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Has the 3-D Hype Bubble Finally Popped?

An anonymous reader writes "An article at Time speculates that the recent hype surrounding 3-D display technology has finally peaked and begun to subside. As evidence, they point to comments from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who does not seem particularly enthusiastic about it, and concedes it won't be a major selling point if the company continues to have 3-D enabled products in the future. He said, 'So, now we've created the 3DS and 3DS XL and also have some games out there that are really using that 3D effect that we can see, from my point of view, that it's an important element. But as human beings are this kind of surprise effect wears off quickly, and just [having] this 3D stereoscopic effect isn't going to keep people excited.' Revenue from 3-D films is also dropping, and while 3-D television sales are rising, only 14 percent of potential buyers think 3-D is a 'must have' feature."

261 comments

  1. Potential. by nospam007 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    'Potential' buyers, unlike actual ones have no idea what they are talking about.

    1. Re:Potential. by CheshireDragon · · Score: 1

      very true. I have potentially thought about buying many things, but ended up not buying them or changing my mind and buying something else.

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    2. Re:Potential. by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yep. I'm a "potential buyer" of a new Ferrari and a speedboat. There's just a few financial matters I need to sort out first.

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    3. Re:Potential. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I am an "Actual" buyer, having bought 3 TV's in the last 18 months (1 not for myself).

      1) Bedroom TV - 3D is no draw whatsoever. Neither me or the wife would wear 3-D glasses to bed
      2) Main TV - I splurged here, and got a top-line Plasma set. It does have 3-D, and we have 1 pair of glasses. Needless to say, we don't watch much 3-D content. I would have paid $100 or so to keep the 3-D, but if I could have saved $200 to skip it, I'm pretty sure I would have; my main draw would be 3-D games but I realized years ago I no longer have time to play video games
      3) Gift to in-laws - No 3-D, no in TV apps to confuse them.

      In addition, I'm consulting on my Dad's imminent TV purchase, he doesn't want 3-D and he's convinced on even the 3-D capable set (0 glasses, but he could add them if he wants) he's paying for 3-D and refuses. I'm trying to convince him the extra cost of the IR emmiter and 3-D circuits are negligible, and he wants this set for better black range, etc, but its an uphill struggle.

    4. Re:Potential. by hairyfeet · · Score: 2

      Well considering theaters are looking at going to 4D, aka smell-o-vision and moving seat speakers because the 3D thing ain't selling well enough I'd say maybe, just maybe, the fad is dying out. And can i say "Thank the FSM" if it is? 3D movies and TV give me a headache, I'm sure that 3D gaming would probably do the same. my youngest intends to get the larger 3Dsi or whatever its called come XMas but only because some game series he's hooked on will only be for the 3D and I have a feeling once he's played it the 3Dwhatever will joining the PSP and the DS in the closet.

      Its just a shame those things are nothing but portable DRM because the amount of power the handhelds have now if they were open I bet we'd be seeing all kinds of cool software for 'em but instead just like the consoles they all end up in the closet sooner or later. Shame that such powerful hardware ends up just rotting but that's the thing about nasty DRM, once the unit isn't used the way the OEM intended its just a worthless hunk of plastic.

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    5. Re:Potential. by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Given the type of products we're talking about, "actual buyers" are unlikely to be re-entering the market for a while. So why would manufacturers and retailers care about their opinions going forward?

      But speaking as an actual buyer of a 3D television set (LG 47LW5600), I can say I didn't care about 3D much. However LG reserved certain features only to the 3D set (at least at that time), and the price difference between the 3D and 2D equivalent versions was only about $60 - so I bought the 3D model. It also came with four sets of 3D glasses... that are still sitting, unopened, on the shelf.

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    6. Re:Potential. by Divebus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm not sure how many "potential buyers" there were to start with. In the TV/Movie business, it was the set manufacturers and Hollywood driving the whole thing, not customer demand. Set manufacturers needed to start selling everyone a new TV, even though they just bought one. Hollywood had a new gimmick to sell movies, which they've tried before and it didn't stick then either.

      A few years ago at the NAB convention, you almost couldn't walk into a booth without being handed 3D glasses. The technologies were quite complex, like simply adding titles to any production, you now had to worry about the Z-space of the title. Camera settings were nuts to get the correct stereoptic convergence. Data storage and plant bandwidth demands went up. Displays looked dull because you had those stupid sunglasses on. You couldn't use today's common production techniques with rapid shot changes, camera angles, closeups mixed with medium shots, things going on and off screen - your eyeballs would unscrew and fall out of your head within minutes. It was headache inducing and everyone knew it.

      Back in the 1950s when the first popular run of 3D movies happened, the production was very different - more like a relatively static camera shooting a stage where the actors performed. The only current content creators starting to use 3D were either trying to differentiate themselves or trying to not appear left behind.

      The last NAB convention was very different. It was clear that 3D was swept into the back corner. It's still around if you want it, but they're done. When it comes back again, the displays will need to be much better and not require glasses, nor will the glasses-free displays require you to stand still in one of the 18 lanes which give you proper stereoptic perception.

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      Most of the stuff on /. won't survive first contact with facts.
    7. Re:Potential. by Divebus · · Score: 1

      Forgot to mention... in place of all the former 3D stuff in this year's NAB booths was a whole bunch of 4K displays and camera technology. The commentary from onlookers was "wow, it looks 3D". Problem solved.

      --

      Most of the stuff on /. won't survive first contact with facts.
    8. Re:Potential. by plonk420 · · Score: 1

      realorfake3d.com (the html source is interesting, too)

      SPEAK history of 3d movies

    9. Re:Potential. by bryan1945 · · Score: 2

      Did someone resurrect William Castle? (He was known for adding these types of things to his showings, such as at "The Tingler" the chair would vibrate to simulate an electrical shock.)

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    10. Re:Potential. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Nice to see somebody remember their history! My mom actually used to go to Castle flicks when she was a kid, she said they'd do all kinds of stunts like having a "nurse" in case someone fainted or having a "monster" on a wire that would shoot out over an audience.

      Sounds like it might be fun, in a Rocky Horror kind of way, but the fact that they are seriously talking about doing it makes me think the attendance is worse than they are letting on, because those kinds of stunts wouldn't be cheap today.

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    11. Re:Potential. by jvin248 · · Score: 1

      This is because the movie companies have run out of the basic ways to tell STORIES THAT WE CARE ABOUT. Gimmicks and flash must be the only way to get people into the theater? Oh, I forgot about explosions and car chases.

      I go to the theater to see a huge screen and amazing detail and a meaningful story. All that fancy 3D did was make everything blurry and appear out of focus. My home TV can do that on its own thank you very much.

    12. Re:Potential. by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      Well considering theaters are looking at going to 4D, aka smell-o-vision and moving seat speakers because the 3D thing ain't selling well enough I'd say maybe, just maybe, the fad is dying out.

      Maybe they popped in their old copy of Matinee and thought, hey... there's an idea.

    13. Re:Potential. by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      maybe, just maybe, the fad is dying out. And can i say "Thank the FSM" if it is?

      Don't bother. It's just crawling back to R'lyeh to slumber for another 30 years until it awakens again in exactly the same stupid form.

    14. Re:Potential. by justforgetme · · Score: 1

      The problem with the Cinema industry is that they had a perfectly fine recipe (2D cinema) and then started to fiddle with it until it was unrecognizable and in the meantime they have lost track of what they had started with in the first place.

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    15. Re:Potential. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is the hertz? NTSC is 30Hz (29.9something I think) and PAL is 25Hz. HD is 60 or 50 depending on whether it's NTSC or PAL. Am I mistaken? Then there's 24fps for certain movies I think.

      300Hz is the least common multiple of 25Hz, 30Hz, 50Hz, and 60Hz. However, if we double the hertz for HD, we'd have to use 600Hz. So, I'd say 600Hz is what we should aim for in television sets, assuming we want them to go both ways.

      I can't imagine having to use 3D glasses. Maybe if I could get 3D glasses in my prescription, but if I could afford that, maybe it'd be better to save up and get lasic eye surgery. But with those shutter ones, I don't think a prescription is an option. Plus, can you watch 3D television at an angle?

    16. Re:Potential. by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      The problem in theatres is not so much that people don't want 3D, it's that there are very very few movies that do 3D well. Essentially, very are almost no movies that can match Avatar in implementation. And that movie is what sold 3D ot the masses originally.

      If people started making move movies to match Avatar's 3D quality, it would be a lot more popular of a feature. But as it stands right now, about the only use of a 3D is in games on powerful PC that can handle the double frame rate.

    17. Re:Potential. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Actually the problem is the director of Avatar said 3D is fucking pointless and we should go to 60FPS instead. When the ONE director who everyone claims "got it right" says its shit? you are in serious trouble. look up Cameron on 3D and you'll find the interview, he wasn't nice at all about it.

      Oh and I've found talking to my customers that around 40% of them can't watch 3D at all because it gives them headaches. in my own family 3 out of 5 can't watch 3D because of headaches. that means 1.-If there is only the 3D version playing we don't go and 2.-No 3D TV since the whole point of TV is to be able to enjoy it as a family which you can't if 3 out of 5 can't watch it.

      So until we get Leia style holograms they can just give it up, it'll just be a fad. Its just not a nice experience for way too many people, as Angry Joe points out, we are just sick of it, just as we got sick of it in the 50s, 70s, and 90s.

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    18. Re:Potential. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "'Potential' buyers, unlike actual ones have no idea what they are talking about."

      Yes, but it's only 14% of the potential buyers. The other 86% seem to have a different take.

    19. Re:Potential. by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      What is sad is I've seen stories told with NO budget, NO special effects, but because it actually had good stories and good acting was frankly better than 90% of the crap they show in 3D or with CGI anymore.

      If you haven't seen it, and sorry if I don't get the name right but you'll know its the right movie if it has the actor that played Phloxx on ENT, look up a movie I believe called "The Man From Earth" which is a damned good thought provoking film that had more than 90% of the story filmed in a single room in a cabin, that's it. But because it had an actual STORY that was good, with great acting and a great premise (the idea is basically "What would you say if you met someone that was truly immortal? What would you do, how would you react, if you found out someone living next to you was really over 50 centuries old?") it was frankly one of the best movies I had seen in ages and I bet they didn't spend $50k on the whole thing.

      So I agree 100%, after seeing something like The Man From Earth and then sitting through Resident Evil 4 (ZOMFG that was awful! I'd rather go to the DMV than sit through that again!) you quickly realize that all the CGI and 3D is being used as nothing but a crutch, to try to cover the shitty writing, bad acting, lame story, horrible dialog, its like polishing a turd.

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    20. Re:Potential. by bryan1945 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I'm a big horror fan. There was a silly slasher movie called "Popcorn" in the 90s where college students rigged up Castle-like gimmicks for a special show to raise money or something. You can imagine what happens when the killer gets a hold of them in the middle of the showing, lol.

      Yes, if they're going to try this "4-D" crap, they going to have to gut theatres to put all this new stuff in. And it will be fun for a while, like 3-D, and then it will be boring again.

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  2. More like not enough hot air by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    being pumped in. There was a huge hole in it to begin with. There was just enough hot air being pushed in to somewhat inflate it, like a tire with a leak, so not really a pop so much as that leaking sound.

    1. Re:More like not enough hot air by cognoscentus · · Score: 1

      Agree. I barely met anyone excited about 3D stuff, other than those with more money than they knew what to do with.

    2. Re:More like not enough hot air by CheshireDragon · · Score: 1

      I guess that means I am rich..WOO HOO! hHowever, I have never been excited about live action in 3D, but animated(CGI/CELL) I like because it looks better in 3D than live action.

      --
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    3. Re:More like not enough hot air by sjames · · Score: 1

      so not really a pop so much as that leaking sound.

      It sounds more like the balloon farty noise from here. :-)

    4. Re:More like not enough hot air by Papaspud · · Score: 1

      I have a gaming rig that is 3D and I personally like it a lot. Adding the depth of field really makes the games "pop", but I guess like anything -this is subjective. To each his own.

      --
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  3. Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now that we've had it for this generation (i.e. 2010) thankfully we won't have to worry about it until 2030 or so.

    Or until we have REAL 3D breakthrough where your can walk around a solid appearing image to see it from different perspectives, without glasses.

    1. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by k(wi)r(kipedia) · · Score: 0

      Who knows, maybe like the PC, 3D is flat-lining.

    2. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I will do whatever it takes to get my holodeck.

    3. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by kasperd · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Or until we have REAL 3D breakthrough where your can walk around a solid appearing image to see it from different perspectives, without glasses.

      No pragmatic person will ask for such technology today. There is nothing wrong with researching, but it will take many years before we see any feasible technology for that.

      A more reasonable request is more standardized 3D glasses and better quality. There are many people who wear glasses all the time in order to be able to see anything at all. Glasses made for that are more comfortable to wear. Let's have 3D glasses that are as comfortable to wear as ordinary glasses. And let's have 3D glasses suitable for people who need glasses, such that those people don't have to wear two pair of glasses on top of each other in order to watch a 3D move. Fix those two things, and 3D technology will become more popular.

