What's with the crappy DVD 3-D

[Movie Mike]

Does anyone know why in the theater we get awesome 3-D for such films as Coraline and Bolt, with the kick ass cool shades, and yet when Journey to the Center of the Earth and Polar Express came to DVD we still get the lame two color glasses that completely washes out the color palette. Is there some reason they can't use the same 3-D technology for your home theater that you get at the movie house?

[HGervais]

Is there some reason they can't use the same 3-D technology for your home theater that you get at the movie house?

Not to be glib but yeah, probably.

[mkiker2089]

Not really actually. The red-green system just doesn't work for color movies since other colors and shades of which interefere with the effect.

They can use a similar system that uses one dark lens and one clear though. It uses shading to play on your night vision versus regular vision. The night vision being a second behind creates a similar 3d illusion. The drawback is that it can't project things forward like the traditional 3d can, it can only pull things back into the screen. No ping pong balls flying at you or similar gags that 3d has come to rely on.

In general if it's on home video it won't work because the people who produce the crap don't care.

[mkiker2089]

Did a little more research. Coraline uses polarized lenses. There's no way to do that at home so it'd have to be converted to another system. The red-green anylgraph (sp) system offers the best depth, but as I said before rarely works on color features.

Another good set up is the older Imax system that used blinders in mechanical glasses. There was a company working on that and few videos released for home video. The system isn't cheap but I'm told it works great, even at home.

[SmokestackJones]

Another good set up is the older Imax system that used blinders in mechanical glasses. There was a company working on that and few videos released for home video. The system isn't cheap but I'm told it works great, even at home.

So, some day I'll be able to get a decent 3D-DVD copy of House of Wax and Hondo? That's worth waiting for.

-SJ

[BrettCullum]

In the theatres you get a brand of 3-D they refer to as field sequential 3-D which requires two projectors and those gray glasses you see handed out theatrically. For some damn reason they can't get your high definition television to reproduce this easily. One company had great success with doing it for old CRT televisions, and I have that product along with many titles in 3-D that you'd expect (all the early 80s classics as well as some vintage ones). Unfortunately that system from RZR never truly caught on, although you can still get it for less than $80.

I have heard they are furiously working on it though. Soon there will be an HD TV that will convert anything to 3-D from what I hear, even giving depth to traditional format shows.

But until then we get the crap ANAGLYPH system which relies on red/blue lenses which do indeed ruin all colors and usually gives me a nice headache as a bonus. Lovely!

[stypee]

I understand the difference between the 3-D effects but what I never understood was why are some glasses blue and red and others different colors?

[mkiker2089]

Coraline for the record uses one projector. You can use two or one running really fast.

Stypee, the color isn't horribly important. It's like those decoder things that kids use, the color can be anything as long as it matches what you need to decode.

[mavrach]

Which is the kind they used for Beowulf? In the theater they passed out plastic sunglass-types for 3d, which were clear but seemed to be layered. I can't imagine such being so difficult to pack with a DVD set, aside from the size of the DVD of course. The movie was godawful, but the effect did its job.

That's just the thing though, 3D is just a gimmick and has never been used for anything more than that.

[BrettCullum]

3D was devised as a way to bring people in to movies, something television could not do so it would make the experience unique. And that is exactly what they are doing now. I hear PIXAR has said it will make ALL of their new films in 3D, and will even bring back both TOY STORIES to theatres in a new 3D format. Lucas is planning a 3D STAR WARS rerelease as well. It's going to get more popular before it fades. MY BLOODY VALENTINE did better than expected business, and most rightfully speculate that it was the 3D that made it a hit. Certainly it had nothing else to offer. It's a gimmick that usually works to bring people in simply for the novelty. I loved seeing SUPERMAN RETURNS in IMAX 3D. Something like that or THE DARK KNIGHT definitely brings an event movie to a higher level. BEOWULF was in field sequential 3D. The only red and blue glasses movie I recall in theatres was the third SPY KIDS film. I believe Rodriguez wanted to make it the same experience in both formats.

[cdouglas]

The only red and blue glasses movie I recall in theatres was the third SPY KIDS film. I believe Rodriguez wanted to make it the same experience in both formats.

Rodriguez also used red and blue glasses that for The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D, which was a fairly miserable viewing experience that gave me a nasty headache.