I have seen the future and its going to be 3D! This past weekend I caught a screening of the 3D version of Avatar, and it was just spectacular. A preview for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland coming in March was dazzling. James Cameron has come up with a solution for 3D motion pictures, now the next venue will be 3DTV in the home.
Sports and video games are expected to be the first adopters of the new 3DTV technology. ESPN has already conducted several experimental 3D broadcasts of football and basketball with encouraging results. At the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (Jan 7-10 in Las Vegas), there will be a special 3D tech zone hall for the many manufacturers rolling out new 3DTV products. According to the website HDGuru.com, DirecTV is expected to announce a 3D satellite channel beginning early next year. Britain's BSkyB satellite service has already announced their intention of starting 3D service next year as well.
Some hurdles still remain before 3D gains wide acceptance. Right now there is not a common 3D standard, a battle along the lines of Beta/VHS and Bluray/HD-DVD will have to be fought in the marketplace. And there is the issue of having to wear glasses to get the 3D effect. Many analysts believe viewers will be reluctant to use glasses in the home. After a few minutes of watching Avatar, I completely forgot about the glasses. I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing a 3DTV system go see the movie and imagine what it would be like in your living room. It's not that far away!
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