3D TV Is Dead

[4-earredwonder]

Thanks for sharing that dissertation on 3D, sellerbird. Unfortunately, the titles he cited as MUST HAVE 3D have little 'content' appeal to me, personally. Flicker Alley's 3D Rarities which he cites as the best in 3D holds no 'sex' appeal....at least for me. Unfortunately, shooting in NATIVE 3D is akin to the old Hollywood Technicolor 3 strip process......a VERY expensive and arduous, not to mention bulky task. The big question today for Hollywood....shoot in film or video. 35mm/70mm film shoots adds a lot to the budget and ironically, with 4K and especially with 8K, video WILL be the only way to fly (35mm film has about 3500 lines of resolution so it's maxed out at 4K).

I disagree regarding post conversion from 2D to 3D. The technology has advanced significantly and films like Predator, Wizard of Oz [the original], Top Gun, Titanic, etc., look pretty convincing and with the addition of LOSSLESS surround soundtracks, even downright startling at times.

What I do find objectionable is the up conversion of existing 2K masters to 4K for supposed 4K releases. As I mentioned, 35mm negatives have approximately 3500 lines of resolution so new 4K masters SHOULD be struck from the original camera negatives [whenever available] before slapping 4K on the BD~V. Now, that's CHEATING!

 

[seilerbird]

Thanks for sharing that dissertation on 3D, sellerbird. Unfortunately, the titles he cited as MUST HAVE 3D have little 'content' appeal to me, personally.

Well it obviously appeals to a lot of people since 71% of 136 reviews are five stars.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Well it obviously appeals to a lot of people since 71% of 136 reviews are five stars.

I'm sure as a 3D documentary [which it is: peruse these screenshots http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/3-D-Rarities-Blu-ray/98139/#Screenshots] it's a fascinating overview! [press screenshots]

OT: I have Flicker Alley's Chaplin Mutual Comedies [1916~17] :ugham: meticulously restored on BD~V....400 minutes of pure genius in a limited steel book edition so I am aware of the label's penchant for excellence.

The label has also produced some stunning documentaries originally released in the CineRama process: "This is CineRama" and "Russian Adventure."

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/This-is-Cinerama-Blu-ray/43950/

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Cineramas-Russian-Adventure-Blu-ray/159214/

AFAIK, the only commercial Hollywood film fully restored and released in the CineRama process is: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/How-the-West-Was-Won-Blu-ray/742/#Review Should look pretty 'nifty' on a 4K curved screen!

BTW, just pre~ordered "It Came from Outer Space" in 3D from 1953.....and according to bluray.com one of the best 3D films of the period. http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/It-Came-from-Outer-Space-3D-Blu-ray/133338/#Review

 

[seilerbird]

I saw This Is Cinerama at the Cinerama Dome in Hollyweird back in the 60s so I have been a 3D fan for a long time. I remember seeing 3d movies in regular movie theaters in the 60s also.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Just today, Amazon delivered my third Lichtmond 3D BD~V "Days of Eternity" which, IMO, musically, surpasses their previous efforts [I have the PURE AUDIO BD~A, as well]. Pictorally, these Lichtmond 3D BD~Vs are startling in their vividness. Looks like FULL 4K and the colors are supremely dazzling.

If you love 3D, these German produced BD~Vs are state of the art and the closest we'll probably come to approximating 4K from 3D 1080p [NO exaggeration]! Audio is 9.1 Auro, 7.1 DTS HD MA and 5.1 DTS HD MA [all] 48/24.

https://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Et...8&qid=1485377047&sr=8-1&keywords=lichtmond+3d

 

[nomura]

I believe that the issue was never the market, but the industry instead.

Watch Avatar in 3D, who doesn't like that?! The industry/studios never used this technology to help the narrative of the movie, it was treated like an effect, a gimmick.

This is sad because there are only a hand full of movies that perfected 3D.

 

[Dillydipper]

Help me undeerstand the wisdom in that? As far as I can tell, the only reason you would want to pull something off the market people want to buy...is if it hurts the market share for the regular-formatted product.

Disney sells a crapload of Toy Story chapters....but doesn't release the first two in 3-D until....no, waitaminute, Toy Story 3-D was reconfigured and released years ago.

