back to article DreamWorks switches to Intel for stereoscopic 3-D high

For computer animation studios, upgrading long-in-the-tooth server farms is a part of a natural cycle to keep things looking sharp. But they're a bit like butterflies flitting amongst hardware specs when it comes down to finding what they want to power "the next big thing." Witness: DreamWorks Animation has signed on the …

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  1. andreyvul

    Tsk, tsk

    If only Sparc's 256 threads had good double-precision floating point, then it would've been Dreamworks-Sun. Oh wait, mabye the deal is Itanium processors. I just skimmed the article ^_^

  2. Adam Williamson
    Thumb Down

    Management Jargon 101

    Never "use" when you can "utilize"!

    I think society would be improved immensely if anyone who "utilizes" and "leverages" and "synergizes" is sent off on the first Ark.

    Better keep the telephone sanitizers, though.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    In other words...

    "Business repeatedly chooses to use what they see as the best tools for their particular task available at the particular time regardless of who is supplying them."

    And now the weather.

    :-D

    Brand-loyalty is for amateurs. Pros switch brands based on need.

  4. The Mighty Spang

    i cant wait to launch my lawsuit

    Being a person of low inter-ocular distance (i.e. eye distance below average and no i don't have a monobrow) i cant wait to launch the discrimination suit against these 3d cinema bastards.

    the 3d works quite well for people like me until things get close to the screen when the image breaks down into two separate images. not ideal for watching a film that's been made for people with average IO distance. Every Imax 3d film has been a disappointment (unless stuff is in the distance).

    i experimented with a solid 3d anaglyph engine (based on DOS video mode X) I wrote about 15 years ago. one of the first things I added was an adjustable eye-distance parameter in the engine. i was deffo on the low side of this (basically add a close object in 3d space, increase 'eye distance' until it breaks into two images then back off a bit)

  5. Webster Phreaky
    Jobs Horns

    Notice MacTards ... they AREN'T Macs!!

    1,000 HP's that AREN'T Macs in the once claimed video world of the MacTards domain. Oh but you still have gadgets like iPhonies and iPuds.

    Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ....

    Okay MacTard, time for your juvenile retorts instead of any qualitative (you'll have to look that big for you word) factual rebutal. It's all you ever have.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Sorry, no typos for you to divert attention from the facts either. 8^P

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    So, now...

    ...Dreamworks will be using different hardware to play second fiddle to Pixar, continuing to forsake fascinating stories, subtle humor, and top-notch art in favor of cheap, crank-it-out excuses for movies notable only for dragging down the genre?

  7. Steve Roper
    Go

    @ Webster Phreaky

    Good to see you still in fine fighting form, mate. Just one small thing: I think you meant "you'll have to look UP that big for you word"...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Webster, love, you really should read the article first

    still, I'm in a generous mood, so I'll précis it for you: 2500 or so HP machines used for graphics processing will be replaced with another 2500 or so HP machines fitted with different processors. As you know, CGI is not quite the same thing as non-linear editing, which is the market in which Macs have traditionally had a large footprint.

  9. richard
    Stop

    websters rants

    who said anything about macs?

    i think you're confusing dreamworks with pixar old boy....get back in the box.

  10. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse
    Thumb Up

    @ David Wiernicki...

    Couldn't have put it better myself.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Incentives

    'Brand-loyalty is for amateurs. Pros switch brands based on need'

    Huh, more like who brought the biggest suitcase full of cash to the table.

  12. Steve

    Re: Mactards

    "Sorry, no typos for you to divert attention from the facts either."

    That may be true, but they could have a field day with the grammar.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Value?

    So that's erm, 2500 "computers" presumably it's around a £2.5 million deal?

    Hmmm.... less monitors, the processor parts are worth considerably less, maybe 200K for the CPU manufacturer?

    Is a 200K deal really enough to get AMD quaking in their boots these days?

    Interesting they aren't big users of those GPGPU doo-dahs.

  14. Justin

    RE: So now...

    Fully agreed David, the storyline is far more important than the animation and technology. They would have better off employing better script writers. Can't think of one Dreamworks film that has truly bested any of the Pixar offerings.

  15. Chris
    Linux

    To the idiot ^ up there...

    Yes, webster that's you.

    This is hardware for a render farm so what on Earth has this got to do with desktop hardware I don't know...

    And do you think these things will run Windows. Not bloody likely, if they want to get *anything* done. These farms run Linux to the hilt :)

    BTW the actual design, storyboarding, basic rendering etc., may still be done on Macs and probably is at Pixar.

  16. Adam Foxton
    Thumb Up

    Watch it the way it's Meant To Be Seen

    Have a look at MTBS3D, they've loads of stuff on 3D stereo on PCs- games, videos, etc.

    Lets hope they start selling Stereo BDs & DVDs!

    And, hopefully, making some decent films to use the format.

    Oh, and Might Spang: Stereo's not a total loss for you, you can still play games in 3D! Half Life 1& 2, GTA:SA, everything from Quake to Crysis. A huge number of games support stereoscopic 3D and in a good number of them it makes them vastly more enjoyable!

    Also, I remember seeing somewhere a monoscopic -> stereoscopic upscaling device. You might want to have a look into those (they should have a variable separation distance control) and just get the monoscope version of the movie when it's released.

  17. Pavlovs well trained dog

    phases of the moon

    Webster's back it seems. I wonder, has anyone ever correlated his rant activity with, oh, I dunno, the phases of the moon, or unusual solar flare/storm activity.

    Perhaps he's particularly susceptible to, er, *cough*, external forces.

  18. amanfromMars Silver badge
    Alien

    So, now..... what are you going to do?*

    "Brand-loyalty is for amateurs. Pros switch brands based on need." .... By Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 8th July 2008 20:51 GMT.

