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3D is Alive, Well
Did all of the skeptics really think 3D would remain mired forever in these early pitfalls?
The 3D naysayers are losing. Despite slams from Roger Ebert, integrators and so many others, 3D is winning.
There is no greater proof than the new applications and positive vibes that pervaded CES 2011 and Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam.
Since 3D exploded at CES 2010, it’s been a bummer of a year for the technology, despite successes at the box office. Critics complain about a lack of content, and an even greater lack of good content. The glasses are uncomfortable and unfashionable and un-interoperable. It’s all so expensive and generally unnecessary.
Did all of the skeptics really think 3D would remain mired forever in these early pitfalls? Here’s evidence that 3D is thriving.
3D Ecosystem. The major CE vendors showed much more than 3D TV sets. They demonstrated the entire 3D ecosystem from cameras to content. The most comprehensive soup-to-nuts 3D demo belonged to Sony. Consultant Marc Finer told me during CES that the big news from the show is “the fact that nobody is trying to bury 3D,” despite the embarrassment of 2010. “What else will it take for the industry to show its commitment to 3D?” Sony brought an entire production studio to the show. Elsewhere we saw 3D video cameras and still cameras, 3D-capable media servers, and oh so many 3D glasses (like the stylish ones I’m wearing).
Glasses. No less than a dozen vendors showcased new designs for 3D glasses, from stylish Oakleys to childish Shrek specs from Look 3D, to prescription lenses from Samsung. More importantly, standards are beginning to emerge for active 3D technology. ZigBee, for example, demonstrated its new 3D Synch technology - still under development - for RF communications between the display and the eyewear.
Useful Applications. 3D isn’t just for gaming and gimmicks. The commercial applications demonstrated at both big CE events were remarkable. At CES, Panasonic showcased its 3D videoconferencing solution including dual-lens video camera, decoder, display and glasses. Sure, it was fun when my videoconferencing partner flung bouncy toys out of the screen at me, but the practical implications are obvious. Think prototyping and product demos.
Interactivity. As with videoconferencing, the emerging trend of 3D interactivity is a boon to product design collaborators. Numerous demonstrations popped off the ISE show floor, but the most exciting was at Christie, which provided video projection for a virtual reality system from Virtalis. I donned the big glasses, grabbed a remote-like device and intuitively walked through a factory simply by turning my head and manipulating the wand - all made possible by strips of sensors lining each side of the screen.
As if I were holding them in my hand, 3D components could be plucked from the screen and examined at any angle. Ditto for a similar demo at Fraunhaufer, except no handheld device was required. Through mere gesture control I rotated and selected virtual parts and pieces. Think surgical and clean-room applications.
There is no greater proof than the new applications and positive vibes that pervaded CES 2011 and Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam.
Since 3D exploded at CES 2010, it’s been a bummer of a year for the technology, despite successes at the box office. Critics complain about a lack of content, and an even greater lack of good content. The glasses are uncomfortable and unfashionable and un-interoperable. It’s all so expensive and generally unnecessary.
Did all of the skeptics really think 3D would remain mired forever in these early pitfalls? Here’s evidence that 3D is thriving.
3D Ecosystem. The major CE vendors showed much more than 3D TV sets. They demonstrated the entire 3D ecosystem from cameras to content. The most comprehensive soup-to-nuts 3D demo belonged to Sony. Consultant Marc Finer told me during CES that the big news from the show is “the fact that nobody is trying to bury 3D,” despite the embarrassment of 2010. “What else will it take for the industry to show its commitment to 3D?” Sony brought an entire production studio to the show. Elsewhere we saw 3D video cameras and still cameras, 3D-capable media servers, and oh so many 3D glasses (like the stylish ones I’m wearing).
Glasses. No less than a dozen vendors showcased new designs for 3D glasses, from stylish Oakleys to childish Shrek specs from Look 3D, to prescription lenses from Samsung. More importantly, standards are beginning to emerge for active 3D technology. ZigBee, for example, demonstrated its new 3D Synch technology - still under development - for RF communications between the display and the eyewear.
Useful Applications. 3D isn’t just for gaming and gimmicks. The commercial applications demonstrated at both big CE events were remarkable. At CES, Panasonic showcased its 3D videoconferencing solution including dual-lens video camera, decoder, display and glasses. Sure, it was fun when my videoconferencing partner flung bouncy toys out of the screen at me, but the practical implications are obvious. Think prototyping and product demos.
Interactivity. As with videoconferencing, the emerging trend of 3D interactivity is a boon to product design collaborators. Numerous demonstrations popped off the ISE show floor, but the most exciting was at Christie, which provided video projection for a virtual reality system from Virtalis. I donned the big glasses, grabbed a remote-like device and intuitively walked through a factory simply by turning my head and manipulating the wand - all made possible by strips of sensors lining each side of the screen.
As if I were holding them in my hand, 3D components could be plucked from the screen and examined at any angle. Ditto for a similar demo at Fraunhaufer, except no handheld device was required. Through mere gesture control I rotated and selected virtual parts and pieces. Think surgical and clean-room applications.
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About the Author
Julie Jacobson, Editor-at-large, CE Pro
Julie Jacobson is co-founder of EH Publishing and currently spends most of her time writing for CE Pro, mostly in the areas of home automation, networked A/V and the business of home systems integration. She majored in Economics at the University of Michigan, earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and has never taken a journalism class in her life. Julie is a washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player with the scars to prove it. Follow her on Twitter @juliejacobson.
2 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
People on my side of the fence are still buying 3d tv’s to have the best 2d picture they can. The interest is just not there. The interest in the IP TV’s coming out will have a greater impact as that is what consumers are waiting for. The IP push will be the big mover and should be starting soon in the market place.
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Showcasing their 3D wares at trade shows does not indicate success for the industry. To the extent that 3D has succeeded in theaters, it has been because IMAX consumers have had no other choice. Consumers who have wanted to see a feature in IMAX have had to endure the 3D glasses, because IMAX films have been shown in no other format. To the extent that 3D has succeeded in the home, it has been because high-end television consumers have had no other choice. For over a year now, consumers who have wanted to purchase a high-end television could only purchase 3D sets. This does not indicate that these consumers are consuming 3D content. Lest this should be taken as anecdotal, consider that there is virtually no 3D content for consumers who have purchased 3D sets. Until 3D is no longer 3D, until it becomes full immersion virtual reality sans the glasses that make you sick, a gimmick it will remain.