REAL 3-D finally on DVD! (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Skeen]

I just got the DVD of the 3-D IMAX film "Haunted Castle" from Slingshot Entertainment, which uses field-sequential 3-D with LCD shutter glasses to show true 3-D (with separate left and right images) without the color distortion found with the red/blue glasses that have been used on other 3-D videos. It worked fine with equipment I bought 10 years ago from a company called 3-D TV Corporation (not sure if they're still in business) which put out several B-titles in 3-D on VHS. The glasses plug into a box, which is plugged into a Video Out jack from the VCR or TV to synchronize the LCD shutters on the glasses, which rapidly flash to block out the image that eye isn't supposed to see. The same type of glasses used with this were also used for the 3-D games on the old Sega Master System, which I also have. While I wouldn't say it's perfect, it does work better than any other 3-D video system I've seen- my main complaint is that the picture flickers a bit, and since the glasses are dark-tinted you have to turn up the contrast and brightness on your screen to watch with these.
The disc comes with info on how to get an updated 3-D viewing system from i-glasses.com which uses cordless glasses (the ones I have need to be plugged in). Has anyone gotten these? I'm wondering if they work any better than the old glasses I have (possibly eliminating the brightness problem?) You can get 2 pairs of cordless glasses and a synchronization box for $50 by mail-order.
I hope they do a good job of marketing this; I'm going back to Tower to pick up "Ultimate G's", another 3-D IMAX movie, and then wait for Friday the 13th Part 3, House of Wax and all the other 3-D movies to come out!

 

[SpenceJT]

Very interesting Jesse!
I've just ordered the "Ultimate 3D collection" IMAX box set, which says it comes with a 3D viewing system. As a collector, and 3D photography hobbyist, I thought I'd pick it up and give it a go. Now I wonder if my package will come with a Field Sequential viewer. I'm not sure it will work with my television (65" Mitsubishi HD, which does produce the usual interlaced display). I know it won't work on either of my computers (just replaced my monitors with LCD "flat screen" displays.
If it doesn't work on in my home theater, I wonder if I could successfully copy the DVD/s to VHS for playback on our conventional television (that doesn't have a DVD connected).
...if all else fails, I may have the set up for sale by the end of next week!

Either way, I'll be sure to post my review when I receive shipment!
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SpenceJT
Link Removed
"...now what's all this crud about no movie tonight!"
- Thank you Mr. Lemmon

 

[Joshua Moran]

I wonder if these shutter glasses would work with Final Nightmare the end sequence that is filmed in 3-D. The Platinum edition DVD box Set has the 3D sequence intacked.

 

[GregK]

The Freddy's Dead 3-D finale was in anaglyph (red/blue)
3-D, and is a different 3-D format than the field-
sequential format used on these newer DVDs.
I should be getting three of the four field-sequential
3-D DVDs in the mail any day now, and am really looking
forward to "Encounters in the 3rd Dimension", which has
3-D clips from the early 1900's up to T23D!

More on the IO Display wireless glasses soon, and their
ongoing EXCELLENT $200 offer.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Does this only work with 480i sets?

 

[Jesse Skeen]

There are a few VHS movies available on i-glasses.com also, though they look like cheap straight-to-video stuff (one is called "Camp Blood", wonder where they got that title?) They sell some sort of adaptor to make 3-D camcorder videos too; I know Panasonic had a special camcorder with 2 lenses out a while ago that show field-sequential 3-D.
It'd be nice if they put some of the movies from 3-D TV Corp. out on DVD, my tape of the 1969 softcore classic "The Stewardesses" stands as the most likely tape in my collection to wear out

, I also have 3-D letterboxed tapes of Comin' At Ya (which Rhino put out in fake 3-D on DVD), Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, an animated film which was the last mainstream-release polarized 3-D movie. A number of the 1980's 3-D movies came out in Japan on the VHD videodisc format, including "Jaws 3-D" and "Friday the 13th Part 3", but these had Japanese subtitles oncreen.

 

[SpenceJT]

Does this only work with 480i sets?

Can anyone here answer Michael's question?
I've got a digital set, and would like to know if my purchase of the IMAX 3-D boxed set is a waste of my $$.
Are these videos limited to 480i? or will they work at 480p, or 1080i?
Thanks,
Spence
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SpenceJT
Link Removed
"...now what's all this crud about no movie tonight!"
- Thank you Mr. Lemmon

 

[Wes Ray]

I wish Jaws 3 and Amityville 3-D would be released in their original 3-D versions on DVD. I also wish Paramount would consider a 3-D re-release of Friday the 13th Part 3.