      I find 3D equipment for home usage to be less convincing than 3D equipment for the cinema. I still haven't seen any equipment for home usage moving away from active glasses. Produce an LCD with circular polarization for 3D, and I will be much more interested in buying it. Even more so if I can buy a good pair of 3D glasses for it, and use the same good pair of 3D glasses in the cinema.

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    4. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by slasher999 · · Score: 1

      You are so absolutely correct! Every couple of decades 3D comes around again for a few years, then once the fad wears off it's gone again. I remember going to 3D films in the 80s, some of which were just rereleases of films from the 50s - the wax museum horror movie for example. I guess this dates back to the stereoviews of the late 19th century, at least that's the earliest 3D media I can think of.

    5. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by murdocj · · Score: 1

      You mean, because everyone has 3D, like everyone has a PC?

    6. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This "reasonable request" is like a request to paint a cardboard house in a prettier color. Sure, it'll be an improvement, but it's still useless in most climates.

      Current iteration of 3D cinema uses only single channel to pass depth information, difference between left and right image. Actual 3D perception involves this plus focus/convergence distance and parallax. Lack of parallax is what killed this for me - I can watch 3D while sitting perfectly still, but whenever I move and the 3D picture stays exactly same, I get nauseous. There's a lot of people like me out there, and there's people for whom this is not nauseating, but immersion breaking nevertheless.

      Until they work it out, there is no sense to buy it, no matter how "standardized" they make their gadgets as those gadgets are likely to become obsoleted by better 3D technology. What use would be standard 3D glasses when there's already prototypes of no glasses, parallax supporting 3D displays in the works?

    7. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yup

      From
      http://entertainment.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1777404&cid=33478946%5Bslashdot.org

      1860-1915 Holmes Stereoscope
      1920 3D movies in NYC -- unknown which ones ...
      1952 3D movie "Dial M for Murder", "Creature From The Black Lagoon", "Kiss Me Kate"
      1970 3D movie Any Warhol's Frankenstein
      1983 3D movies "Jaws 3D" and "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
      2009 3D movies Avatar, Coraline, How to Train your Dragon, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Up, etc.

      The clothing industry has the same ~20 year fad-cycle too.

    8. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by CheshireDragon · · Score: 1

      hahaha, I remember hypercolor back in the early 90s

      --
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    9. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by descubes · · Score: 1

      Let's have 3D glasses that are as comfortable to wear as ordinary glasses. And let's have 3D glasses suitable for people who need glasses, such that those people don't have to wear two pair of glasses on top of each other in order to watch a 3D move.

      You should look at 3D glasses made by vendors of regular solar glasses, e.g. Polaroid Eyewear. They are comfortable, not very expensive, work in the theater and double as sunglasses. We have a few at Taodyne, and the 3D separation quality on passive TVs is really good.

      --
      -- Did you try Tao3D? http://tao3d.sourceforge.net
    10. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by garyoa1 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I watched some 3D movies back in the 50's on TV. (Yes, I'm olde') I was excited for about 5 minutes.

      On the other hand, MIT or someone is playing with a new technology to kind of incorporate 3 LED panels into one giving "true" (?) 3D. No glasses required. But another problem arises. If you have someone sitting way over on the left and someone way over on the right... they may see two different variations on the same scene since it's viewed at different angles.

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    11. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      This "reasonable request" is like a request to paint a cardboard house in a prettier color.

      Perhaps better known as putting lipstick on a pig.

      --
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    12. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by brix · · Score: 1

      Not trying to raise the whole "passive vs. active" debate here (although it's fine if it arises), but your comment really surprised me since passive 3D glasses do seem to be standardized, are typically lightweight and comfortable, and even come in clip-ons for those with existing glasses.

      On the topic in general -- While I usually won't spend extra $$ to see 3D in the theatre, that's because I'd rather wait for the blu-ray reviews and grab the 3D version then.

    13. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by Megane · · Score: 1

      I'm waiting for Netcraft to confirm it.

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    14. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by kasperd · · Score: 1

      They are comfortable, not very expensive, work in the theater and double as sunglasses.

      I'm not so sure about the last part. The polarisation requirement for sunglasses is very different from the requirement for 3D glasses. Is it physically possible to make glasses, that can achieve both? I think the uncertainty principle would work against you. A pair of 3D glasses could be made to do everything a pair of sunglasses would do for you, except from blocking horizontal reflections. The page you link to says: "we do not recommend these 3D glasses for extended outdoor usage"

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    15. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by descubes · · Score: 1

      A representative of a manufacturer told me that their 3D glasses filter UV the same way and have the same effect on polarized light (e.g. minimizing reflections for driving), but are more lightweight and as a consequence more prone to scratching. So they don't pass EU tests for outdoor sunglasses on mechanical grounds, not anything related to vision. Also, unlike sunglasses, their objective is to let as much light through as possible. So they only filter UV but do not reduce light intensity nearly as much.

      --
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    16. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by he-sk · · Score: 1

      A more reasonable request is more standardized 3D glasses and better quality. There are many people who wear glasses all the time in order to be able to see anything at all. Glasses made for that are more comfortable to wear. Let's have 3D glasses that are as comfortable to wear as ordinary glasses. And let's have 3D glasses suitable for people who need glasses, such that those people don't have to wear two pair of glasses on top of each other in order to watch a 3D move. Fix those two things, and 3D technology will become more popular.

      Not gonna happen. There is a huge market for real glasses because people actually need them and thus they chose the pair they like and which fits them comfortably. There is no such market for 3D glasses because, wait for it, people don't actually need glasses to see in 3D.

      3D is a fad that has been around since there have been moving images, i.e. for over a hundred years. It comes and goes. The cinemas jump on it because it allows them to milk their patrons. It's a brilliant artistic choice for very few movies und completely useless the rest. BTW, I wear eye correction, i.e. contacts during the day and glasses in the evening when I'm at home. I have no problems with 3D glasses in movies because they don't interfere with my lenses and I'm so used to wearing glasses that it doesn't bother me. It's just that the experience of the vast majority of 3D movies is underwhelming.

      So, I'm with the GP. Wake me up when they have invented the holodeck. Until then, spare me the faux 3D shit.

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    17. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by sjames · · Score: 1

      I believe the point is that unless or until we CAN expect actual 3d (rather than stereoscopic projection), the tech just isn't cool enough to be interesting. That's why it flopped (again).

    18. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by kasperd · · Score: 1

      A representative of a manufacturer told me that their 3D glasses filter UV the same way and have the same effect on polarized light (e.g. minimizing reflections for driving)

      I think he was mistaken. I don't think it is physically possible. I am no export on quantum physics, but most likely neither was that representative.

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    19. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by kasperd · · Score: 1

      That's why it flopped

      It didn't. There are still being made movies in 3D, an people are watching them. I'm not so sure about the 3D remakes of the most popular movies from the last two decades. I suppose some people are going to watch them. But I don't see myself going to the cinema to watch a movie, I have seen years ago, just because they now show it in 3D.

      New technology has been coming to the movies before, and now we take it for granted. You don't go to the cinema just for the technology, but the experience wouldn't be the same without the technology. What did people say when the industry started making movies with speech, stereo sound, colours, surround sound, digital projection? I am pretty sure all of them have been said to be just about fancy technology and taking focus away from the story. But the critique of those technologies is mostly gone. I expect it to go the same way with 3D movies.

      Of course there will always be a minority that criticise the technology. There are still people who criticise all digital sounds and says analogue sound is better.

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    20. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by DrVomact · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Or until we have REAL 3D breakthrough where your can walk around a solid appearing image to see it from different perspectives, without glasses.

      No pragmatic person will ask for such technology today. There is nothing wrong with researching, but it will take many years before we see any feasible technology for that.

      Let me ask a more fundamental question: what would be the point of such a technology? I doubt whether this even qualifies as an item that should go on our wish list of "stuff I wish they would invent". Let's consider some of the possible uses for such a technology.

      I don't want to watch a drama in a fish tank. Think of Hamlet in your living room. (Let's just pretend we have a living room that would permit life-sized characters; a miniaturized Ophelia or King Claudius in a fish tank sized "screen" are too ridiculous on the face of it.) I suppose you could walk around and see the eponymous protagonist agonize from all angles. Maybe you could even walk between Hamlet and his father's ghost during that scene. Observe the theatrical fencing techniques in the fight scene from different angles. How much fun is that really going to be? After the first time. I suppose plays could be written that allow you to participate in them, but this has been done before (with real actors), and it's not much fun after the first time, either.

      What's true for plays is just as true for any dramatic entertainment—I don't understand how a movie would be better if it were shot in REAL 3D (in the OP's sense) as opposed to shown on a flat screen. It seems to me that seeing the action in a "fish tank" (no matter if it's a huge fish tank) would actually interfere with my ability to immerse myself in the action. (As, in fact, today's feeble 3D prevents immersion, at least in my case.)

      OK, how about games? There's more latitude here. Maybe a first-person shooter in a 3D environment would be cool. You and your friends could meet in each other's living rooms, with appropriate armor and armament superimposed by the software...hmm...this could be hard on the furniture as you throw yourself around to avoid incoming fire. Maybe you could play in special venues set up for this kind of thing. But wait, don't we have something like that already? It's called "Lasertag", I think. And if you have to travel to a special arena, how does the 3D thing help much? Hmm. There must be something I'm missing.

      It seems like the technology to project realistic 3D images anywhere you want to is bound to be useful. Literally hundreds of science fiction books tell us so. But caution should rule here—remember that before we all got cell phones, science fiction heroes were always rushing to the nearest "videophone booth" to make the call that would save the world. OK, if you look like Princess Leia, you could better use your feminine wiles to plead for the help of Obi Wan Kenobi if you could make a REAL 3D call. But other than that...do you really want to turn on your REAL 3D scanner so that you and your friend can appear to be mutually sitting in each other's living rooms having a conversation? When a simple phone call would do?

      I'm not saying there wouldn't be a use for REAL 3D, but it's not making movies or phone calls. Maybe it would be nice for games, maybe a kind of game that hasn't been invented yet. But my imagination is not exactly coming up with lots of money making reasons for anyone to work on this technology. Of course, that's not the same as saying that there aren't any.

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    21. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by sjames · · Score: 1

      Actually, it's already flopped 2 or 3 times and we're seeing signs it will flop once more. That is quite different from sound or color. Yes those had some detractors as well, but they did fine in the box office from day one with no backsliding and no demand for 'de-colorized' screenings or silent screenings.

    22. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by byornski · · Score: 1

      Lack of parallax is what killed this for me - I can watch 3D while sitting perfectly still, but whenever I move and the 3D picture stays exactly same, I get nauseous.

      The current 3D effects have correct parallax but incorrect focus/convergence. If you move your head in the cinema, the objects actually appear to move in the plane. Perhaps if you cannot see this, you are one of the many people who cannot see 3D properly (for many reasons) or alternatively it could be faulty glasses or a shit cinema where there is overlap between the eyes. Either way, correct focus is exactly what the modern 'filmed' 3D films do not have. The filming consists of two cameras at eye separation focused at exactly what the director wanted. For me this is much worse than you described. Any objects in the background cannot be focused on unless they happen to be within the depth of field. Generally this leads to completely unrealistic scenes and breaking the 4th wall when I have noticed it....

    23. Re:Lame 3D tech is a once per generation fad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are many people who wear glasses all the time in order to be able to see anything at all

      Yes. And they generally don't like it very much, and often go to the extent of spending several thousand dollars and enduring risky and alarming surgical procedures involving lasers and THEIR EYES in order to avoid it.
      Fact is that any technology (google, I'm looking at you here) that involves requiring people to wear lame glasses will fail.
      Another fact is that 2D does not *need* additional help from stereoscopic technologies to look three-dimensional.

  4. Hallelujah! by Koyaanisqatsi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Personally, I'm sick and tired of small theaters only offering you the 3D version of a given movie. I rather see it in normal 2D, without having to put up with dirty and inconvenient passive glasses, and dizziness in scenes with fast motion ...

    At home, for gaming, with a good TV and glasses things might be different, but I'm not much of a gamer myself to justify the extra expense.

    1. Re:Hallelujah! by bemymonkey · · Score: 1

      "Personally, I'm sick and tired of small theaters only offering you the 3D version of a given movie."

      The article seems to be accurate though - after months of offering blockbusters only in 3D, our local theater is offering 'em up in all their 2D glory again... I"m so overjoyed that I'll actually be there tonight, spending way too much money on an uncomfortable seat, bad sound, overpriced popcorn and warm-ish beer watching that new Spiderman movie :)

    2. Re:Hallelujah! by jennatalia · · Score: 1

      I don't understand why you don't like to pay more for a movie. You get the added benefit of dizziness. Sure you could do it cheaply at home while spinning in a chair, but at least at the movies you get to pay for overpriced popcorn and drinks.

