Steve Perlman
Encyclopedia
Stephen G Perlman, OnLive founder, president & CEO, is an entrepreneur and inventor devoted to pioneering Internet, entertainment, multimedia, consumer electronics and communications technologies and services. Best known for the development of QuickTime®, WebTV® and Mova® Contour™ facial capture technologies, he has over 30 years of technology development experience, over 20 years of start-up experience and a track record of bringing media-rich products and services quickly to market. In addition to having founded and operated multiple startup companies, Steve has been a Microsoft division president and a principal scientist at Apple Computer.
Steve’s technology work is built into all iPhones, video iPods, Macs and most PCs, and has been deployed by DirecTV, Dish, Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and Adelphia cable TV and satellite TV networks. Consumer products incorporating Steve’s work have also been retailed by Sony, Philips, RCA, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Fujitsu, Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, Sega and Nintendo.
Steve’s recently patented facial motion capture technology, Mova Contour, was used for the production of the Academy Award®-winning photoreal computer-generated face of Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), and of Edward Norton and Tim Roth in “The Incredible Hulk” (2008).
Steve holds over 100 US patents, and has more than 100 additional patents pending. He is a graduate of Columbia University
.
Building his first computer from a kit during high school in 1976, Steve proceeded to design and build several computers, graphics/video systems, modems, displays, audio systems, interface devices and video games, as well as all kinds of software, both for fun and for clients. Steve graduated from Columbia University in 1983.
1983-1984
Steve designed a parallel-processing graphics system at Atari. At Coleco, Steve developed a massively-parallel 3D animation chip and a software-based high-speed modem.
In 1985, Perlman joined Apple Computer
and led development of some Macintosh
multimedia technology including Road pizza, the technology underpinning QuickTime
1.
In 1990, Perlman left Apple to join General Magic
, where he designed its second-generation technology.
In 1994, Perlman co-founded Catapult Entertainment and was its Chief technical officer
. Catapult developed the proprietary XBAND
modems for the Sega Genesis
and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
video game console
s that enabled online features for multiplayer games.
In 1995, Perlman created, co-founded, and was the President & CEO of WebTV Networks, Inc.
WebTV was introduced in 1996, and was one the earliest products to connect the Internet to a television. Less than 2 years after it was founded, WebTV was acquired by Microsoft Corporation
for US$503 million, and renamed as MSN TV
. Microsoft’s acquisition of WebTV also brought with it the teams that created Microsoft’s TV platforms, including the hardware for Microsoft's Xbox 360
.
In 1999, Perlman left WebTV Networks to found Rearden Steel, now Rearden, a business incubator
for new companies in media and entertainment technology.
In 2000, Rearden founded Moxi
Digital, Inc., which produced a combination digital video recorder
, DVD
player, digital music jukebox, and television set-top box
. Moxi merged with Microsoft
founder Paul Allen
's Digeo
in 2002.
In 2004, Rearden founded MOVA, which was spun off from Rearden in 2007 as an OnLive
subsidiary. MOVA offers motion-capture services in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Perlman as its president. In 2006, Perlman unveiled Mova's Contour
, a digital multi-camera system that captures and tracks detailed surface data and textures for post-production manipulation. It was used for 3D volumetric shape capture of Brad Pitt
’s face in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
, which received the 2008 Academy Award for Achievement in Visual Effects for the photorealism achieved in computer-generated reverse-aging of Brad Pitt
’s face.
In 2007, Rearden spun-out OnLive
, which in 2009 announced the OnLive on-demand video game service and MicroConsole TV adapter, with Perlman as its president and CEO.
In 2011, Perlman announced that he and colleagues at Rearden have invented distributed-input-distributed-output (DIDO) technology, an experimental wireless communications system that could render cellular connections obsolete. This new technology supposedly exceeds the limits on wireless communications described by the Shannon–Hartley theorem
.
Steve’s technology work is built into all iPhones, video iPods, Macs and most PCs, and has been deployed by DirecTV, Dish, Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and Adelphia cable TV and satellite TV networks. Consumer products incorporating Steve’s work have also been retailed by Sony, Philips, RCA, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Fujitsu, Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, Sega and Nintendo.
Steve’s recently patented facial motion capture technology, Mova Contour, was used for the production of the Academy Award®-winning photoreal computer-generated face of Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), and of Edward Norton and Tim Roth in “The Incredible Hulk” (2008).
Steve holds over 100 US patents, and has more than 100 additional patents pending. He is a graduate of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Working biography
1976-1983Building his first computer from a kit during high school in 1976, Steve proceeded to design and build several computers, graphics/video systems, modems, displays, audio systems, interface devices and video games, as well as all kinds of software, both for fun and for clients. Steve graduated from Columbia University in 1983.
