Why Your Next TV Should Be A 3D TV
Phil Lelyveld
Entertainment Technology Center
[PC Magazine]
I have been dealing with 3D projects related to movies and TV for about five years…
I have felt that 3D is somewhat of a gimmick and in the pantheon of 3D movies, it is not necessarily germane to the actual plot. The only films I’ve seen that really seemed to benefit from 3D wereHubble 3D and Space Station 3D at IMAX theatres and various movies about deep sea creatures.
I recently saw a movie, however, that finally made me realize that 3D in movies can be critical to the actual story—Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece, Hugo. …
When we first started looking at the TV sets in the store, we were mostly focused on buying one that had vivid color for HD. However, the price of 3D TVs, which I had largely overlooked in the past, now attracted my interest. I still assumed they had at least a $500 to $1,000 premium over standard HD sets, when in fact, for $1,499 I could buy an intriguing Panasonic Viera, a 55-inch 600Hz 3D plasma TV. It even came with two active shutter 3D glasses and a Skype video system and was only $200 more than the non-3D version. …
my colleagues at PCMag have done a marvelous job over the years of reviewing all types of 3D TVs and I defer to them for greater insight. The big takeaway for me, though, has been that finally HD TVs with 3D have minimal price premiums. …
Lack of 3D content is the second area that I scrutinize when looking at 3D in the home. …
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My hunch is that it will be at least another three years before we start seeing enough mainstream shows and movies shot in 3D to really push consumers to adopt 3D TVs in greater numbers. But remember, TVs last on average five to eight years in the home, so with prices coming down, it makes sense to think about 3D now as part of a tech future proofing strategy.
As for me, I am now a 3D convert. The prices have dropped enough so that it was more than possible to buy 3D. Even though content is slow in coming, I feel assured that, especially with a 600Hz model, I have somewhat future proofed my family room TV for at least the next five years.
Read the full article here: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398481,00.asp
