These days, 3-D seems to be everywhere. Originally gimmicky and popular in 60's films, 3-D experienced a revival in the early 1908's with schlocky horror films such as Friday the 13th: Part III and Jaws 3-D. These films relied heavily on the 3-D gimmick that made objects appear like they were popping out of the screen.
Today, 3-D technology is used to create more depth and immersion in film. I have seen several films in 3-D in the past year. In my opinion, the best usage of 3-D in a film this far is James Cameron's Avatar. The film used depth of field in incredible ways, and was very pleasing to look at visually, although some filmgoers complained of headaches when watching 3-D for too long.
My take on 3-D is that although it offers a good experience, it is not worth the need to wear special glasses to view a film, nor worth the additional cost at the box office. The colors are more vivid when viewing the film with the glasses off. As long as the film is shot well, two dimensional prints are more than fine for me. Is this latest resurgence of 3-D another fad like it was in the 1960's and 1980's, or will it exist from this point forward in shaping our content experiences?
Now that I have tossed my opinion out there, let's take a look at what the electronics industry is doing in regards to television manufacturing. A large percentage of televisions are currently being manufactured that allow users to experience 3-D. To gain this experience, content must be 3-D enabled, and special pricey glasses must be worn. The distance and angle of the viewer to the television also will affect the quality of the 3-D experience.
In a few years, many predict that 3-D televisions will be the only option you will have when purchasing a new television. Just like how LED lit HDTV is pushing the older LCD technology to the boneyard.
A recent posting by GigaOm cites Nielsen data that shows us that consumers in North America are not really all that interested in 3-D TV. In particular, it illustrates that the majority of consumers polled were actually opposed to the technology.
In a survey of more than 27,000 respondents, less than 3% of the North American respondents said they planned on buying a 3DTV over the next year. On a worldwide scale, about 15% said they planned on getting a 3DTV set in the next year.
Hollywood and US media has sunk millions of dollars into 3-D. It seems like their efforts look to be failing as far as generating interest for home consumers.
Do you plan on getting a 3DTV? Is 3-D a repeating fad or will it stick around this time? What are your thoughts?
