Another Perspective On 3D

The bombardment of 3D has begun. Originally starting as something of a peculiar, novelty industry, the 3D world has taken consumers by storm as the next big thing. As you may have noticed, these days it’s hard to find a movie advertisement without the mention of “now in 3D.”

Without a doubt the 3D craze has swept the nation, and has done so in a variety of industries. In fact, Disney-Pixar's computer-animated family film Up! set records and dominated the box office in its debut, making a whopping $68.2 million in its opening weekend. In the world of sports, ESPN recently did a LIVE broadcast at USC’s Galen Center of the highly anticipated USC versus Ohio State football game.

But what’s next?

While these opening numbers demonstrate a promising future for 3D in theaters, what are the chances 3D television will actually become a household item? A year ago, it seemed a bit farfetched. But a year from today, will you be receiving an invitation to your friend’s New York New Years Eve 3D viewing party to celebrate their new 50-inch addition to the living room?

Chances are, you will. According to Carl Weinschenk of the ITBusinessEdge techblog, there is talk that as many as 46 million 3D capable HDTVs will be sold in 2013. After enjoying the exponential increase in sales that HDTV’s saw these past five years, tech-blogger DishTV reports that some of the biggest electronic companies-including Panasonic, LG, and Sony- are convinced that 3D home television sets are the next big thing.

However, despite all the rage, tech-blogger DishTV is yet to be convinced to jump on the 3D bandwagon. He argues that there are too many problems that will impede the success of 3D television that HDTV did not have to face.

First, he sees a problem with having to wear 3D glasses to watch television. The way 3D works is a viewer must have each eye see the image slightly differently in order to build a multidimensional picture. Families will have to pass out glasses to each other, and have extras for guests, in order to watch television. The hassle of having to put on 3D glasses to watch television, as well as convincing people that it’s worth looking foolish to be able to see that extra dimension, may be just enough to keep customers content with what they already have.

Another obstacle that 3D television will have to face is the shallow pockets of today’s consumers. Because of the economical state of the country, most people right now simply don’t have the money. And because consumers are still becoming acquainted with their new 50-inch HD flat screen television, they probably don’t have the desire, or the financial backing to splurge on another novelty item. The family room looks fine with its new addition, at least for now.

While these seem like appropriate, consumer-oriented speculations, the most rational argument DishTV makes about the potential failure of 3D television is a flaw in its viewing capabilities. A notable flaw in 3D televisions is that they offer a narrow viewing angle. Basically, viewers will need to sit directly in front of the television set to see the 3D images properly. Because this “face-on” orientation already exists in theaters, it has not been a problem. However, with living rooms oriented the way they are, this might be an obstacle that 3D television has to find a way to overcome.

Another logistical obstacle that DishTV claims may impede the success of 3D television is the lack of available content. The expenses and the lack of a common standard for filming and transmitting 3D have made the mass production of 3D entertainment difficult. Consumers will find very little reason to spend a lot of money on a new television if there is not much quality content out there to watch.

Needless to say, a year and a couple months from now, I’d assume that DishTV expects to be sitting at home watching the ball drop at midnight in crystal clear quality on his HDTV.

I, however, believe that I will not have to wait in below freezing temperatures for 12 hours in Times Square to see the ball drop in 3D. With big name television brands like Panasonic, Sony, and LG making big pushes to get 3D televisions in the marketplace this coming year, there is reason to believe that I will need to add 3D glasses to my other festive New Year’s Eve attire.

Or will I even need them? In order to address the aforementioned critical flaw of 3D (restricted viewing angle), companies in the field are trying to make a lens that covers the screen and widens the viewing angle. In doing so, they will eliminate the need for 3D glasses all together. This not only will make the 3D television more suitable for living rooms, but also addresses the “unfashionable” issue that DishTV acknowledged.

More importantly, if people are going to buy a 3D television, they will only make the investment if there is quality content available. This has been addressed by “the very first Mobile Television Truck designed specifically for producing live 3D television events,” according to James Careless. The NEP Broadcasting’s Supershooter 3D has created an end-to-end 3D HDTV production system. This truck alone produced last month’s USC v. Ohio State football game at the USC Galen center.

As an attendee of this inaugural event, I was very pleased with the results. If this truck has the potential to produce streaming, quality 3D video from LIVE sporting events, content production in other aspects of entertainment should not be a problem.

What most people involved in the 3D television conversation seem to be missing is the potential to use the 3D television across platforms like Blu-ray and console games. While this could be viewed as an obstacle, the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers and their “all-embracing 3D Home Master” might be something that no future living room will be without. This system will provide one system that intends to provide the technological capabilities to provide functionality across different platforms while using Blu-ray technology.

Say hello to Halo 3D.

But the aspect of 3D television that I believe will dictate its success in the market is the price point. As aforementioned, consumers will be very hesitant to splurge on a new 3D television in this economy, after recently buying their latest HDTV. According to Marguerite Reardon of the CNET tech blog, Samsung and Mitsubishi currently sell their 3D-ready TVs for between $1,000 and $2,800, depending on functionality. She also adds that these prices are in line with average prices for HDTVs that don't offer 3D readiness.

As far as I can tell, this has great implications for the future of 3D television. Would you add a third dimension to your television viewing experience at no extra cost? I sure would.

Maybe I’m just overly optimistic about the 3D world coming to my living room. Or maybe the time has come for it to be a reality.

What’s your perspective?