Topic: It's Official: 3D Is Dead

[Xessive]

It's official: 3D is dead

As a technology, you're not dead when everybody hates and derides you. Neither will limited commercial sales kill off your chances. But indifference of the kind signalled by this year's CES is the truest symptom of a terminal trajectory.

The 3D TV won its tortured, protracted war — you can buy a 3D TV anywhere and at any time — and nobody could care less.

It's a commentary on CES and how 3D wasn't on anyone's list of talking points.

[Cools!]

Hurray!

[idolminds]

Good. Now we just need to go back and remove the obvious "OMG WE'RE IN 3D!!!!" scenes from every movie released last year.

[iPPi]

Good stuff.

The new ultra-HD tech is also ridiculous though and I don't think that will take off either.  There isn't enough bandwidth to get 1080p on a TV signal yet in most situations (I think satellite can, but cable can't).  There is no new media format that can support the new ultraHD stuff either.

OLED TVs have my interest though.  I've been waiting for a while for OLED TVs to become a commercial reality.

[Quemaqua]

3D has never interested me in the least bit. Always struck me as a stupid gimmick. Glad to know I'm not alone.

[idolminds]

The new ultra-HD tech is also ridiculous though and I don't think that will take off either.  There isn't enough bandwidth to get 1080p on a TV signal yet in most situations (I think satellite can, but cable can't).  There is no new media format that can support the new ultraHD stuff either.

Yeah those 4k TVs are just ridiculous. They are welcome to try sell them, but theres no real pressure on people to buy them. Its not like we are going to switch the broadcast standard so soon again (if you even can with that kind of bandwidth), and I think 1080p TVs are well into the "good enough" range for pretty much everyone. Sell your blurays and be happy.

[Xessive]

It was totally gimmicky. The novelty wears off so fast. I was actually playing Battlefield 3 in 3D (PC connected to my TV) and while it was awesome the first 15 mins, after that my eyes lose interest and I yearn for plain image with unaltered colours. It's kinda the same reason I don't regularly wear sunglasses.

[Pugnate]

Well, thankfully 3D will never make it to our homes, but I don't think it is dead at the cinemas. Far from it.

[Xessive]

Well, thankfully 3D will never make it to our homes, but I don't think it is dead at the cinemas. Far from it.

Oh yeah, man! It is a highly toted feature at all the cinemas here! Kids go nuts for it! If I can help it I'll always choose a 2D show but sometimes there will only be availability for the 3D show.

[Quemaqua]

If it ever becomes a real thing for the movies, I'll just stop going. I barely ever go as it is what with the prices and general annoyances.

[sirean_syan]

Don't forget theaters paid through the nose to upgrade their systems to 3D. You can bet it's going to stay around long enough for them to make some of that money back through inflated ticket prices.

Also, doesn't this really just mean that 3D has been accepted and is now a standard feature on new TVs, like color? You have no choice but to get it (and pay for) most of the time.

[K-man]

Best I can tell it is a feature that's fairly cheap to implement, so if anything it'll persist as just another bullet point on the packaging.

[Cobra951]

Don't forget theaters paid through the nose to upgrade their systems to 3D. You can bet it's going to stay around long enough for them to make some of that money back through inflated ticket prices.

Also, doesn't this really just mean that 3D has been accepted and is now a standard feature on new TVs, like color? You have no choice but to get it (and pay for) most of the time.

Accepted?  That's the wrong word.  Ignored, maybe?  Color, everybody wanted.  (Hey, I remember.)  No question about acceptance there.  But 3D is more like strong-arming.  Somebody decided it was the way to make people spend lots of dough on new TVs and related gear, and they didn't give up the push even after it became clear there would be no flocks.

[W7RE]

To paraphrase John Carmack, at least we got 120Hz displays out of this. Console games probably won't use them in at least a decade, if ever, but PC games can assuming you've got a good rig.

[gpw11]

Don't forget theaters paid through the nose to upgrade their systems to 3D. You can bet it's going to stay around long enough for them to make some of that money back through inflated ticket prices.

Also, doesn't this really just mean that 3D has been accepted and is now a standard feature on new TVs, like color? You have no choice but to get it (and pay for) most of the time.

Honestly, I've really enjoyed all of the movies I've seen in 3D.  Well, both of them.  I never go to movies and Avatar was really something else at the time.

As for how much I care about movies - I have no idea if I actually payed an inflated price to see it in 3D. Like, I have no idea what a movie costs now.

edit:

whoops.. sorry.

[Pugnate]

Don't forget theaters paid through the nose to upgrade their systems to 3D. You can bet it's going to stay around long enough for them to make some of that money back through inflated ticket prices.

Also, doesn't this really just mean that 3D has been accepted and is now a standard feature on new TVs, like color? You have no choice but to get it (and pay for) most of the time.

3D is making money hand over fist worldwide. It is doing better outside of North America actually, where 3D hasn't done as well at theaters.

Life of Pi was pretty awesome in 3D. In the hands of the right filmmakers, it enhances the medium. Of course, it can also really suck too. The price differences here between the two are small, but significant.

edit:

That's a good point about it being accepted. I don't think so though. From what I read 3D home stuff has sold poorly. I don't know if they've given up on it, or are just going to push what they already have for years to come.  

[Cools!]

Well, the movie industry has always pushed technologies that would make them standout compared to the TV and drive people back to the cinema. Colour, widescreen, surround sound, HD, switch to digital, 3D, etc. This is all nothing new.

And like W7RE quoted, at least we got 120Hz.

[Cobra951]

Theater 3D tech is less obtrusive too.  It's based (I think) on 2 overlapping polarized projections, and you only need clear, passive filters to see it properly.  I don't even want to think about the longterm effects of 60Hz alternating LCD shuttering right in front of your eyeballs.

[Xessive]

On another note, I've always been more fascinated with headtracking 3D, which is glasses-free and simulates a 3D effect based on your head position, it just feels funky!

[Cools!]

Theater 3D tech is less obtrusive too.  It's based (I think) on 2 overlapping polarized projections, and you only need clear, passive filters to see it properly.  I don't even want to think about the longterm effects of 60Hz alternating LCD shuttering right in front of your eyeballs.

Yeah, I wonder about that as well. No matter how it's actually done (coloured vs polarized glasses) trying to depth from a 2D field goes against millions of years of evolution.

[Cobra951]

The joy killer is the disconnect between focus and convergence.  It's not natural, and while the brain can force it, I think it fries itself a little each time.

[gpw11]

edit:

That's a good point about it being accepted. I don't think so though. From what I read 3D home stuff has sold poorly. I don't know if they've given up on it, or are just going to push what they already have for years to come. 

I didn't type that?

[Pugnate]

hahahahahahahahaha I edited your post instead of mine... sorry.

[gpw11]

Abuse of power!

edit:

What the hell do you want from me? I apologized and said I won't edit your posts again by mistake.

[Cobra951]

Hahaha!

[scottws]

I have The Avengers and Prometheus in 3D. I don't really care about 3D Inn The home but mybTV came with a couple pairs of glasses so I thought why not? I didn't get to see the latter in 3D in the theater, so it was cool to get a chance to see it that way. Not a great movie but it is a visual marvel.