3D- Problems & Solutions

[fettastic]

I'm a big 3D proponent. I've loved 3D my whole life and dreamed of someday having quality sterescopy in my home and now I do. It's fantastic and I can't wait to see where it goes.

There are a LOT of whiners about 3D, maybe even more than there were for Blu-ray, and that's saying something! I do acknowledge that they have some points and would like this thread to be a discussion of those. But let's keep it PRODUCTIVE. No bashing for the sake of bashing. let's keep it focussed on what we would LIKE to see come out of 3D, whether we know how that could be achieved or not. Hopefully this discussion will allow us to streamline exactly what the issues are so we can start helping out the industry instead of just sneering at it.

The first thing we need to do is all acknowledge that 3D is here to stay. It's not a passing fad, it's not going away.....ever. The fact that really crappy 3D has existed in fits and spurts doesn't really apply to the current technology and frankly quality of films. Avatar kicked the door open wide, and it's never going to shut again. The industry is investing billions into 3D because the interest is there. Tickets sold show it, technology sold shows it.

So with that out of the way..

Problems with the current state of 3D:

1) For whatever reason, people are embarrassed to wear the glasses in their homes. I frankly don't understand this. You're at home! You got no problem wearing them in a room full of strangers but you're embarrassed around your friends and family? I don't get it. But that doesn't mean I don't acknowledge it is a problem for 3D.

2) Eye fatigue. It's real and it's annoying. It seems to be indemic to shutter-glasses technology because the passive glasses we wear at the movies doesn't have as much of an effect on the [populace, and no effect on me. My shutter-glasses can make my eyes sore after an hour or so. Within as few minutes of wearing them I can feel something weird is going on with my eyes. Then when I take them off I have to rub them a bit. As more and more people experience this, it will turn them off to 3D.

3) Very select amount of commercially available content. I mean, COME ON! How many months ago did 3D get launched and as of right now there are only 2 titles available on shelves? Even HD DVD launched with like 8 titles! This is crazy! Fortunately it looks like it is starting to pick up steam but this should have never happened. We should have at least a dozen titles on shelves by now. Of course realize that unlike 2D film vaults there is limited 3D content available, but at least give us 3-4 titles on launch.

4) Price to buy in. First off, this is NOT isolated to 3D. It compares directly with Blu-ray. We needed new players, TVs and receivers for Blu-ray as well. So now the argument is "we just bought all this stuff and now we have to buy it again?". Of course that presupposes that nobody had bought any of these things for several years before Blu-ray came out, and we all know that's hogwash. So although I don't see it as a real problem for 3D since it's being incorporated into everything as a feature anyway, it hampers initial adoption in the same way Blu-ray did.

5) Crappy 3D conversions. I don't think Joe Schmo really knows the difference, but there are a suprising number of people who have never seen a 3D film before. If their first experience is Piranha 3D for example, they may very well come out saying "I don't see what the big deal is." In my opinion, this needs to stop. Fortunately I think it is just an anomoly of wanting to get that "mad 3D cash" quick and from now on most films will be created in 3D from the outset. Clash of the Titans 2 is being filmed in 3D for example.

6) 3D ticket prices. I personally think this is BS. If we aren't keeping the glasses, why do we have to pay for them? Why am I paying for the theater upgrades they are implimenting to get me back as a customer? Subsequently people will be less inclined to see a film in 3D if it costs a family of 4 for example, an extra $16 to see it. I think we've paid our dues by now, lower the prices.

7) Physical limitations. As much as 10% of people can't properly see 3D for some reason. Some people's vision is screwed up beyond the help of glasses, some just can't see in stereoscopic vision. Bizarre but true. And then there's the matter of children 3 and under not only not being able to see in 3D, but watching too many 3D things could actually be harmful to the development of their vision. These are real problems the industry should look into doing something about.