3D movies have been around almost as long as 2D movies. My kids have several videos that have 3D scenes, and there are at least 3 or 4 major attractions at Walt Disney World in 3D.
So why all the buzz about 3D in the last few months?
Well, first, a couple of big 3D movies have come out recently ("Avatar", "How to Train Your Dragon"). And most people found they liked those movies, which built up general-audience interest in 3D. Second, the quality of 3D for the home has improved
significantly thanks to a big push by several consumer electronics companies. And finally, the popularity of the Blu-Ray disc format and advances in video encoding and compression have enabled high-quality 3D video to be easily distributed.
The idea behind all of this is to go beyond wide-screen and surround-sound to more fully immerse you in the program you're watching. Face it, it's easier to imagine yourself as part of the action when you can almost reach out and touch the actors.
So, is it time to get 3D for your home?
First, a little background on how 3D works.
Without going into into all the gory technical details, I will note that there are two main ways to watch high-quality 3D: Polarization and Active-Shutter.
Polarization is used in movie theaters because the glasses are inexpensive and can easily be sterilized, inspected for damage, and reused. This works by rapidly switching images between the left eye and the right eye view, and having the glasses filter out the image for the correct eye using polarized lenses. This fools your brain into seeing both viewpoints at the same time, and putting them together into a 3D image, just like in the real world.
However, for the home market, companies are using active shutter glasses. These glasses are much more expensive, but can provide a better 3D experience. The idea is the same (switching the view between the left- and right-eye images), but the filtering mechanism simply blocks all light coming into the "wrong" eye, and is synchronized with the display.
There are other technologies available, but they aren't particularly relevant to this discussion - the anaglyph (red/blue lens) format is older and will not likely survive, while the autostereoscopic (no glasses required) format is still several years away from mass-market.
So what's the kicker? Well, first of all, a 3D-capable display will generally run $300-500 more than a comparable non-3D display. But that doesn't tell the whole story. Since home 3D displays are using active-shutter glasses, you need those glasses to watch 3D programs. And you won't be able to watch a 3D program without the glasses - you'll see a double image which will be very uncomfortable to watch. And the glasses will cost at least $150 at retail. So this means a family of four will have to shell out $600 additional for the glasses. And if you want to have a total of 10 people watching a movie or sporting event (say, your family of four plus six guests), you'll need to have glasses worth $1500 on hand. And don't let anyone bring an extra guest!
In addition to that, there are currently limitations on how the 3D signals get routed. And those limitations can differ somewhat depending on the specific equipment you purchase.
Now, I'm not saying don't go out and get 3D! I think it's a really cool technology that holds a lot of promise. Just be prepared to live with some limitations, such as having to route all of the audio through the TV, or stick with a single manufacturer's equipment. And be prepared to pay a premium for the ability to watch 3D at home.
I know many people who will gladly live with the limitations in order to get 3D at home now. For others, though, it may be prudent to wait another year or two until the technology matures a bit, and prices come down. The table below shows the results of a recent poll on our website. Even among afficionadoes, many people are still on the fence.
If you're considering a new home theater system, give the experts at Inspired Electronics, Inc. a call before you take the plunge. We can help you figure out what's right for you, your room, your viewing habits, and your budget! Call us today at (847) 637-0400!
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