High-definition TV

The Difference Engine: Beyond HDTV

Jul 28th 2011, LOS ANGELES

A YEAR ago, your correspondent noted that, every generation or so, 3D entertainment becomes all the rage, only to fizzle as the technology’s shortcomings make themselves felt (see “The best seat in the house”, May 7th 2010). The entertainment industry’s enthusiasm for 3D hit fever pitch when James Cameron’s blockbuster movie “Avatar” was released in late 2009 and went on to gross $2.8 billion worldwide in 2010.

Since then, the fad has faded even faster than your correspondent expected. While cinema owners welcomed 3D movies (they allowed them to increase ticket prices), movie-goers wearied of the clumsily used effects, the headaches and nausea that frequently ensued, and the sheer nuisance of having to wear special glasses.

Much the same goes for 3D television. A year ago, set-makers saw it as a nifty way of boosting flagging sales for a few dollars of additional electronics. Then there were the hundreds of dollars more they could charge for all the spectacles (at $150 a pair) needed to view the three-dimensional effects. But with 3D content limited and uninspired, and the spectacles remaining a pain in the neck, the novelty has quickly worn off.

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