Smart TV still has the potential to revolutionize home entertainment. If you are not familiar with smart TVs, what is a smart TV? 6 of the best on the market today What is a Smart TV? 6 of the best on the market today Most of the TVs you look at right now are smart TVs, but what is a smart TV and which ones are the best on the market right now? Read More Now with 3D Smart TV technology, you have even more options to consider.
In a nutshell, smart TVs are TVs with built-in internet capabilities that allow you broader access to media than a traditional TV. But before you go out and buy one to add to your smart home collection, how much does a smart home really cost? How much does a smart home really cost? A smart home could change your life, freeing up time in your day and regulating your routine so you don't have to remember what needs to be done. But how expensive is it, really? Read More
That feature is 3D content, which is something that people either love or hate. There is rarely a happy medium.
So let's take a look at 3D smart TVs to see if they're worth the price. The results may surprise you.
This is the thing about modern entertainment:Until recently, all movies and TV shows were shown in 2D, even though we watch them in 3D. While 2D is certainly easier to capture and produce, the drawback is that we lose an important element in the process:depth perception.
Stereoscopic 3D is not a new technology in any sense. There are patents on file from the 1890s that illustrate attempts at 3D imaging using parallel projections and a physical device used to converge the two into one. Sounds similar to 3D glasses, doesn't it?
But 3D didn't gain popularity again until the 21st century, reaching a climax with movies like Avatar (2009), Gravity (2013), and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). It's around the same time, in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when smart TVs first hit the market with Samsung leading the way.
And it wasn't long before smart TVs started incorporating 3D display technology. My own smart tv, which is a few years old at this point, came with a two-pack of 3D glasses Samsung ES6500 40-inch 3D 1080p Smart TV Review and Giveaway Samsung ES6500 40-inch 3D 1080p Smart TV Review and Giveaway over the past decade , there's been a mad rush to buy the biggest, flattest, prettiest TV you can get to show off to all your friends and neighbors. And... Read More
But what is the use? Can 3D home entertainment replicate the 3D experience in a theater? How many people even use the feature?
The biggest source of publicity for 3D content came around the time of Avatar, a film that successfully transported audiences into a fantasy world lush enough to appear alive and real even on a traditional 2D screen, but with 3D glasses, it was a completely new experience. in all.
Recapturing that feeling is what 3D smart TVs are meant to do. How much more immersive would the experience be? Oculus Rift VR Simulations you have to see to believe Oculus Rift VR Simulations you have to see to believe You've seen the Oculus Rift, but you haven't seen some of the crazy uses it's been put to. Check out these awesome Oculus Rift demos from around the world. Read More In theory, it sounds great..
But it's more than that..
On the one hand, promises were made about the future availability of 3D broadcast channels in countries around the world. In 2010, South Korea began broadcasting a SKY 3D channel, while ESPN expanded to ESPN 3D, which provided 3D coverage of live sports. Other networks started getting into 3D video on demand at the same time.
And then there was the possibility of real-time conversion from 2D to 3D. Only higher-end models came with this feature, but the concept was cool in theory:the TV itself would alter an incoming 2D feed and output a modified version that would appear in 3D when you were wearing the glasses. That way even non-3D channels would benefit from the technology.
This all looks pretty promising, doesn't it? That's why sales of 3D smart TVs increased throughout 2010 (2.26 million units), 2011 (24.14 million units), and 2012 (41.45 million units). If that's not rapid growth, I don't know what is!
Unfortunately, 3D smart TVs fell short in almost every area where big promises were made.
First of all, the real-time conversion function between 2D and 3D never proved to be as good as expected. At best, it produces images that are quite viewable, which is fine for things like live sports broadcasts, but still not much better than watching in direct 2D. But in the worst case, converting from 2D to 3D is a big headache.
So, until there's a breakthrough, 3D smart TVs suffer from a massive problem:a lack of relevant 3D content 5 Ways To Get 3D Content For Your New 3DTV 5 Ways To Get 3D Content For Your New 3DTV So, lucky you , got a new 3DTV for Christmas, huh? Let me be the first to say it, congratulations:you obviously understand that 3D is not a fad, and in… Read more .
Many of the specialized 3D broadcast channels have turned off their signals. In 2013, the BBC ended all 3D programming due to low adoption numbers. In the same year, ESPN, DirecTV, and Xfinity terminated their respective 3D channels. It's no wonder that only 115,000 Americans tuned in to a 3D channel at any given time in 2012.
This means that the only way to get good 3D entertainment is to buy movies and shows that are produced specifically with 3D in mind. The problem? 3D production is expensive, so it's often saved for high-action titles that have big budgets to work with, resulting in content unavailability.
And then there is the issue of smart TV security risks. Smart TVs have a growing security risk:how to deal with this? Smart TVs are a growing security risk:How to deal with this? Imagine being hacked through your smart TV. It sounds silly and mundane, but it can be quite serious. This is what you need to know. Read More Buying a 3D smart TV means you have to be careful about hackers, malware, and spies (peeping through your smart TV camera).
Lastly, you have to wear those silly glasses if you want to watch in 3D. Some may agree with that, but others, like me, find those glasses ridiculous and uncomfortable.
Some have gone on record with claims that 3D TV is making a comeback, but I disagree. I think the top is far behind and the idea will die in a few more years. In its current state, the technology isn't good enough to justify the price or the hype.
I have had my 3D smart TV for over three years. The day I opened the box is the only day I've worn those silly 3D glasses, and not a single day has gone by where I felt like I'd missed them.
Do you have a 3D smart TV? If so, how often do you watch 3D content? Is 3D fashion still in its infancy or beyond its heyday? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
