The Emergence of 3D Entertainment

If there is one movie that comes to mind as one of the most visually impressive and immersive films in recent time it is Avatar. It is in part due to its director James Cameron, and his vision to establish 3D film in the mainstream space. Not that 3D film is a relatively new phenomenon – motion pictures were produced in 3D as early as the 1890’s – but Avatar’s ability to draw the audience into its sci-fi world using advanced 3D effects is uncanny. Where most 3D films up to Avatar’s December ’09 debut normally used 3D visual tricks to scare viewers with “pop out” images and left much to be desired, Avatar proved to the overwhelming amount of skeptics that when 3D film is done well, it can greatly increase the entertainment value of a movie. And thanks to the successes of recent 3D films like Avatar and various Disney/Pixar films, 3D will soon be invading the homes of millions of Americans, with several tech giants like Sharp, Nintendo, and Sony bringing stereoscopic entertainment to the masses. Film will not be the only medium investing heavily in three dimensions: video games and even standard television programming are racing to produce enticing 3D content to further spur interest in the technology.

Big screen movies may have started the trend of 3D, but big technology players earlier at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) introduced televisions and Blu-Ray movies capable of producing the same eye-popping 3D effect right in your living room. Even cable program providers like Verizon and Comcast have promised 3D support to be hitting several select TV channels in the near future. Luckily for everyone unwilling to throw down big bucks on buying all that extra 3D-playing equipment, a few select companies like Sharp have shown off a technology called Parallax barrier. This built-in 3D screen creates the same jump-out-of-your TV effect that traditional 3D shutter glasses provide, but without the glasses! That’s right, no glasses. The only problem for now is that television manufacturers have no solid release dates for TV’s that will take advantage of Parallax imaging; however, there is still hope that the tech will find its way into the hands of consumers this year with Nintendo’s announcement of the 3DS.

3D with glasses is not ideal

With video games becoming a larger part of American culture each year, it is no surprise that gaming is the next hobby targeted by 3D tech. Nintendo’s announcement of their new handheld game device, the 3DS, allows players to experience 3D gaming on the go without the need of glasses thanks to the same Parallax technology powering select television prototypes. On the PC and home console front, Nvidia and Sony have shown immense interest in providing 3D games to enthusiasts. Nvidia’s 3D Vision kit, which includes a pair of shutter glasses and software to enable a good 400 or so games to take advantage of the 3D glasses, allows PC gamers to experience breathtaking 3D effects in games like Mirror’s Edge, and Batman: Arkham Asylum without having to purchase 3D-specific versions of the games. Sony also announced this year that the PlayStation 3 (PS3) will become 3D-ready come June via a simple firmware update with promises of exclusive 3D enhancements to existing PS3 titles. 3D is only just starting to take off.

All this talk about great new 3D technology brings about an interesting question: why should anyone care about it? Most people are still trying to catch up to the HDTV craze; there is still little incentive for the average consumer to invest in 3D since there are not many movies taking advantage of it just yet. Not to worry, 3D is here to stay. As more kids, college students, and adults witness the incredible effects of 3D, everyone will be lining up to upgrade. So, if you are in the market for a new TV for your dorm room, or you want to get in on the next evolution of gaming, look no further than 3D.