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- Ronald Epstein
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My fault and apologies. For all these years, as "THE HTF 3D ADDICT," I never talked about sampler discs.
I suppose the reason I just failed to ever mention these discs was that they were not mainstream titles, often difficult to obtain. Some of these discs I happened to receive directly from manufacturers when I visited demonstrations at their facilities.
However, eBay has become a very popular source for these discs when they can actually be found.
A simple search of 3D Demo Discs on the site brings up a small handful of available titles that you can buy rather cheaply. Of course, by the time this review gets posted and readers catch on to what is available and how great these discs actually are, there may not be anything left.
In short, these 3D demo discs are an exclusive product from the manufacturer to stores like Best Buy, who used to show these off in their stores as a way of selling 3D displays. I say "used to show these off," as all these discs are now several years old (circa 2011-2012) and represent a format that is now considered dead.
What is so incredible about these sampler discs is the fact that almost all the content is specifically filmed in the format and designed to deliver the ultimate WOW factor.
The photo above represents a few of the sampler discs I have collected over the years. All of them are spectacular. Two of my favorite discs are the Panasonic Viera and Samsung TV samplers. On the Panasonic 2010 Viera disc, for instance, there is an awesome sequence taken from the opening or closing ceremonies from (I believe) the Beijing Summer Olympics. It's simply breathtaking. On the Samsung 3D sampler disc, there is some great concert footage, particularly from The Black Eyed Peas performing "I Got A Feeling" in front of a huge crowd.
Based on an eBay search I just performed, it seems that both of the above-mentioned discs are no longer available (though there are 2011 Panasonic Viera Sampler discs). However, those willing to do deeper searches using search engines may still find someone looking to unload those discs. In the meantime, you may want to grab whatever you can find on eBay at the moment (see my above search link).
What I do urge anyone who is interested to do, is grab a copy of this particular sampler.
It is by far, the most amazing 3D sampler disc I have seen to date. So superb in fact that I would have easily rated it the best disc of The Top 30 Must-Own 3D Titles if not for the fact that this is not a mainstream title and will soon become absolutely unobtainable.
As a sampler disc, this Universal Studios issue presents an onslaught of material (24 chapters in all) of amazing mind-blowing 3D content. It includes an excellent cartoon short, underwater photography, American landscapes, Fireworks, and so much more! There are entire sequences dedicated to actors blowing bubbles or throwing items at the audience.
What is so utterly amazing about this disc is that the 3D surpasses anything I have seen before.
The standard for me, when it comes to the best 3D demo of all time, is the Cod Fish sequence in the Imax release, Under The Sea. That is the one sequence that generally blows the minds of anyone who has no idea the potential WOW factor that the format provides.
Best of 3D surpasses that disc (and any other as far as I am concerned) in providing the most abundant "In Yo' Face" content I have ever seen. I sat in my theater chair tonight openly blurting, "WOW" several times over.
I read so many complaints about how uninteresting 3D has become. It's no wonder the format has died. It never really became the attraction it should have been. Filmmakers refused to use pop-out to stun theater audiences. Instead of filming in native 3D, most studios opted to upconvert their films to the format. Really, the only interesting 3D stuff that has been released as of late is through the 3-D Film Archive. This is because those films from the 50s remain the staple of what this format was supposed to be all about.
The only way to really see how the technology has progressed in modern times is through sampler discs like these.
If you are quick enough and can get your hands on this particular disc, I promise you the most awesome, 3D home experience you are ever going to find. Trust me, I have seen just about everything out there and this demo disc will be the answer to all of you who complain that you aren't seeing enough pop-out on your displays.
While the disc has been released exclusively overseas, it is region-free.
Grab this while you can. It may no longer be available by the time you read this review. Of course, better to buy it new in shrink-wrap, but if those are sold out, well worth buying it used. Just get your hands on it one way or another.
Note: This is meant to be a demo disc. There is no story. There are some instances of repetitive footage, though its minor.
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