Avatar Blu-ray - Dilemma

[Anth1888]

With Avatar due to come out on Blu-ray at the end of the month i just think people will be disappointed from the 3D cinema release (which the majority went to go see the film).

I saw the movie once in 2D and found it underwhelming and the story quite simple and obvious. However when i saw it in IMAX 3D i was amazed by the technology as the experience was so much better than 2D.

I have no doubt it will look great in blu-ray but i don't even think i'll re-watch it as it wont be the same.

With more are more films coming out in 3D the new blu-ray 3D technology will ultimately change this but i think it's to early as people are just making HD TV the norm as it will cost few grand to upgrade sets/players (minus PS3).

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Anth1888

With Avatar due to come out on Blu-ray at the end of the month i just think people will be disappointed from the 3D cinema release (which the majority went to go see the film).

I saw the movie once in 2D and found it underwhelming and the story quite simple and obvious. However when i saw it in IMAX 3D i was amazed by the technology as the experience was so much better than 2D.

I have no doubt it will look great in blu-ray but i don't even think i'll re-watch it as it wont be the same.

With more are more films coming out in 3D the new blu-ray 3D technology will ultimately change this but i think it's to early as people are just making HD TV the norm as it will cost few grand to upgrade sets/players (minus PS3).

Completely agree, too fast, HD has only just broke out completely Mainstream and now they're forcing 3-D down us as well. We're getting normal TV into 3-D and I think this is where the death of 3-D will come into play. At least this time anyway.

The 3-D technology for Home won't take off as they expect as most people will wait to see if this hits the mainstream and no one will be the first to jump the boat.

Or I could be completely wrong, people will want to recreate the True 3-D experience at home and will be a complete success.

We'll just have to wait and see, I think it's too fast!

[Mr. Brightside]

I'm looking forward to the 2D Blue, mainly because we have no cinema in our town so I missed the theatrical release.

The 3D issue is a difficult one to call, as many folks simply won't have the sort of disposable income required to fund the purchase of expensive equipment; especially as we're only just out of recession.
I hope the format does take off. There will always be early adoptors in any climate, and as prices drop during the course of the next 2 years, one would hope the format grows and becomes a success. All things considered, it may be several years before we see real numbers growth for 3D. Personally, 2D at home will do me fine.

[marlon dingle]

I think they should have waited at least a few years before bringing out 3D at home. So they could have kept it as a cinema exclusive experience at least for a while. So that when they did finally bring out 3D they would have had a back-log of titles to release along with it and then there would have been more demand for it. But for some reason they have decided to release 3D TV's, Blu-Ray players and now in the UK, Sky 3D, early without enough actual stuff to watch on the expensive equipment. I would wait a couple of years anyways with any new technology to see how it takes off, and also for it to get cheaper and become efficient and better at what it does. I'd really like to see the first day sales for the first (proper) 3D blu-ray.

It's a good technology and really adds to a film like Avatar. But with these rushed out versions of equipment, people are going to decide that it is still in fact a gimmick because the quality of the products are going to be really poor.

[Jezza]

I recently watched a video review for the new Samsung 3D TV, and both the reviewers mentioned the glasses, because of the shutter technology, creates a flickering looking when watching the TV and also you have to sit within about 3 ft of the TV for the 3D effect to work, so I'll give a couple of years or just wait and see if the price drops.

As for the Avatar Blu-ray, well I never saw the 2D version as I wanted to view the proper versin of the film, so maybe it may not be as exciting or thrilling as the 3D edition, butI'm sure in Hi-Def it will look stunning, so that may make-up for I don't know, we'll have to wait and see.

[Anth1888]

I don't think consumers will want to pay another £2000 for a new television from upgrading to HD TV and investing in a new BD Player. I think Sony are capitalising on the whole 3D buzz going on now from the cinema and i'm sure the 'new' generation of 3D will be heavily advertised.

I do hope it takes off as 3D is reviving cinema again and get a full 3D set up at home (in some years to come). But I think it's just too fast with Blu-ray becoming more popular and HD TV becoming mainstream there is just always something new now technology is evolving quicker and quicker to the cost of the customer.

[Kyo28]

I agree with Anth1888.

In the past 2 years we've invested in the following equipment:

• 1080p HDTV from Panasonic
• TX-SR607 Onkyo receiver (handles lossless encodes)
• 5 B&W M1 speakers
• 1 B&W ASW607 subwoofer
• Playstation 3 & Playstation 3 slim for BD playback
• 2 HDMI cables

And now, they expect us to re-invest in the following to jump to 3D:

• New BD player (will have to wait to see if the PS3 can handle full HD 3D with firmware updates)
• New receiver that can pass-through the 3D video signal
• New HDTV that can handle HD 3D
• 3D glasses (one per viewer)

... all that after only 2 years time. I'm a big movie/TV series fan but that's a bridge too far for me. So for now I focus on buying the movies that I like on Blu-ray and if there are 3D versions coming out lateron, that'll be something I might buy later down the line, after I get the necessary equipment which won't be for another 5 years I think.

[nametag]

I'm not sure the average consumer thinks the 3D experience is worth the extra money when they it comes to having it in the home, not unless they a) have lots of disposable income, or b) are sorta techno geeks who want the latest technology. Add to this the fact that only select movies are out in 3D and so far, and only Avatar has done it properly if you ask me. I saw an Imax 3D showing of Avatar, which WAS an experience, but I'll never be able to create that in the home - but that is just as much to do with the size of the screen as the 3D element. The 3D effects were more submersive and subtle than things poking at you, but I gotta wonder if this means one really would notice the difference anyway (though clearly the original poster thinks so).

I'm also a bit surprised they are pushing it for the home market as well - 3D is clearly a marketing ploy to help combat piracy and get people to go to the cinema... but then I guess it's pretty hard to pirate 3D BDs, and you need the 3D TV and BD player anyway...

[Anth1888]

I think the 3D experience is combating privacy which in itself is a big deal for the film industry. But the major studios want to capitalise on this further by doing the same in the home 3D cinema experience.

Personally I think it will never take off as there will be regulations on specific seating arrangements, lighting and other aspects for the 3D to work perfectly. Whilst in a cinema all these are taken care of especially in IMAX.

I think 3D may die out eventually, its still a bit of a novelty i feel with films where film studios want to charge extra money to show a 3D film (extra £2 in cinemas) only Avatar and even Alice in Wonderland make the experience feel completely unique which will be near impossible to do at home. Therefore the general customer think they will get the same experience at home when seeing a 3D film at the cinema - which wont happen and they will then feel disappointed, which wasn't the case in conventional 2D.

This is what i feel with Avatar after seeing it in IMAX 3D i just don't think the film will be the same after watching it in 2D at home. However the film will look stunning on BD and i do think i will pick up a copy.

[Jezza]

I'm not sure it will die out as people have said, but I do think people may grow tired of seeing it so often, but studios will still use 3D technology simply because they are now able to do it more convincingly than before.