3D Depth: Do you prefer strong 3D or conservative 3D?

[Nommag]

I think when you pay a premium for 3d you should expect/get strong 3d. Any less then strong and it probably means that you will enjoy the cheaper 2d version.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by ObiWanShinobi

I prefer strong to normal. Though I would consider Legend of the Guardians strong... It, like Avatar, was damn near reference quality for the format IMO.

I'd rate Thor 3D as very weak. It had very little depth/natural depth. The characters stood out like cardboard cutouts.

I see what you're saying about Thor 3D. Even though the characters appear as cardboard props as in Alice in Wonderland, I still can see some nice depth there, so in that sense, it's not subtle during that scene in particular.

I'll have to watch Legends again. It's a great looking movie, but we're not counting the movie itself, just the 3D strength.

Originally Posted by Nommag

I think when you pay a premium for 3d you should expect/get strong 3d. Any less then strong and it probably means that you will enjoy the cheaper 2d version.

I agree. It makes 3D fans wonder why so many studios are putting out conservative 3D efforts like Ghost Rider 2 and even Star Wars The Phantom Menace I 3D (just to spark a debate) when they could've made the 3D a lot stronger with more time and money (I guess that's maybe one reason other than "artistic" choice)... If Avatar 3D was the original standard for Strong 3D, why are so many studios not reaching that level of depth? Not skilled enough? Afraid it might hurt people's eyes? Too much money and time needed to convert it properly from 2D?

[steelerik]

I have to say its STRONG for me all the way ... Gimme pop any day over subtlety. It's what I think I have paid for .. everyone has their own preference, but if I don't get pop I feel kinda short changed.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by steelerik

I have to say its STRONG for me all the way ... Gimme pop any day over subtlety. It's what I think I have paid for .. everyone has their own preference, but if I don't get pop I feel kinda short changed.

Plus the fact that subtle 3D is not going to convince anyone sitting on the fence, deciding whether or not to buy a 3D HDTV or a standard HDTV. Let's pretend the only example in the store was Clash of the Titans 3D for lack of a better example, and they never saw another 3D movie out there to compare it to...

The more Strong 3D movies that are made, the better the 3DTV market will be. (though Normal 3D is acceptable, but they could've pushed the cameras/2D images apart just a bit more to get strong 3D).

[steelerik]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

Plus the fact that subtle 3D is not going to convince anyone sitting on the fence, deciding whether or not to buy a 3D HDTV or a standard HDTV. Let's pretend the only example in the store was Clash of the Titans 3D for lack of a better example, and they never saw another 3D movie out there to compare it to...

The more Strong 3D movies that are made, the better the 3DTV market will be. (though Normal 3D is acceptable, but they could've pushed the cameras/2D images apart just a bit more to get strong 3D).

It's the poor 2D to 3D conversions that will kill the market if anything! Imagine if Sammy had hit the cinemas tho!

[Zivouhr]

I keep hearing great things about Sammy the Sea Turtle 3D. I know it's not sold in the US yet, but it should be.

[Nommag]

Sammy's adventure is my reference disc it knocks over every other 3d movie I own by a mile.

[DavidGQ]

Originally Posted by Nommag

I think when you pay a premium for 3d you should expect/get strong 3d. Any less then strong and it probably means that you will enjoy the cheaper 2d version.

Agree with ya. Isn't that why we pay more for our 3D TV or watch 3D in the theater?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

I know a lot of people had similar expectations of Star Wars, but that seems misguided and silly to me. It was shot in and planned for 2D over a decade ago. Anyone who saw it in 2D should've realized there were very few places to apply pop-out without creating awful window violations or completely redoing the effects. Much of the depth was conservative but I felt it worked well, though I can understand how some people could be disappointed.

I guess I just... can't vote in the poll since there's no option to match.

I agree with you regarding the expectations for SW. There really was no particular need for "pop-out", imho.

Originally Posted by DavidGQ

Agree with ya. Isn't that why we pay more for our 3D TV or watch 3D in the theater?

Um, no, it is not. Or, it might be for you, but it definitely isn't for everybody. I was very happy with the 3-D in movies like TPM or even Toy Story 3. It didn't need to be cheesy or needlessly call attention to itself every other shot. And I got my money's worth - in the case of TPM, all 4 times.

[joenostalgia23]

I actually think Tron had really strong 3D. I think it'd very dependent on the brightness of the image.

I can understand if it looked flat, because the image is pretty dark. My TV has pretty good black levels, and I raised the brightness a bit and the depth looked really great. The light around the sets and costumes really stand out too. There's a lot of dimensionality.

I wouldn't call it conservative, especially the IMAX sequences(I still think those scenes look better than any 2.35-2.40 3D film on Blu-ray). It just doesn't have a lot of pop-out.

Again it's all really subjective. We get very different experiences from different hardware. And we all want different things from 3D.

Some people go crazy over pop-out.
Others just want to see the deepest image possible.
And there are those who like dimensionality and textures(multiple objects on different planes)

[joenostalgia23]

Honestly, I think it'd be better to just take away the examples, because people will argue about them.

Some people think Afterlife looks great(it was shot natively) and some think My Bloody Valentine looks terrible(dark image, lots of ghosting) and I actually think Tron is one of the Strong titles.

I can't judge, since I haven't seen a lot of the examples, but it seems like people will have different opinions on the 3D. Just look at reviewers and forums.

[Captain Jack]

I think conservative 3D will be much more acceptable once glasses are not needed, but atm, whilst people have to go to the trouble of wearing glasses that darken the image, well stuff better damn well pop and remind us why we are going to the trouble. If there were no glasses I think even mild 3D would still be enjoyable, not as an immersive experience as such, but as a light improvement on 2D.

[mxracer47]

I enjoy normal to strong 3D. Sammy's adventure strictly for the 3D is a great reference tool that the industry should follow. Everyone I show this movie to is wowed by the 3D effects ! The movie is not to bad either though a bit long winded to get to the point. I have most of the movies currently out in 3D and that movie shows what 3D effects are really possible.

[Interdimensional]

Originally Posted by Captain Jack

I think conservative 3D will be much more acceptable once glasses are not needed, but atm, whilst people have to go to the trouble of wearing glasses that darken the image, well stuff better damn well pop and remind us why we are going to the trouble. If there were no glasses I think even mild 3D would still be enjoyable, not as an immersive experience as such, but as a light improvement on 2D.

I reached pretty much the same conclusion, and I've felt that way for a while now. It's one of the reasons I haven't been particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of glasses-free 3-D.

I prefer 3-D to be a special event. I'm not sure I want it to become just an everyday thing and lose the wow factor.

[Paul H]

Originally Posted by Captain Jack

If there were no glasses I think even mild 3D would still be enjoyable, not as an immersive experience as such, but as a light improvement on 2D.

Sadly not the case using Head Mounted Display technology; i.e. Direct-view 3D with 2D light improvement benefits. Immersive enjoyment is always disappointing with mild 3D, even with added visible detail from the dark scenes.