Spiky

I don't see how they can possibly make 3D for a wide audience without double images and glasses. Maybe for home, where you can decide to have a narrow viewing.

Franchot

Nintendo has been able to accomplish a 3D screen which doesn't require glasses with its 3DS XL game machine. Granted its little, but if a company could make a screen like that in a super-super-super large size (for home consumption) maybe people would be more ready to buy into 3D movies.

The price would be astronomical out of the gate, but maybe over time...

(Not sure how the viewing angles would effect the 3D effects, however.)

Spiky

The angle for that 3DS is limited to one person at a certain, exact distance from the screen. Won't work for commercial theaters. Prob not even for home size. That's what I meant above.

Numanoid

Man, what a bunch of delicate flowers this thread is filled with.

I personally love home 3D. I have a 3D projector throwing a 125.5" image in my home theater, and a 60" 3D plasma in my bedroom that I use on occasion. I love watching 3D stuff, and so has everyone else I've ever had over. I think the general population is simply too lazy to keep track of glasses, and keeping them charged or having spare batteries around. Once glasses-free 3D becomes a thing (and it will), I think that 3D will become the standard, rather than the exception.

Franchot

Numanoid,

As much as I'd LOVE to agree with you and be as enthusiastic as you, I've witnessed too many formats that were cheaper and lower-priced winning out over better, higher-quality ones.

8 track and cassettes supplanting reel to reel tapes. VHS supplanting Beta. Compressed iPod music supplanting SACDs and DVD-As. LCDs supplanting plasma TVs. 3D/2D combo packs being harder and harder to find in the U.S.

(There was a time when I was seeing Playstation and X-box 3D video games being released at a steady clip. Now, not so much.)

Alan Smithee

3D MIGHT be the thing to get me back into video games, as I used to be an avid video game freak in the 80s but lost interest afterwards. I have all of the Sega Master System 3D games though (like the old VHS tapes I've mentioned before, they won't work on modern HDTVs) and truth be told they weren't really great games. One of them was a light-gun game (another thing that won't work on my LCD!) and I typically keep one eye closed when playing those so the 3D was pretty much a bust on that.

As long as they keep issuing 3D movies (with the option to watch them in 2D for the "haters" or those for whom it just doesn't work), I'll be happy.

SterlingBen

Ever one of those examples was because the other format was more convenient, except for the glasses a 3dbr is just as easy to use as a regular br.

Franchot

I realize that. I wouldn't say that VHS tapes were more convenient than Beta tapes or that LCD TVs are more convenient than plasma TVs, however. Cheaper, yes. And that's the point. Many times consumers have traded away high-quality for cheaper and often times more convenient methods of media.

As we have seen with DVDs giving way to Blu ray discs, we can get higher-quality with the same or better convenience and get it a low price...if we're patient and demand it.

Today's cars with all their bells and whistles smoke the cars of yesteryear...even if we are paying more. (Not sure if we're really paying more with the rising of wages, the higher cost of living, and inflation rates.) Would you settle for a car with a one-speaker AM radio, one that required more frequent oil changes, one without seat belts, one without air bags, etc., etc.? Why settle for a TV without 3D capabilities? (Even if you rarely use them.)

Spiky

Well, I would NEVER use them, so on that level it's just a waste of money. But, if it meant a better video engine for 2D also, that would weigh into my decisions. Not sure that it actually has meant that, although I haven't really been studying recent flat panels since I use a projector.

RocShemp

I like well done 3D so I hope it doesn't go away. But I do hope 2D options remain for those who dislike 3D. As long as the option is always there and neither is charged a premium for it (and, no, Wolverine and Prometheus don't count since what you were really paying for was a special/collector's edition with all the special features wherein a 3D version of the movie happened to be one of the extra features), that's fine by me.

