Topic: Everything is in 3D!

[ThePerm]

probably not

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIcsYBZSQ48

[Shorty McNostril]

But that still wouldn't work.  The image would be projected in a 2D shape onto the floor. 

Sorry if that link explains it more, but my internet has been capped. 

[ThePerm]

oh yeah i forgot to illustrate the second laser, you would need 2. or one disk with lots of lasers on the disk

[MaryJane]

I'm not really sure on the technical aspect of holograms, but I know that in the next 10 years we can expect to see the tech grow a lot, especially out of Japan because their economy is wisely based (mostly) on technology (rather than manufacturing like China, and consumption like the U.S) and their government will be pouring a lot into it. In their bid for the 2020 World Cup Japan said they would have been able to holographically broadcast the games to otherwise empty stadiums around the world. They should have won the bid, but somehow Qatar won and all they're offering is 100+ degree weather...

[ThePerm]

might as well have the Olympics in Yuma Arizona

[bustin98]

Holographic broadcasts will never be a mainstream idea. Too many cameras needed to capture all the angles, and if an angle is missing, it'll stand out and take away from the experience. It'll be something for niche programs, things where the subject matter doesn't move around too much or too fast.

3D broadcasts will be more likely, and probably could be done at any point now that movie companies are creating a demand for the specialized cameras.

[Shorty McNostril]

I still don't understand how you can limit light, but I digress.....

[MaryJane]

@Bustin98
I bet people said the same thing about 3D... Like in this very thread.

@Shorty
If it can be focused (laser) why can't it be limited? Or at least focused in a way that makes it seem limited to our eyes? Like I said previously, I'm not in the know-how on holographs, but what if the display sat on your floor, broadcast light all the way to your celing and created a cross section with the bouncing rays where the image formed?

Generally speaking, some 3D news out of CES: VUDU players will begin streaming 3D movies starting next week, so I imagine Netflix and others won't be far behind.
Toshiba is also showing off a very early prototype glasses-free 3DTV capable of also displaying 2D in 4k (4 times 1080p).
Both stories are at Engadget, and they note that while the 3D images on Toshiba's TV aren't as good as active shutter 3D, it shows promise in the tech.

[Shorty McNostril]

@Shorty
If it can be focused (laser) why can't it be limited? Or at least focused in a way that makes it seem limited to our eyes? Like I said previously, I'm not in the know-how on holographs, but what if the display sat on your floor, broadcast light all the way to your celing and created a cross section with the bouncing rays where the image formed?

Like you I am most definitely not an expert on properties of light, but as far as I'm aware light doesn't just stop.  It needs to be stopped.  Something needs to be in the way. Now I don't know of any substance (solid or otherwise) that can stop light in its tracks that would be useful for a holographic image.  Bearing in mind of course that it would need to move and be invisible (or close enough to it). 

And another thing in turn is that the beam of light would need to change colour as it moves through the image being projected. 

Don't get me wrong, I would love this to happen.  But I just don't see how it would be doable at all in a specific environment, let alone one's loungeroom.

[ejamer]

I think a lot of the excitement surrounding 3D video is the (real or imagined) potential that people hope to see in the near future.  Dreams about true holographic displays might not be within reach in the short term, but it doesn't stop people from dreaming.
 
Personally I hope that 3D media doesn't become a standard.  The glasses are annoying, the effect doesn't always work, long-term effects on people are unknown (especially with children), and companies expect us to willingly pay for this?  Well, they are probably right.  Many people will pay for 3D tech because it's the "next big thing"... but as someone who hasn't even adopted the HD standard there is no chance I'm going to be moving to 3D in the near future.

[Shorty McNostril]

I'm kind of undecided about 3D becoming cemented as the next must-have feature.

While I have to admit, I do really enjoy the 3D effects, the current way of 3D at home with the shutter glasses just isn't cool.  I watch the demo unit at the shops and it full on annoys me.  Not so much the glasses themselves, but the way they work.  It just looks wrong.  If they used the method that the movie cinema's use with passive glasses I would not mind at all.  I forget I'm wearing the glasses 5 mins in anyway. 

