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Re: Sony's 3-D Gamble: Must-See TV or the Next Smell-o-Vision?
Posted by: Renay San Miguel 2009-09-02 12:39:19
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Pity the early technology adopters in this world. Just as they have accepted the fact that three years ago, they paid more than $5,000 for a 42-inch flat-screen HDTV that now sells for close to $1,000, a new image starts to coalesce in front of their eyes -- an image so real, so lifelike, it could only be ... a 3-D TV. It may be back to home entertainment's square one for those first adopters, thanks to consumer electronics giant Sony. Company CEO Howard Stringer said Sony will start selling Bravia televisions with three-dimensional viewing capabilities next year.
Real 3D - as opposed to the bogus stuff that requires glasses - has been available for a number of years from a company in Rochester NY called Dimension Technologies (www.dti3d.com). The military, NASA, medical researchers and the R&D industry have been using this very advanced technology for a long time. The images literally jump off the screen and hang in space, and no glasses are required. Glasses-based home 3D will never succeed - it's just too clunky. But this no-glasses technology probably will.
I doubt it will catch on. There's hype for 3-D now, but that's only "ooo new toy" hype. As soon as people start recognizing the headache they get at the movie theater as "3-D headache", the hype's going to go away.
And despite claims to the contrary, "3-D headache" isn't going away with new technology. My boyfriend and I both experienced it at the new Final Destination, and everyone I've mentioned it to said they had felt similar with modern 3-D as well, but didn't realize at the time that it was "3-D headache."
3-D works the eyes harder because you're trying to focus on something in the foreground that's actually in the background. It tricks your eyes and brain, causing them both to work harder. "3-D headache" is a flaw inherent in the technology--if the image isn't actually all around you, it'll never be comfortable to watch. It's not a technology that has the potential to last--it's too uncomfortable to use.
And despite claims to the contrary, "3-D headache" isn't going away with new technology. My boyfriend and I both experienced it at the new Final Destination, and everyone I've mentioned it to said they had felt similar with modern 3-D as well, but didn't realize at the time that it was "3-D headache."
3-D works the eyes harder because you're trying to focus on something in the foreground that's actually in the background. It tricks your eyes and brain, causing them both to work harder. "3-D headache" is a flaw inherent in the technology--if the image isn't actually all around you, it'll never be comfortable to watch. It's not a technology that has the potential to last--it's too uncomfortable to use.
