TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Six Favorable Signs for 3D Craze and Three Warnings It Will Fail (Again)

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 01-04-10 | Comments

Will this be the year 3D becomes more than just a fad? While there are signs that it is indeed here to stay, there are also warning signs that should not be overlooked.

Stereoscopic 3D crazes have already come and gone (twice). Will 3D have the momentum this time to gain long-term popularity? Here are six favorable signs that this time 3D is here to stay, and three warning signs it may fail (again).

Six Favorable Signs

1. TVs, PCs and Game Consoles Embrace 3D

Sony already leads the industry with its professional video cameras for shooting 3D, and it will bring 3D into your living room in 2010, with 3D models of its "Bravia" LCD TVs, Blu-ray discs, PlayStation3 and VAIO laptops. At this week's Consumer Electronics Show (Jan. 7-10), 3D TVs will also be shown by Panasonic, Mitsubishi, LG Electronics, Samsung and others.

2. Blu-Ray Disc Spec Updated for 3D

The Blu-ray Disc Association has drafted 3D extensions that maintain backward compatibility by allowing existing Blu-ray drives to play 3D discs in conventional 2D format.

3. Soccer World Cup to Be Captured in 3D

Sony will capture the soccer World Cup in 3D this summer and distribute it on Blu-ray discs. The World Cup and Sony will also sponsor public 3D viewing sessions in Berlin, London, Mexico City, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Sydney.

4. Panasonic to Decode 3D Broadcasts

Panasonic has designed 3D cameras and TVs for broadcasters that compress two stereo frames into a single broadcast frame. Its 3D TVs stretch out the compressed dual-image frames and supply them sequentially to the viewers' eyes.

5. HDMI Licensing Group Embraces 3D

The high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) licensing group has drafted a new specification that permits compressed broadcast 3D signals to be routed over existing HDMI cables.

6. Sky Network to Become First 3D Broadcaster

The Sky television network in the U.K. has announced that it will become the first broadcaster to sponsor a 3D channel.

Three Warning Signs

1. Nausea Afflicts 3D Cinema Viewers

A small percentage of cinema viewers report nausea after viewing 3D movies. This legacy symptom of 3D was largely solved by faster frame rates and more accurate 3D imaging. Unfortunately, the recent release of the 3D blockbuster "Avatar" was followed by reports of nausea by some viewers. If the 3D movie industry does not solve this problem, it could kill 3D for the masses.

2. Philips Shuts Down 3D TV Development

Philips removed the main technological obstacle to widespread adoption�the funky glasses�with an autostereoscopic 3D TV last year. Unfortunately, Philips recently announced that it is closing down its 3D TV effort, claiming that the autostereoscopic technique traded off too much brightness, resolution and field of view for being glasses-free.

3. Arisawa Micro-Polarizer Lacks Adopters

Arisawa Manufacturing developed a cheap micro-polarizer panel that removes the higher-price-tag obstacle to widespread adoption of 3D. Unfortunately, no major vendors have adopted its technique.