Does anyone even want 3D?
One of the trends at CES this year was 3D video. It seems that the industry is moving in that direction at a rapid pace: a year ago, 3D was reserved for the theatres, and even the idea of having it in your living room seemed far fetched. If things like CSS3 and HTML5, or even high definition video, moved from idea to market as quickly as 3D seems to be, we'd all be a happier species.
But wait - do we even want 3D?
It seems like every time Engadget talked about 3D at CES, they groaned about one thing: the glasses. They're a pain at the theatres, but I can't imagine how irritating they would be at home, when I really want to just lie down on the couch and watch a movie casually. Not only that, but in order to watch a 3D movie effectively, you need to stare directly at the screen. This might seem like a minor point, and for many, maybe it is. But if I've got people over, crammed into our small media room, more than a few people will be at a non-optimal viewing angle. Add on top of that the physical pain that can come from extended viewing of 3D (I'm not the only one who gets headaches from it), and you've got a recipe for disaster.
This whole thing doesn't seem well thought out at all.
To put it simply, I think the industry has moved far too quickly in a direction that has little demand. I'd be perfectly happy to watch a 3D movie, but I really prefer to watch them in a theatre. Once they really start pushing 3D, I won't have a choice: it'll be 3D, or not watching the movie at all. That is, if people buy the equipment. And I really don't think they will. Unlike HD, 3D really isn't worth upgrading to: it's a gimmick that has limited application, and comes with painful headaches (literally).