 

[Gary Case]

I wouldn't think that field-sequential 3D would work on a progressive scan display. Field-sequential 3D by its very nature requires interlaced fields to display a 3D image. This is because data for one eye is displayed in the even scan lines, and data for the other eye is displayed in the odd scan lines. If those two fields are combined into one frame that is displayed at 60 frames per second (as opposed to 60 alternating interlaced fields per second), you'd get the same image, composed of the additive product of the two scan fields, sent to each eye. So you'd see both pictures together in the left eye, followed by both pictures together in your right eye, assuming the sync grabber can find a retrace signal to send to the LCD goggles.
In other words, I don't think it will work.
-Gary
[Edited last by Gary Case on October 26, 2001 at 08:12 PM]

 

[GregK]

Regarding interlaced 480i 3-D on 480p, 720p, 960i, or 1080i
displays, the question is not always clear cut, because
it depends on the upconversion methods used in a given
set or progressive DVD player. If the upconversion device
decides to interpolate (synthesize the missing field by
comparing the field above and below, and uses no temporal
trickery) then there should be no problem. A friend with
an older NEC line doubler and another friend with a Sony
DRC set (in the 960i mode) both have no problem with field-
sequential 3-D playback. But for those line doublers
that don’t know how to process the signal correctly, and
apply temporal field meshing techniques, the left and right
images may become combined… which of course destroys the
3-D effect.
The million dollar question for me is can the MPEG-2 flags
be set so a MPEG-2 ‘flag reading’ progressive scan DVD
player outputs the correct 480p signal? If not, perhaps one
possible option for progressive scan DVD players would be
to try the various video playback modes some units have
(film, video 1, video 2) and see if one of the presets
will interpolate.
Note that one display device that has been known to be
problematic with field-sequential 3-D are LCD displays,
which tend to ‘ghost’ due the slower decay rate.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I just watched "Ultimate G's" and "Alien Adventure" (couldn't find any store that had "Encounter in the 3rd Dimension"), both of these are pretty good but I've finally noticed you lose detail with field-sequential 3-D; it wasn't so noticable on VHS but it sure is on DVD!
Ultimate G's has a 3-D setup demo to make sure you're getting the correct picture sent to each eye and mentions the new system has a switch to reverse the left and right images if necessary. This part still appeared correct on my old 3-D TV system, but the movie itself has the left and right images reversed so I had to turn the glasses upside down to watch it! It looks like with some audio Y-cables I could fix this problem, but I might just use this as an excuse to spring for the new equipment.
"Alien Adventure" is a lot of fun; the plot is about as weak as any other 3-D movie but basically makes an excuse to show a lot of computer animated 3-D roller-coaster rides.

 

[GregK]

Jessie,
My "Ultimate G's" disc also has the film in the reverse
field 3-D format, but thankfully all of the IO Display
TV/video set-ups DO have a reverse switch on the trans-
mitter box. For around $75, the "Ultimate 3-D" box set
comes with three 3-D DVDs and two pair of LCS 3-D glasses.
The wired glasses are MUCH clearer than the older 3DTV
glasses, and also have the important reverse switch. I
still haven't found "Encounters in the 3rd Dimension"
yet, but hope to soon. Inside the DVDs, there's mention of
wireless 3-D glasses from IO Display. ..Interesting, as
IO Display had once sold a wireless version but later
discontinued them. ...A newer version perhaps?

 

[Steven Phipps]

I guess I am SOL to be able to view the Imax 3d ones on my Sony VPL400Q LCD projector? A 106" image in 3d would be purdy cool!!

 

[donovan_chin]

I'm confused. You guys seem to be talking about the website selling the bundle of the DVDs and glasses for about $75. I don't see it on the site anywhere. Everything I see on the site is a few hundred bucks.

 

[GregK]

Steven,
Yeah, sadly most LCD projectors will ghost with field
sequential material. But you're right, a 106" 3-D
image would be SWWEEEET! And with 3-D, bigger IS better!
Donovan,
Sorry for the confusion, there are plenty of different
packages presently available which provide glasses, DVDs,
3-D camera adapters, etc, so it's easy to get 'messy'.
Check Amazon or Ken Cranes websites for the "Ultimate 3-D"
package, which includes 3 of the 4 3-D DVDs, two wired
glasses, and the transmiter/driver to sync up the glasses.
The pre-order price was $69, but I think it's now around
$75. Still a good buy (IMO).
http://www.kencranes.com/ShowProduct...kSearchResults