Abstract
Research on 3D video processing has gained a tremendous amount of momentum due to advances in video communications, broadcasting and entertainment technology (e.g., animation blockbusters like Avatar and Up). There is an increasing need for reliable technologies capable of visualizing 3-D content from viewpoints decided by the user; the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa has made very evident the need to replay crucial football footage from new viewpoints to decide whether the ball has or has not crossed the goal line. Remote videoconferencing prototypes are introducing a sense of presence into large- and small-scale (PC-based) systems alike by manipulating single and multiple video sequences to improve eye contact and place participants in convincing virtual spaces. All this, and more, is pushing the introduction of 3D services and the development of high-quality 3D displays to be available in a future which is drawing nearer and nearer.