3D TV's All Over The Place, Really?

Most new-TV's coming out next year are going to be featuring 3D technology. Many of them are going to be featuring the active-shutter style of 3D, where instead of the red/cyan (pictured) or polarized glasses there is some kind of device that blocks each eye at the same time the specific image on the screen is projected in turn to produce the three dimensional effect. Really? I thought we'd all passed on this terrible idea back when everyone stopped using the VirtualBoy.

Consumer Reports had these interesting numbers about the TV's announced for next year. The vast majority of the new sets coming out are going to feature some kind of 3D. And most of it is going to be this active shutter style stuff. Though LG is working on the polarized glasses style of display. And there are going to be a few that feature auto-stereoscopic displays.

Based on an unofficial assessment of the new-product announcements we've so far seen this year, anywhere from 60 to almost 75 percent of a manufacturer's TV lineup will include 3D capability. For example, 23 of LG Electronics' 31 announced TVs this year will include 3D (74 percent), and 23 of the 37 TVs Sony has so far unveiled this year will have 3D (62 percent of its lineup). Panasonic (70 percent) and Samsung (60 percent) also follow this trend.

I've been unimpressed with 3D for about as long as I can remember and I am somewhat irked that this idea seems to be taking hold. Don't get me wrong, a full-on holographic display would be super keen, but these faux 3D trick of the eye things usually just give me a headache. This even happened with the latest 3D movies I've gone to see, Coraline comes to mind. Call me a cynic, but it looks like the industry is grabbing hold of this as the latest-and-greatest feature that they can slap into a TV to charge you another couple of bucks. Until we have a Holodeck, I'll stick to going outside for my three dimensional fix.

[via Consumer Reports]