But then I feel the same way about movies with shifting aspect ratios. I like it while others hate it. Just make it an option so everybody wins.

fumanstan

I'd agree with this explanation if special edition versions were still a common thing, especially with Blu-ray releases, but it's not a coincidence that the pricing was much more in line with 3D releases and combo packs. I can just as easily say you were paying for a 3D version where the extended cut or the documentary happened to be an extra, which I believe.

Alan Smithee

See, I think it's STUPID to have the aspect ratio shift the way it does in many recent IMAX movies. But that's the way it was shot and how the director wanted it, so who am I to demand they not show it that way?

OldBoy

I hope it's not dead cause even though i don't watch them all the time, when I do it I'm thrilled quite frankly...

Josh-da-man

I was looking at new televisions last weekend and 3D sets are really hard to come by.

Went to Sam's Club and they had exactly ZERO 3D tvs available. Best Buy had, maybe, two out of two dozen in their weekly ad. Walmart had 3D blu-ray players for sale, but no 3D tvs.

I see Sony and Samsung 3D blu-ray players everywhere, but the televisions are becoming scarce.

E Unit

Funny, I was at Sam's a couple of hours ago. Saw 2 3D TV's. What's scarce is 4k 3D TV's, which I'm really looking for. Either way, 3D in any form of TV is rare these days.

Franchot

And yet, Mad Max Fury Road 3D version sold very well.

There must be enough 3D TVs out there to warrant companies to continue to release 3D content.

Alan Smithee

As has been mentioned, many new TVs have 3D but they don't flaunt the capability like they used to. Ideally they'd just include it in every TV, and then charge extra for the glasses if they still want to gouge people for it, even though it'd help the format if they made it as easy and cheap as possible to get into it. I'm looking forward to 4K TVs just because supposedly they can do passive 3D (which works with the same glasses you get at theaters, which don't need recharging) without the image degradation I saw when I last went shopping for my active 3D set.

Josh-da-man

I'm sort of in the market for a new tv and blu-ray player, and have been considering going 3D.

Just looking at the current Best Buy ad, they have three 3D tvs: a Sony 55" 2160p for $1500, a 55" LG OLED 1080p for $2000, and two Samsung 2160p at 55" and 65" for $2000 and $3000. At least those are the ones that are actually advertised to be 3D.

Not really what I'm looking for, as I have no interest in UHD or 2160p yet, nor an OLED (at least not until I think the tech has matured).

ETA: Looks like they also have a 1080p Sony for about $900.

E Unit

Where did you read about this? I've been actively looking for a 60"-70" 4k and there are very few with 3D capability. And even though they may not flaunt it, they should have it in their specs. I have yet to see some Sharp's, Samsung, LG's have 3D in their larger 4k's.

SterlingBen

You are not looking very hard, even a cursory glance at the samsung website looking for 4k TVs with 3d over 60" has 15 results. And that doesn't even included different sizes of the same model.

E Unit

2015? Nope.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_...nid=4972967011

Again, in the 60"-70" range.

There are some, but overall, the pricing is ridiculous compared to the 2014 models.

SterlingBen

You don't do this kind of shopping on amazon. Their large item specifics and classifications have always been spotty. Go to the website of the companies who's tvs you want to buy. Pick out the TVs, look for reviews and then start looking for a deal on the one you choose.

Edit: And yes, 2015 models, learn to internet.

Eddie W

Does anyone still do passive 3D besides LG? I'm thinking maybe I need to grab one of these 4K/3D TV's before the technology disappears altogether. Which is a shame because we're finally able to get 1080p with passive 3D & nobody is making the hardware.

It does look like 3D is still pretty healthy in projectors though. I was looking for a new one & the majority of them seem to do 3D. Though it's active & you need the shuttle glasses.

Alan Smithee

I think Sony is also doing passive 3D on their 4K sets. Sadly the store displays lately have been practically useless for checking out the full capability of these TVs, though the 2D demo material does look pretty nice on them. Once I move I'll see if I have room to set up a projector.

E Unit

Been there, done that. Learn to internet? I didn't know my 11 year old daughter was using your handle on here.