Barrett Garese

On 3DTV, and why I don’t buy it.

I’ll buy a new 3DTV when I don’t have to put on (and keep track of) special glasses just to watch a football game.

I don’t get this big push for 3DTV, it just seems so…desperate. I get it: television as a medium is dying in its current state. You need something new to drive consumer interaction, habits, and general viewing. But this smacks of serious desperation and half-baked hardware.

I’ve seen it myself, it’s shiny, it’s…sort of cool to watch. It’s not mind-blowing and it’s certainly not equivalent to the theatrical 3D experience. The colors are always a little bit off, they bleed a bit, and everything looks slightly “reflective” if you don’t keep your head 100% still at all times.

Also, “active shutter” goggles (I refuse to call them glasses, they’re big enough to qualify as goggles) suck. A lot. The inadequacies are obviously apparent to an embarrassing degree:

They’re big, uncomfortable, expensive (get ready for $100 bucks a pair - minimum - in addition to the cost of your TV) and if they’re not exactly in sync (which they rarely are, and even more rarely stay at) you get incredibly annoying flickering. Not to mention yet another item I have to keep track of and keep charged just to watch a show.

So no, I’m not buying in until you make 3D a more enjoyable experience for me that doesn’t involve massive - and expensive - compromises on my part just to experience your content. I’m perfectly happy with the several thousand dollar set I bought a few years back with the last “necessary” feature: 120Hz. And while I’m in love with that feature (24p blu-ray films with no pull-down artifacts are pretty damn sweet) that was a feature which added to my experience without me having to change my habits, routine, or deal with any negative consequences. It was just a better experience, and thus worth paying for. Make 3D the same (better experience, no compromises or negative consequences) and I’ll do the same, but ask me pay thousands of dollars to buy half-baked hardware which is a constant pain in the ass to use and I’ll gladly show you my middle finger of justice - and keep my debt to income ratio exactly where it stands right now thankyouverymuch.

Of course all of these could change upon the announcement that Uncharted 3 will be fully 3D, in which case you’ll find me panting in front of the doors of Best Buy, waving my Amex around at whomever looks like they could sell me a 55” Samsung and have it delivered by the time the game is released.