Of course viewing angle needs to be acceptable too.  Does anyone know why they all decided to use active glasses, rather than passive? 

[MaryJane]

@Shorty
1. Think laser at different intensities and colors bouncing between mirrors (really, I think even your ceiling would work, with the mirror in the same unit as the laser) and the cross-section forming an image.
2. It's more profitable for the companies to make cheap TVs and expensive glasses. Vizio is coming out with a line that does the opposite, hopefully it goes well so others follow.

There's a lot 3DTV news coming out of CES including a glasses-free mobile 3DTV from LG, 40-60" glasses-free TVs from Toshiba in early 2012, maybe late 2011, and a 3D laptop from Fujitsu that needs glasses.

[MaryJane]

Another 24/7 3DTV channel is launching this weekend from Sony, IMAX, and the Discovery channel, called 3net. 3 companies, 3D, 3net... how clever.

Aside from the lame name, they do promise to offer new shows in a rotation every night at 9p.m, (I'm guessing more than 5 or 7 shows, depending on what they mean by every night) and they pledge to have the most native 3D content by the end of the year.

With ESPN3D to begin looping their 3D library and continuing to show live games, and DirecTV's own n3D, there are now 3, full time 3D channels on DirecTV. I don't have a 3DTV yet, because I'm hoping to restrain the desire to buy one until Black Friday and Christmas deals come. I have however been spending time at the house of the aquaintance where I watched the Knicks vs. Heat game in 3D (probably too much time...) and I am hooked. Even with as little content as there is, there are a shots of things (even as "ordinary" as a shot of rolling hills or underwater caves) that just make me go wow! I want one! He has DirecTV, and n3D does have some decent programming, I also have DirecTV but will need a new receiver also, so I'm going to wait for the end of the year with my 3DS to hopefully tide me over until I buy one of the Avatar 3D bundles from Panasonic.

Oh, and since I can't link, I saw the article about the new channel on Engadget. And one other thing I saw on there a while back was that the British are going to staart having holographic broadcasts of those 'helpful' people at certain points in their airports.

[MaryJane]

The LG Optimus 3D is a glasses-free 3D smartphone launching later this year (TBA) in the U.S. It has a 4.3 inch screen, that according to Engadget, works well.

I bring it up now, because it is competition to the 3DS (not in terms of gaming, but in terms of those who simply desire 3D and for whom glasses-free portable is a viable option) and two new features have been announced for it at MWC. One of which we know the 3DS does not have, and the other Nintendo has yet to mention, but also seems dubios at this point. 1. Video out over HDMI
2. A Youtube 3D app

So, obviously no video out over HDMI, but neither have we heard anything about Youtube 3D. It is likely that with the browser you can watch 3D videos on Youtube, but the purpose of the app is more for uploading video. Is Nintendo going to allow us to share 3DS video on other devices? Will there even be 3DS videos? Now, like one of the iPods or Phones they could do a firmware update that allows video, but in light of competition, Nintendo seems to have made a huge oversight with the 3DS's cameras, and sharing video. Could they really not afford to lose the $7-$15 per system it would have cost them to put better cameras on the 3DS?

For the first 6 months or so of its existence the 3DS will be a unique product, but when other devices like the LG Optimus 3D come out, the 3DS will be a step behind.

The reason I put this here and not in the 3DS discussion, is because this phone is just the first of what will be many competitors for the portable 3D market, but not in terms of gaming. For now, and the foreseeable future, Nintendo will have a lock on 'serious' 3D gaming, but I do think there are people who would have/will buy a 3DS just for the ability to watch 3D on the go. Nintendo has got to do some serious hustling if they want to compete on that front, a front that is sure to grow, even as they are the ones who prove it to be a successful market. LG also has a 3D tablet coming out that needs glasses, but you can still take and share 3D videos.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think the 3DS will be in trouble in that regard until someone releases a glasses-free 3D tablet. Smart phones are a crowded market, and I don't see 3D being a major selling point in a device like that. Nintendo is treating 3D video playback as a secondary feature for a reason: doing it with that size screen has limited appeal. A lot of people will try it out once or twice for the novelty, but I doubt there's a significant market for it. People only watch video on a handheld device because they don't have a better option. Nintendo's in the best position because they have a device people are going to buy for other purposes (gaming), and should have the largest market share for glasses-free 3D in handhelds for the forseeable future (until and unless Apple makes an iPhone with it, which I don't see happening anytime soon).

