The death of 3D TVs was sad for those who enjoyed the technology, but is it possible for 3D TVs and 3D films to make a comeback in the future?

Let’s jump into what exactly a 3D TV is, what caused their demise, and if virtual reality was the final nail in the coffin for 3D.

What Exactly Is a 3D TV?

Watching 3D TV and films dates back an incredibly long time. In fact, the earliest 3D movie shown to a cinema audience was “The Power of Love.” This happened in 1922—100 years ago!

3D movies weren’t new, but the sudden surge of 3D TVs in the home was. For those young enough not to remember the 3D craze around 2009, this is how a 3D TV works.

3D TVs appear the way they do because of stereoscopy or stereoscopic imaging, a technique that tricks our eyes into seeing an image with a 3D depth. Both our eyes see two slightly different views of the world, but our brain is clever enough to put them together into one image. That’s basically what 3D TVs do. You put on the glasses and see two different images from slightly different angles on the screen, and your brain merges them to create a single 3D picture.

Movies shot in 2D and 3D turned out to be ridiculously expensive and time-consuming. This meant that many movies were converted after being filmed in 2D, and only a handful of scenes were actually in 3D. In the end, only about half of a movie or less was actually in 3D, which was usually a massive letdown.

What Made 3D TVs Fail?

Many issues doomed 3D TVs from the start. Some of the most notable ones were the 3D glasses, the additional costs, and the at-home viewing experience.

The glasses were bizarre and a lot of people thought they were annoying to wear. They also came with a myriad of other compatibility problems, causing issues for those with glasses or other visual impairments.

Furthermore, to make full use of your 3D TV, there were usually additional costs, such as buying a suitable Blu-ray player and a pair of 3D glasses for everyone who was watching.

Another problem was that the home viewing experience was disappointing compared to watching an immersive 3D movie at the cinema. That is what likely doomed 3D TVs.

As of 2021, some 3D films are still played in some locations around the globe. However, in 2021, IMAX announced that it would no longer show 3D movies. The reason for leaving 3D behind could be the excessive cost to make the movies, or perhaps a standard IMAX experience is far more worthwhile nowadays.

What’s Ahead for 3D TV Fans?

As much as 3D has failed, there are still so many people who are huge fans of 3D TVs and were sad to see it go. So, does that mean there will be a resurrection of 3D TV in the future?

Because it’s been around for so long, it could indeed make a comeback in movie theaters, but it’s hard to say if 3D will ever suit a home viewing experience. There has been a lot of talk about 3D televisions where viewers won’t have to wear unconventional 3D glasses. 3D TV and films without glasses are a possibility, and there have been demonstrations of glasses-free televisions at CES (the massive consumer tech expo held in Las Vegas each year), like the prototype Samsung 8K 3D TV from 2015. However, none have caught on because of a few problems.

The main problem was that without wearing the 3D glasses, you’d have to sit or stand in just the right position in front of the TV without moving around. If you’re not positioned in exactly the right spot, the picture changes, and the 3D effect doesn’t work accurately.

There are already some smartphones that have 3D displays and cameras. And let’s not forget about the Nintendo 3DS, the classic handheld that lets you play 3D games, all without the silly glasses. The Nintendo 3DS was successful, but they did stop manufacturing it because a better console came along, of course. That fact alone begs the question: do we need 3D in our lives? 3D was a fad, and the truth is that fads are short-lived.

Should We Focus on the Latest TV Tech Instead of 3D?

For now, some of the latest TV technologies are OLED, QLED, 4K, and 8K. For the most part, people are more than happy with the latest TV tech and have no desire to own a 3D TV.

8K TVs are on the rise at the moment. Some say they’re not necessary for an ordinary person’s living room. However, you’ll want to upgrade to an 8K TV in the future. Presently, QLED and OLED televisions are the most in-demand. OLED and QLED TVs have gained popularity and become a lot more affordable. They offer a range of amazing features, like vivid, bright colors and a wide viewing angle. OLED and QLED TVs are also incredibly thin and lightweight. Did you know Sony and Samsung announced a new QD-OLED TV display at CES 2022?

Meanwhile, 4K TVs have been popular for quite some time and were introduced just as 3D TVs slowly faded away. Were 3D TVs forgotten because it’s so easy and convenient to watch something in 4K rather than 3D?

The fact of the matter is that sitting down and turning on the TV is so simple compared to all the extra bits and pieces you need for a 3D experience, including the tiresome glasses, extra costs, additional players, and so on.

Will VR Take Over the 3D Experience?

According to statistics, 57.4 million people in the United States use virtual reality. That’s a huge sign that VR is becoming more and more commonplace every year.

So while 3D fizzled out fairly quickly, virtual reality continues to grow and grow, proving that it’s not just a craze. VR and 3D are by no means the same thing, but VR can give us the fun, immersive experience we’re looking for.

VR headsets range from simple cardboard cut-outs to high-tech LCD screen glasses. All of them work similarly, by using a split image or video with an individual view for each eye. VR tech allows you to fully envelop yourself in a three-dimensional virtual simulation by blocking out the outside world.

With virtual reality now introduced across so many industries already, do we need 3D technology in our lives?

Are 3D TVs Really Dead and Gone for Good?

Would 3D TVs still be around today if they were introduced at a better time, with lower costs and improved technology? Honestly, it’s hard to say. There are so many different factors in play, and there was no single thing that led to the demise of 3D TV and films.

When it comes to technology, things come and go at a rapid pace. It’s hard to predict if 3D TVs will rise from the dead in the future. The bottom line is that 3D TVs failed, but 3D technology comes and goes roughly every 10 years, so it could be back again soon.