On the other hand, I can see why the price on DVD copies of The Concert for George would plummet...once fans were aware of how much of an improvement the Blu-ray is. So then, am I supposed to believe they stopped making the Blu-rays to boost sales of the DVD? @:

Um, no, that would be stupid. Because now you can get DVD's used for the cost of a gallon of milk...AND they're not getting any of this silly money traders are charging for an OOP Blu-ray. OH - I know: they're remixing the sound for Atmos, right...?

I gues the only real answer I can arrive at is, it's the industry having a hissy-fit because 3-D isn't making them a gazillion dollars they wouldn't have otherwise...is's only making them a jillion dollars they wouldn't have...?

Well, no...because if THAT were true, they would be releasing the next Minions cartoon in 2-D...mono...and black-&-white.

 

[seilerbird]

There is no logical answer as to why manufacturers ever do anything.

 

[atrocity]

Help me undeerstand the wisdom in that? As far as I can tell, the only reason you would want to pull something off the market people want to buy...is if it hurts the market share for the regular-formatted product.

I honestly believe there's a significant subset of people out there stupid enough to believe that having 3D included as a feature on their TVs somehow means they can't use them as 2D sets. Maybe what the manufacturers should do is include 3D as a feature but downplay it so as not to scare away the idiots.

I gues the only real answer I can arrive at is, it's the industry having a hissy-fit because 3-D isn't making them a gazillion dollars they wouldn't have otherwise...is's only making them a jillion dollars they wouldn't have...?

I think lots of business make lots of decisions in exactly this way. Profitable or even very profitable just isn't good enough. If it's not INSANELY profitable, they view it as a failure.

When Logitech bought the Squeezebox line from SlimDevices they introduced a nice player they called the Touch. It sold so much better than expected that it soon became hard to get as the first manufacturing run was depleted. They made more, then killed the entire product line because a rabid fan base made lots of money for them, but still not "enough".

 

[4-earredwonder]

There is no logical answer as to why manufacturers ever do anything.

YOU said a MOUTHFUL, sellerbird. What I really do believe based on DVD~A and SACD in the early years.....they really didn't give it a chance to mature and pulled the plug because of lack of INSTANTANEOUS PROFITS. And the bottom line.......if the shareholders of a large conglomerate aren't happy with puny profits.... heads ROLL and they replace the CEO immediately and replace him/her with a more conservative one and trim the fat and just move on.

Of course, the root cause is usually (more often than not) the public's ignorance of the newer formats (like people believing 3D players don't play 2D) or that their existing DVD players won't play the DTS/DD 5.1 codecs from a DVD~A.

DVD was probably the last format to really catch fire and as I always mention, I STILL know a lot of people who don't have a blu ray player because they DON'T understand it will upsample existing DVDs, play RBCDs and if the Universal Type will play everything including the kitchen sink.

Ignorance isn't BLISS......IT's PISS!

And if they DO move all the manufacturing jobs back to the US, prepare to spend $50K for a Ford Pinto and $5K for an OPPO Universal Player :yikes Comprende?

 

[4-earredwonder]

Help me undeerstand the wisdom in that? As far as I can tell, the only reason you would want to pull something off the market people want to buy...is if it hurts the market share for the regular-formatted product.

Disney sells a crapload of Toy Story chapters....but doesn't release the first two in 3-D until....no, waitaminute, Toy Story 3-D was reconfigured and released years ago.

On the other hand, I can see why the price on DVD copies of The Concert for George would plummet...once fans were aware of how much of an improvement the Blu-ray is. So then, am I supposed to believe they stopped making the Blu-rays to boost sales of the DVD? @:

Um, no, that would be stupid. Because now you can get DVD's used for the cost of a gallon of milk...AND they're not getting any of this silly money traders are charging for an OOP Blu-ray. OH - I know: they're remixing the sound for Atmos, right...?

I gues the only real answer I can arrive at is, it's the industry having a hissy-fit because 3-D isn't making them a gazillion dollars they wouldn't have otherwise...is's only making them a jillion dollars they wouldn't have...?

Well, no...because if THAT were true, they would be releasing the next Minions cartoon in 2-D...mono...and black-&-white.

