Is 3D dead? (on 3D Blu-ray and 3D TVs)

[ay221]

Are 3D TVs still being made for other countries, or is that dead too?

[Martha Bern]

I'm really glad to see new posts added here. Well, I like everything, which is of high quality. Just like I've been recently satisifed with new vinyl windows I've ordered for my house, I am now pleased to look through the 3D movie posts found in this thread. I should admit that I'm a huge movie fan and I'm sure that 3D technology is not going to die neither in Canada, nor in other countries of the world, unless it is replaced by another advanced technology. We'll see)

[Joe D.]

My pharmacist got a package when I was picking up prescription. Joked if it was Guardians of the Galaxy 2. He wants to see it. Told him that movie was made for 3D and we just saw it at home. Told me he wanted to look into a 3D set.

Explained situation but said I would help him out.

There are those out there who I bet are suddenly going to be disappointed, unaware of what's going on in the industry at this point.

[partridge]

3D was pushed too early; if only it had been part of the 4K scene. My 3D blu-rays have never looked better (LG OLED55C6)

[gazadams]

Plus releasing the format in the middle of a recession didnt help matters either . When we went shopping for our first 3d tv set about two years ago . The first big shop i went in and asked could i see one of their 3d tvs. They simply pointed a finger and said their ! Then when i asked wheres the glasses so we could watch some of it ...they said they didnt have any ! Then i said where do you get the glasses from and they said they cost about £70. I had to do some research then for myself and found out about active and passive and bought the tv elsewhere. When i took my sister to a shop when she was hopeing to get a 3d tv (her Husband wasnt bothered) . The salesman kept saying how much he hated 3d . So i told him i couldnt care less about his views and that was another potential 3d sale gone . With people like this trying to sell 3d tvs , what hope has the average Joe got ?

[KRW1]

I bought my last set from a dealer in 2015. It was 3D. I asked about glasses and he said not to bother as we'd end up not using it. He did eventually sell me some but I had to push.

[LordoftheRings]

Transformers: The Last Knight - 3D Featurette - Paramount Pictures - YouTube

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by ay221

Are 3D TVs still being made for other countries, or is that dead too?

Yes, I believe so, they have 3D TVs still being made. And 3D Blu-ray movies are also released more consistently overseas than here in North America, home of Hollywood movie industry, where 4K is being pushed by killing 3D.

Some day we might wake up and realise the missed opportunities. It's a money industry, very aggressive, without mercy and without 3D compassion. It won't last forever because 3D is just too important in the cinema experience. The technology will improve and new Blu-ray standards will reach higher levels of cinema dimension. ...Like 3D in ultra high Def plus with 3D Atmos for example.

Time and money are what slowing us down. I think .

[8traxrule]

I'll buy a 3D TV from another country if they're available. Sure sounds like electronics salespeople are STILL f-ing idiots, even outside the US.

[leogonini]

Im really not that interested in 4k, then after 4k whats next, 8k? probably it will be, its a one way path that requiers no creativity but IMO it leads to a dead end, I think tecnology should of shifted to something different like 3d

[Paul H]

Originally Posted by leogonini

Im really not that interested in 4k, then after 4k whats next, 8k? probably it will be, its a one way path that requiers no creativity but IMO it leads to a dead end, I think tecnology should of shifted to something different like 3d

I believe 3D soon will revive, because the technology advances of 2D 4K is now a reality that is ready for alteration where 3D 4K can be displayed on 8K screens, resulting in passive 4K 3D and glasses-free 4K 3D.

Also, people are discovering the thrills of 3D more than ever before.

Tell me if the following idea makes sense as one of the factors as to why 3D takes so long to catch-on.

3D sight from linking visual image signals via the brains communication-link process is called fusion and is a gift you either have, or - as many frustrated viewers will testify - don’t have, or is not working well.

In fact, scientists surmise while some are born with the ability for full natural 3D vision, like gifted artistic talent, most people have to teach their brains by exercising pertinent function processes well.

The only catch is that ‘like all difficult skills, one probably needs 10,000 hours of practice to become really proficient'.

[robetclo2516]

