Technology

3D up your life - again?

So far, the 21st century has seen 3D image mania. First Hollywood went 3D for its new animation tales and even live action features on the big screen. Then Sony and other manufacturers released wide screen 3D TVs requiring brand specific glasses.

Now, Toshiba has released a 20 inch 3D TV that does not require any glasses and Fuji offers a 3D camera -- so you to can create 3D stills of your vacations, family birthdays or just your dog sleeping on the couch.

3D is so hot that sports TV broadcasts are not only jumping aboard, but redesigning how they shoot events. Traditional high angle camera work does not translate well to 3D which requires the camera to be at eye level alongside the playing field or ice surface.

So, is all this impressive explosion of technology a boon or a minor blip from the consumer’s perspective?

Firstly, realize that 3D motion is not reality or normal 3D. It is a gimmick that allows some objects to jump off the screen directly at you or float in front of the rest of the background.
It is a form of hologram effect.

This is not what happens in real life but gives the viewer a brief jolt like riding a roller coaster down a hill or in a sharp curve.

Do you want such a pit-in-the-stomach experience non- stop? Maybe gamers do in their virtual worlds that are already so non-real that an extra 3D boost would not be disruptive.

But to watch for hours on end the news, a talk show or some ‘reality TV’ would be difficult on the eyes and the brain. Even sports events would suffer except for hockey body checks into the boards (as if the players are flying at you) and shots on net or goal from the goal’s point of view as the ball approaches.

Personally, I suspect that for most film and TV viewing, 3D will prove a limited gimmick and a huge waste of money for the special camera and TVs.