3D HDTV---Next Stage or Fad?

[Matman1970 Find all posts View Profile Close Matman1970]

Mike TX's question about 3D audio along with a thread on AVS about this has had me thinking about this:

It seems that every previous "next step" has been a clear advantage over the previous format without any drawbacks.

B&W to Color to HD.

Now it seems that most (all) companies are trying to market 3-D as a next logical step. On the surface this seems reasonable, but at least to me, in its current form, 3D is at best a compromise. Almost every time I have viewed 3D demos I have been disappointed. Yes, you get more depth in certain scenes but almost always at the expense in overall clarity which was HD's selling point to begin with. And I am not even going to touch the wearing goofy glasses issue.

What is everyone's opinion on this??

[Mike_TX Find all posts View Profile Close Mike_TX]

I think 3D can work and is really good (at least in theaters) for movies with 3D intent in the movie making (eg, Avatar) as opposed to post-processing.

For projectors 3D lowers the brightness and the CMS and other controls are not as robust as for 2D currently (look at AVS JVC threads for instance).

The family room TV that people use as background info (news, weather) or while doing other activities has no role for 3D.

Dedicated HT rooms (which a recent, very small "n" survey on AVS FaceBook indicated are only 50% of people that are highly interested) will be the best places for dedicated 3D.

Mike

[Matman1970 Find all posts View Profile Close Matman1970]

I think 3D can work and is really good (at least in theaters) for movies with 3D intent in the movie making (eg, Avatar) as opposed to post-processing.

For projectors 3D lowers the brightness and the CMS and other controls are not as robust as for 2D currently (look at AVS JVC threads for instance).

The family room TV that people use as background info (news, weather) or while doing other activities has no role for 3D.

Dedicated HT rooms (which a recent, very small "n" survey on AVS FaceBook indicated are only 50% of people that are highly interested) will be the best places for dedicated 3D.

Mike

I agree with you on this as far as the best places for 3D. I have not seen Avatar on the big screen in 3D or 2D. I have just felt underwhelmed on most that I have seen on televisions. I'll take the clarity and detail advantages of 2D every time.

[HuskerOmaha Find all posts View Profile Close HuskerOmaha]

I agree with you on this as far as the best places for 3D. I have not seen Avatar on the big screen in 3D or 2D. I have just felt underwhelmed on most that I have seen on televisions. I'll take the clarity and detail advantages of 2D every time.

+1 and Vote Fad. Where is the poll!

EDIT: Then again Mark Cuban is crazy into it, and he usually knows what he is talking about. :)

[Mike_TX Find all posts View Profile Close Mike_TX]

+1 and Vote Fad. Where is the poll!

EDIT: Then again Mark Cuban is crazy into it, and he usually knows what he is talking about. :)

There is an AVS 3D poll.
Tangentially, there is this 3D Audio poll - link.

Mike

[HopefulFred Find all posts View Profile Close HopefulFred]

It seems that every previous "next step" has been a clear advantage over the previous format without any drawbacks.

B&W to Color to HD.

Now it seems that most (all) companies are trying to market 3-D as a next logical step. On the surface this seems reasonable, but at least to me, in its current form, 3D is at best a compromise

I am not yet on the 3D bandwagon. I have a friend with a new 3D set, and we watched a movie - it was better than I expected; still, not as good as what you get from RealD in the theaters.

The issue for me is expectations for the time scale over which this all develops. As soon as TV existed, engineers were working on color (and 3D, for that matter). It took several decades for color technology to settle into commonplace equipment. Then HD - the transition was quicker, but it still needed a decade or so. The newest 3D formats (Blu-ray) seem to me to be adequate for meeting expectations for enjoyable at-home 3D, so that's the first big hurdle. The next are getting all the hardware into people's home and getting a large enough catalog of media, plus an adequate broadcast/digital distribution system to deliver the content. The content will come, I feel sure. The technological aspects are all readily "solvable" (and in place in some cases, I am sure) but all of it has to come together.

It needs a few more generations for me. Display manufacturers are talking about their next 3D TVs being better, with improved brightness and contrast and crosstalk. The glasses-free displays are out there too. That's when I'll be happy to get on the bandwagon - when anyone can walk into the room and see 3D broadcast from FOX or NBC without sitting in the magical sweet spot or putting on glasses and turning off the lights.

I'll give that 10-12 years still. Hopefully, my current plasma set lasts that long. So, is it the next stage? I say yes. But, don't start holding your breath just yet.

Fred

[sbisheff Find all posts View Profile Close sbisheff]

Fad, thankfully. I can see the flicker WAY too easily and have watched very nice screens/pj/glasses so I definitely wasn't just randomly looking at crap. The images get ghosting and aren't as crisp as a good 2D. I don't like it. Once in a long while its kinda fun but I would definitely not pay extra for it.

[Matman1970 Find all posts View Profile Close Matman1970]

Fad, thankfully. I can see the flicker WAY too easily and have watched very nice screens/pj/glasses so I definitely wasn't just randomly looking at crap. The images get ghosting and aren't as crisp as a good 2D. I don't like it. Once in a long while its kinda fun but I would definitely not pay extra for it.

This is the exact way I feel. Flicker and not as crisp as 2D. Most times the 3D objects that are out in front do not have believable "mass" to them. It feels like I am looking at a pop-up book sometimes.

[sbisheff Find all posts View Profile Close sbisheff]

This is the exact way I feel. Flicker and not as crisp as 2D. Most times the 3D objects that are out in front do not have believable "mass" to them. It feels like I am looking at a pop-up book sometimes.

Exactly, its a 2d image that's been pushed to the front. They don't have the weight or dimensionality that a 3d image would have. I don't like it ...

[TechFan Find all posts View Profile Close TechFan]

Fad, thankfully. I can see the flicker WAY too easily and have watched very nice screens/pj/glasses so I definitely wasn't just randomly looking at crap. The images get ghosting and aren't as crisp as a good 2D. I don't like it. Once in a long while its kinda fun but I would definitely not pay extra for it.

What skeeter said...I don't really even like 3D at the movies.

Randy