    3. Re:Hallelujah! by antdude · · Score: 1

      Ditto. 3D don't work with my old compound eyes. I'd rather have 2D IMAX/digital. :P

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    4. Re:Hallelujah! by Misanthropy · · Score: 1

      I refuse to pay more to wear some goofy glasses (over my prescription glasses) and then go home with a headache after 2 hours of eyestrain. I'll stick to old fashioned 2D. Thankfully most of the theaters in my area will carry the 2D versions of those released in 3D.

  5. We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolution. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "OH! THAT SHRAPNEL FLEW RIGHT TOWARD YOU! WOW!" seems to be the main use of 3D these days so it's nothing but a gimmick. A gimmick that needs to go away. Higher resolution displays are beautiful and future-proof. I wish the industry would adopt 4K instead. *sigh*

  6. 3D by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    3D has never, ever, improved a movie's story or characters, and never will.

    1. Re:3D by Riceballsan · · Score: 1

      The same could more or less be said about CGI in movies or upgrades to graphics in games. That being said, they can improve the overall quality of movies or games, when they are in the background and not the primary attempted selling point. I think the core issue of 3D movies, is the filmers think to take advantage of it, if something isn't flying in your face every 5 minutes, they are wasting their time. Same could be said about the decrease in quality of movies due to special effects. Many movies are going the direction of porn, where the plot just has to be some loose half attempt to string things together to give half a believable transition from one explosion to the next. If 3D could just go in the background without overtaking and replacing the plot/characters, it could be a good thing. That being said, I don't see it happening until they invent screens that do not need glasses, and that can be watched comparable amounts of time to normal screens without causing headaches etc... Until then 3D is going to be in front and get in the way of the movies/games instead of add a nicer looking background to the movies/games.

    2. Re:3D by Sir_Sri · · Score: 1

      You could say the same thing about fonts in books. I'm sure the first time fonts were available at a printing press authors and publishers massively overused the feature, and did more harm than good to their books by overdosing people on fonts.

      And then people started thinking about how fonts could convey meaning, or style, and how fonts effect readability, and suddenly the choice of font(s) can help better convey the story and characters, and sometimes to a wider audience.

      3D, colour, surround sound, CGI, all of it are just tools for the storytellers to use to tell their story. We don't even think about colour in film, but it was a huge technical milestone for a lot more than just 'improving a character or story'. But then the use of colour, once its available can very much impact story telling, see schindlers list if you want an example.

      There are clearly lots of artists who think 3D will help better convey the world their story takes place, make their characters more believable or real and so on. Most of them are probably wrong, but it takes time for people to appreciate just how it could be used to their benefit, and importantly, how to use it well.

    3. Re:3D by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      oh you've been watching michal bay movies haven't you. that is only true of action movies(well certain comedies only replace explosion with a B.A.) in my experience, other genres are better about there plot because they actually need one. Unfortunately scifi has become a sub genre of action. That is why i robot sucked, the souce matterial wasn't action/explosions so they wrote a new script and through a few charecter names in. If a decent director would do asimovs books right, (not foundation it does not fit the movie format) they would be great. the robot series would work so would empire and the series prequals and sequals would be great as movies. but we will never see them because it would require skill to do not several thousand gallons of gasoline, propane and giant cg robots distroing cities and landmarks. I think i need to go watch dune now.

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    4. Re:3D by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 0

      Yeah but it's not like you're choosing to read the script over watching the movie.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    5. Re:3D by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      I'm sure the first time fonts were available at a printing press authors and publishers massively overused the feature, and did more harm than good to their books by overdosing people on fonts.

      Uh, no. One didn't see such an explosion of typefaces within a single book during the era of printing presses, because the process required a lot of effort. It wasn't until word processors came about and made it easy that amateurs went crazy and sadly some of the results made it onto bookstore shelves.

      And then people started thinking about how fonts could convey meaning, or style, and how fonts effect readability, and suddenly the choice of font(s) can help better convey the story and characters, and sometimes to a wider audience.

      Calligraphic scripts and then typefaces developed quite slowly in antiquity and the early modern era and with much attention to aesthetics. It was my no means a free-for-all. I really encourage you to read a history of the field like Simon Loxley's Type , because you have things all mixed up.

    6. Re:3D by Divebus · · Score: 1

      I don't think he was reaching back to Gutenberg. He was probably referring to the inception of desktop publishing which was the death of all tasteful design and execution. Every office with one of those newfangled Macintosh things and a "Laser" (holding up quote fingers) printer would publish their own flyers using every stinking font they could come up with. It was ghastly and, yes, in public display on bookshelves. Oy! That went on for years until the paste-up and stat camera people gave way to designers not afraid to use a computer.

      --

      Most of the stuff on /. won't survive first contact with facts.
    7. Re:3D by Sir_Sri · · Score: 1

      I was referring, as divebus said, more to when adding fonts became a trivial activity (desktop publishing for example). Once something becomes cheap (relative to the regular costs of the industry) it has a tendency to get used to death until people realize it's not getting them anything, or they start thinking about when exactly it does add something and when it doesn't.

    8. Re:3D by tsa · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, many people never seem to think, which is the reason we have to look at those horrible Powerpoint presentations every so many days at work.

      --

      -- Cheers!

  7. moving to 4D now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Theatres are moving to "4D". Maybe games will too.

  8. 3-D spawned better TV hardware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The main feature I like from the 3-D push was the increased graphics processors in TVs. The sharpness and upgraded video quality is a major plus.

  9. Ebb and Flow by tylikcat · · Score: 1
    I suspect 3D in movie theatres is here to stay - especially for the fun high on explosion summer flicks. And hopefully, past the initial wave of hype, people will focus on using it in interesting and intelligent ways. (I'm so tired of exaggerated perspective.)

    ...and really, I'm hoping it stays mainstream enough that the prices go down. In our lab we (well, mostly my roommate) has be retrofitting microscopes with the receptor arrays from high quality web cams (cheaper than buying the components) and then piping the image to a 3D monitor. Better ergonomics, good quality image - and a vast improvement when it comes to teaching or recording your work.

    1. Re:Ebb and Flow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in europe, NOBODY want to see 3D movies.
      in Amsterdam you'll actually see people leave if the movie isn't shown in a regular format, and these aren't 2 or 3 people but 10 to 30 at a time...

      people don't care how a movie is projected people just want a high-quality image/sound system...
      typical Bill Gates moment: THAT DOESN'T MATTER!

    2. Re:Ebb and Flow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's much the same here in Stockholm.

      And prices on 3D TVs keep dropping like the proverbial stone because almost nobody's buying them.

  10. they are dumping 3d tv's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    they are dumping 3d tv's in europe, just saw a 32" LG 3D model for 299 euro...

  11. fun. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like to play with wooden alphabet blocks. It's fun.

  12. 3D Movies Don't Snap My Socks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Though to be perfectly honest, I have yet to see one. $40 for one movie for two is in the What Are They Thinking category. About the only thing they could do to make me less likely to buy a ticket would be if I had to take off my shoes and choose between the backscatter X-ray nudie pix or or having my genitals groped.

  13. ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by tloh · · Score: 1

    A few days ago, I helped my boss set up a demonstration PC to show high school kids protein visualization in 3d stereo. The setup was pretty old (vintage late 1990's). We had to scrounge a dusty CRT for need of compatibility with the active shutter goggles that provided the stereo effects. We had LCD monitors in plenty supply, but didn't have enough time to determine if they worked with the system. Simple web searches were inconclusive, with the most relevant result appearing to be an outfit called planar 3D that provides dedicated 3D systems. For the slashdotter with more experience: Can 3d Stereo be achieved with regular commodity LCD monitors?

    --
    Stay sentient. Don't drink bad milk.
    1. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by pepty · · Score: 4, Insightful
      For viewing molecules, the easiest method is a cheat: many programs will rock the molecule back and forth on the vertical axis. You can keep the same part of the protein (active site, for instance) in view indefinitely while the rocking motion gives depth cues and it works pretty well even for people not sitting directly in front of the screen. I'd go with that; most protein visualisation and modeling software has it as an option and it will work on any display or projector.

      The other method that will work with any hardware is cross eyed or wall eyed stereo. It gives you much better depth perception and is much better if you are trying to dock/move molecules around each other onscreen. Unfortunately lots of people can't do one or the other (I find wall eyed difficult), or they get headaches. If you're viewing from off-center the problems get worse. Again, most protein visualisation software has the option.

      I used those active shutter goggles sometimes back in the '90s while modeling proteins on Silicon Graphics workstations. The whole process was so cumbersome that I just switched over to cross eyed stereo instead.

    2. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by descubes · · Score: 1

      For the slashdotter with more experience: Can 3d Stereo be achieved with regular commodity LCD monitors?

      Given their current prices, you should go for 3D-enabled LCD monitors, e.g. the HP 2311 gt. Look for reviews like this one. I personally strongly recommend passive displays (less expensive, and way more comfortable e.g. under fluorescent light).

      And if you want to show stuff in 3D easily, why don't you give Tao Presentations a spin?

      --
      -- Did you try Tao3D? http://tao3d.sourceforge.net
    3. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by tloh · · Score: 1

      Thanks for your insights. Of the many people I've asked so far, your response is the most practical from a "user's" perspective. I've been primed onto this trajectory of inquiry based on one suggestion that I ought to look to specific software packages in determining what hardware is supported. One well known tool from UCSF called "Chimera" does indeed have some relevant documentation.

      http://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/data/downloads/1.6.2/stereo.html

      But those requirements are way too extravagant for a casual home user like me. Though your response doesn't approach the level of a "drop-in" alternative, I am grateful that your response represents a step in the right contextual direction for my question.

      Thanks again!

      --
      Stay sentient. Don't drink bad milk.
    4. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The book "General Chemistry" by Linus Pauling (a super great book, btw) uses wall eyed images (or cross eyed; not sure of the difference) to help the reader visualize molecules. It was the first time I had ever seen something like that and it blew my mind (I ended up thumbing through the book to find all the 3D images first.)

      I was ecstatic, then, to find that Sage Math (the FOSS replacement for Matlab, Mathematica, etc.) has this feature for its 3D graphs. You can graph complicated surfaces that, in 2-D, are difficult to visualize, but with the wall eyed or cross eyed option enabled really pop out and look fantastic. It doesn't appear you can export the image and print it, though... I only get one-half of the stereoscopic image. Still cool, though.

    5. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cool, a 3D version of PowerPoint...

    6. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by locopuyo · · Score: 1

      You can use NVIDIA 3D Vision with the red/cyan glasses on any display. I think all of the new NVIDIA cards support it. I'm not sure about the budget ones but they probably do too. Basically any 3D program that uses DirectX 9 or newer works with it.

    7. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by itsdapead · · Score: 1

      You might want to look up the Pulfrich Effect. It might just work for your application if you show rotating models.

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
    8. Re:ask slashdot: 3d with regular LCD ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First reply deleted, apparently.

      In summary, the cross eyed/wall eyed approach is amazing.

      The book General Chemistry by Linus Pauling uses wall eyed viewing to show important crystal structures/molecules and is mind blowing for such a (relatively) old book.

      Secondly, the FOSS math program Sage has the option to view 3-D graphs wall eyed or cross eyed. Very helpful for my Calc III class!

  14. Glorified pop-up books by k(wi)r(kipedia) · · Score: 1

    Remember those pop-up books we used to read as children? (I'm assuming you're old enough to have lived without a Web browser for at least part of your life.) All the 3D movies I've seen thus far are like that. They don't look like solid objects. They look more like cardboard cut-outs placed at varying distances or like layers of 2D images.

    1. Re:Glorified pop-up books by Animats · · Score: 3, Informative

      They look more like cardboard cut-outs placed at varying distances or like layers of 2D images.

      That's what "Disney Real3D (tm)" is. Anything "converted" from 2D to 3D actually is a stack of layers of 2D images.

    2. Re:Glorified pop-up books by camperdave · · Score: 3, Informative

      Except the Pixar stuff. That they could re-render.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    3. Re:Glorified pop-up books by Killjoy_NL · · Score: 1

      They could, but I doubt that they will because of the cost involved.

      --
      This is the sig that says NI (again)
  15. 3D technology was an improvement by jennatalia · · Score: 1

    3D technology, although hated by some, has provided us with upgraded graphics in TVs. Combined with a 3D Bluray player, regular DVDs and even Bluray movies look better when the foreground and aft are separated and recombined.

  16. What's next? by Bobke · · Score: 1

    The key general marketing trends so far, as I see it:
    turbo
    quantum
    eco
    3D

    Missed some? What's next?

    1. Re:What's next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3D What's next?

      4D, of course.

    2. Re:What's next? by descubes · · Score: 1

      Don't forget "2.0", ".com", "lickable" and "easy".

      --
      -- Did you try Tao3D? http://tao3d.sourceforge.net
    3. Re:What's next? by MisterSquid · · Score: 1

      Add:

      • hyper
      • mega
      • ultra
      • platinum
      --
      blog
    4. Re:What's next? by tsa · · Score: 1

      Green.

      --

      -- Cheers!

