Big Brother 3: House Tour

The houseguests have been chosen for "Big Brother 3" and the house is ready for their arrival. The Early Show's Julie Chen and host of "Big Brother 3" gets an exclusive tour of the newly redesigned house. The once modern and colorful house now has an Asian feel.

Twelve strangers from across the country will be isolated from the rest of the world and only exposed to each other while the world watches.

There are a total of 40 cameras this year, up two from last year.

“There's also a new camera in the Head of Household room. It gives you a better angle on whatever happens in that room's ‘luxury bed.’ Plus, just like last year, the house has 62 microphones. You'll hear and see everything,” promises Arnold Shapiro, the executive producer of "Big Brother 3.”

At the famous table, where the contestants eat and where the nominations occur there is also a new camera. It turns automatically and can focus a close-up on any one of the 12 chairs as they each vie for a half-million dollar grand prize.

Shapiro while leading the tour says, “Here we are, in Studio City, California, where, in the summer, the temperatures begin at 100 degrees. And so we put in a fireplace for the houseguests.”

“Only in L.A., would have the on/off fireplace,” says Chen.

The special bedroom does have some privacy, but in another bedroom there are four people in the room, but only three beds. The fourth bed is made of hard bamboo. Where there was one army cot last year there are a several more vintage World War I beds in the other room.

“This is tough, this is bare bones,” says Shapiro.

Season 3 is also going to have more elaborate and more difficult competitions.

There are two extra little visitors this year: Bearded Dragons, reptiles confined to their own fishbowl life in a terrarium for the houseguest’s enjoyment.

Shapiro says, ”They seem to like each other. There was word of an actual 'date' that got a little physical, with these earlier today…I guess maybe that IS the first sex in the Big Brother house.”

"Big Brother 3" premieres Wednesday, July 10, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, on CBS.