Recent movies using 3D technology are no longer confined to the big screen, as 3D TVs from electronics companies like Samsung and Panasonic have recently hit the stores.
Best Buy in Opelika, Ala. has both Samsung and Panasonic 3D TVs in stock. Samsung’s 50” 3D Plasma HDTV is priced at $1700, while the 55” 3D LED HDTV has a $2700 price tag.
Panasonic’s 50” 3D Plasma HDTV is listed at $2,200 and its 54” 3D Plasma HDTV at $3000.
But the 3D craze doesn’t stop there. In conjunction with the emergence of 3D TVs, networks like ESPN and the Discovery Channel are unveiling channels featuring 3D programming.
If you watched the World Cup and found yourself wondering what it felt like to lunge at and deflect a soccer ball knuckling toward the net, you could turn the channel to ESPN 3D, a channel launched by ESPN that presented World Cup matches in 3D. Major League Baseball’s All-Star game will also be showcased in 3D.
Despite the embrace of 3D platforms by companies and networks, some remain skeptical that 3D will find a permanent place on retailers’ shelves.
“3D TV is a trend. It’s not going anywhere. It’s not going to stick,” said Sydney Fagen, a senior majoring in journalism.
3D technology is by no means new to film, television or trends. It was first used for the big screen in The Power of Love in 1922.
In 1952, the first film to use stereoscopic 3D, Bwana Devil, sparked what many consider 3D’s golden era, which included such blockbusters as House of Wax and Robot Monsters.
The popularity of 3D films soon waned because of synchronization problems and the sentiment that 3D films were “hard on the eyes.” Since that 3D craze died out, it’s not a stretch to think the current craze will pass as well.
That concern hasn’t stopped executives at companies like DreamWorks Animation from pushing 3D technology though.
“Everybody is excited about the potential of moving 3D onto virtually every platform that has video in it,” said DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg in an article by Edward Baig in the USA Today.
The improvements made in 3D technology and film production have played a large part in its resurgence.
Technological advancements like “Real D” have improved the quality and detail of 3D images. Real D uses circularly polarized light to produce the stereoscopic 3D image, reducing viewers’ feelings of nausea and allowing them to move their heads without distorting the image.
To take advantage of their 3D TVs, viewers will still need to wear glasses. Unlike the red and blue lenses of older 3D glasses, active-shutter glasses alternately lighten and darken the liquid crystal lenses, creating a staggering effect that produces far more life-like 3D images, according to a description on Samsung’s website.
The glasses are pricey though, retailing for $150.
“I don’t really like the whole idea,” said Taylor Griswold, a senior majoring in anthropology. “I don’t like to have to wear glasses to watch TV.”
There are also health concerns to consider when deciding whether to purchase a 3D TV.
In April, Samsung issued a warning about the possible adverse health effects associated with 3D TVs, which include motion sickness, disorientation, eye and muscle twitching, perceptual after-effects and nausea. The release also cautioned that certain flashing images or lights could trigger an epileptic seizure or stroke for people who have epilepsy.