  17. Milking the cow til it hurts. by SternisheFan · · Score: 2

    Yep, the film industry is going to keep milking the 3-d cow for a while. What is a 4-D movie? "It refers to physical effects that are coordinated with the images on the screen that involve your other senses," says media analyst and entertainment lawyer James Hirsen. "It is things like moving seats during a chase scene, the smell of gun powder when there is an explosion on the screen and during a spooky foggy scene you are surrounded by real fog." http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/4-d-movies-coming-soon-theater-near-172042434.html

    1. Re:Milking the cow til it hurts. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      gotta keep up with the gimmicks. what do you want them to do, make better movies?

      Surely, you jest, sir. Most surely.

    2. Re:Milking the cow til it hurts. by SternisheFan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      gotta keep up with the gimmicks. what do you want them to do, make better movies?

      Surely, you jest, sir. Most surely.

      Better movies! Where I find movies worth watching nowadays is on TMC. The movies made in the 30's, 40's and 50's. They may be old, but they're new to me. They have great involved plotlines, top-notch acting and directing, and some innovative (for the time in which they were made) camera direction. I can watch those old films all the way through, while most recent movies on dvd's I borrow from my library get ejected before they're halfway watched. Whiz-bang 3d/cgi means nothing after you've seen it a few times. Give me a good story that's believeably acted, and then I might actually pay theater prices to see it.

    3. Re:Milking the cow til it hurts. by Raenex · · Score: 1

      Just remember that you're picking from classics when you watch old movies. I think every year there are at least 2 or 3 good movies made, probably more, depending on your tastes. And there are lots of modern movies with good acting and intricate plotlines that aren't 3D or CGI spectacles. You just have to seek them out instead of watching the latest blockbuster.

    4. Re:Milking the cow til it hurts. by itsdapead · · Score: 1

      Yep, the film industry is going to keep milking the 3-d cow for a while. What is a 4-D movie?

      At the end of the movie, if it sucked, you get to travel back in time and reclaim the two hours that you just wasted.

      Now, THAT would sell movies - "We guarantee you will love this movie - or your time back*!!!"

      * Ticket price and food sales not refundable**.

      ** Because we drugged the coke and popcorn to put you to sleep*** for just long enough to dump you out on the street. THERE IS NO MOVIE....

      *** But not before the end of the commercials. We're greedy' not stupid!

      (Sorry, that post went a bit Philip K Dick.)

      --
      In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
  18. Next to pop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All the delusional crap from the "private space" lunatics.

    1. Re:Next to pop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Son, you are a complete moron.

      Most of the space industry IS private.

    2. Re:Next to pop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And which delusional crap are they spewing?

  19. Duh... by multimediavt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and while 3-D television sales are rising

    Of course their sales are on the rise when there aren't many alternatives if you want a decent new TV. That's like saying TVs with digital tuners are on the rise, duh! 3D has some uses, but it's mostly another ploy by the manufacturers to keep their price points up by making it seem they are adding value to the device. Also, why they still put tuners in monitors (let's face it TVs are just big LCD monitors) by default these days is a little silly if you ask me.

    1. Re:Duh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tuners are a good fall back when the cable/satellite goes out.

    2. Re:Duh... by spire3661 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Because some of us still use the tuners. TVs and Monitors are legally separate things in the U.S., subject to different rules. Its not as easy as 'lets jsut drop all tuners because i dont see a need for them"

      --
      Good-bye
    3. Re:Duh... by t0y · · Score: 1

      Yeah, it's like saying 1378x768 is the preferred laptop resolution.

    4. Re:Duh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No kidding.

      Cable? You need a box or cablecard anyway.
      Sat? Same thing.

      Why exactly does my tv have all these features built in..... and i cant use them because the content providers are douchebags.
      Why did i pay for that crap? I coulda got a monitor twice this size for the price of a 'tv'.

    5. Re:Duh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, why they still put tuners in monitors (let's face it TVs are just big LCD monitors) by default these days is a little silly if you ask me.

      How else would you watch TV on your TV? You're not dumb enough to pay for a service, are you?

    6. Re:Duh... by cpu6502 · · Score: 1

      >>>why they still put tuners in monitors (let's face it TVs are just big LCD monitors) by default these days is a little silly if you ask me.

      You know what I think is "silly"? People who are so unaware of the world around them. You see, when I attach my antenna to my TV I want to tune-in the local channels via the tuner. YOU would have it so I could not see anything... now that's silly. And stupid.

      --
      My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
    7. Re:Duh... by jedidiah · · Score: 1

      As a discrete component, an OTA tuner is $30. Certainly not something that justifies making a TV set double the cost.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    8. Re:Duh... by sapphire+wyvern · · Score: 1

      Outside the US, free-to-air television is still ubiquitous and generally more popular than pay/cable TV.

      In Australia, for example, I believe cable TV only has a penetration of about 30-40%. I don't think it's very popular in the UK either, since anyone in the UK with a television set is supposed to buy a BBC licence... and if you're already getting BBC delivered by RF broadcast, I think cable/satellite TV would be a pretty hard sell.

    9. Re:Duh... by cpu6502 · · Score: 1

      Considering I see TVs for 70 dollars, I hardly think the manufacturer is "doubling" the cost versus non-TV monitors. Also: Why sell a separate box for the TV? Ever since the 1940s televisions have been sold as an integrated unit of video + speakers + tuner. Very few people want to buy a separate screen, a separate audio system, and a separate tuner. They want it all integrated into one single box for convenience and appearance.

      --
      My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
  20. what bubble? by slashmydots · · Score: 1

    For something to be a bubble, people have to want it and be buying it in the first place. You know, like new houses or netbooks. Every survey from the start of this technology on showed that basically nobody wanted it. I think the highest "has to have 3D because I'm actually going to use it" result on a survey was 14%.

    1. Re:what bubble? by spire3661 · · Score: 1

      I have the sony 24" Playstation 3D monitor. Its neat , but every time i use it with glasses I say to myself "very few people are ever going to want to use a monitor this way." I myself barely want to use it. I have to admit some games in 3d are pretty sweet like uncharted 3, God of War, batman, etc. FPS/racing view type games arent nearly as compelling.

      --
      Good-bye
  21. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    no, we need displays that can produce HDR imagery deep black and high whites.
    resolution is yet another gimmick which doesn't contribute to colour or contrast range.

    modern tv's can't reproduce true colours, they are seriously crappy at any resolution.

  22. 3D? Hell Im still not sold on HD by Osgeld · · Score: 3, Informative

    I really have no desire to go out and drop a pile of money on a TV that's got a rep for short lifespans and every time I walk pas one it looks like MPEG vomit. Sure they look good when you have all the right sources, but since I sont spend my life building a movie collection most normal content is stretched and full of digital garbage.

    My stupid CRT looks much better for non HD content, and if you want HD content it cost out the ass, fuck it, its a gimick for dumb consumers, and a slight advantage to the unwashed masses playing console games.

    1. Re:3D? Hell Im still not sold on HD by MtViewGuy · · Score: 1

      In that case, I'd recommend getting a good 1080p plasma flat screen in the 46" to 50" display size. Unlike LCD displays, plasma displays with the 600 Hz refresh rates usually don't have motion artifacts and the black level on plasma displays are only now matched by the upcoming OLED panels coming later this year.

    2. Re:3D? Hell Im still not sold on HD by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      its not the artifacts, its the shit compression being sent to it

      I was in walmart earlier, walked past their top of the line tv's including plasma, what did I see ... something that looked like video CD on my pentium. that's the point, the content is just not there, even HD services are at best 720 stretched, more often its 480.

      It just looks like garbage to me, and having a billion pixels running at 600Hz does me no good when I cant read the phone number on a commercial ... something my 27 inch 10 year old, will go another 20 years Trinatron does in perfect razor sharp clarity, all because chi-co industries shoved some half assed video processor onto a decent screen, and the providers are trying to skimp on video bandwidth so they can give me swamp people on 9 channels in 6 languages.

      IMO its retarded

    3. Re:3D? Hell Im still not sold on HD by MtViewGuy · · Score: 1

      I think a lot of that problem is caused by the conversion of SD video to be shown on the HD format. The result is stretched and/or blurred video, and that can be quite unpleasant to watch. However, with a true HD source, the picture quality can be _outstanding_: the last few Super Bowl broadcasts I've seen on HD is so clear it feels like you're at the stadium itself.

  23. No Wonder by amiga3D · · Score: 1

    It's not 3D! I've seen it, it's shit. Lot's of money for a shitty gimic.

    1. Re:No Wonder by Teresita · · Score: 1

      Windows 9 will be designed primarily for the 3D interface. Instead of tiles, Metro 3D will be a big pile of blocks in various primary colors. Then we can all sit in our playpen and play with our Fisher-Price blocks, the ultimate end game in the drive by Microsoft to make the desktop user friendly.

    2. Re:No Wonder by Killjoy_NL · · Score: 1

      hehe so not a Metro Interface, but a Mahjong interface.
      I like the idea :)

      --
      This is the sig that says NI (again)
  24. Benefits, benefits, benefits. by Ostracus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Revenue from 3-D films is also dropping, and while 3-D television sales are rising, only 14 percent of potential buyers think 3-D is a 'must have' feature."

    Has 3D technology really benefited anyone but the display makers and the content industry?

    --
    Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
    1. Re:Benefits, benefits, benefits. by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 2

      Has 3D technology really benefited anyone but the display makers and the content industry?

      For those of you playing along at home:

      This is known as a rhetorical question.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    2. Re:Benefits, benefits, benefits. by trout007 · · Score: 3, Funny

      My 6 year old daughter asked her older brother a rhetorical question. He started to answer and she stopped him and said "It was a retardical question!"

      --
      I love Jesus, except for his foreign policy.
    3. Re:Benefits, benefits, benefits. by Old+Wolf · · Score: 1

      Has "smart card" (chip) payment technology really benefited anyone except... hm, having trouble thinking of anyone at all actually

    4. Re:Benefits, benefits, benefits. by Nyder · · Score: 1

      My 6 year old daughter asked her older brother a rhetorical question. He started to answer and she stopped him and said "It was a retardical question!"

      The wisdom of children.

      --
      Be seeing you...
  25. The reason I like "3D" TVs by DWMorse · · Score: 2

    I like the rise of "3D" HDTV's is because it's a good way to identify a 120hz or higher panel. The idea of gimmicking into the 3D junk itself and wearing glasses, giving myself a headache, all that makes me chortle a bit. But I do love me a smooth motion picture.

    --
    There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
    1. Re:The reason I like "3D" TVs by amiga3D · · Score: 1

      I know what you mean. I got a 240hz LCD 2 years ago and everyone who's seen it comments on how great the picture is. When I tell them why they don't even know what I'm talking about. It's hard to believe how many people bought those 60hz Walmart TVs.

    2. Re:The reason I like "3D" TVs by NorQue · · Score: 1

      Hooray for motion interpolation that makes movies look like cheap 80s porn. No, thank you very much, I prefer my movies in native 24p, if possible. My LCD doesn't have 3D, motion interpolation and that other crap, but displays what it's supposed to do and what's actually being delivered via HDMI. Not more, not less.

    3. Re:The reason I like "3D" TVs by DWMorse · · Score: 1

      look like cheap 80s porn

      Quickly now, let's have the name of that brand!!

      --
      There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?
  26. Well screw that by Daetrin · · Score: 1

    recent hype surrounding 3-D display technology has finally peaked and begun to subside.

    Well, screw it then, I'm going to LOOT THE VENDING MACHINE!

    --
    This Space Intentionally Left Blank
  27. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by Animats · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Sure they look good when you have all the right sources, but since I don't spend my life building a movie collection most normal content is stretched and full of digital garbage.

    Well, that's what happens with pirated content. Copied, recompressed, ads and logos added, recompressed again, and reassembled from blocks on multiple overloaded servers. Of course it looks like crap.

    (That's what most of YouTube looks like, too.)

  28. Just to raise movie cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    lol I think it was just a ploy to raise the cost of movies...

  29. bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    god you people are morons. lets get super 10k on our 50" tv's but hey, 2x the perceived resolution offered by 3d is no longer good enough. theres an idiot born every day.

  30. Of course the FAD is over by NSN+A392-99-964-5927 · · Score: 1

    MOD up the original poster 3D is just a Fad. Not much changes, Just like BIOS Basic input and output system; sounds like a good pr0n film for geeks :P

    --
    All cows eat grass!
  31. Something better will come... by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 1

    Who knows, maybe like the PC, 3D is flat-lining.

    Whatever they're introduced on will jump straight up when the feelies are invented.

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
    1. Re:Something better will come... by k(wi)r(kipedia) · · Score: 1

      Whatever they're introduced on will jump straight up when the feelies are invented.

      You mean a true virtual reality device? When such a double oxymoron is invented, expect a spike as buyers rush to buy the ultimate in cinematic experience, and then a collapse not just of sales but of civilization itself as people stop leaving their sofas.

  32. Re:i always thought it was a lame gimmick by AlphaWolf_HK · · Score: 1

    I think something akin to google glass could solve the problem of asking our eyes to converge on one point and focus on another. I don't know whether google glass has this functionality in whatever kind of light emitter it uses, but I would imagine that if it had a some sort of lens system built in to adjust the focus to where it should be, then the convergence and focus could easily be made to match.

