3D TV's...Bomb or Blossom?
Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010
Filed under
New technology,
TV
Source: http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/2010/01/_mg_4314.jpg
If you haven't heard of the latest and greatest at CES 2010, then this post is for you. Dominating displays and excitedly hushed whispers frequented the show regarding 3D Televisions. Yes, they are coming...this year - August more or less. Yes, they promise a beautiful display of colors and interactive entertainment. Yes, the Super Bowl will supposedly be broadcast in 3D next year...The only question that remains then is will this be another failed venture, or will it be a revolutionary mark in history?
You be the judge - Here are the facts...starting with a Forbes video showcasing the new technology...
Personally, the man in this video wasn't exactly brimming with confidence...and if I'm correct, I don't think he even got a full sentence out without another question firing from the interviewer's lips...
I think everyone is a bit full of skepticism when it comes to products like this - Let me refresh your memory a little, take a trip down Nostalgia Lane, visiting some of the past "great" ideas that failed miserably...
Believe it or not, but the picture phone was invented back in the 1960s. Riding the wave of Star Trek, everyone who had tons of money must have wanted one...the only drawback apparently was that if 4 or 5 people used them in even the largest cities, they would crash the entire city phone system...
(Source: http://blogs.bnet.com/salesmachine/?p=430)
(Img source: http://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones-picturephone.html)
(Img source: http://www.porticus.org/bell/telephones-picturephone.html)
Great idea...bad timing...
2 | DigiScent iSmell Not exactly the most appealing of names...having any connotation of stinking never sells well for products...The idea was too be able to send aromas over the internet...now how they were supposed to accomplish this is beyond me, but as you would surf the internet you could be presented with electronic fragrances to heighten the surfing experience...only problem was...no one wanted to have to buy software in addition to popup blockers...plus there are a lot of pages out there I wouldn't want a smell coming from...
(Img source: http://komar.cs.stthomas.edu/qm425/02f/Yang2.htm)
3 | Virtual Keyboard This one is actually pretty cool, and I am hoping it will catch on one day so I can get my hands on one. It is no other than a holographic sort of virtual keyboard that you can plug into your computers, PDA's, and other accessories. I just don't think it has been marketed too well, and according to the review at CNET it was one of the worst products because "Unfortunately, when we tested it, we got the following message during setup: "The device does not offer any usable services. Please enable any desired services on that device or choose another one." Definitely not a good way to start...not impressing CNET can have lasting repercussions...and for the price of $169.99, I'm not really to enthralled to dive in and try it...
(Source: http://www.cnet.com/1990-11136_1-6313439-1.html) (For more product information and img source visit: http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/)
Doubts aside, let's review the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself if these TV's will sink or swim...
Pros
One of the predominant comments made by testers at CES was that "the 3D image does seem to stretch behind the screen, with moments that deliver a sublime sense of depth, such as, say, the ballroom floor during the "Alice in Wonderland" trailer or even the foreshortened spinning wheel in "Wheel of Fortune." Sounds pretty good eh? Having the game winning pass of the Super Bowl thrown right at your face sure sounds appealing. The other great thing is that with a lot of the TV's demoed, you can actually switch back and forth between 2D and 3D, which I think is essential considering the wide array of movies, tv shows, and video games that may not be made for 3D.
In two words...sleek design - check out this picture from engadget...
Cons
The one unraveling thread I can see with all the vibrancy, luster, and brilliance in contrast from these TV's is the use of glasses. Being the sole manner of viewing the TV's in 3D, each viewer must be equipped with special glasses that operate just like the old school red-blue glasses we've always had as kids. These new ones are not too much different, though they have definitely been Oakley-ized to look significantly cooler.
The reason why I don't see this working is the impracticality of putting on glasses just to watch TV. Now instead of spending hours finding the remote, in addition you'll have to find your glasses. Then you have tiny glitches when viewing due to the refresh rate, which no matter how fast you make it, you might always see a minor glitch when refreshing. Consider vision problems too, what happens to people blind in one eye, or with less visual acuity in one eye? I'm not sure how companies are going to get around this one. The last issue with these glasses is the idea that each TV only comes with 1-2 glasses. This means if you have a big family like mine, or if you are psyched to invite your buddies over for the big game, you are going to be out a few hundred dollars. Speaking of cost, we haven't even gotten to how much the actual TV unit costs...you are going to be down a whopping $3000 or more (up to $12,000)
Yes...that's three zeroes after the twelve....
Bottom Line
Here's the final toaster take on these possibly ground-breaking TV's. They are awesome, no doubt about it...with picturesque demos at CES and beautiful contrast, it could make watching movies at your house a lot more fun that going to the theater. However, with issues such as cost, appeal, and practicality to be dealt with, it may be a risky investment initially. That's why my advice to anyone reading this blog is to wait...at least 1 year if you have ants in your pants to get one...wait and see how things go. And if you can wait, I would wait 2-3 years until all the kinks are worked out. That's my practice with Microsoft Windows, and it hasn't steered me wrong yet....
Final Skeptical, Unsure, Maybe Just Maybe Toast Rating:
(out of 5)
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