3D - Not Just A Fad This Time

Back in March 2010 I wrote an article on 3D TV technology - or lack of it. In the article I couldn't figure out why special expensive glasses would be needed to view 3D content on a normal TV. I have since found out they are not really needed - but much preferred! I'll tell you why, but first a quick history on how someone as broke as me ends up buying a shiny new TV.

I blame Netflix for my 3D TV - but not because they have any 3D content - in fact they don't have ANY now since they don't do disk delivery. I was so mad at their recent price increases that I decided to end my long time business with them. I asked myself what were my options and decided to check out Pay Per View (PPV) on DirecTV. My research revealed that not only do they have 3D PPV movies - they actually have three channels dedicated to 24 hour 3D programming! Now I was very interested in upgrading my aging Tube TV to HD with 3D - except for the added costs for HD equipment. A quick call to DirecTV revealed that not only would they get me an HD DVR for free (with a new contract - grrrr!) but they would also give me a discount on the HD service for a year as a loyal customer. At this point I decided I couldn't afford NOT to get a new TV! A beer at a bar costs $6 here - it won't take long to pay for my quality entertainment by staying at home. So, after extensive shopping I finally settled on a Vizio 42" 3D HDTV. It's fantastic! I waited over a month to write this article because I wanted to see if still enjoyed it as much after a while. I still do - very much.

Now, back to the technology. It is true that you don't need expensive electronic glasses to see 3D content on a normal TV - even an old tube TV. You can use the old two color glasses if the picture displayed is in that format. But I discovered why the electronic glasses are needed - clarity! Red-Blue glasses not only reduce the light getting to your eyes but they can also distort the picture. My awesome Vizio TV has active shutter glasses that alternately open and close each eye to match the picture on the TV. Doing this cuts your image quality in half - but thankfully the Vizio TV is a 480hz set instead of the normal 240hz that most HD TVs in this price range have. That means that even in 3D you get a real HD picture. The TV even boosts the brightness of the picture to make up for the light loss created by the glasses when viewing 3D content. The result is amazingly clear 3D picture quality. I love it!

So is 3D just a fad? After all, it's not new - 3D imaging has been around for a very long time. What's changed?. Actually several things have changed that I think will make 3D something that will stick around for a while. The technology to produce 3D movies is very inexpensive now - you can even get an inexpensive personal camera or cell phone that will shoot 3D content. Plus the movie studios have embraced the movement bringing some amazing content to the big screen. All those should eventually end up being available for home viewing just as easily as HD content already is. Plus, there is a wealth of recently passed Imax documentaries, sports content and even concerts currently available on DirecTV on those three dedicated channels. DirecTV is the first to offer dedicated content but I'm sure the other providers will follow soon. But the biggest factor isn't here yet but will be soon - TV's that don't require glasses!

Now that I've enjoyed 3D TV for a while, I find myself watching my normal network shows and thinking "this would be great in 3D!" I don't think it will be long before every show is broadcast in 3D and 2D simultaneously - much the same way they are currently broadcasting in HD and normal definition . I'm looking forward to seeing all my favorite shows in 3D!

Now, if only I could find ANY company that would stream Avatar in 3D -but no! You notice above I said those great 3D movies SHOULD make it to our homes, but once again, consumers are stuck in the middle of stupid legal battles and contracts over content - a subject for another article.