3D technology is impressive, but is it ready for our homes?
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Initial conclusion? Football is perhaps not the best sport to demonstrate the 3DTV technology. Sitting 10 feet from the screen, the players still looked like small stick figures, even in 3D. Part of the problem lies in the fact that much of the match's views were shot in wide angle from the top of the stadium, in order to get the full field in view. During instant replay shots of one or two players, on the other hand, the 3D images were stunning, giving a real sense of what it might be like to be on the field with the players.
Shooting football in 3D is a work in progress. The World Cup was the first large event telecast in 3D, so the director was, in a sense, guessing where to put the cameras, in order to best tell the story. But as a Sony official told me, if you watched the first few World Cup matches in 3D and then watched the semi-finals, you would see a major difference in coverage and camera angles, as the directors learned and adjusted shots.
Sony believes that movies shot in 3D are great for use on home 3D TVs. The company hopes that mainstream TV shows will also begin shooting in 3D. But while the benefits of 3D for things like sports, nature shows, and perhaps some movies, 3D may not do a lot for less action-based programs.
3D TV is a work in progress, and it will be slow to develop as a mainstream product. But there are two market segments that may adopt it quickly. The first is gaming. 3D games deliver an amazingly immersive experience. The other is the adult movie industry. Sources tell me that X-rated movie studios are the major buyer of 3D TV movie making equipment. The sad reality is that the adult industry drove the first major wave of VCR sales. It may well drive the first wave of 3D TVs, as well.
A mass adoption in the UK, however, still seems a way off. It's just not ready for prime time. There are not a lot of 3D TV programs at present, and while there will be an increase in 3D sports and nature programs in the next 12-18 months, my sense is that 3D TV will continue to be a work in progress for the next three to four years. During that time, companies will be teaching pros how best to shoot 3D and companies will begin to specialise and start producing great content.
The technology is good now, but it will only get better. As more and more 3D content goes mainstream, so too will the adoption of 3D TV. Who knows maybe you won't even need 3D glasses by the time it reaches your home.
