Written by Anthony Watkins
One of the many debates in the film industry over the last several years has revolved around the development and use of 3D exhibition in theaters. Some audiences love 3D, while others complain of motion sickness or just find the 3D technology to be a weak excuse for higher ticket prices. Whatever the case may be, one aspect of the technology has remained constant over the years since its inception: the use of 3D glasses. Before walking into the theater, audiences are given 3D glasses to wear during the film, since the images on-screen need to be discolored in order to achieve the 3D effect with the glasses. This aspect (besides maybe the higher prices) is the major drawback of 3D, since some people, especially those who wear regular glasses, find the 3D glasses to be a nuisance and cumbersome.
However, new technologies are being developed that could possibly put an end to 3D glasses. One of these technologies is lenticular lenses. Lenticular lenses are small lenses located on top of the display. These lenses display two sets of the same image and direct the light emanated from the images to your eyes—one image per eye. Finally, your brain stitches the images together and you perceive a 3D image.
Although the technology effectively gets rid of the need for 3D glasses, there are several drawbacks. First, as is the case with today’s 3D, the images need to be specially created to be compatible with the displays. Creators of the film need to interlace the two different sets of images together, or the effect will not work properly, as viewers would simply see a blurry dual image instead of one three dimensional image. A larger issue with the technology is that it would require a viewer to sit in a “sweet spot” while watching the film. If the viewer moved just a little to the left or right of the screen, the image would start to blur and the 3D effect would be lost. Although this seems like a major issue with the technology, a probable solution would be a camera that tracks the viewer’s position (hopefully enabling multiple viewers), allowing them to be relatively mobile during the movie (Strickland).
However, new technologies are being developed that could possibly put an end to 3D glasses. One of these technologies is lenticular lenses. Lenticular lenses are small lenses located on top of the display. These lenses display two sets of the same image and direct the light emanated from the images to your eyes—one image per eye. Finally, your brain stitches the images together and you perceive a 3D image.
Although the technology effectively gets rid of the need for 3D glasses, there are several drawbacks. First, as is the case with today’s 3D, the images need to be specially created to be compatible with the displays. Creators of the film need to interlace the two different sets of images together, or the effect will not work properly, as viewers would simply see a blurry dual image instead of one three dimensional image. A larger issue with the technology is that it would require a viewer to sit in a “sweet spot” while watching the film. If the viewer moved just a little to the left or right of the screen, the image would start to blur and the 3D effect would be lost. Although this seems like a major issue with the technology, a probable solution would be a camera that tracks the viewer’s position (hopefully enabling multiple viewers), allowing them to be relatively mobile during the movie (Strickland).
A look at a display utilizing lenticular lenses
Lenticular displays have been developed and are featured in some sports arenas and hotels. However, viewers that have spent a significant amount of time watching them have complained of motion sickness, a problem already inherent in 3D screenings. Furthermore, these displays hardly seem like the next step in cinema’s exhibition evolution, since they require a physical screen, not a projection. However, they could become the next step in home entertainment sometime in the near future if the issue of the “sweet spot” can be effectively resolved.
What do you think? Will lenticular lenses or a similar technology replace our 3D glasses? Do you think 3D is a concept worth debating at all? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
WORKS CITED
Strickland, Jonathan. "How 3-D TV Works." How Stuff Works. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3d-tv5.htm>.
What do you think? Will lenticular lenses or a similar technology replace our 3D glasses? Do you think 3D is a concept worth debating at all? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
WORKS CITED
Strickland, Jonathan. "How 3-D TV Works." How Stuff Works. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
<http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3d-tv5.htm>.
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