and Virtual Desktop. You can also convert 2D video files to 3D video files offline and in batch mode - all fully automatically.

Product overview:

https://iwantaholodeck.com/stream-to-3d/

You can go straight to the store here:

https://iwantaholodeck.com/stream-to-3d-store/

I have been developing a 2D to 3D real-time video conversion solution for use with VR headsets and media players such as BigScreen.

Virtual Reality solutions are extremely demanding on machine resources. PCVR allows the resources of a PC to be used to drive VR headsets, either wired or standalone, to provide much greater power and indeed additional functionality.

For example, the PCVR version of BigScreen provides greater functionality, in terms of video sharing, than the standalone version that runs in headsets such as the Meta Quest range.

The resources of a PCVR solution are not infinite, however, and the more software that is required to deliver a given solution, the more powerful the system needs to be. PCVR systems can fail under the load of supporting multiple requirements, e.g. providing Digital Media Server functions as well as PCVR streaming.

This post is about a lighter-weight 2D to 3D real-time video conversion utility that will run happily alongside applications such as the Steam VR version of BigScreen, on an average PCVR system, to deliver 3D video for VR users from 2D sources without having to convert them in advance.

The solution performs all of the advanced 2D to 3D algorithmic functions described here and here, whilst also producing the Half SBS aspect ratio corrected 3D video format demanded by BigScreeen.

The demonstration video below shows this 2D-to-3D real-time video conversion solution, running the Steam VR version of BigScreen via the Steam VR support of Virtual Desktop. This demonstration is running wirelessly in a Meta Quest 2 headset. The example video is the 1080p Avatar 2: The Way of Water Trailer:

The Stream to 3D product is now very close to release. See a more detailed overview with screen shots and details of its functionality here.

This post describes a significant enhancement to the 2D to 3D algorithm in order to further reduce risk of discomfort. This enhancement includes:

• Introduction of a new element that performs full frame motion compensation on the right eye view so that it always aligns precisely with the left eye view.
• Increase in the default frame stretch factor from 5% to 8%, to adjust for the increased precision in frame alignment from the new motion compensation step.
• Reduction of the default threshold at which the algorithm rejects a frame for 2D to 3D processing, as the result of too much frame to frame motion, from about 20% to 10% of the frame.

Examples:

I have again used the "Avatar: The Way of Water" trailer in these examples:

See Half Top/Bottom video format examples below (for playing directly in headset via a browser):

Half TB Format (MKV)

Full TB Format (MKV)

You can also download the Avatar 2: Trailer example video in Full 3D SBS format from the link below and in other formats here:

Sample Frames:

A simple and effective implementation of the Pulfrich 2D to 3D conversion algorithm takes two time delayed video frames and maps them to the left and right eye views.

However, such an implementation requires that there is good correlation between the video frames selected for the left and right eye views, otherwise the 3D effect stops working for those frames. Moreover, large scale frame to frame changes, that translate to large‌‌ discrepancies in the left and right eye views, also cause a feeling of discomfort or disorientation for the viewer. This typically happens when the source video contains fast moving action, generating excessive change from video frame to video frame, or where there is a wholesale change of scene.

The algorithmic enhancement discussed below aims to eliminate any sense of discomfort or disorientation due to rapid motion or scene changes. It does this by:

• Detecting rapid motion and scene changes between frames.
• Ensuring that, for those frames impacted, the same view for the left eye and right eye is retained.

Retention of the same frame for the left and right eye, during rapid motion or scene changes, completely eliminates the risk of disorientation as the view temporarily reverts to a stretched 2D view for that period. The video samples below provide a demonstration of the algorithmic enhancement in action.

A further enhancement, involving tuning and motion compensation of the right eye frame compared to the left is described here.

The first video shows a 2D to 3D converted version of the "Wakanda Forever Trailer". It uses the Pulfrich base algorithm, but in addition a mask has been generated where rapid motion or scene changes are detected in the video. The mask shows up as a pink frame allocated to the right eye (in bottom half of the video). The format of this video and the videos below is 3D Half Top-Bottom (HTB). You can view this page in a VR Headset with a browser (such as the Meta Quest browser) to watch them in 3D. Make sure that you select the 3D Top/Bottom option to view them.

For more full resolution examples for download, see here:

2D to 3D Full Resolution Examples

Below are download links for the “Avatar: The Way of Water” trailer, converted from 2D to 3D in a variety of 3D output formats at full resolution, using the enhanced algorithm described here. You can download these examples from the browser of your VR headset and try them out in

I want a holodeckThomas Judge

Half TB Format (MKV) with Mask

The next video shows the result of replacing the pink mask, generated for the right eye, with the same frame content as used for the left eye - effectively returning the video to 2D for those frames:

Half TB Format (MKV) with Mask Replaced

The next video shows the result using the original base Pulfrich algorithm with no motion or scene detection for comparison purposes:

Half TB Format (MKV) No Scene Detection

I have also assembled a collection of low resolution converted trailers as further examples here.

The 2D source trailers can be found at the links below:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death.…

HD-Trailers.net