So long, 3DTV - we won't miss you

[bigheadfred]

If there’s one thing history has taught us: technology fails if using it makes you look like a plonker.

I don’t mean a bit silly, like skiing on a Nintendo Wii, or a little crackers, like running around in Snapchat’s Spectacles. I mean the sort of technology that when you look across a room and see someone wearing it you don’t think “wow” or “that’s futuristic”.

You just think… plonker.

That’s how I felt when Rory started wearing Google Glass (sorry, Rory) and that’s how I've always felt about 3DTV.

That was the first nail in its coffin. The second was the fact it really didn’t bring much to the TV-watching experience. The third? It was too expensive, even at a discount. And the fourth? It was uncomfortable, and according to some surveys, straining many people’s eyes and giving them headaches.

This week we learned that both LG and Sony have now stopped making 3D-enabled televisions. The firms follow Samsung - the world’s biggest TV maker - who confirmed the move last year. It means there are currently no major manufacturers making 3DTVs.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38778244

[Fishrrman]

On the other hand, I'd like to see 4k tv make its way onto the scene as quickly as possible...

[truth_seeker]

On the other hand, I'd like to see 4k tv make its way onto the scene as quickly as possible...

Do you have an idea of how much 4k content is available? At what cost, and with what equipment cost?

I have seen 1080 content streamed from free sources like YouTube which is very high quality.

[bigheadfred]

On the other hand, I'd like to see 4k tv make its way onto the scene as quickly as possible...

@truth_seeker

There is only so much detail the human eye can see. Since I am blind in one eye and can't see out of the other my thrift store $17 32" Sony Trinitron is fantastic. Plus I have this stupid idea that if I spend a lot of money on something I then feel obligated to make use of it. My cheap TV can sit there without being on and it doesn't bother me one bit.

[Fishrrman]

truth_seeker wrote:
"Do you have an idea of how much 4k content is available? At what cost, and with what equipment cost?"

4k (2160p) tv's don't cost all that much more than do "regular" 1080p (HD) tv's.
For every pixel in 1080p, there are FOUR pixels in 2180p.

Have you compared 2180p to 1080p "in the store"? The difference is breathtaking. So much so, I'll reckon even bigheadfred will notice it.

The problem right now is bandwith. I don't believe any "over-the-air" providers support it yet. Probably no cable providers, either. Some "streaming" services such at Netflix offer 4k content.

Then again, one has to have a cable or fiber-optical service fast enough to stream it. Even dsl services don't have the bandwith for that. I think one would need at least a cable connection that supports 50mbps.

But again, if you've never compared 4k to regular HD tv, it's worth a look.

The latest smartphones can do 4k video (at least the iPhones can).
The iPhone displays are "retina" (pixel-doubled in each direction, like 4k).
Most upper-end still cameras do 4k now quite well.
There are 4k camcorders that offer high quality output that are affordable.

My new (2015) Apple MacBook Pro has a "retina" display that is similar to 4k. It can drive a 4k attached display.
I'm sure most upper-end Windows laptops have or offer that as well.

In the offing for tv's and computer displays is -8k-.
If you have the $$$, you can buy 8k video equipment today (look at the "Red" line of cameras).
I wouldn't be surprised if before too much longer, motion pictures will be shot at 8k (or higher). I believe some video (commercials, etc.) is shot at 4k now.

[bigheadfred]

@Fishrrman my concern isn't with the resolution but with the content. I find very little worth watching that requires a higher viewing resolution. In fact, it is my resolution not to fill my head with the visual crap on TV, and fill it instead with the crap I find here...

[Cripplecreek]

Its a waste of my time since I've been effectively blind in one eye since birth.

The 3D glasses just eliminate the fuzziness and make things a little darker.