The third dimension has finally made its way from the big screen to the living room bringing with it all the “oohs” and “ahhs” of special effects in a compact and semi-reasonably priced 3-d television. With virtually all TV brands releasing their own series of 3-d TVs the transition from a flat viewing experience to a more dynamic attention grabbing venture has begun.

            3-d was first developed over fifty years ago, and with hit movies like, Robot Monster (1953), Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954), and Dial M for Murder (1954), it was largely successful. The 3-d extravaganza was short lived however and it wasn’t long till the flimsy red and green glasses made their way onto dusty bookshelves. For the following decades there have been several attempts to reinvigorate the 3-d phenomenon, movies like Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), Captain EO (1986), and Beowulf (2007) all met with individual success, but it was largely assumed that any that the general 3-d market was bunk. That was until the multi-award winning director James Cameron produced his epic Avatar in 3-d and IMAX. With a multi-million dollar price tag, Cameron’s film was sure to succeed, but the degree to which it did was unprecedented. As a result, of its unparalleled popularity and its worldwide release, individuals from around the globe were able to witness the mass improvement of 3-d technology while enjoying a universal plotline. With the rest of the movie industry realizing the potential profits to be had, a surge of 3-d movies has hit theaters within the last few months, every type of movie, from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs to Final Destination: Death Trip 3D, has cashed in on the glory of the third dimension.

            With a generally supportive public consensus surrounding the 3-d renaissance, TV companies have taken the next step in expanding the 3-d experience with the advent of the 3-d television. Bringing the in your face action of one’s most favorite multidimensional movie into their living room. Television manufacturers like Panasonic, Samsung, and LG have already released 3-d TV models on the market and are on sale now. The prices of these new products are still relatively high. This is for various reasons, for the best 3-d experience the screen must be reasonably large, the technology is still new, and the TV includes many other new features like internet connectivity. The general price range for a 3-d TV is anywhere between $1,800 and $7,000 with the majority of 3-d TVs costing around $3,500.

            In response to the release of consumer 3-d televisions, other entertainment devices have accommodated the new technology. This is most notably expressed in the new high definition 3-d blu-ray players. The cost of the 3-d blu-ray players are actually quite reasonable, some are on sale now for only $200. A firmware update for the Playstation 3 is expected to take the gaming platform to the next level. In the same press release Sony also elaborated on delivering 3-d VAIO laptops later in the year.

            Senior and President of the video program, Josh Jones, is enthusiastic about the new 3-d capabilities, saying, “I think it would be sweet if they started making TV shows like news programs and sports programs in 3-d.” Indeed many broadcasters have already announced 3-d television programs, ESPN is planning 3-d sports shows, and IMAX, Sony, and the Discovery Channel have teamed up to provide their own 3-d show, and many other content providers have announced similar ventures.

Ultimately, the wave of 3-d mania that has swept the nation has resulted in the creation of new personal 3-d media that will revolutionize the personal entertainment sector. The future of home amusement has taken on a new dimension.