    --
    Careful with names containing L slashdot.org/~AiphaWolf_HK slashdot.org/~AlphaWoif_HK slashdot.org/~AiphaWoif_HK
  33. Let's hope so - bring on the 4k2k hype instead by QuasiSteve · · Score: 2

    Let's hope so - bring on the 4k2k@50fps hype instead.

    I, for one, can't wait for all the content creators and hardware companies to start pushing everyone toward it.

    • Yeah right, and charge $2.50 more per ticket, no doubt!
    • They want me to buy Star Wars again even though I bought it on VHS back in the 80's!? (and bought the LaserDisc, the DVD set, the Blu-Ray box...)
    • They're just doing this to thwart piracy! Well screw them - I'll keep downloading the 480p rips!
    • What's the point, I can't even watch it 1:1 on my retina display New iPad, LOL!*
    • The smooth picture gives me a headache!
    • Omg it looks so FAKE without proper camera shutter!
    • I'm not buying into this until I no longer have to wear those ridiculous glasses. Oh, wait, they're my prescription glasses.
    • Digital cinema like 4k2k commands killed movies for me; bring back film, the scratches, blotches, jitter and off-key audio are part of the soul of a movie!
    1. Re:Let's hope so - bring on the 4k2k hype instead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reads like timecube you gaffet

    2. Re:Let's hope so - bring on the 4k2k hype instead by Nyder · · Score: 1

      ..

      They want me to buy Star Wars again even though I bought it on VHS back in the 80's!? (and bought the LaserDisc, the DVD set, the Blu-Ray box...)

      ...

      Sounds to me like you will be buying whatever new version Star Wars gets released in, based on your past experience...

      --
      Be seeing you...
  34. Immersion, Immersion, Immersion by Vecanti · · Score: 5, Interesting

    3D has never, ever, improved a movie's story or characters, and never will.

    "To me 3D should be about making it feel like you are IN the movie, not that the movie is coming OUT at you."


    Pirates of the Caribbean 4. No, I didn't like the movie.

    However, the only thing that made me glad I spent money seeing it in 3D was I think was the "first" time I actually saw GOOD 3D cinematography. A few scenes at least. One of the scenes was when they were in the hull of the ship plotting a mutiny. The scene looked like all lit in with natural candle light. In the scene there was round table with just 1 candle in the middle.

    And in the scene there was nothing flying out of the screen! No explosions with shrapnel shooting at you in 3D. It was just a beautiful scene. It was filmed in a small space with beautiful lighting, but in 3D you FELT like you were there. Something that watching it in 2D doesn't give you.

    There were other things in that movie as well like in the light house, where again it wasn't 3D SHOOTING out crap at you, but you could see all the beauty of the gears and working of the insides of the lighthouse and you just get immersed. Which was nice since the story sucked.


    What I would love to see if a beautifully filmed "3D Black and White" movie, something Schindler's List-esque in it's cinematography. To me 3D should be about making it feel like you are IN the movie, not that the movie is coming OUT at you. Unfortunately, movie makers seem to only use to make it look like Spider-Man is shooting is Spider Wad at you or something lame and gimmicky like that.

  35. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by Knuckles · · Score: 2

    I have never, ever, seen pirated content with ads and logos added (overcompressed stuff I did see, of course). I see ads and added logos only when I watch media I paid for.

    --
    "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
  36. Books are only remnants of creativity left by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    gotta keep up with the gimmicks. what do you want them to do, make better movies?

    HA!! Today's movies have shorter plot then Dr. Seuss kids books and it is shallower than any of the Arny or Stallone movies - at least those movies had *characters* in them, today, not even that. You just get retarded not-so-special effects and remakes of remakes.

    If you want originality, you have to actually read books. At least then every reader gets slightly different, more personalized experience. Something that is quite impossible with movies.

  37. I only pay to see a film in the theater if it's 3D by AdrianZ · · Score: 1

    I really have a hard time understanding all the hate around 3D. Sure there are some films that do it poorly, but that's true for any new approach that enjoys some popularity (SFX, musical scores, camera motion, film/digital medium, plots, etc). I can only assume it's some physical differences between viewers, making it mostly just unfortunate that it doesn't degrade gracefully for users that can't/don't enjoy it.

    Personally the only reason I even go to the movie theater any more is to see a film in 3D. Otherwise, it'll wait until I can watch it from home. The friends I go to 3D films with generally feel the same way. The theater just doesn't have enough value add for its price without it. When you include dinner, drinks, and a quality theater with reserved seating, the 3D surcharge is too minor to worry about... the biggest issue really is that it sort of dulls the films if you ever want to watch them at home.

  38. Shabby Parlor Tricks by Tommy+Bologna · · Score: 2

    3D content creators seem to ignore the reason we evolved 3D vision -- to navigate rapidly in real 3D space and to range-find. Without those needs, we probably would not have developed binocular vision and a capability to process the resulting data. Cinematic storytelling remains linear. There is no interactive component that requires either spacial navigation or range-finding; so in the context of filmmaking, 3D serves as a sort of vestigial organ to the larger non-cinematic reality in which we are normally immersed.

    3D Filmmakers rely heavily on a small set of gimmicks (e.g., an object protruding from the screen plane into the audience space) to exploit the 3D technology. These gimmicks do not add to the experience beyond superficial self-actualization -- "Hey Look! Three-dimensions!" These visual bits are unnecessary parlor tricks that neither advance the story nor develop the characters.

    1. Re:Shabby Parlor Tricks by pepty · · Score: 2

      3D content creators seem to ignore the reason we evolved 3D vision -- to navigate rapidly in real 3D space and to range-find. .

      Which brings up the two things I'd like to be able to watch in 3D: sports and computer games - but in order for it to be watchable they first need to solve the convergence/parallax issues mentioned upthread. I don't see that happening outside of holographic glasses anytime soon.

    2. Re:Shabby Parlor Tricks by Nyder · · Score: 1

      3D content creators seem to ignore the reason we evolved 3D vision -- to navigate rapidly in real 3D space and to range-find. .

      Which brings up the two things I'd like to be able to watch in 3D: sports and computer games - but in order for it to be watchable they first need to solve the convergence/parallax issues mentioned upthread. I don't see that happening outside of holographic glasses anytime soon.

      I don't know about the sports, but 3D works in games, the problem is, most developers don't develop the game with 3D in mind. That is, making sure it looks good in 3D without having ghosting and stuff on the wrong plane. Unlike a movie, you can adjust the convergence & parallax settings in games (actually, I can probably adjust it for movies also with my setup, but i don't actually watch 3D movies). Games that do the 3D good, look great. Seriously, fucking great and make the game really fun to play. I have Nvidia's 3D Vision and everyone that has seen it and tried it, loves to play games with it.

       

      --
      Be seeing you...
  39. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > resolution is yet another gimmick

    Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or serious...

  40. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Immostlyharmless · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actually, No, the main use of 3D nowadays is to produce content that uses depth. With the exception of kids movies and horror flicks, hardly any of the new 3D movies has any of those atrocious 'coming out of the screen at you' gimmickry. Personally, I like seeing the depth in a film, Glad I was an early adopter.

    I think I'll wait to see what kind of sales are driven by the release of Titanic, the Pixar back catalog and a non exclusive release of avatar before I'd start going on about the death of 3D.

  41. Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So basically we have a groupthink "3D is uncool because I'm too cool to like it!" here.

    In reality, 3D movies are getting better and better. Some of the effects are much more pronounced in 3D and directors are starting to use them correctly. And in fact most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies.

    1. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, it's just you. No, really.

    2. Re:Groupthink? by CheshireDragon · · Score: 1

      Maybe not sooo much 'groupthink' as you put it.
      I prefer my CGI in 3D(Toy Story, How To Train Your Dragon, Brave, etc) in 3D. Live-action movies, not so much. I think it is more pronounced in a movie done solely CGI than a live-action. The live-action 3D is really only pronounced in certain areas(a scene done in CGI, explosion or the little CGI bits mixed with the live-action.)
      Over all, I would rather see a CGI in 3D and a live-action in 2D.

      --
      "That's right...I said it."
    3. Re:Groupthink? by amiga3D · · Score: 0

      Most people? Maybe most 13-19 year olds.

    4. Re:Groupthink? by Mashiki · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No, this isn't groupthink. There's some of us who simply can't stand "3D" because it's a terrible technology that gives us splitting headaches and migraines. I just happen to be part of that crowd. Then again, the longer I watch it the close I move from headache to migraine, to: "Why am I on the floor and throwing up."

      Great stuff.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    5. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Well, most so called 'live action' films are so CGI-laden these days that very soon they might replace actors with CGI (that's why I actually prefer pure CGI films). And I agree that the impact of 3D in live action movies is much less, but it's still more interesting than plain old 2D movies.

      Besides, it looks like 3D forces directors to pay attention to small details - a scratch on a wall has to have depth and you won't get away by simply painting it.

    6. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      We'll evolve past you, don't you worry. There were quite similar reactions in a lot of people for the first 2D movies. Maybe it takes some time to get used to 3D or maybe you need to start viewing 3D movies as a kid.

    7. Re:Groupthink? by stewbacca · · Score: 2

      In reality, 3D movies are getting better and better.

      3D movies suck because they have to rely on the 3D gimmick to get anyone to come to them. Seriously, the only people I know who supposedly like 3D also shop at Walmart and think Golden Corral is fine dining. 3D movies (this time around, just like in the 30 years ago, and 15 years before that) are like velvet paintings, garden gnomes, and Elvis Pressley collectibles. Tacky to the max.

      Toy Story 3 and Up were good 3D movies, but that's because the were good 2D movies to start with, and in both cases, you forget they are even in 3D.

    8. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry but I feel like there's a barrier between me and my girl when we watch movies with those over-sized 3D glasses. Plus, she hates it and gets sick of 3D once she's back in the normal world.

    9. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "And in fact most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies."

      Amazingly blatant shill is amazing. How much do you get paid for this tripe?

    10. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And in fact most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies.

      [Citation needed]

    11. Re:Groupthink? by digitalaudiorock · · Score: 1

      Besides, it looks like 3D forces directors to pay attention to small details - a scratch on a wall has to have depth and you won't get away by simply painting it.

      You mean that scratch on the wall you try and look at in "3D" but can't, because the "3D" camera was only focused on the foreground? Let's call this bullshit what it is...stereo vision. What it does do is encourage movie companies to make "Transformer 24" rather than movies with some actual substance. The whole thing is a fucking crock and I don't personally know anyone with any interest in it. In fact most people I know will decide not to go to a move because it's "3D".

    12. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Most 3D movies are now filmed with a camera focused at infinity (except when director wants you to focus on some part of the scene) so you can focus on small details just fine.

    13. Re:Groupthink? by Misagon · · Score: 2

      Many years ago I worked with stereoscopic imaging and shutter glasses when it was not so common.
      What I learned then, is that approximately one fifth of all humans (~20%) can not see 3D using 3D glasses. It is not that they don't want to, it is that they can't, no matter how hard they try.

      It is a physiological limitation due to a common natural variation within the human species.

      Not showing a movie in 2D is barring 20% of potential movie-goers from seeing the movie in cinemas. It is madness.

      --
      "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    14. Re:Groupthink? by bloodhawk · · Score: 2

      And in fact most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies.

      In what imaginary land did you find this fact. I think if ever there was a need for a citation you just found it, please provide. 3D is hated not because people are too cool, It is hated because it is psuedo 3D which causes a significant part of the population headaches and nausia, It is also hated as studios use it as an excuse to charge more for tickets, charge more for TV's and spend more time tacking on useless gimmicks to a movie rather than actually making a good story. Your "most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies" is also completely falsified by the continued struggle of the studios and manufacturers to successfully push the technology, if it is so loved why is everyone abandoning it?

    15. Re:Groupthink? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      And in fact most people actually prefer 3D over 2D movies.

      So why are 3D sales sinking like a stone?

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    16. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you have that backwards. Those that currently don't feel ill or get headaches are the ones whose eyes are capable of being tricked by the technology, those with more sensitive eyes are able to detect something is wrong. If anything eventually humans will out evolve those that can watch this and not be affected.

    17. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Well, I have anecdotal data - here in Russia 3D movie theaters are almost always booked on the first days while 2D theaters are quite often free.

      http://boxofficequant.com/ has 3D statistics, the 3D revenue is growing and is about the same as for 2D films, even though 3D theaters are only a fraction of 2D theaters. The move to 3D is actually one of the smartest investments for film studios, it's hardly a 'continued struggle'.

    18. Re:Groupthink? by cpu6502 · · Score: 1

      >>>3D movies are getting better and better.

      Are they still entertaining when viewed in 2D? Nope. (Of course few movies today are really entertaining. Glorified CGI demos with little story.)

      --
      My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
    19. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Are they? Can you provide numbers?

    20. Re:Groupthink? by hkmwbz · · Score: 2

      Um, did you miss the dropping 3D movie sales? 3D TV sales? Lousy 3DS sales?

