Now that the 3D home viewing experience has undergone a huge leap in technology, my husband and I finally made it down to the local Best Buy (kids in tow) to check out a demo of a couple of the TVs currently on the market. I was prepared not to be impressed. I mean, theaters have big projectors and stuff, are they really going to be able to make 3D that good with a TV at home in my own living room? We waited around for a while until a qualified associate came to turn everything on and bring us the glasses. Luckily, we got got a nice kid named Shane, who obviously has a passion for the subject and was happy to give us both opinions and factual information.
So, the first thing he turned on was a Black-Eyed Peas concert -- not my favorite since we had kids with us. I watched for a few seconds putting the glasses up then down then back up to try and see the difference, but I couldn't. Did he forget to turn the 3D function on? Is it just that bad that you can't tell the difference sometimes? No. Thank you, husband, for pointing out that my glasses were turned off. Duh. Ok, put the glasses, now on, back on my face and, wow! Confetti is flying off the screen! Love it.
Next, noticing our kids were really into this, he put in a demo disc that had clips from the movie How to Train Your Dragon -- a great pick since the movie is beautifully animated and looked great 3D in the theaters. To my surprise and amazement, the movie looked just as good as at the theater. But, Shane assured us that 3D actually looks better at home, because home theater systems use active shutter 3D glasses (hence having to turn them on and off, I guess) which provide an even better picture. I didn't want to hog the 3D demo station, so we didn't take the time to check out more than a couple of minutes of clips, but what we did see made us want to make the purchase right then and there, and the kids had so much fun just seeing the demo that, upon finding out we were going to get frozen yogurt after, they proclaimed it the "Best day ever!" (This just after a 4th of July weekend full of fun and activities.)
Now, I still have a lot of issues to work out before we actually fork out any money for one of these things. Comparing models is nearly impossible, because TVs in the stores are not generally calibrated correctly, and the 3D TVs could perform differently based on the home theater setup. So, we will have to rely on reviews and recommendations which are still coming out. Also, I have concerns about the long term effects of watching 3D TV, especially for kids. Could it damage kids' eyesight? I don't think seeing a 3D movie every now and then would cause long term damage, but what about when homes have 3D systems and kids are watching 3D movies, TV and video games in 3D all the time? I will be actively looking for studies and recommendations about kids' health and safety regarding 3D viewing.
The home theater market will really heat up this holiday season, with more 3D Blu-rays hitting shelves and manufacturers getting more products on the market. Will you or anyone in your family be looking to delve into the 3D home theater system this year?
Family Films
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