3D TVs

The 3D movie insurgency has paved the way for the next step in 3D technology – the 3D television. We all knew it was just a matter of time until 3D TVs started to pick up steam, but will they have the same effect as this decade’s plasma television revolution?

No doubt, 3D movies have become a staple of today’s film industry. Studios drool at the opportunity of charging an extra $3 per ticket – resulting in an automatic 25% more in revenue. However, moviegoers have shown a general decline in interest in 3D movies. I mean it was pretty cool when they first came out, but now they’re almost played out now. The newly released Saw 3D was destroyed in the box office by competitor Paranormal Activity 2 (a 2D release).

Last week I was at Best Buy and I watched the 3D Sony Bravia. I sat in the chair and put the glasses on. As the reel went through sports games, movies and other clips, I couldn’t help but think what the big deal about 3D TVs was. The picture looked almost the same (it’s like when you go to a 3D movie that doesn’t look 3D and you wonder why they made it in 3D) and the glasses are uncomfortable to wear.

Then again, there are some television manufacturers, like Toshiba, that are producing glasses-free models. But the problem with buying one of those is they are really expensive and the technology hasn’t been perfected. Toshiba’s 20” GL1 model (3D & glasses-free) goes for $2900 and is currently only available in Japan. It also looks like shit (see above picture). It’s like they took a plasma from 1998 and shoved a 3D platform into it. Also, you can only see the 3D image if you sit at a certain angle directly in front of the screen. However, the glasses-free models are the only option in my opinion. People who buy the 3D with glasses models have to buy the glasses (at $200 a pop). And what do you do when people come over?

Even with the current drawbacks, I think 3D TVs will gain significant market share in the near future. Technology and societal one-upmanship will cause people to buy 3D TVs to impress their contemporaries, only to find out the picture’s not really that different.