Steve Prentice

In a previous posting I have already mentioned my belief that 2009 will be the year of 3D (everything) in the technology space. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, 3D televisions were everywhere – maybe the manufacturers are hoping that we will be rushing out to replace last year’s 42 inch plasma display with something even bigger and better (and in all probability thinner). Now whilst I maintain my belief in the value of 3D images in many applications I just can’t get excited about settling down on my (non-retro) sofa to watch my (non-retro) flat screen television and then reaching for the 1950’s style glasses! Is that cool or NOT! That is always assuming that they haven’t disappeared down the back of the sofa along with the remote and the half eaten packet of crisps that the kids left last time!

In fairness, the goofy glasses are pretty high tech these days, with fancy LCD shutters turning on and off at warp speed to control what images I receive and confuse my brain. But at a couple of hundred dollars a set would you want to leave them on the sofa for the next teenager to sit on? I think not. They are heavy, they are ugly and they are definitely not cool!

Over the next few weeks I will be looking at and commenting on a whole variety of 3D technologies and giving my verdict, but on this one I’m prepared to stick my neck out and give it a full blown raspberry!

What do you all think? Will they catch on? Will I be forced to appear in public with goofy glasses as penance for my stupidity and lack of imagination? We’ll see!