As far as I can see. Home 3D is not doing well, it is agonising. But as long as peoples with 3D setups will buy those movies and not downloading them illegaly 3D as a chance of surviving. I have seen 4K and yes the colors are good and lifelike but that's it. As far as the advertising to say Theater quality experience sorry to say not a 100%. There are still movies shown in 3D in theater and to say to us that 4K is like the quality in theater well 3D must be included to reach a 100% score. We should be able at home experiencing movies the same way than in theater. Blu-ray 3D has been good to deliver but with the lack of a good marketing plan wich became the greatest fiasco caused by the exclusive deals wich included Avatar, the greatest 3D succes, and not being able to buy it only after a year and a half after it was originaly released as a Panasonic exlusive deal. Personally I beleive that 3D will come back at home and I beleive it is still possible with 4K tv's. In fact a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc is a BDXL, If you can look at the file structure is is the same as a HD Blu-ray as a BDMV file is there plus the playlist and M2TS files. For a HD Blu-ray 3D the adding of a special file SSIF wich accociate with the M2TS files. So technicly speaking it is possible to create a 4K UHD Blu-ray 3D as SSIF files takes only a few MO on a BD this should be increased by a few GO instead not enough to create a lack of space on a BDXL disc. We just need a movie that will reignite the 3D fire and 4K 3D tv's will be back or even but this time the elecronic companies will have to find a standard to apply. The best candidate for me will be the LG Oled passive one. They acheived to give us 2K for each eyes that is not bad, with almost no crostalk and imagine it with HDR or Dolby Vision this would be a very good 3D but I also will mean to find a way for HDR and Dolby Vision to compensate for the lost of brighness by using passive glasses wich is less strong than the active glasses. I beleive that although Home 3D is fading, it will like a Pheonix, will be reborn from its ashes.

[robetclo2516]

I am like you, they claim that 4K is life like almost dimensional, but to be dimensional we have to see depth and as far as I know there is no way that a 2D picture could give me depth only a 3D picture will be able to fully acheive that no matter how much the is perfect. 2D is 2D and 3D is 3D. For those who don't think 3D isn't good enough well what is? We all see naturally in 3D with the exeption of 10% of the population that have certain issue with 3D vision and 3D is not for them for sure but there is still 90% of the population that can. I always loved 3D because it made me see a movie as if I was looking into a frame open from the outside and they could reach me (from time to time). If some people don't like to see in 3D just try this: patch one eye and try to operate delicate task with only one eye. You will have difficulty. Also look a good outside scenery with only one eye then use both eyes and look at it again. If you can't see any difference it is because you are in the 10% and 3D movies for you is nothing. For you who hate 3D, you have the right to but you have also the right to change your mind as only crazy poeples won't change their minds so unless you are crazy and I hope not.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by robetclo2516

2D is 2D and 3D is 3D.

This sounds like something Randy from My Name is Earl would say.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Originally Posted by Paul H

I believe 3D soon will revive, because the technology advances of 2D 4K is now a reality that is ready for alteration where 3D 4K can be displayed on 8K screens, resulting in passive 4K 3D and glasses-free 4K 3D.

If a revival for 3D would require people who have upgraded their equipment to 4K (including TV, BD player, possibly a new sound system that can pass the 4K signal through people use it as a pass-through between the player and TV etc.) to buy new versions of all of that equipment again in order to have 3D compatibility, then unfortunately it will probably be dead on arrival.

In my opinion from the get-go the way that 3D was introduced into home theater technology was haphazard and poorly thought out.

Rather than having it be part of the Blu-Ray and HDTV spec from the get-go, it was introduced afterwards. And the timing was awful.

Just as people were adopting HDTVs, and as the dust was finally settling from the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD format war, allowing many hold outs to finally start adopting Blu-Ray, just a couple of years or so after that come the 3DTVs and 3D Blu-Ray players.

So now people are being told that they have to upgrade everything AGAIN if they want to enjoy 3D at home. And for something that many consider to be a gimmick (no offense to the 3D enthusiasts here, but for many people, even if there is interest in using it, it would be as an occasional thing for many people), it's just not worth it.


Now 4K has come along. As it is, having a new home media format (even if it is an upgraded version of Blu-Ray) at this point in time with digital distribution running strong is already questionable. But it has done relatively well even for having a basically niche audience at present, and some people who don't even have a 4K set up yet are buying those packs since they come with the regular Blu-Ray and they know that eventually they'll likely have the proper set up. And since they watch content in 2D more often than 3D anyway, this doesn't conflict with that.


Trying to add 3D to that now or in the near future, requiring upgrading equipment all over again, would just be insane.


Honestly what should have happened is that 3D Blu-Ray shouldn't have come out when it did. Instead, it should have been something included with the 4K BD spec and included as an option on the 4K discs and with 4K TVs. 3D would work great as an additional built-in option in something that people are upgrading to anyway regardless of their interest in 3D. Just having it included with the 4K TVs and discs by "default" would probably make more people try it out who never even bothered with the 3D Blu-Ray format.

Essentially, the 3D tech really needed some kind of "Trojan Horse" to get into people's homes. It needed to be included in something that people were going to buy anyway, and have it be a consistent feature from the get-go. But that never happened, and 3D on it's own just never appealed enough to a lot of people to make them want to upgrade to and adopt it on it's own merits.

[LordoftheRings]

Depth means Dimensional, as in 3D or as in Holographic. It goes with picture (3D), and it goes with sound (Atmos, dts:X and Auro-3D). If they can put 3D Atmos or dts:X immersive sound with all the 3D immersive Blu-ray movies, 3D would be less dead. 3D picture goes with 3D sound, together, for the most immersive 3D cinema experience. ...DDDuh

To put Atmos exclusively with 4K it tells us all we need to know about the moving movie industry.
Don't get me wrong, 4K is a beautiful thing, I love it big time, and so is 3D. It is like having two kids, a boy and a girl...you love them both equally, without preference. ...Like a normal well balanced family. No one child should die for another child. ...Right?

