Is 3D Struggling to Become Mainstream?

Is 3D struggling to become mainstream? I’d rather try to bail out the Titanic with a shot glass.

Tom, I saw the 3D demo’s at CEDIA, arguably the leading edge of our industry, and I was bored.  I hate the glasses (I call them goggles), and the experience is very much a solo endeavor, like listening to music on headphones, because you are sitting in a dark room with a bunch of other people wearing goggles.  Sitting in a room of grown men and women wearing goggles is funny on some level, but does it translate down to our typical end-user family and friends in their living room?  I guess that remains to be seen, no pun intended.

When true HD was introduced to our industry, it was mind blowing and exciting, and could be enjoyed in a family setting.  The depth and clarity was (and is) stunning.  But having a boney hand reach out and nearly touch my nose during a movie is a novelty that doesn’t hold my attention, which is pretty short to begin with. 

A few years ago DVD audio was supposed to change everything (wow, the choir is behind me!), but the novelty wore out and died fast.  I wonder (and will stand corrected and humbled) if 3D will even be part of our residential installation vocabulary in 2-3 years?

Is the adoption rate any different from the first year HDTV was available???  I would say that adoption of 3D is going at a MUCH faster pace than HDTV did during its first year…and with less content!

For everyone predicting doom and gloom on 3D…give it a year, then start complaining!  Geez…I used to think I was a pessimist before I got in this industry!

@John,
I still remember when customers were asking me when HDTV was coming out before they purchased their $800.00 NEC CRT TV in the mid 80’s.

I have no doubt that 3D may become the norm, but not anytime soon. IMO, as I’ve stated before, it is presently a gimmick that people don’t care about. Not to mention, even if you were stupid enough to pay extra for the 3D technology available today, the average, “so-called,” big screen flat panel TV sold & purchased today is only 50” diagonal.

I would hardly call that a, “submursive’ experience.

Its important to note, Dave, that people “stupid enough” to buy a 3D capable TV are also getting the best possible 2D TV.  These TVs should be sold as top performing 2D sets that happen to have 3D as a feature…selling the set as a 3DTV is only going to limit your sales of top tier sets.

And if you are after a truly immersive 3D experience, JVC, Sony, and others are releasing 3D capable front projectors this fall.  And if someone has been living with a 32” tube TV, I would say 50” is plenty immersive!

As long as we hashing through some of this stuff, I think another piece to the puzzle is will 3D pass the “mom test.”  Women hold a huge amount of power in terms of what is installed in the home, and I always walk that fine line of building a great system, but not having it look like a Harley.

Do most women want to watch TV with glasses, and have them scattered all over the coffee table?  We’ll see…

Brad:  Good point!  However, I think most moms will go for it, if only to sedate their children for a few extra hours a day!

If the TV comes with 3D capability at no extra charge, no harm no foul. Outside of that, it’s crap and a disservice to our clients to even lean them in that direction.

How many installer’s get told by the customer that they are going to buy or want to have installed a “big ol 50” flatscreen” these days, when it just feels so mediocre??