3d Vision goes from "gimmick" to "ubiquitous"

[encorp]

FULL HD 3D Products Global Site | Panasonic Global

It's mainstream.

People are now investing in 3D televisions; especially in the sports sector.

In the mountain biking community alone almost every major event is recorded in true 3D now and people bitch and complain when it isn't.

Panasonic Viera 3D Commercial - bturman - Mountain Bike Videos | Vital MTB

[CMetaphor]

Originally Posted by rjbarker

the only way I see it Mainstream is when the technology goes beyond wearing the glasses.....

Amen!

A Parallax 3D TV, now That's something I would get! The glasses used now are expensive, flimsy and annoying...

[Avid6eek]

Mainstream - the common current of thought of the majority.

3D games/television certainly doesn't fit into that definition.

Gimmick - In marketing language, a gimmick is a quirky feature that distinguishes a product or service without adding any obvious function or value.

That's a better fit, but not perfect either.

Niche Market - the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs

That's it!

[FiXT]

Originally Posted by Thund3rball

It'll be mainstream when they lose the glasses and pretty much every screen sold is 3D capable.

I would argue that 3D is well on its way to becoming mainstream for a selective segment of digital media & devices, definitely. Avid pointed out, that it is currently a niche product, with current adoption limited by what I would argue, is simply price. For a certain segment of the population, 3D is mainstream, and is a defining feature that more and more people are choosing to spend extra on to adopt.
I suspect many people would like to have a 3D option, even if it is a developing process, but currently the cost of ownership is higher than the everyday device. However, this gives 3D it is own "target market", and within this market, it has become a mainstream feature.

Think of it like a cars interior. Years ago, leather was a highly expensive upgrade option. There weren't many cars that used it, and it cost a lot of have. Cloth was and still is the overall mainstream option, but within the luxury car segment, leather has become the mainstream option and still is, plus it has filtered down to the everyday car market as well resulting in even more penetration there and a lower cost associated.

[Thund3rball]

Well that's sort of what I meant FiXT. When you can barely not buy a screen that isn't 3D capable, then it'll be mainstream because it'll be cheap and EASY.

The glasses pooch it for me for a couple reasons. I don't mind seeing the occasional 3D movie out, but I am not investing in X pairs of glasses so everyone in the house (family/friends) can watch a show/game/sport in 3D. The other reason is my wife wears glasses and putting the 3D glasses on top of her glasses is uncomfortable and gives her a headache. She doesn't like contacts for many reasons so 3D glasses are just not going to happen in my house.

We have 3D here now for 2 reasons. 1) To sell more movie tickets at the box office (overcoming the decline in sales due to home theaters). 2) To sell more TVs because everyone has now bought a big flat HDTV with home theater and no reason to upgrade till it dies. So Hollywood box offices will once again get the finger from consumers once home theater 3D is mainstream.

IMHO 3D isn't an improvement to my viewing experience in every situation, whereas a big effing flat panel is. That's why 3D is a gimmick. When it's seamless, effortless and looks amazing all the time and doesn't cost a limb or two... then it won't be a gimmick anymore.

[belgolas]

3d at its current state is not a good option for t.v. and home theater. Where 3D absolutely shines is in gaming. I took the plunge and love gaming in 3D for the games that support it well. The problem is it takes a lot of horsepower to run and you have to wear glasses and buy expensive monitors. So it wont be huge till you get glasses less 3D perfected. The current problem with glassesless 3D is you don't have a good viewing angle.

Personally I would rather have a push for 4K T.V.s

[Avid6eek]

A large percentage of the population cannot see 3D, so it will never replace 2D as the standard. 3D TV will end up in the same category as 7.1 surround sound. For audiophiles it is a great technology...but it will never be adopted by the masses because most people are perfectly content with the stereo sound they get from their TV.

I'd have to agree...I'd rather see the push into 4k TVs.

[David Milch]

pet peeve: calling stereographic tech "3-d" . It is the same trick they've been using since the 1800's, i.e. showing a different image to each eye and thereby creating a mediocre illusion. It's funny how the marketing of this old as dirt trick makes people think it is somehow new and different.

I was contemplating getting the Asus 3-D moniotr so I went out to see what 3-d tv looks like last weekend. It was pretty lame. The first time I saw a HD TV display, it was really impressive (you know the heavily enhanced underwater scenes), but the 3-d demo scenes were pretty sad and left me never wanting to get one. I can't see 3d tvs ever being ubiquitous, but I've been wrong before.

[The RealRollo]

Originally Posted by Thund3rball

The glasses pooch it for me for a couple reasons. I don't mind seeing the occasional 3D movie out, but I am not investing in X pairs of glasses so everyone in the house (family/friends) can watch a show/game/sport in 3D. The other reason is my wife wears glasses and putting the 3D glasses on top of her glasses is uncomfortable and gives her a headache. She doesn't like contacts for many reasons so 3D glasses are just not going to happen in my house.

I have two pairs of 3d glasses, but for the most part, when I'm gaming I don't have people gathered around me watching. My guess is computer gaming is a largely solitary activity for most.

I wear glasses as well, and I've never found adding the 3d glasses uncomfortable or headache inducing. (and I only gamed in 3d in 2009) I do think the tech causes headaches in a small percentage of people though, I have run across one person among all the people I've shown it to who complained of eyestrain.

[CMetaphor]

Saw Jackass 3D (because I was dragged along) and the 3D effects that come towards you are still impossible for me to focus on with glasses. Nothing but a headache. Until problems like this are fixed I can't see it ever being mainstream.