[poke smot]

Originally Posted by Martha Bern

I don't think that 3D was doomed from the very beginning and I don't think it will die in the nearest future. This technology will flourish in the nearest future and, I hope, it will be replaced by more advanced technlogies soon.

3d was doomed when introduced at home for two reasons: one, active tech stinks. Passive should have been introduced first. Two, when they made 3d movies like Avatar exclusive to buying a specific brand of TV (for like 3 years btw).

[musicman1]

Originally Posted by BackQuack

Bingo. It's obvious what TV manufacturers plans are:
-1080p TVs introduced and eventually everyone adopted HD and replaced their old analog sets. TV sales dropped once the market was saturated.
-To entice people to buy new sets, 3D was introduced.
-When it was apparent 3D would not be the cash cow they had hoped, 4k was introduced.
-Cheaper 1080p sets are phased out along with 3D to concentrate sales of 4k so once that is milked they can introduce 8k. And so on...

They don't want competing formats. They want to roll them out one at a time in order to squeeze every last dollar they can from consumers hoping that we continually upgrade our equipment.

Now that I look back, I just think of all the money I spent to adopt 3D and it makes me sick:
-Paid a premium for a 3D TV over it's 2D counterpart
-Had to upgrade my receiver to one with 3D support
-Ripped out my walls in order to run upgraded HDMI cables which now wouldn't even support 4k now.
-Numerous pairs of active shutter glasses
-Paid a premium for a 3D capable Blu-ray player
-Paid a premium for 3D movies over the 2D version


Now they want me to do the exact same thing with UHD...no way. I'm not diving right into this one, I'm going to be patient and spend my money wisely.

I agree with you. To keep sales up they will phase out 1080p sets which most consumers would be very happy to watch till they die (either the tv or the person) and market the new and improved tv's to keep getting top dollar in sales. I just bought a 4K set and I have no plans to buy a 8k or 16k or 32k until this tv dies. I just did what you did on 3D for 4K -- upgraded my system. New TV, receiver, bluray player, Dolby atmos speakers plus new hdmi cables.

[dhvsfan]

Originally Posted by poke smot

3d was doomed when introduced at home for two reasons: one, active tech stinks. Passive should have been introduced first. Two, when they made 3d movies like Avatar exclusive to buying a specific brand of TV (for like 3 years btw).

I disagree with you about active tech. Viewing on my active set is spectacular. But then again I have a DLP set. The only downside is the expense of the 3D glasses.

Yep, exclusive 3D features definitely didn't help.

[film11]

Originally Posted by GunZenBomZ

I for one have skippped 4K as a good friend acknowledged it would burn a lot of people who choose it as a route of upgrade with the next UHD phase been the real step up. Gushing & making people drool at almost being there levels of quality (8k).

An 8k Super Hi-Vision Television at CES had glassless 3D; they also stated 8k format would enable 22.2 speaker config & upto 60 speakers. 4K was the new mistaken stepping stone people have been duped into doing.

This thread has delivered some very interesting perspective, thanks people.

Wow. I'm surprised to read this here but you are absolutely correct in that 4k is an interim format. (One of numerous reasons I'm not on the bandwagon.)

They are always looking for ways to re-sell catalog titles. With 3d, that was a problem because most films weren't meant for 3d. But that wasn't going to stop them, which was why they came out with piss-poor conversion of things like I,ROBOT and JUMPER. No such concerns with 4k discs. They just alter the movie, darken it, change some colors, add fluorescence, then slap the HDR label on it...and the niche consumers will pick them up and post raves.

As one who saw some HD on laserdisc and even VHS back in the 90s, a new 480p disc format meant nothing to me. (Especially since I saw bits of 2001 on a prototype digital laserdisc proposed for HD back then.) Looked fantastic and the current BD doesn't even live up to it.) So I never bothered with DVD as anything more than a rental medium. Not will I be buying many "4k" discs (Only bought 4 to date, at BB fire sales.) I've seen some 8k, twice directly and once via Youtube. And even though the YT 8K was viewed on a 4k set, it STILL looked better than most 4k discs that people unjustifiably drool over. So I can wait. Since movies aren't being shot for 8k (or 4k, for that matter), when or if 8k discs ever appear is questionable. We don't even know what the state of physical media will be by then. But there will be streaming.

As for glassless 3d, it is nowhere near as effective as with-glasses. The ONLY people that might be impressed with it are the ones who say "HDR makes GOTG V.2 look like 3D!" (Not even close.)

What I would hope for with 8k is the allowance of 4k 3D.
Whether we ever get that or not is anyone's guess.