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    21. Re:Groupthink? by jeremyp · · Score: 1

      How does that work given that no part of a movie scene is actually at infinity. Surely it must all be out of focus, particularly stuff in the foreground?

      --
      All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
    22. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      3D TV is another question - there's simply not enough 3D material to justify their price. Besides, wearing 3D glasses at home is just tiring. Can you provide the numbers on 3D movie sales?

    23. Re:Groupthink? by jeremyp · · Score: 1

      I agree that the impact of 3D in live action movies is much less, but it's still more interesting than plain old 2D movies.

      Yeah right. Take a look at the IMDB top 20 rated films and check out how many of these interesting films are in 3D. That's right: none at all. Three of them aren't even in colour. What makes a film interesting has nothing to do with the techno-wizardry that went in to making it and everything to do with plot and characterisation.

      --
      All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
    24. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      No, _everything_ is in focus. Compare these two photos: http://www.great-landscape-photography.com/image-files/lake_louise_hyper1.jpg and http://www.great-landscape-photography.com/image-files/lake_louise_hyper2.jpg (courtesy of http://www.great-landscape-photography.com/hyperfocal.html ). The second one has its focus on infinity, so all objects are seen equally clear.

    25. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Some of them are. I've watched "How to Train Your Dragon" in 2D (on my computer) several times - I really like music, pacing and scenery there.

    26. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      "Inception" is there, "Dark Knight" is there in top 20. Actually, all films that were published after 2008 and in the Top30 are in 3D.

    27. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't stand most 3D movies because every other situation I use my eyes with 3 dimensions (a room, the yard, in a car) I can choose what to focus on. In a picture or a painting or normal movie I accept that some things are clear and blurry because of a set focus.

      In a 3D movie I receive the impression that I should be able to refocus on any part of the screen because it feels like I am looking at three dimensions. Due to moving objects on the screen, I may not always know what I should be focused on, so when I guess wrong I end up unintentionally straining my eyes and after a while my eyes ache. There's also the need to keep my head upright (so no laying on a couch and watching 3D at home) and something that goes on my head that makes it inconvenient to relax while watching. I couldn't stand the Nightmare before Christmas in 3D because I try to focus on the falling snow or the background that I felt I should have been able to focus on if I was looking at real models. I love the look in 2D, and I have no trouble focusing on what the director intended.

      Many movies are able to frame the picture to convey depth, so much so that watching Avatar in 3D and 2D was only noticeably different to me because the wraparound computer screens were slightly less impressive in 2D (but still looked excellent) but I didn't have a headache after watching it in 2D. Movies like Lord of the Rings, which used camera tricks for many shots to make hobbits looks smaller, don't work for 3D and makes it a necessity to add computer graphics in places where real objects generally come across as more realistic at this stage in technology.

      Of course, a non-technical side effect is the gimmick aspect. While channel surfing the other day I came across the 3D Dance fight movie. The shot I came in on was so obviously set up to showcase the 3D (who hangs beads in an alleyway?) that I watched another 30 seconds and every single camera angle was set up so there was something within a couple feet of the camera and people stood in a way that was obviously staged to provide depth instead of focus. Not all movies are that way of course, but it is a symptom of 'if the technology is there make sure it stands out' even if it is distracting on 99% of the viewing setups outside of a movie theater.

      I can't wait for the fad to die out, it doesn't add enough to the experience to make up for the negative side effects of influencing shots and the inconvenience of the technology.

    28. Re:Groupthink? by sjames · · Score: 1

      So you allege that anti-3D groupthink on /. is responsible for 3D movies losing ground at the box office in spite of a (slowly) recovering economy? Everyone out there is salivating for a 3D TV but won't buy one because of /. anti-3D groupthink?

    29. Re:Groupthink? by sjames · · Score: 1

      Page all the way up, click on TFA.

    30. Re:Groupthink? by Nyder · · Score: 1

      No, this isn't groupthink. There's some of us who simply can't stand "3D" because it's a terrible technology that gives us splitting headaches and migraines. I just happen to be part of that crowd. Then again, the longer I watch it the close I move from headache to migraine, to: "Why am I on the floor and throwing up."

      Great stuff.

      I find this amusing.

      Here i am, prone to motion sickness, yet 3D movies don't make me cry like a little girl and start puking. Like many people who aren't prone to motion sickness would say to me, I now say to you. "Man the fuck up, you stupid little bitch and grow some balls."

      Justice is served.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    31. Re:Groupthink? by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      I find this amusing.

      Here i am, prone to motion sickness, yet 3D movies don't make me cry like a little girl and start puking. Like many people who aren't prone to motion sickness would say to me, I now say to you. "Man the fuck up, you stupid little bitch and grow some balls."

      Justice is served.

      I guess you need some new friends, or perhaps a new social circle then. Then again, maybe I should just pity you. It sounds like you need it more than I do, especially by the bitter self-loathing that you gave in your post.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    32. Re:Groupthink? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2979461&cid=40649837

    33. Re:Groupthink? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      A Google search for "3D movie sales" seems to give quite consistent results:

      • - "Hollywood was quick to jump on the 3D bandwagon, but ticket sales are falling." (The Guardian, UK)
      • - "3D ticket sales are continuing to fall in North America" (Film Junk, NA)
      • - "Despite a Huge Box Office Year, 3D Sales Are Slipping & Hollywood Worries" (BruSimm)
      • - "3D ticket sales hit a record low in US" (TechRadar)

      So your claim does not seem to hold water at all. In fact, just about every single source you can find will either show that 3D is consistently dropping across the board (not just 3D TV sales, but just about everything 3D), or will be some movie business people trying to convince themselves and others that 3D does rock, and people do want it despite the tanking sales..

      What groupthink do you subscribe to, since your claims seem to counter reality? And why the accusations of groupthink against people who are pointing out the 3D failure?

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
    34. Re:Groupthink? by Internal+Modem · · Score: 1

      At such a small size, and having been sharpened after reduction, the second image is useless to demonstrate that everything is slightly out of focus.

      At infinity, everything is equally out of focus -- not perfectly in focus at all.

    35. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Hard numbers: 3D ticket sales fell 10%. Mostly because idiot directors stopped making sucky post-processed 3D films.

      Meanwhile the popularity of 3D CGI films is growing with nice sales figures.

    36. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      No. If you focus at infinity then your lens the focal point at infinity (duh). That means ALL the objects (past the hyperfocal distance) will be in focus, but you might lose some details (they'll be too small to see). As usual, see Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfocal_distance

      How do you think mobile phones can make pictures when they don't have moving parts in their cameras?

    37. Re:Groupthink? by bloodhawk · · Score: 1

      Your article is back from early 2011, based on data from 2000-2010. It was 2011 that has slowly seen the decline of 3D, in much the same way it burst on as a fad every other time they have tried it and then declined.

      this from the wikipedia article on 3d I think puts it best.
      "Due to growing popularity of 3D and an increase in 3D screens, an increasing amount of newly released films have been screened in 3D. However, film industry observers have noted that 2011 has shown a considerable decline in audience interest in 3D presentation. For instance, only 45% of the premiere weekend box office earnings of Kung Fu Panda 2 came from screenings in the 3D presentation format as opposed to 60% for Shrek Forever After in 2010.[31] In addition, the premiere of Cars 2 opening weekend gross consisted of only 37% from 3D theatres.[32] In view of this trend, there has been box office analysis concluding the implementation of 3D presentation is apparently backfiring by discouraging people from going to movie theatres at all. As Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo notes, "In each case, 3D's more-money-from-fewer-people approach has simply led to less money from even fewer people."[33]"

    38. Re:Groupthink? by Internal+Modem · · Score: 1

      No. Not at all. you got it 100% wrong.

      In your link '"acceptable" focus' does not mean perfectly in focus. It actually means slightly out of focus.

      I'm a photographer and I can tell the difference between a photo shot at infinity and one that was shot within the lens' focal range regardless of aperture settings (larger are always better for extreme depth of field).

    39. Re:Groupthink? by Internal+Modem · · Score: 1

      You are wrong again.
      You think the lens in my iPhone doesn't focus? Most smartphones do indeed focus.
      Mobile phones that have fixed-focus lenses rely on wide angle lenses due to their large depth of field.

    40. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      That's because real lenses are not perfect, they can't focus at infinity perfectly and over the whole wavelength band. So you inevitably get small amount of blurring. That's not a problem for CGI and not really a problem for live-action movies (you won't be able to notice the blurring because you rarely stare at the small unmoving objects for more than several seconds in movies).

    41. Re:Groupthink? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      "wide angle lenses due to their large depth of field" - that means they're focused at infinity. Technically they should be able to snap objects at infinity without blurring (in practice - not so much, because lenses are not perfect).

    42. Re:Groupthink? by hkmwbz · · Score: 1

      ...and yet you provide no sources for your claims...

      --
      Clever signature text goes here.
  42. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

    where have you been torenting that they put in ads? all of mine they have taken them out some went to the effort to blur the the network watermarks (for tv shows) the only ads in any of my pirated vids are the horrible ones syfy puts in mid content that reach half way across the screen.

    --
    ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  43. There was a 3-D Hype Bubble? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

    Guess I missed that. Next time I'll try not to blink.

    --
    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  44. Re:I only pay to see a film in the theater if it's by amiga3D · · Score: 1

    I differ entirely. I love to see films on the big screen. Even with surround sound and a big HDTV setup at my house it does not compare to the theater. I watched Avatar in 3D and it was cool I suppose but I can't see where it added anything much to the movie. I certainly don't care about seeing it on a 3D TV set. I can't see any reason to pay more for 3D as I get nothing of value in return for my money. When they come out with holovision I might be interested.

  45. Using 3D for storytelling by descubes · · Score: 4, Insightful

    3D, colour, surround sound, CGI, all of it are just tools for the storytellers to use to tell their story. We don't even think about colour in film, but it was a huge technical milestone for a lot more than just 'improving a character or story'.

    This is very true. 3D is a tool that has been abused initially (the "shrapnel flying towards you" another poster referred to). But 3D is also the normal way for us to see the world, so when done right, it enhances the suspension of disbelief. However, it matters that you do it right. Just like color could be distracting when you had over saturated hues or bizarre skin tones, 3D can break the immersion spell if not done right. On the other hand, if you do it right, it is transparent on the conscious level but ads realism and makes the story more believable.

    It's not just for movies either. At Taodyne, we brought 3D to interactive presentations. We have a kind of 3D interactive multimedia LaTeX called Tao Presentations. In our experience, 3D presentations are something that people still remember one year after having seen them. Most people don't necessarily remember movies better when they are in 3D, but ask any kid in France about the 3D Haribo ad, and chances are they remember it. The same is true for presentations. Showing models or charts in 3D gives them more impact.

    Another interesting effect of 3D for storytelling is that you can put more data on a screen without causing confusion. You can put things in front to draw attention, or in the background for things that are less important. You can create true 3D charts, where the depth ads another useful axis. And the Star Wars effect in real 3D is an interesting way to show data (it's a built-in demo of Tao Presentations).

    In short, 3D can be a gimmick. Or it can be used well and make a difference. It's all a matter of how you use it.

    --
    -- Did you try Tao3D? http://tao3d.sourceforge.net
    1. Re:Using 3D for storytelling by dinfinity · · Score: 1

      But 3D is also the normal way for us to see the world

      True, but the world doesn't have bezels.

      I do agree with you that 3D can be abused or used properly, but not wholly on the matter whether it enhances suspension of disbelief. The 3D world in a box can really make you more aware of being in a room with people and seats in it. The 2D image does not invite thinking about the layout of the room and the role of the screen in it as much.

      Having said all this: for sufficiently large screens the above does not hold. I am a fan of the IMAX dome screens.

    2. Re:Using 3D for storytelling by jeremyp · · Score: 1

      But 3D is also the normal way for us to see the world

      That's a common but wrong thought. 3D is the way we experience the World but human stereoscopic vision only works out to a few metres. After that, the brain constructs its 3D model using things like parallax and the expected size of objects. We don't see most of the World in 3D, we reconstruct the 3D using all sorts of visual cues.

      This is probably why my one and only 3 D viewing experience was somewhat disappointing. A friend of mine bought a 3D TV and he was keen to show it off to me. First we watched some Pixar like animated film, and that was awesome in the sense that the 3D worked really well. Then we watched a live England rugby match and it was a total disaster. The whole thing actually looked more two dimensional than in 2D. I think this was because the camera was high up in the stands and your brain doesn't expect stereoscopic vision to work at such distances so the effect was as if the players were only a few centimetres high and were actually inside the telly. Even worse, the spectators in the stands opposite the camera looked like they were painted on a flat vertical piece of cardboard.