[MaryJane]

I believe you're thinking about movies. Watching a video on Youtube, a movie trailer, or other short videos, a 4.3 inch screen is sufficient. Also, smartphones outsold laptops last year, so as full as the market is, there's room to grow, and as 3D continues to grow its library of full production and viral content, having a 3D smartphone will seem like a good idea. Watching people get pranked in 3D is the best.

[BranDonk Kong]

I don't think there's any real competition here. The 3DS was made for gaming, the LG Optimus is made for phone calls, but it also has glasses-free 3D. Unless it has a controller attachment (well, you can sue a Wiimote on Android phones actually), then it's really not any form of competition at all. They're not competing with Nintendo, so Nintendo doesn't need to do anything to compete with them.

[MaryJane]

So people don't want portable media devices?

The LG "phone" and the 3DS do everything the other can, except one can make calls, and the offers one of a kind gaming. Every other software feature is identical. When someone goes into Best Buy and asks for a portable glasses-free 3D movie player, they will be shown a 3DS and the LG Optimus 3D, and then choose their poison based on whether they'd rather game or have a flashy phone. Or if Nintendo doesn't get their act together, the decision will be made on taking and sharing 3D video.

[Stogi]

Thats completely backwards. What people will say is "I'm looking for a new phone." or "I'm looking for a new gaming device."

[MaryJane]

Okay, let's assume those are the only two things someone would say. The salesperson's answering question (if they weren't trying to sell a particular product no matter who came in or what they asked) would likely be, "What kind of phone or gaming device?" Or something to that effect. Now, what if the person says they are looking for a 3D version of either phone or gaming device, is shown the corresponding device, and asks if there's anything else. The answer is, "No, the only other portable 3D player is the" (one of the of two in existence in the U.S 3D portable media players they weren't being shown) "and that one doesn't do" (the thing they orginally asked for).

Nintendo has made the mistake of underestimating the competition a few times in the past, (and hopefully the 3DS's eShop will rectify some of that with $.99, $1.99, etc. games) and this could be another one of those times. Are you (not a personal 'you') really going to tell me that it would be a bad idea for Nintendo to be the premiere portable 3D media player? Even if people never bought a game for the system, their purchases increase demand, thus supply, driving down manufacturing costs, and filling Nintendo's pockets with money.

[Stogi]

That's the same argument that Nintendo dismissed but in regards to DVD support for the Wii.

[BranDonk Kong]

So, obviously the customer will decide to either cancel their current cell phone service, or pay an ETF to upgrade early, or sign up for a new service, so they can get the phone and pay for it every month, instead of buying the 3DS.

[Plugabugz]

I'm generally against 3D because its an extra £1.50-a-time fee on top of my £200/year (nearly $330/year) unlimited pass. I go 20+ times a year, even if the film im going to watch is terrible, so that unnecessarily adds up.

And then another £1.50 for the glasses (though they now encourage reusing the glasses).

Even without the unlimited card it adds another £4 on top of the £10+ Central London pricing which makes it nearer towards £15. It's not worth it for the money to get the same movie plus eyestrain.

[MaryJane]

Penthouse 3D launches in Europe today, and is coming to America in the second quarter of the year.

Porn is always a motivating factor of 'new' video technology, and this channel will feature native 3D content (not converted like Clash of the Titans, and its sequel) that Penthouse has been shooting since June of last year.

Also, as I mentioned before, the sequel to Clash of the Titans is going to have converted 3D. Now, they shot the movie expecting it to be converted, which apparently what they did for Pirahna 3D, but with all the terrible reviews Clash of the Titans got, especially for its weak 3D, you'd think they'd do things differently.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Clash of the Titans has a sequel coming? and they still aren't filming it in 3D?