With the recent blockbuster movie Avatar released in December, in addition to its popularity at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, 3D movies and television will soon be the new must-have technology for electronic media. But are the eye strain and availability and implementation of specialized glasses and televisions really worth it?
3D is far more interesting than 2D, but how does it exactly work? It all has to do with the 3D glasses. Normally, when people think of 3D they think of the red and blue flimsy glasses given out at theme parks. This 3D works by the red lens blocking out the red color on the screen, and the blue lens blocking out the blue color on the screen. This produces a 3D effect, but the colors look odd and it is very hard to stare through them for two hours and 41 minutes (the length of Avatar).
This problem has been solved by new 3D technology, in which polarized lenses are used for viewing. To create a 3D effect, two synchronized images are projected onto a screen. Each projection is shown with a different polarization of light. Just like red and blue glasses, the lenses correspond to one of the images, and they block out the light. This process produces two different images for the eyes to absorb, which the brain perceives into a 3D image.
In cinema, 3D movies have shown to be more successful than their 2D counterparts. When Avatar came out, it was shown in 3D and in 2D. The 3D was more popular than 2D, and earned much more money. People are fascinated by 3D movies, and they are shown to bring in more movie-goers than the normal format.
3D will soon be everywhere. On laptops, in movies, in television, it will become a popular way for viewing video. The technology is great, and will only continue to improve to provide a better experience for all who choose to use it.