[Technology] Whatever happened to 3D TV and cinema?

[Fungus]

Busy decluttering today and came across a few pairs of 3D glasses. Only ever used them a few times, many years ago, and don't even know if our current TV does 3D. Are any movies or documentaries still being made or broadcast in 3D, or has it all bitten the dust? Can't say I was ever impressed by the dim, low-res effect. I'm guessing anyone into 3D gaming would use a headset of some sort?

They'll probably end up in the box for the charity shop, but will anyone want them?

 

[Algernon]

I quite recently watched Avatar 2 at the cinema.
The 3d was good, the film ok and now I have probably my third pair of NHS stylee 3D specs
I didn't fall asleep like I usually do in the reclining armchair seats.

 

[Questions]

Mrs Q wanted all that shit years ago. You couldn’t get a tv without it.

 

[Fungus]

Mrs Q wanted all that shit years ago. You couldn’t get a tv without it.

Yeah, it’s my missus that drives all that stuff, but when she finally got a 4k TV last year, the subject of 3D never came up.

 

[Questions]

Yeah, it’s my missus that drives all that stuff, but when she finally got a 4k TV last year, the subject of 3D never came up.

I’ve got a good tv I think but then I forget to put my glasses on and it all goes back to a foggy night game

 

[jcdenton08]

3D tv/gaming is the gimmick which just won’t die. Every decade or so it gets a resurgence, and then disappears again.

There are so many downsides for very little in return.

Cons:

- Many people simply don’t want to wear 3D glasses when relaxing at home.

- The “sweet spot” for the 3D to be effective is often small, even on higher end TV’s. Unless you’re plum centre at the correct distance, it can look quite shit.

- It can cause motion sickness and nausea in some people

- The sets were more expensive, and entry level 3D screens were often of poor quality

- There isn’t a huge amount of genuine “true” 3D content, with the majority being 3D conversions with little thought or effort put into them


Pros:

- Early adopter bragging rights for technophiles, chance to be at the “cutting edge”

- A handful of “true 3D” AAA experiences to enjoy


It’ll come back round again when the next “innovation” is made and history suggests it’ll bomb once again. It’s niche in the home market and probably always will be.

 

[Superphil]

I don’t think 3D compared to UHD/4K broadcasts, streaming and Hi Def Blu-ray, is actually that good as an immersive experience in comparison. Until holograms come around I think 3D is dead for now.

 

[Jam The Man]

I loved 3D, but you’d be hard pressed to buying a 3D tv now. Gutting as I’ve got about a dozen 3D blu rays that I might never be able to watch again!

 

[Fungus]

I quite recently watched Avatar 2 at the cinema.
The 3d was good, the film ok and now I have probably my third pair of NHS stylee 3D specs
I didn't fall asleep like I usually do in the reclining armchair seats.

I think Avatar (1) was the only movie we watched at the cinema, plus a David Attenborough nature documentary on TV, and a few demo programmes. I was wondering if it had advanced at all, but it seems not.

 

[herecomesaregular]

I enjoyed Terminator 2 in the 3D version.

 

[Easy 10]

Total gimmick, a passing fad, died on its arse. See also "curve screen" TV's.

A mate of mine bought a 3D TV when Sky were all over it with their dedicated 3D channels for movies and sports. Little by little it all ebbed away, basically because it was shit.

There has only really been three TV revolutions for me (aside from Channel 4 back in the day). Sky+ blew me away. PAUSING live TV ? What alien technology is this ?? And the whole digital recording thing onto a hard drive, bloody hell. Brilliant. Then came HD, and now UHD. OK, HD to UHD isn't that great a leap to be fair - women are oddly incapable of deciphering SD to HD anyway, so UHD was never going to be on the radar. But I love it. When I went from SD to HD, I can clearly remember the first thing I watched was an Aston Villa game in the snow (we got it around Christmas). The sheer definition gave me a lob-on. Then I was wowed by the Ashes. I love high def.

3D though ? Nah. Waste of time and money.

 

[Algernon]

Total gimmick, a passing fad, died on its arse. See also "curve screen" TV's.

A mate of mine bought a 3D TV when Sky were all over it with their dedicated 3D channels for movies and sports. Little by little it all ebbed away, basically because it was shit.

There has only really been three TV revolutions for me (aside from Channel 4 back in the day). Sky+ blew me away. PAUSING live TV ? What alien technology is this ?? And the whole digital recording thing onto a hard drive, bloody hell. Brilliant. Then came HD, and now UHD. OK, HD to UHD isn't that great a leap to be fair - women are oddly incapable of deciphering SD to HD anyway, so UHD was never going to be on the radar. But I love it. When I went from SD to HD, I can clearly remember the first thing I watched was an Aston Villa game in the snow (we got it around Christmas). The sheer definition gave me a lob-on. Then I was wowed by the Ashes. I love high def.

