With growing popularity modern 3D has broken into the cinema arena and, to a certain extent, dominated it. We've seen how over the last two years 3D has gone from an experiment and a gimmick to a huge spectacle in cinemas. A keynote event in this journey was Avatar, James Cameron's fantasy epic following the struggle for the alien world Pandora. Since the successful release of Avatar we've seen 3D spread its wings in the cinema with many films following the same path to success. There have also been some bumps along the way with some producers racing too quickly to try and compete with superior 3D; Clash of the Titans 3D, for example, used lower quality effects applied late in the production process in order to bring in audiences desiring a 3D experience.
It's certainly been a frantic time for the new technology and 3D has enjoyed success not only across various genres of film but in different mediums as well. But just how far has 3D broken into our everyday lives? Has it truly made the leap from cinemas to the home? Is 3D just a few short steps away from entering all forms of video entertainment or is it still in danger of fading away?
Screen to Screen
A trend we have seen in our video entertainment is that anything that hits the big screen will tend to gravitate to the TV eventually. Bringing the most modern entertainment to our homes is expected whether it's films, video games or 3D, it's natural that we want these things at our fingertips. 3D, however, has been around for a very long time, sometimes even disappearing until the technology took another leap forward, without making the transition to the small screen. Where has the home based incarnation of the third dimension been all this time?
Cinema has featured 3D in various incarnations preceding the current craze, the most recent of which was the late eighties rise of 3D popularity that would carry over into the 90s. Beginning with IMAX presentations, the 3D of the 80s and 90s would take the form of attractions put on by IMAX, Disney and Universal Studios, including titles such as the very popular T2 3-D: Battle Across Time.
While 3D saw significant success during this period, it hadn't managed to push into the mainstream cinema and take a hold of popularity in a way that guaranteed its place in video entertainment. That achievement would wait until the late 2000s when 3D would make its biggest leaps and finally break into the mainstream cinema market.
The struggle to put 3D at the centre of cinema is still ongoing but it is certainly gaining strength. The question is where this will lead for the future of 3D entertainment and how many new arenas the technology will find itself in. Targets for the 3D revolution include the TV/home cinema, the mobile phone, video gaming and, as has recently become apparent with the 3DS, mobile gaming.
The Changing Face of 3DTV
As we've touched on already, despite the recurrences of 3D cinema, the move to the small screen has taken a long time to develop. Technological limitations coupled with the high cost of providing home 3D have meant that bringing the spectacle to the television mainstream has been all but impossible until recently. Advancing technology coupled with the demand caused by the success of 3D film has, however, opened up a potential market for 3DTV, something that many companies have fully embraced.
There are several technologies that facilitate 3D television, many of which have been explored but have been incapable of providing anything more than a exciting gimmick. Lately these technologies have advanced enough to offer potential for a true home 3D experience. The key methods that have made this possible can be divided into two groups.
The first is classic stereoscopy coupled with glasses to create a 3D effect. This requires that glasses of differing types (anaglyphic and polarised) be worn by the audience and so throws up a few barriers to home use. Audiences generally prefer comfort in their home viewing and so glasses are disruptive rather than beneficial to the home 3D experience.
The second key technology is autostereoscopic 3D; this offers the thrill of 3D without the burden of glasses. Unfortunately autostereoscopy is not without its restrictions and there are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to get the full 3D effect. The difficulty comes from the fact that autostereoscopic 3D usually requires that the audience be sat at a certain angle.
A solution to this problem can be provided through the use of head tracking technology. This tracks the viewer's position and re-aligns the 3D effect to provide the best image for them. Finally there is automultiscopy, a technology that provides multiple viewing angles without the use of head tracking. This method lacks glasses and yet still provides an experience that can be enjoyed from multiple viewpoints- arguably the best option for the future of 3D.
Ultimately, the biggest drawbacks at the moment are money and content. 3DTVs are still expensive and until there is a lot of content available from various sources audiences are understandably hesitant to invest in the technology. That said, Sky are preparing a 3D offering for their regular users and several channels across the world are following suit. 3D DVD releases are also scheduled, bringing some of the big 3D film successes into the home. The future will tell if 3D becomes as prevalent as HD in the home cinema.
Branching Out
What is clear already is that 3D isn't stopping at entering the home. 3D technology has also entered public venues and, of all places, you might be able to find it at your local pub. Sky rolled out a 3D service for British pubs and clubs in April this year, offering 3D sports to over a thousand venues in the UK. The move was well received and its success was boosted by the audiences brought in by the World Cup.
Showing 3D video in pubs has brought the technology to audiences it might not have been able to reach through the cinema. As such this has helped to market 3D and potentially up the eventual sales of home systems. Reports have shown that the new experience was well received, bringing in more customers and demonstrating how well the technology can present sports and football in particular.
3D technology also promises to reach our mobile phones. Autostereoscopic technology will make our portable little screens that little bit more dazzling. Some developers are even offering mobile phone cameras capable of taking 3D images. Obviously the angle limitations of this kind of 3D aren't an issue when the device is mobile and hand held.
Finally, 3D is also entering the gaming arena, most notably through Nintendo's latest hand held device the 3DS. Like the phones this device side steps the angle difficulties and doesn't require glasses. It also offers a 3D camera and video playback technology. Together this will bring many of the benefits of 3D to even more audiences (given the huge demographic that the DS has been marketed at, the 3DS stands a good chance of bringing the technology to the widest audience yet).
Wild Fire
Looking at the different mediums that 3D is entering it is clear that the technology is here to stay this time. By entering the arenas of cinema, mobile technology, television, gaming and even the local pub, 3D has carved a place for itself and demonstrated its capabilities to a huge audience. With Sky bringing out their home 3D channels and Nintendo releasing their 3DS soon it's clear that we're nearing another big push for the technology. Given the success 3D has seen so far, we can only expect it to continue its triumphant spread into all visual mediums.
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