I caught Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D yesterday at the theater. I had read quite a bit of praise for the post-conversion 3D and was really looking forward to seeing how good it looked. Unfortunately, I was let down.
After watching 15 minutes of wiz-bang previews in 3D, I was primed for a something great on-screen. I kept waiting and waiting until 30 minutes or so into the film I realized I was never going to see the solid 3D imagery I had hoped for.
Sure there were a couple of scenes that looked nice with apparent depth; however, the overall film was flat as a 3D offering. At no point did I feel immersed.
I think this is going to be one of the problems we see going forward with 3D conversions – they aren’t shot with 3D in mind. We are starting to see directors and cinematographers pay attention to camera blocking, depth of field and movement from a 3D point of view. As a result, the reasons to do certain things with cameras are becoming more refined for 3D usage. Ultimately, this really separates the intentionally-shot 3D scenes from the ad-hoc post conversion of scenes that were never intended to be viewed in 3D.
Lucas can have hundreds of VFX artists rotoscope for hours on end; however, it’s not going to set Star Wars apart from the rest of the poor post-converted films out there. If Lucas wants a Star Wars film to look great in 3D, he needs to hand over the reigns and let someone actually shoot it in 3D.
If I can get out of it, I’m going to pass on the next five Star Wars 3D films.
Finally, someone is getting on the 3D standardization train and moving toward making 3D glasses work on all 3D TVs. Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and XPAND 3D are driving the train and, hopefully, other manufacturers will hop on soon.
This simply has to happen for 3D TV to succeed on a mass market level.
Official press release below. [click to continue…]
DirecTV has launched three full-time 3D channels on its satellite service.
Channel 103 is n3D, which is powered by Panasonic and devoted to made-for-3D content.
Channel 104 is Cinema in 3D, which offers IMAX and other cinema titles.
Finally, ESPN 3D can be found on channel 106 featuring World Cup matches in 3D, as well as planning for future 3D sports content.
More details in the press release below. [click to continue…]
Sony has introduced a pair of short-focus 3D projectors, albeit at lower than HD resolution.
The PDG-DWL2500 is WXGA resolution (1280×800; 16:10 aspect ratio) with 2,500 lumens of brightness.
The PDG-DXL2000 is XGA resolution (1024×768; 4:3 aspect ratio), producing 2,000 lumens.
Both projectors are set to drop in July 2010. The PDG-DWL2500 has an MSRP of $1995, and the PDG-DXL2000 has an MSRP of $1795.
More details in the press release below. [click to continue…]
The PopBox is a set top box that allows you to stream media across the Internet and your home network. PopBox has announced that it is licensing the RealD 3D format to enable stereoscopic 3D through all PopBox devices.
PopBox retails for $129.99 and PopBox Wireless for $149.99. Check availability on Amazon.com.
More details in the press release below. [click to continue…]
An Italian firm has developed a prototype camera that can capture 3D imagery via a single lens using pulsed laser energy.
Although it doesn’t produce movie-style images, the FBK team see several potential uses for the camera. It could be incorporated into devices for elderly or disabled people to help them identify dangerous situations, such as those that could result in falls. It could also be used for Wii-like physically-interactive gaming, where the camera’s 3D sensing would eliminate the need for players to hold a controller.
[Gizmag via Crunchgear]
The casual game scene is finding its way into 3D platforms with Oberon Media’s announcement they they are developing 3D games for 3D TV.
Details in the press release below. [click to continue…]
Sony’s recent announcement of the PS3 3.30 system software update is important for 3D viewers because it preps the console for 3D gaming, which Sony says is “coming soon to the PS3.” I had the opportunity to play some PS3 games in 3D at CES 2010 and it was a blast. Super Stardust 3D looked amazing. It makes the games so much more immersive and fun. I’m sure some game makers will do a bad job, but there will certainly be some outstanding examples of 3D gaming as well. [click to continue…]
Denon has added two new 3D-Ready Blu-ray players to its lineup. The DBP-1611UD and DBP-2011UDCI both offer powerful audio and video features, including Netflix and YouTube streaming, as well as SACD and DVD-Audio compatibility.
The DBP-1611UD should be available in June 2010 at an initial retail price of $399. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The higher-end DBP-2011UDCI should be available in August 2010 at an initial retail price of $799. Check availability on Amazon.com. [click to continue…]