1983-1984
Steve designed a parallel-processing graphics system at Atari. At Coleco, Steve developed a massively-parallel 3D animation chip and a software-based high-speed modem.
In 1985, Perlman joined Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
and led development of some Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
multimedia technology including Road pizza, the technology underpinning QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
1.
In 1990, Perlman left Apple to join General Magic
General Magic
General Magic was a company co-founded by Bill Atkinson, Andy Hertzfeld and Marc Porat that developed a new kind of handheld communications device they called a "personal intelligent communicator", which was a PDA precursor that stressed communications....
, where he designed its second-generation technology.
In 1994, Perlman co-founded Catapult Entertainment and was its Chief technical officer
Chief technical officer
A chief technology officer is an executive-level position in a company or other entity whose occupant is focused on scientific and technological issues within an organization....
. Catapult developed the proprietary XBAND
XBAND
XBAND was an early online console gaming network for SNES and Sega Genesis systems. It was produced by Catapult Entertainment, a Cupertino, California based software company, and made its debut in various areas of the United States in late 1994 and 1995...
modems for the Sega Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s that enabled online features for multiplayer games.
In 1995, Perlman created, co-founded, and was the President & CEO of WebTV Networks, Inc.
MSN TV
MSN TV is the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display , and the online service that supports it....
WebTV was introduced in 1996, and was one the earliest products to connect the Internet to a television. Less than 2 years after it was founded, WebTV was acquired by Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for US$503 million, and renamed as MSN TV
MSN TV
MSN TV is the name of both a thin client which uses a television for display , and the online service that supports it....
. Microsoft’s acquisition of WebTV also brought with it the teams that created Microsoft’s TV platforms, including the hardware for Microsoft's Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
In 1999, Perlman left WebTV Networks to found Rearden Steel, now Rearden, a business incubator
Business incubator
Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts...
for new companies in media and entertainment technology.
In 2000, Rearden founded Moxi
Moxi
Moxi is a line of high definition Digital Video Recorders produced by ARRIS Group, Inc. Moxi was originally released only to cable operators but in December 2008 was released as a retail product to the general public. The current retail product, the Moxi HD DVR, provides a high definition user...
Digital, Inc., which produced a combination digital video recorder
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
player, digital music jukebox, and television set-top box
Set-top box
A set-top box or set-top unit is an information appliance device that generally contains a tuner and connects to a television set and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen or other display device.-History:Before the...
. Moxi merged with Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
founder Paul Allen
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...
's Digeo
Digital video recorder
A digital video recorder , sometimes referred to by the merchandising term personal video recorder , is a consumer electronics device or application software that records video in a digital format to a disk drive, USB flash drive, SD memory card or other local or networked mass storage device...
in 2002.
In 2004, Rearden founded MOVA, which was spun off from Rearden in 2007 as an OnLive
OnLive
OnLive is a cloud gaming platform: the games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet.The service is available using the OnLive Game System, PCs running Microsoft Windows and Intel-based Macs with OS X 10.5.8 or later...
subsidiary. MOVA offers motion-capture services in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Perlman as its president. In 2006, Perlman unveiled Mova's Contour
Contour (camera system)
Mova Contour is a multi-camera system developed by former Apple Computer engineer Steve Perlman. It records surfaces digitally, by using fluorescent makeup and stereo triangulation, allowing for very detailed digitization and manipulation...
, a digital multi-camera system that captures and tracks detailed surface data and textures for post-production manipulation. It was used for 3D volumetric shape capture of Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
’s face in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a 2008 American fantasy-drama film directed by David Fincher. The screenplay by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is loosely based on the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald...
, which received the 2008 Academy Award for Achievement in Visual Effects for the photorealism achieved in computer-generated reverse-aging of Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
’s face.
In 2007, Rearden spun-out OnLive
OnLive
OnLive is a cloud gaming platform: the games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet.The service is available using the OnLive Game System, PCs running Microsoft Windows and Intel-based Macs with OS X 10.5.8 or later...
, which in 2009 announced the OnLive on-demand video game service and MicroConsole TV adapter, with Perlman as its president and CEO.
In 2011, Perlman announced that he and colleagues at Rearden have invented distributed-input-distributed-output (DIDO) technology, an experimental wireless communications system that could render cellular connections obsolete. This new technology supposedly exceeds the limits on wireless communications described by the Shannon–Hartley theorem
Shannon–Hartley theorem
In information theory, the Shannon–Hartley theorem tells the maximum rate at which information can be transmitted over a communications channel of a specified bandwidth in the presence of noise. It is an application of the noisy channel coding theorem to the archetypal case of a continuous-time...
.