    Also, increasingly nowadays, Pros switch brands based on Feeds.

    "...Dreamworks will be using different hardware to play second fiddle to Pixar, continuing to forsake fascinating stories, subtle humor, and top-notch art in favor of cheap, crank-it-out excuses for movies notable only for dragging down the genre?" ... By David Wiernicki Posted Wednesday 9th July 2008 03:30 GMT

    And that is a heavily saturated Sub-Prime market, David, which they are welcome to. Best not to educate the Viewing Audience, lest they Learn of their Subliminal Media ProgramMIng.

    * Apart from Learning SMP, that is ...... which would also be Symmetric Multi-Processing.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    @webster phreaky

    "Sorry, no typos for you to divert attention from the facts either. 8^P"

    1) Grammar (as mentioned in an earlier post)

    2) "you'll have to look that big" is missing the word UP

    3) rebutal is missing the letter 't' -> rebuttal

    If you're going to a) be a fanboi and b) boast at your lack of mistakes, then you should really check your comments a little better before posting them

  20. Adrian

    Finding an excuse to fill up BluRay disks

    Normal video, 3D video , directors cut, 3D directors cut, special features, 3D special features, actors voiceover, 3D actors voiceover (3D in sound that is!!).

  21. Stef

    re: Notice MacTards ... they AREN'T Macs!!

    sorry, but just couldn't help myself...

    "you'll have to look that big for you word" <-- this is not good English, I think you meant "you'll have to look up that, big for you, word" Now, my grammar is not the best, however I am not flaming in a juvenile way.

    No typos, true. Grammar crimes, now that's another matter... :)

    Also, 1000 HP's are intel boxes, just like the new generation of Mac's (there are plenty of HP hackintoshes out there) so I fail to see your point. There is no mention of OS but I'd guess they are not running windows, probably some linux distro designed to work well in a render farm.

    :)

  22. Andrew Bolton
    Happy

    Pixar vs Dreamworks

    Getting a bit OT here, but Best of Dreamworks (Shrek) > Worst of Pixar (Cars) IMNSHO.

    Apart from that, pretty spot on :).

    Although I haven't seen Kung Fu Panda yet, which is getting better scores than Shrek on IMDB so far.

  23. heystoopid
    Paris Hilton

    Sadly

    Sadly I am unable to recall that dreamworks has any real decent original conceptual entertainimg films for some considerable period of time with a lot of box office dogs and many direct to bargain DVD bin movies along the way !

    As one socialite would say too little too late !

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Webster Phreaky

    You can't use the word 'juvenile'. If damages the space-time continuum or something. If you use 'puerile' the El Reg forums will disappear in a puff of irony.

    * Normally I don't feed trolls but this thread is already full of troll food.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    @ Andrew Bolton

    Sorry but aren't you are forgetting Mater (Larry the Cable Guy).

    You are right the first Shrek was a very good film, although the plot was taken from a childrens book, and it might have been better if it had stayed there. Try asking a five year old about any of the fairy tale characters used in the film, I think they have damaged forever the story's they where parodying.

    and "webster phreaky", your an idiot.

  26. Thomas

    Re: Webster Freaky

    I understand now why The Reg doesn't have a 'Mac?' icon similar to the 'IT?' icon. Webster always turns up to tell us what the Mac angle is in any story, even if people like you or I might think it was completely unrelated.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Try googling "webster phreaky"

    That is one prolific troll.

    I wonder if there is some course of treatment for this kind of obsession?

  28. Captain DaFt
    Happy

    All you people picking on Webster

    Why waste the time? Here's a helpful hint:

    If they append "tard" to a word to create an insult, assume it's an 11 year old showing the maturity of a 6 year old, sneaking access to daddy's computer.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Halo

    @Webster

    I don't remember you every saying -- what's your OS of choice?

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Alert

    i haven't got an "an idiot"

    "...By Anonymous Coward

    ..... snip ....

    and "webster phreaky", your an idiot..."

    before calling anyone else an idiot, you might want to take ten minutes out to learn the difference between "your" and "you're"

  31. Jeffrey Nonken
    Flame

    @Webster Phreaky

    "Okay MacTard, time for your juvenile retorts instead of any qualitative (you'll have to look that big for you word) factual rebutal. It's all you ever have."

    No juvenile retort here. You've already shown yourself to be master in that arena. I bow to the master.

    "Sorry, no typos for you to divert attention from the facts either. 8^P"

    No? Then any errors are obviously due to ignorance.

    "1,000 HP's that AREN'T Macs in the once claimed video world of the MacTards domain."

    Never add an apostrophe to pluralize. Apostrophes are used for possessives and contractions. "HP's" should be "HPs". Interesting that you got it right later in the same sentence ("Macs").

    "Once claimed" should be hyphenated, "once-claimed".

    "Okay MacTard, time for your juvenile retorts instead of any qualitative (you'll have to look that big for you word) factual rebutal. It's all you ever have."

    "Big for you" should have been hyphenated, "big-for-you". I do believe there's an adverb missing from that sentence. Rebuttal is spelled with two Ts. (I looked it up to make sure.)

    No, I didn't have to look it up. OTOH I don't consider myself a MacTard, though I do own a Mac. As for a factual rebuttal, why should anybody try to rebut the fact that they're not Macs? Do you really need to troll every single time somebody buys a computer that isn't a Mac? What exactly are you trying to prove? What positive effect do you think you're causing? You really need to get a life, sir.

  32. Johnti
    Coat

    I cannot wait ;o)

    Brilliant news "Monsters vs. Aliens" I loved Monsters Inc... & Aliens both entertaining films fantastic stuff! a cliff hanger if ever there was one

    Mines the one on the left... Yes with a zip & sleves yes.. Thanks!

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