Anyone who has seen Avatar in glorious 3D at their local movie theater has probably had plenty of time to determine where they stand on the whole issue of 3D video. Regardless of where individuals stand, LCD vendors and technology firms seem to be adamant about pushing 3D technology. 3D technology will certainly change the way that television is consumed, but there are a lot of empty promises in the realm of 3D TV.
Verizon to Offer 3D by the Holidays?
One rumor doing the rounds is that Verizon plans on adding additional value to their already impressive FiOS service by offering 3D channels by this holiday season. Since Verizon does not actually make their own programming, it is safe to say that third parties will be offering 3D channels by the end of the year. How many studios will be offering channels or content in 3D? That is unknown at this time, but it would seem like a safe bet that at least a few big names will make big announcements during the summer movie blitz.
The ads will probably be something like this: Did you like so-and-so-movie in 3D? It is coming to your TV set in 3D this winter, so ask your cable provider about the this-and-that 3D channel. Just replace the so-and-so and this-and-that with a movie and studio and the example is complete. With pitches like this and competition being the way it is, Verizon is unlikely to remain the only carrier offering 3D channels by the end of the year. How 3D content will work on existing television sets is still unclear, but displaying the multiple images required to create a 3D effect will certainly lower the perceived resolution dramatically.
Blu-Ray Also Going 3D
Blu-ray has been trying desperately to remain relevant after taking so long to defeat HDTV that downloadable content and on-demand services have taken over. Blu-ray’s latest bid to remain in the mainstream is yet another radical increase in size, the second in less than a year. What will the extra space be used for? Probably for storing both HD and 3D versions of movies.
3D + HD = 3DHDTV? Try Saying That Three Times Quickly!
Note that the 3D and HD are separate? It seems most likely that the additional bandwidth and storage requirements involved with storing 3D images is probably somewhere between SD and HD. When will 3DHD emerge? Who knows, but it seems most likely that adding 3D to the roadmaps gives vendors a few years before they find it necessary to start shipping 1080/3D certified television sets. Until then, the 3D experience might be a little lacking in fidelity in order to add an additional layer of depth to the equation.
Of course, this is only speculation and one or two companies could choose to buck this trend in favor of making some serious profit. Unfortunately, most of the companies making television sets have long since learned that they stand to profit the most by holding progress back as long as they possibly can.
Television Are Ready for 3D?
There are already vendors selling 3D television sets for substantial premiums. Phillips has a nearly $9000 42” screen that they call the WOWvx, and so the better question to ask is whether or not affordable televisions that are 3D capable are readily available. Better yet, is there a single 3D standard that will be adopted? Sadly, the answer to these last two questions is no, at least not at this time. Can we expect movie studios to back different 3D standards much like they did with the next generation disc formats? Possibly, especially since they know that 3D is inevitable and they all stand to gain from another protracted conflict.
Are Download Services Ready for 3D?
The best news for broadband enthusiasts is that data is just data, and whenever a 3D video standard is ratified, it should be available for online distribution immediately. This could make online distribution the absolute best way to find and acquire 3D programming, and there seems to be a good chance that vendors of television sets will include hardware to handle downloads from iTunes, NetFlix, and even Amazon directly into the first generation of affordable 3D TV sets. This could start the massive IPTV shift that has been a long time in coming, but only time will tell.
One thing is for sure, though: Blu-ray is on the way out and broadband fueled media downloads are the way of the future. 3D might prove to be the final nail in the disc coffin.
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