would a 3-d dvd really look that bad? (1 Viewer)

[Paul_Scott]

great to see WB digging out the House Of Wax, but as much as Mystery is a nice bonus, i would really much rather have a 3-d copy of the film.
Universal blew a similar great chance to release Creature Frome The Black Lagoon in 3-d.
Why?
does the process really come across that badly on NTSC video?
what about with a progressive scan deck and a digital display?

 

[DaViD Boulet]

Paul,

it seems there are several distinct approaches to encoding 3-D on home-video. None of them are ideal...and most of them compromise standard playback to some degree though the level of "compromise" is open to debate.

It seems one method is to use each alternating "field" to encode a different L/R image. Then the properly equipped playback gear deinterlaces the image to try to produce a 480P image (I think void of 3-2 pulldown however...My guess is that the deinterlacer would have to "fill in the lines" since it can't recombine fields back into frames since each field represents an alternate visual angle) which is then synced to LCD glasses so each eye only sees the correct left/right image.

You can see however, how such an image would appear less than ideal in 2-D form on a large-screen front projection or rear-projection system as a standard deinterlacer would either have to use interpolation or might get confused and appy 3-2 pulldown (as it might see a cadence) and incorectly fold fields for each visual angle into a single (blurred) image. I can't personally see how such a disc would look good at all outside of 3-D decoding as both visual angles would cause a type of blur even with interpolated-deinterlacing.

My hope is that with the advent of HD-DVD that the content providers will team-up with the manufacturers and forum folks and work something out to deliver *true* full-resolution 3-D images. Encoding a disc with 2 alternate angles that the player could access simultaneously for 3-D decoding (or only access one for standard 2-d Decoding) would be marvelous.

-dave

 

[David Lambert]

I have an intuition that studios would go ahead and include an "alternate 3-D" track on some of these DVDs, if it wasn't for them getting the pesky feeling that they could sell a 3-D version separately later on and perhaps get enthusiasts to double-dip on them. Or perhaps sell licenses to 3-D versions of the movies to companies that would use the film to sell the 3-D equipment.


Just thinking out loud, really.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Like I said, if they can put out Camp Blood in field-sequential 3-D, they should also be able to put out House of Wax.

 

[MarkHastings]

Have you seen this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...256353-2291155

I bought it and it doesn't work on my RPTV, it works ok on my regular 4x3 tv.

I'm not possitive on how it works, but you have to plug the special glasses into a video box that hooks into your video signal. Then the glasses do this wierd thing where they flicker back and forth (in synch with the video).

I think it pretty much blocks your left eye (while the right frame is displayed on the screen), and then it does the opposite for the next frame.

It works ok, but I wasn't too impressed with it.

 

[Bryan]

On 3-D movies... I was wondering about Jaws 3 not being 3-D for the DVD release. Not that I'd buy it, but I was curious none-the-less. Heck, I don't remember if there was 3-D on the VHS either.

 

[Patrick McCart]

It's not really a matter of visual quality (field sequential would look pretty good), but logistical problems.

Only a few people would have the capabilities for 3-D viewing (anaglyph is out of the question...it sucks) and possibly fewer would buy House of Wax in 3-D.

IMO, the best solution is for the major studios to get together and release a box set of 3-D films through Slingshot or something. Perhaps have The Creature from the Black Lagoon, House of Wax, Dial M For Murder, Kiss Me Kate, Bwana Devil, and a shorts collection (like Lumber Jack-Rabbit, Popeye: Ace of Space, Spooks!, and the Pete Smith stereoscopics).

On the other hand, some of these films are shown at revivals in the real Natural Vision process (I know Kiss Me Kate has been screened recently).

 

[Steve Phillips]

I agree a flat version is a must for those without the equipment (or the desire to see the movie in the original format) but they could put the 3-D version on there as an extra.

Bootleggers are making a fortune selling 3-D DVDs, so why shouldn't the studios make the money?

 

[Jesse Skeen]

"Only a few people would have the capabilities for 3-D viewing"

So make them easier to GET! Put out more box sets like the IMAX collection, or include a coupon in the individual discs to order it. I ordered my first box and glasses from 3-D TV Corp. over 10 years ago, and got a newer set with the 3-D Horror DVD set (bought it more for the glasses than the movies that came with it!)