3D Television

[Alcibiades]

Point taken, but the fact remains you're still going to have to go back to the old game, add a secondary viewpoint, re-play the entire game to check for any discrepancies, probably re-do most cutscenes and then re-release, all for not very much return. I doubt everyone that bought the original of a game would buy the 3D version "just because". Sure it'd be possible, just fairly pointless

Tbh, people are willing to spend their money on all sorts of pointless things, and I expect that you could make money off re releasing games as 3D. (Think Gold/Platinum/Special Edition games)

Now, the companies will probably not do it since, as you say, it is time consuming and you could make more money doing something else.

That being said, I won't be buying or even considering buying a 3D TV for a few more evolutions of the product since I rarely consider it wise to invest in the first generation of any new technology; but it will be very interesting to see where, and how, the technology develops.

 

[timtadams]

Point taken, but the fact remains you're still going to have to go back to the old game, add a secondary viewpoint, re-play the entire game to check for any discrepancies, probably re-do most cutscenes and then re-release, all for not very much return. I doubt everyone that bought the original of a game would buy the 3D version "just because". Sure it'd be possible, just fairly pointless

Well, my post was making the point that the game developers dont have to do anything. The first link was to NVIDIA driver that converts ANY game into 3D by adding an extra camera angle. So it already exists

From the first link:

NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ automatically transforms hundreds of PC games into full stereoscopic 3D right out of the box, without the need for special game patches.

Of course this method might not be as effective than if the game was originally designed for 3D (like you mentioned cutscenes might not work so well, also the site gives a list of games and how well they are converted to 3D), but i imagine it would still be rather similar. So all it takes is a driver/firmware update, which i doubt is too difficult to implement

 

[Azzer]

That being said, I won't be buying or even considering buying a 3D TV for a few more evolutions of the product since I rarely consider it wise to invest in the first generation of any new technology; but it will be very interesting to see where, and how, the technology develops.

Mmm, I'm the same these days. Not only do you pay through the teeth for 1st generation stuff, it's also often nowhere near as good as the 3rd gen stuff (2nd gen tends to just be reducing prices/mass producing the stuff... 3rd gen tends to be they actually improve on the original concept and turn it in to a good consumer product). Definitely very interested in 3D TV's myself, but not this first wave!

 

[Alvestein]

just like to say this was a VERY cool and informative thread! i shall be bragging to my friends about my knowledge of the workings of 3D films now

 

[WackyJacky]

The second version is to use shuttered glasses which are pretty much normal glasses, except they have the ability to completely blank out one eye at a time. These glasses are synchronised with the projector (or TV) so that when the projector/TV is displaying a "left-eye" image, the right eye is blanked out and vice versa. This is common for home systems.

How does this work? Do they just switch back and forth rapidly? Otherwise you might as well watch a movie with one eye open for a bit, then the other. (I don't understand how only seeing with one eye makes it 3d?)

Also. Are there disadvantages to using 120 Hz TV's? Ie if you try to watch normal movies will you get a headache?

 

[timtadams]

The second version is to use shuttered glasses which are pretty much normal glasses, except they have the ability to completely blank out one eye at a time. These glasses are synchronised with the projector (or TV) so that when the projector/TV is displaying a "left-eye" image, the right eye is blanked out and vice versa. This is common for home systems.

How does this work? Do they just switch back and forth rapidly? Otherwise you might as well watch a movie with one eye open for a bit, then the other. (I don't understand how only seeing with one eye makes it 3d?)

Also. Are there disadvantages to using 120 Hz TV's? Ie if you try to watch normal movies will you get a headache?

it was explained,
one eye is blacked out while one image is shown, then the other eye is blacked out while the alternate image is shown. This happens 60 times a second. It must be this fast, as your eyes refresh 25 times a second, and if its slower, you may get headaches. It must be done fast so you dont notice it. By seeing two different images with each eye, you get stereoscopic vision.

 

[willymchilybily]

Also. Are there disadvantages to using 120 Hz TV's? Ie if you try to watch normal movies will you get a headache?

im not to experienced with this but from my vague recolection of personal experience. I imagine like new tvs you can run them an input into them 50hz or 60hz (american and english differences?) i know you have pal 50 and pal 60 on the output options from the xbox 360, and some games only run with 60hz hence some older tvs dont let you play certain games in england. iirc.

ergo i imagine the system 3d/dvd/player games console or even tv itself will have the software necessary to run in both 60hz mode and 120hz mode. depending on the media being viewed