What's the Future of 3D?

What's the Future of 3D? Sunday January 9, 2011

3D is a cool little gimmick for now, and most of the new movies for kids are being released in theaters in 3D. But, how far will the format go, and how long will it last? Is 3D truly going to be the future of movies and TV, or is it a passing fad that will reach a plateau and maybe even fizzle?

3D hit movie theaters with a bang and has exploded. Home 3D components, however, met with much enthusiasm, but have not taken off at all when it comes to actual sales. Seeing a 3D movie in theaters is one thing, but actually having in homes is another. Do we really want to watch in 3D all the time, and is it worth the extra money an upgrade would cost? So far, consumers have not been racing to the stores to pick up the new technology.

New announcements at CES, as well as drastic price drops, could change the game a little, however. Many companies announced new 3D enabled products as well as 3D TVs that don't involve the bulky glasses -- a plus for consumers' comfort as well as their pocket books. Also, new products and lackluster sales are pushing the prices down, allowing more families to afford the technology. A price drop coupled with a significant increase in products will surely spark more interest. Also, 3D's proliferation into other arenas such as video games and personal camcorders will hedge the technology even more. All of these companies are not going to want to lose out on the R&D they have risked, so several industries will be pushing 3D hard.

My personal prediction is that 3D is not going to go away. Those who are not as into home theater may scoff at the "gimmick" now, but if enthusiasts start to take advantage of the new technology and lower prices, the trend will spread.  As for our family, we had planned to get a new 3D TV end of last year, but we just saw too much going on in the industry to commit. We didn't want to buy a set and have something better come out the next week. We will likely purchase a 3D TV in 2011, but we are an anomaly, because my work involves reviewing movies in 3D, and my husband is a home theater enthusiast. Thus, we haven't heard many of our friends and family talking about picking up a 3D TV any time soon.  Once the trend becomes more mainstream, though, many of them will.

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