3D at Home
Improvements in the theater 3D experience have sparked a surge in 3D theatrical movie releases, especially in the category of family movies. Now that the subsequent 3D DVDs are hitting the shelves, we are finding out that the home 3D viewing experience has not come as far. Sporting a pair of red/blue glasses is extremely annoying after seeing the phenomenal 3D effects in crystal clear color at the theater. The biggest shock may be to kids who haven't known anything other than present-day theater 3D. For those of us who are old enough to remember Jaws in 3D, the home set-up will be all too familiar.
Home 3D movie viewing is problematic because the colored lenses in the glasses mute the colors in the movie on screen. Movies seem dark and details can be hard to make out. (The problem improves if you are watching in Blu-Ray on an HDTV, but you will still notice it.) Also, the 3D technology is simply incapable of creating the same quality of 3D effects as you see in the theaters. Sometimes a sort of double-vision effect is created, and things don't pop out of the screen nearly as much.
Tips for a Better 3D DVD Viewing Experience
So, is it even worth it to try and watch a 3D movie at home? Not for me! The glasses give me a headache, and the diminished color spectrum ruins the movie. Some people may still enjoy the 3D novelty, however, and kids are more likely to adapt to the lower standards and be wowed the effects anyway. One good thing is, all of the recent 3D DVD releases so far contain both the 3D and 2D versions of the movie, so there's no problem in giving it a try. Additionally, there are a few things you can do to improve the home 3D viewing experience:
- Watch 3D movies in high-def: If you can, buy the Blu-ray version of 3D movies and watch on an HDTV. The color and resolution look significantly better. However, if you watch a regular 3D DVD on a large HDTV, the quality will be greatly diminished due to the poor resolution of the DVD format.
- Increase the brightness setting on your TV: Due to the red/blue lenses in 3D glasses, a properly configured TV image will appear too dark. Increasing the brightness will compensate for the muted color...slightly.
- Watch 3D movies in the dark: Less ambient light in the room reduces the double-vision or halo effects and increases the perceived brightness.
- Sit a little closer to the TV and directly in front of the TV: Obviously, the stereoscopic images will come across better if you look at the TV head-on. Sitting a little closer also seems to improve the 3D effects.
The Future of 3D and the Home Theater
Whether you love it or hate it, 3D is definitely going to be a big part of the home theater future; but the format will need to undergo some major changes for a quality experience, and change will happen slowly. Bob Perry, Panasonic Senior Vice President, states in a Panasonic ad featured in Home Theater Magazine, "Over the next decade, television will change by becoming more immersive or lifelike in its experience, as 3D capability comes to Blu-ray Disc and flat-screen television." He forecasts changes and improvements to 3D capability will be seen in the next 3-8 years.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that new technology in TVs means that you first need to buy the new TV, and then you will likely have to get a new receiver, new cables, and possibly more. Therefore, the switch to better 3D may be slow and painful for consumers. In the mean time, we'll just have to make due with what's available and do our best to explain it to the kids.
*Note: 3D enabled TVs and add-ons are now available through some manufacturers; however, these TVs do not read the content from a 3D disc, but they convert 2D movies to a 3D experience. You can find out the latest on 3D technology on Stereo3D.com.