      --
      All I want is a secure system where it's easy to do anything I want. Is that too much to ask ~~ Randall Munroe
  46. And more to the problem than that by Kupfernigk · · Score: 2

    No matter where you sit, you have the same view. Unless you view a stereoscopic pair bang on centre with an unmovable eye position, the illusion fails when you move your head. To be exact, the illusion is only perfect if your eye position exactly corresponds to the position of the lenses in the camera which made the pair. Victorian stereoscopes were like this: the images were 1:1 positives of the negatives, and the viewers were basically a copy of the camera, but with the positives in the negative position and, of course, light allowed in to illuminate them. (I did some research on this years ago for a thesis.) In a cinema, most of the audience are viewing from the wrong angle and the wrong distance. Even at home, if more than one person is watching, the viewing angle must be less than optimal.

    --
    From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
    1. Re:And more to the problem than that by Beardydog · · Score: 1

      Dead-center helps, but as long as both eyes are the same distance from dead-center, changing the scale can be very enjoyable. I would never take a stereo pair of a mountain with views separated by the same distance as my eyes, but a stereo pair of a mountain can be incredibly beautiful.

  47. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    no pirated content, DVD's and digital cable tyvm

  48. Re:i always thought it was a lame gimmick by Ossifer · · Score: 1

    Even if it worked "perfectly" I still wouldn't want it.

  49. Re:I only pay to see a film in the theater if it's by stewbacca · · Score: 1

    Well, name a good movie you saw in 3D, then ask yourself what made it good. If you have any taste, your answer will never be "because of the 3D".

  50. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Beardydog · · Score: 1

    Prometheus was fookin' gorgeous in 3D. I generally keep my weather eye open for tacky usage of 3D in movies, but Prometheus just felt like a normal movie that happened to be in 3D. It added a lot to the experience, for me.

  51. How to kill 3D by Dwedit · · Score: 2

    How to kill adoption of home 3D display technology:

    * Make any movies that people want an "Exclusive" to a particular brand of Blue-Ray player. Want Avatar? You need to buy this brand. Want Shrek? You need to buy this brand.

    Yes, pulling shenanigans like this early on will kill a product. Just like an invite-only system that arbitrarily refuses people killed Google Plus.

  52. It's an intrinsic problem, not a novelty/fad issue by dpbsmith · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There simply are intrinsic problems with stereoscopic 3D. The first is that the point of the technology is to increase realism. When you are experiencing that increase realism, 3D enhances the experience.

    The problem is that because of the geometry of stereoscopy, 3D in a theatre only increases realism if you are sitting in a rather small sweet spot in the middle of the house; in a home, only if you're sitting on one properly placed piece of furniture. Sit farther back, and depth is exaggerated. Sit farther forward, and it's flattened. Sit to the size, and everything is skewed--cubes become rhomboids. Instead of being more realistic than flat cinema, it becomes less realistic.

    This Cabinet-of-Dr.-Caligari effect is novel and stimulating, but it is not realistic or story-enhancing. It's rather like the early days of color TV. Colored snow, and actors changing from purplish to greenish as they walk across the screen, have a gee-whiz appeal, but in the long haul it has to be accurate or it doesn't satisfy, and it can't be accurate if they want to fill a theatre.

    A second problem is that 3D doesn't really work unless the picture is so big that you are never looking close to the screen edges, where you get insoluble problems with binocular disparity if any object in the screen image is closer than the physical screen.

    The second is that you only get an increase in realism if the director and cinematographer throw out a century of screen grammar, and limit themselves to using lens of one focal length. And, the more realistic the basic process, the more jarring something as ordinary as a cut is. We've learned to take cuts from a long shot to a closeup in stride, but it's harder if the image is so realistic that every cut induces a sense of physical movement. The re-thinking of how to tell a story on the screen might be possible. After all, the introduction of sound posed similar problems in the early days. But adding sound meant adding a whole new sensory modality. 3D is really, at heart, just a better picture... just like Cinerama or 48 fps Showscan, neither of which had staying power despite being a breakthrough in realism.

  53. 3D isn't really 3D... by MindPrison · · Score: 1

    There are TWO problems with today's 3D technology on TV sets.

    1) The biggest problem - lack of 3D films, especially within a reasonable price range. And lack of 3D compatible games.

    2) The 3D technology isn't really 3D, it's just a 2D illusion, technically you perceive it as 3d, but if you MOVE your HEAD from SIDE to SIDE - the weakness becomes apparant, you simply can't look around, nor past anything...so it's not really 3D. In other words, just yesteryear's "oh that was fun" fad...

    The most interesting 3D set I've ever seen, was produced by some German company I can't remember, it was a Plasma screen that didn't need glasses, was OpenGL compatible, and you could move from SIDE to SIDE and look around! Awesome TV...wanted it, but it cost over 100.000 DKK (danish currency, at the 3D festival where it was shown) back then...pity...it would have rocked our world.

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    1. Re:3D isn't really 3D... by moogaloonie · · Score: 1

      "2) The 3D technology isn't really 3D, it's just a 2D illusion, technically you perceive it as 3d, but if you MOVE your HEAD from SIDE to SIDE - the weakness becomes apparant, you simply can't look around, nor past anything...so it's not really 3D. In other words, just yesteryear's "oh that was fun" fad..." OK, now you're talking about virtual reality/holodeck immersion. That's not what everyone wants. I don't move my head from side to side to look around in a game, I use the controller to change my point of view. I think traditional games and films work well on a display screen. How are movies even going to work when the audience wants to be able to walk away from the characters and look up into the sky (or whatever)? Not having control of your vantage point is essential to how movies currently work.

    2. Re:3D isn't really 3D... by MindPrison · · Score: 1

      So you'd try to hold your head 100% perfectly still during the entire game? ;) ...dude, you're SO not a gamer.

      --
      What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    3. Re:3D isn't really 3D... by moogaloonie · · Score: 1

      In the case of the 3DS you'll learn to move the unit as you move your head once you are accustomed to playing it. The 3D sweet-spot isn't that small, if you are holding it in front of you at a proper angle, it works just fine. (If I were flailing around playing a Kinect or Move game there would be more of a problem...) I don't hear that many complaints about the 3DS from people who actually own it, most of the complaints seem to come from people who've only seen store units mounted at waist-height with the 3D cranked all the way up (possibly even watching someone else play). That's not how you'll actually experience it at home. Also, if you want to look around and explore a movie interactively, you are a gamer and not a movie fan. Directors and cinematographers have those titles for a reason.

    4. Re:3D isn't really 3D... by Nyder · · Score: 1

      The 3D technology isn't really 3D, it's just a 2D illusion, technically you perceive it as 3d, but if you MOVE your HEAD from SIDE to SIDE - the weakness becomes apparant, you simply can't look around, nor past anything...so it's not really 3D...

      You are watching a fucking flat screen. You cant' look side to side, or around it when it's fucking 2D, so how is that bad?

      Ya, 3D is a gimmick, it's a way of making flat images appear 3D, it's not a magical piece of technology that turns 2D into real 3D.

      swear to god we got so many fucking twats on this article that don't know shit about 3D and what it is.

      Most of you are bashing it for non reason. I'm beginning to doubt that most of you have even gone to see a 3D movie, let alone check one out at someone home.

      Ya, TV's don't need 3D built into them, I agree with that, it is a grab by manufactors to make more money on TV's. But, it seems that most of you are jumping on the 3D sucks bandwagon without actually bothering to experience it fully for yourselves, in the different scenarios.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    5. Re:3D isn't really 3D... by Nyder · · Score: 1

      So you'd try to hold your head 100% perfectly still during the entire game? ;) ...dude, you're SO not a gamer.

      Spoken like someone who hasn't actually played in games with 3D glasses.

      I have, and I can tell you, it's totally cool moving my head around. Shit, when I'm playing Need For Speed World, in 3D, i'm moving my whole body around in my chair trying to avoid crashes and turns, and guess what?

      IT DOES NOT AFFECT MY 3D GAME AT ALL.

      --
      Be seeing you...
  54. 3d gotta haves by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thing I require before 3D sounds even remotely interesting.

    1. I should not have to wear 3D glasses. I already wear glasses and a second pair is a no go. Contacts do not work for me.

    2. A 3D monitor is cool. A 3D projection (outside any sort of screen or monitor) is even cooler. Want me to spend 6 months of pay on 3D? Offer me a coffee table sized horizontal screen that projects 3D images above it's surface.

    Other than that I'll take higher resolutions (higher than 1900x1200), better refresh rates, and larger screen sizes over 3D options any day of the week.

  55. Induced headaches by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Killed any interest in it for me.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    1. Re:Induced headaches by Nyder · · Score: 1

      Killed any interest in it for me.

      That's what she said.

      --
      Be seeing you...
  56. Problem with 3DS by Darkness404 · · Score: 1

    The problem with the 3DS is the main marketing gimmick was IT'S 3-D!!! GAMES IN 3-D ITS GONNA BE AWESOME!!! Well, its awesome for about... 5 minutes or so, then you just get a headache. But really, the 3DS isn't a bad console but will most likely sell fairly poorly because 3D is the main gimmick.

    Aside from battery life (which is better with recent firmware updates) there's nothing really bad about the 3DS. There's been a few good games that have come out, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Tales of the Abyss, Ocarina of Time, and more. Nintendo still doesn't get online services and rather than doing the sane thing and releasing tons of Virtual Console games at once, they keep releasing one or two a week.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  57. He has the right attitude. by safetyinnumbers · · Score: 1

    The Nintendo President's attitude might be the way to save 3D: it's a good effect to improve immersion, it's no big deal, you can turn it off if you want.

    That's the way it will become mainstream, not "YOU MUST BUY A NEW TV THIS YEAR!"

    There's certainly less of a push now. At E3 last year it seemed that you couldn't see a game without having to put on special glasses.
    This year, I was only reminded of 3D when I saw the Virtual Boy at the Videogame History Museum

  58. Re:Has the First Post bubble popped? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think we've reached (or passed) "peak first post".

  59. So we want to go backward now? by moogaloonie · · Score: 1

    I really don't understand the backlash against 3D. I can see the "wow-ness" wearing off and people getting jaded on "meh" content that uses 3D as its primary selling point, but isn't glasses-free 3D still something most people would like to see work? I have a 3DS and love it. I play it in 3D almost exclusively, only turning it off for certain tracks in Ridge Racer, or for playing Resident Evil: Revelations for extended amounts of time. I don't want to go back. If rumors that the 3DSXL has easier to view, more effective, 3D are true, I'll be getting one of those also. I may even get a 3D android phone eventually. It seems silly to me that the WiiU pad's display isn't 3D. That would be a selling point for me. I can't get excited by Vita's superior graphics because it doesn't have the 3DS' immersion. Am I really the only one who sees the 3DS as a move forward?

  60. Glasses required for TV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    3D is great and all for not needing glasses to view the 3D, but TVs do need them, and I don't know that many people who wish to wear those ugly glasses... especially if they already wear corrective glasses.

  61. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by cpu6502 · · Score: 1

    >>> Copied, recompressed, ads and logos added, recompressed again

    That's not pirated content. That's cable and dish content which costs 70-90 a month. Considering pirate stuff is free, I don't care about quality (I d/l the smallest files), but when I am PAYING for something I expect it to look fantastic..... and cable/dish rarely does. Hell I get better quality HD off my antenna!

    --
    My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
  62. Fewer 3D screens by Animats · · Score: 1

    Our local multiplex theater in Silicon Valley is running fewer screens in 3D. All their projectors are digital and 3D-capable. When the 3D boom started out, about 80% of showings were in 3D, with only 20% in 2D. Now it's about 50-50.

    There's a strong tendency in 3D movies to have a big "3D scene". These tend towards either roller coaster simulations or stuff coming at you. Both are boring after you've seen a few of them.

  63. Re:Immersion, Immersion, Immersion by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

    That worked fine for Avatar; all other cinematographic qualities of that flick or lack thereof, the 3D really managed to draw me into the movie, and judging from everyone else who has seen it, I am not the only one who experienced that. Same for Sanctum, even though that was much less of a spectacle film. 3D can add a lot to a movie if done well. It's interesting that you mention B&W because to me, with ubiquitous high quality color systems, that is something that is similar to the current state of 3D: a gimmick. When used well, it can add to the atmosphere of a movie but if misused, it can detract from the experience.

    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  64. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We'll take the fact that you enjoyed the movie Prometheus into account.

  65. OK, you are correct... by Kupfernigk · · Score: 1

    But as you say there is a change of apparent scale. And if your mountain then appears to be only a few metres high and a few metres away, you will get the disorienting effect of moving off axis.

    --
    From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
  66. Why the hate? by cowtamer · · Score: 2

    In true Slashdot fashion, might I humbly suggest the following:

    If you don't want a 3DTV, please do not purchase one!

    If you don't want to see a 3D movie, see the 2D version -- or get creative, obtain two 3D cinema glasses and fashion some "2D" ones for yourself that only show the left (or right) eye image to both eyes.

    Why is there this collective attitude of "OMG I HATE THIS TECHNOLOGY IT MUST DIE NOW"? Some of us have been waiting patiently for some of this tech to reach mass market maturity so that we can do cool stuff with it (3D gaming, head tracking, affordable multiple screen virtual reality, etc.).

