Enthusiasm for 3-D movies that consumers also can watch at home

The recent commercial success of several 3D feature films is driving demand for 3D HDTV at home, according to USA Today.
The commercial success of films like Meet the Robinsons and Beowulf, which sold double the tickets in 3-D versus standard versions, is driving the trend. Then came Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D last month, the first live-action film shot entirely in 3D. [The film will be screened at IBC in Amsterdam next month, followed by a Q&A with Academy Award-winning visual-effects veteran Eric Brevig.] Walt Disney Animation Studios said it would begin making all its computer-animated films in 3-D beginning with Bolt, which is due in November.

There’s “a high level of enthusiasm” for 3D movies that consumers also can watch at home on high-definition TVs, Chris Chinnock, of 3D@Home Consortium, told the newspaper “3D is a nice driver in theaters, but it needs a path to the home.”

Disney, Universal, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Thomson and IMAX are currently examining the various types of 3D technologies and home-delivery methods. These range from paper glasses to self-contained 3D displays.

By the end of this year, more than one million 3D-ready HDTVs, primarily from Mitsubishi and Samsung, will be available for sale in the U.S. These sets can display standard HD video and be connected to 3D sources. Mitsubishi’s newest 3D-ready, 65-inch LaserVue set will ship this summer, with a 73-inch model to follow.

At June’s InfoComm trade show in Las Vegas, Philips announced several new 3D displays, including a 52-inch LCD screen that does not require glasses for viewing. Also announced was the first home 3D projector, from Norwegian company Projectiondesign. Both are due later this year.

Home 3-D discs are also on the way. Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert: The 3-D Movie will be the first 3D Blu-ray Disc when it’s released this month. Also, technology company TDVision is pitching Hollywood studios with a way to make current Blu-ray Disc movies appear in 3D.

“There is going to be an evolution here. It is similar to the HDTV transition,” Mitsubishi’s Frank DeMartin told USA Today. “The next wave will be on the home video front. “