Honestly, I previously stopped buying 3D movies because my Panasonic THX calibrated Plasma 3D TV with it's ancient and gangly rechargeable 'goggles' was too dark to really enjoy it. The 2D was perfection. Now that I have a brand new OLED Curved 3D TV with lightweight glasses which fit comfortably over my prescription glasses, I'm buying as many 3Ds as I can get my greedy hands on.

And another problem. Some of the blu ray review sites don't have OLEDs and they're downgrading the 3Dness of certain movies. Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children comes to mind. I actually watched it from a broadcast in 3D from FIOS and the movie popped from the opening frame to the last and it was hardly gimmicky and added immeasurably to my enjoyment of the movie.

Also, in a survey conducted some years back, it was estimated that 10% of the population cannot bear to watch 3D for various reasons (poor eyesight, induces vomiting, etc) so that does eradicate a small chunk of potential viewership.

Hollywood continues to churn out 3D movies, charges more at the multiplex for 3D but their decision to pull the plug on 3D, actually eliminating it altogether from the 4K launch, seems to sound the death knell for the format. But like SACD and DVD~A and BD~A, will it [hopefully] become a niche market of the future?

Stay tuned.

 

[HomerJAU]

Can't help but correlate the end of 3D video at home with the end of 3D music (aka surround). In ten years there will be ThreeDimensional3D.com website with thousands of passionate members discussing old 3D movies and rumours of a new release or two.

Ahhh. 3D movies with 3D sound! Those were the good old days!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Can't help but correlate the end of 3D video at home with the end of 3D music (aka surround). In ten years there will be ThreeDimensional3D.com website with thousands of passionate members discussing old 3D movies and rumours of a new release or two.

Ahhh. 3D movies with 3D sound! Those were the good old days!

THE LAST 3D PICTURE SHOW a new film by Peter Bogdanovich.....In Gravure Black & White and four channel Mono. WARNING/VERBOTEN: For some patrons, this 3D movie may induce dizziness:bounce, vomitingarty, flatulence:nuke, paranoid schizhoprenia and in some instances code RED.
Consult your local optician before attempting to view this stereoscopically fortified image in the now taken for granted once miracle of 3D

4K without 3D is like Dolby Atmos without the height channels......What's the point?

And 8K without 3D......A Travesty!

 

[nomura]

Atmos sound the same tome as 7.1 surround... useless... Not every release come with a good mixing to justify this.

 

[seilerbird]

Atmos sound the same to me as 7.1 surround... useless... Not every release come with a good mixing to justify this.

BS. 7.1 is fantastic.

 

[seilerbird]

Atmos sound the same to me as 7.1 surround... useless... Not every release come with a good mixing to justify this.

BS. 7.1 is fantastic. It does not matter if every release uses it, the ones that do sound fantastic.

 

[nomura]

BS. 7.1 is fantastic. It does not matter if every release uses it, the ones that do sound fantastic.

Sure it is!!!
When a good mix is done.

Take Star Trek in to the darkness for example, the 7.1 is just an effect channel, the extra channels are off 90% of the time, total crap. Now take Pacific Rim, the 7.1 mix is so good that the sound looks like a character by it self.

Like 3D, you have a hand full of movies that worth it.

 

[seilerbird]

It takes time to get a new format right. Stereo was invented in the 30s but it wasn't until the 70s that engineers getting stereo right. And then the only reason they did had nothing to do with sound, it was to make stereo and mono compatible because stereo records were ruining mono needles.

 

[nomura]

It takes time to get a new format right.

Agree!
That is way is to soon to kill 7.1 and 3D TV, is not that the consumer doesn't want it, is the industry that did not get it right yet.

 

[Dillydipper]

There is no logical answer as to why manufacturers ever do anything.

Maybe they're getting their management cues from Game of Thrones.

Also, in a survey conducted some years back, it was estimated that 10% of the population cannot bear to watch 3D for various reasons (poor eyesight, induces vomiting, etc) so that does eradicate a small chunk of potential viewership.

...but probably accounts for 80% of the peer-pressure small talk, bragging about how 3D gives them seizures. Or radical immigrants. Or tastes like broccoli.