    3D is not really the whole issue -- I fear that we now have a generation techies who completely lack imagination about anything beyond higher frame rates, the latest handheld gizmo, and the right to download music for free. (You also see this type of hate spewed on advances in space exploration by so-called 'nerds' ).

    1. Re:Why the hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are a lot of people that, for one reason or another, already have to wear glasses to see normally. Try wearing glasses on top of your prescription glasses to watch a movie for 2 and a half hours, then see how *you* feel.

      Dumbass.

    2. Re:Why the hate? by Nyder · · Score: 1

      There are a lot of people that, for one reason or another, already have to wear glasses to see normally. Try wearing glasses on top of your prescription glasses to watch a movie for 2 and a half hours, then see how *you* feel.

      Dumbass.

      Get contact lenses.

      Dumbass.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    3. Re:Why the hate? by Magius_AR · · Score: 1

      If you don't want a 3DTV, please do not purchase one! If you don't want to see a 3D movie, see the 2D version -

      That's like saying "If you don't want a widescreen TV, don't get one". At some point, a bunch of jackass manufacturers decided that 3D will be built into all "high-end" TVs -- such that if you want a bunch of really nice features like local dimming, you're going to be paying the package deal price of 3D to get it.

      And in the case of the movies, some theaters don't even show many blockbuster movies in anything but 3D, and when they do, it's normally at non-optimal times in the shittiest theater.

      So this is why we rant -- because 3D's existence cheapens all other things.

  67. I have a 3D TV by Old+Wolf · · Score: 1

    ...but only because it was $50 cheaper than the exact same model but non-3D version.

    The guy tried to sell me 2 pairs of active 3D glasses for $110.. no thanks

    1. Re:I have a 3D TV by Old+Wolf · · Score: 1

      Also, as well as supporting 3D input of course , it has a "2D -> 3D" mode where it tries to automatically convert 2D footage to 3D. I guess it detects moving objects and brings them to foreground or something. Can anyone who's tried viewing this tell me if it is ever worth doing?

  68. Re:Immersion, Immersion, Immersion by Vecanti · · Score: 1

    It's interesting that you mention B&W because to me, with ubiquitous high quality color systems, that is something that is similar to the current state of 3D: a gimmick. When used well, it can add to the atmosphere of a movie but if misused, it can detract from the experience.

    For sure. I was just thinking about old B&W movies as well, like Casablanca and Maltese Falcon and how the lighting is so beautiful in b&w. Would be cool to see something just more simple, real and pure, (not CGI) combined with 3D. Or even something like, The Ninth Gate, again the movie might suck, but it had great cinematography and lighting. Not the type of movie you think about being released in 3D right now.

    But, I always think 3D movies should give a feel more similar to a Holodeck, feeling more like you're there then just if you are watching plain 2D, as opposed to 3D being about swords and monsters jumping at me every few minutes. But I seem to be in the minority with the people I know. They're usually, like, "There was nothing 3D in that move expect "X" shooting toward you 1 time." and I'm, like ?? the whole thing was in 3D! It feels more like you're part of it than 2D. It just adds little bit. Of course, with so many mediocre movies coming out lately...

  69. Aha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So exactly 14% of the worlds population are complete end utter morons. thats interesting. Going by the acclaimed "90 % percent of the worlds population are mindless lemmings" figure, we only need to classify the remaining 76%.

  70. Headaches and not doing the other things well yet. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Watching 3D movies in a movie theatre gives me headaches, so why in the world would I want that at home?

    Seriously.

    Also, I don't want my TV reporting back to the home office either, so keep your damn networking out of the TVs too.

    I want a TV that
    * accepts video and audio inputs from a bunch of external devices.
    * when it says "cable ready" that is can tune in every damn channel on the cable system without another damn box.
    * when it says ATSC can actually pull in the broadcast channels without some huge 50 foot tower and DB8 antenna pointed in an exact direction ... until it rains.

    Spend more time on getting the simple things to work right TV makers. Screw trying anything new until every OTA channel that the FCC says I should get from my home is actually received.

    Solve those problems first.

  71. It's not 3D. No wonder there's little interest. by fyngyrz · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You know why I'm not excited? Because the "3d steroscopic effect" is not... 3d.

    It's one POV, the very same one I had in the first place.

    A 3D display would allow me to get up, which would change my POV. It would allow me to walk behind the display, and look at the BACK of the actors. I could look down at the scene, or up at it; I could sit in my chair and rotate the scene with my remote.

    Stereoscopic display tech is no more than 1930's postcard (later ViewMaster) tech. Added to which, it seems that a great deal of the use of it is in displaying distortion -- things TOO close or TOO far, like an addled child with a new toy, the filmmakers just can't seem to get the idea that verisimilitude is of greatest interest, even though everything else about imagery that is popular with consumers is telling them that: resolution, color fidelity, the rejection of NTSC (never twice the same color, lol) for digital, high-resolution detail on reds and blues and colors with those components, instead of the blurry sludge NTSC gave us.

    So to stereovision, good bye, don't let the door hit you in the front porch on the way out. Call me when we're going to have real 3D. That's worthy of my wallet. And the good news is, there are already systems out there. Some people, at least, know which way to go.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re:It's not 3D. No wonder there's little interest. by justforgetme · · Score: 1

      YES! Finally!

      Now let's hope wen can get some good Flicks on the theaters only in 2D!

      Also a total recall and destruction of all 3D movies that were created in the past 2.5ish years would be nice as well!
      And a ban on stereoscopic film making to protect posterity from our ill fates maybe?

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    2. Re:It's not 3D. No wonder there's little interest. by C0R1D4N · · Score: 1

      Every 3d movie would just boil down to upskirt viwed films

    3. Re:It's not 3D. No wonder there's little interest. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, until this tech is absolutely PERFECTED, you want no part of it? Does this attitude spill over into other tech too? If so, which? It is very weird talking to a Luddite on /.. What browser are you using so we can decide what your idea of perfection is? Could the issues you have with the tech be more HOW it is currently used (e.g. sub-par movies)?

      I'm not one to adopt tech quickly, but 3D in the theaters work good enough to emulate the experience, given the tech. I do believe it gives some headaches and makes some motion sick, but I've never seen this firsthand, so the complaints are probably more to the effect of "they support what I think!" mentality.

  72. Games by byornski · · Score: 1

    Although I am not a massive fan of films shown in 3d, I have to mention that the current generation of 3d displays can be used for other purposes. I have an active 3d setup on my pc, with LCD shutter glasses and it is not fantastic for watching films, mainly due to the quality of the films and the 3d effects used in most of them. Where the system really excels is in gaming. It adds a huge quality to games which look pretty decent even without it. LA Noire is one example where I was astounded by how much the improvement added to the atmosphere. I think also because rendered scenes avoid having out of focus areas that it is somewhat easier on the eyes than filmed 3d effects. Definitely worth getting a glimpse of if you can, although it can still stress the eyes a bit.

  73. I might actually buy by sootman · · Score: 1

    If we ever get a new TV, I might just go 3D. Some friends of ours recently got one (Vizio) and the price wasn't too bad. As it happens, we had just come from a 3D movie (Brave--meh) and we had our *ahem* souvenir 3D glasses with us. My friends put on a movie and I was very happy to see that the glasses from the theater (Real 3D) worked with their set. Especially happy since the set of glasses that came with the TV didn't include any kid-sized ones, but the movie theater does supply them.

    I don't overly care for 3D in general but some things, like CGI kids movies, are kind of fun with the effect. And, if this September's Finding Nemo is any indication, someone finally realized that you can make any old CGI movie 3D just by re-rendering it with a new camera angle, so I expect we'll see 3D versions of every movie back to Toy Story in the coming years.

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  74. I want your opinion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I personally think that the 3D bubble has popped because it has noumerous times in the past. Additionally the glasses that you still need to wear are impratical and look stupid lol.
    I'd like to know your take on the subject and therefore created a poll at http://pollator.com/polls/3d-consumer-technology-top-or-flop I would be glad if you'd vote.

  75. Re:3D? Hell I'm still not sold on HD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and reassembled from blocks on multiple overloaded servers.

    Yes, reassembling those digital files from busy servers sure messes them the fuck up.

  76. Re:Immersion, Immersion, Immersion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but in 3D you FELT like you were there.

    Just go to the theatre dude.

  77. or... perhaps... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Perhaps the real problem is that the 3D TV hit the market only a year or two after most people ran out and bought a big shiny 1080p TV as part of the shift to HDTV and trashing that set to buy a big new 3D 1080p set just did not make economic sense...

  78. 3D is lame, head-tracking is cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    at least for me (wearing strong glasses, so i have less depth perception by default), having good head tracking is way more immersing than "static" 3d displays. Both combined is the best obviously ;)

    1. Re:3D is lame, head-tracking is cool by RandomStr · · Score: 1

      I agree, head-tracking is very effective and without all the annoying aspects of stereoscopic - flickering glasses, fixed focus, crosstalk, etc...

      Its a shame the Kinect isn't good enough to do this(I assume; where are the games?).

  79. The technology is too new yet by cheros · · Score: 1

    The problem with 3D is that it has only "just" made it into movie making.

    James Cameron had years to think about filming and editing techniques before he made Avatar, the rest of the cinematic world still has to come to grips with this. Panning, zooming, focus, scene editing - the whole acting and filming techniques that have developed over many years of 2D movie making, so to update that for 3D will take quite a while.

    3D in movies strikes me a bit like the early days of stereo where the idea of a position on the soundstage had not yet developed. Instead, every new record HAD to prove it was in stereo by having instruments either right or left. If you can get hold of "Play that funky music" by Wild Cherry, its introduction will demonstrate what I mean. Nowadays, position is just one more aspect of the sound stream as it gets mixed.

    I think 3D will eventually become mainstream, but it could take as much as a decade before it loses its "gimmick " status.

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  80. A gimmick, but it can be fun by Man+Eating+Duck · · Score: 1

    I tried Crysis 2 with 3D glasses in a store -- it was amazing. The perception of depth was flawless and added a lot to the experience as long as you don't move your head too much. As I only played for a few minutes I'm a bit sceptical regarding fatigue during longer sessions, but 3D is something I'll definitely consider for my next monitor upgrade, even if I don't particularly enjoy 3D movies.

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  81. I actually like 3D by LongearedBat · · Score: 1

    Not everyone considers it a pointless fad. Although for some people stereoscopy doesn't work well or at all, and for others it is uncomfortable or "looking fake" (as my gf puts it), some of us actually enjoy the effect.

    And though for movies 3D is nice, for games 3D is great! I can estimate attack ranges better and mottled bitmaps have proper shape instead of blending together, etc.

    I would very much like to have a lenticular full HD monitor, though I wouldn't shell out the very high prices they charge for a glasses-TV. And to me, if there is a scam, then it's the exorbitant prices they charge. Oh, and of course it's annoying when cinemas show 3D but not 2D.

    Anyway, my point is that some people actually like stereoscopic screens. So, why so much negativity?

  82. Death to 3D, DIE DIE DIE! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Death to 3D, DIE DIE DIE!

  83. Cheesy by DarwinSurvivor · · Score: 1

    3D's bubble will have "popped" when they stop making cheesy effects with it. When color TV's first came out, shows and movies were designed to "show off" that they were 3D (2001 Space Odyssey is a good example). When they stop launching things into the audience and having peoples heads pop out of the screen and 3D just becomes another non-integral part of the video, THEN we can consider calling the bubble "popped".

  84. Re:We don't need 3D, we need much higher resolutio by Necroloth · · Score: 1

    Am I the only one that actually enjoys having things fly at me? I'm fed up of movies trying to give me depth... I'm pretty good at realising when one object moves in front of another in movies without the use of 3D tech... so please, I don't need depth... what I do enjoy is feeling as if I'm in the movie by objects moving past me.

  85. Um, yeah, Nintendo stays on the bleeding edge by TheSkepticalOptimist · · Score: 1

    Sounds like to me Nintendo won't bother trying to support 3D with the new Wii U.

    While I am not huge on 3D for home movies, for gaming this is a nice niche market for the technology. Being able to immerse yourself into a game using 3D is fun and since most gaming involves using some kind of accessory or controller, having to don a pair of 3D glasses makes sense. I think 3D for gaming is in its infancy and will only get better, provided gaming companies invest a little more effort into it. That doesn't mean that ALL games must be 3D, just having the option available on an increasing number of cheap TV's that have the capabilities is a nice option.

    So, just like the fact that the Wii never supported Full HD, sounds like Nintendo's new "next gen" game console will use "last gen" technology. This sounds like a cop out from Nintendo. Their 3DS is bombing so they assume consumers don't like 3D and thus are making no effort to support 3D gaming on the Wii U. This is not Nintendo following consumer trends, it's rationalizing a complete lack of understanding of consumer trends.

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  86. Don't care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Until I can pop in a 3D copy of Avatar and have sex with everything in the movie, I don't give a shit about 3D. All it does it give me a headache.

  87. 3D is junk by omfglearntoplay · · Score: 1

    It's never going to be perfectly clear. It's never going to look exactly like reality. Why go through all the eye-crossing, headache inducing bullshit when a flat screen is better?