3D though ? Nah. Waste of time and money.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

3D tv/gaming is the gimmick which just won’t die. Every decade or so it gets a resurgence, and then disappears again.

There are so many downsides for very little in return.

Cons:

- Many people simply don’t want to wear 3D glasses when relaxing at home.

- The “sweet spot” for the 3D to be effective is often small, even on higher end TV’s. Unless you’re plum centre at the correct distance, it can look quite shit.

- It can cause motion sickness and nausea in some people

- The sets were more expensive, and entry level 3D screens were often of poor quality

- There isn’t a huge amount of genuine “true” 3D content, with the majority being 3D conversions with little thought or effort put into them


Pros:

- Early adopter bragging rights for technophiles, chance to be at the “cutting edge”

- A handful of “true 3D” AAA experiences to enjoy


It’ll come back round again when the next “innovation” is made and history suggests it’ll bomb once again. It’s niche in the home market and probably always will be.

Need a headset.

 

[jcdenton08]

The obvious next step is 8k, which is some still way off being market viable, 3-5 years. Yes, you can buy 8k capable sets now, but it’s pretty pointless when current generation consoles are only getting comfortable in 4k.

The other issue is with the majority of content being consumed by streaming, the infrastructure for the likes of Prime, Netflix and other competitors needs a major overhaul to accommodate 8k to the masses.

 

[Hove Lagoonery]

There has only really been three TV revolutions for me (aside from Channel 4 back in the day).

You must be a relative youngster to have excluded the greatest revolution of all. Here's a clue as to what it might be

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Still got the pretty-neat-looking specs from watching 'Gravity' at Dukes@Komedia. Very decent 3D effects. Just as well really, seeing as how every other aspect of the movie was strictly one-dimensional. Still harbour feelings of abject regret that Sandra Bullock didn't get eaten by a shark at the end

 

[Official Old Man]

There has only really been three TV revolutions for me (aside from Channel 4 back in the day). Sky+ blew me away. PAUSING live TV ? What alien technology is this ?? And the whole digital recording thing onto a hard drive, bloody hell. Brilliant. Then came HD, and now UHD. OK, HD to UHD isn't that great a leap to be fair - women are oddly incapable of deciphering SD to HD anyway, so UHD was never going to be on the radar. But I love it. When I went from SD to HD, I can clearly remember the first thing I watched was an Aston Villa game in the snow (we got it around Christmas). The sheer definition gave me a lob-on. Then I was wowed by the Ashes. I love high def.

3D though ? Nah. Waste of time and money.

I go back a long long long time, Southern Rentals, Church St, B/Hill around 1975, where we rented out B/W TV's for £2 a month. Colour was just arriving and took two of us to deliver and set up these things.
So to add to your list how about Remote Controls. Yes, there was a time when you had to get up to turn over to another channel. I had Sky+ in the old days when it was called a Video Recorder. Imagine that, being able to record something, coming home and finding you recorded the wrong side.
As for 8K. I've a nice new 4K LG TV and when I watch an Amazon UHD film it is impressive but not sure an 8K picture could get much better.
Incidently, I was into electronics just as MP3's started and purchased two players for my kids. They didn't like them and discarded them, mainly as the internet was still young and downloads were still in their infancy.

 

[Boys 9d]

I remember going to the Astoria in the mid 1950s to see one of the first 3D films, "Kiss Me Kate". During the same period of time there was also a screening of an X rated 3D film for which I was too young to gain admittance.

 

[Papak]

I remember many years ago a friend bought a 3D Sony (Brava?) TV set - my thought at the time was who would want to willingly wear glasses to watch the telly...

I also remember taking my kids when they were much younger to Harrods at Christmas time. Went to the tech area and saw an early 4K curved TV - I looked at the price and thought £749 for a telly - sod that. It was actually the price of the stand, the telly was ironically about £4K!

Both of the above are probably now available on Facebook Marketplace for about 50 quid.

 

[Easy 10]

You must be a relative youngster to have excluded the greatest revolution of all. Here's a clue as to what it might be

I had a black and white portable in my room for a few years. Finally getting a colour one was a MAJOR thrill, but I'd grown used to it downstairs.

Someone mentioned the VCR, and yes thats a decent shout. Our first one had a remote control on a lead. I can recall watching Star Wars, and pausing it on the bloodied stump of the severed arm in the canteen scene. Later, I paused lots of things...