The State of 3D...

Will 2011 be the year of 3D?
Daniel Green at Little White Lies surveys the current state and future of 3D, noting some failures in one market:
Despite its well-intentioned efforts, Sky’s 3D opera experiment ultimately failed in recreating the experience of a live performance. [...] Once again, the inability of 3D (and film as a whole) to mimic the live operatic experience was all too obvious.
LittleWhiteLies: 3D Evolution – From Cash Cow To High Brow



And Yet...
The Film Blog at The Guardian notes that directors continue to embrace 3D, including Werner Herzog, Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh and Francis Ford Coppola;
Even Francis Ford Coppola, who once called 3D viewing "tiresome", despite repeatedly dabbling in the format, has reportedly included stereoscopic sequences in his forthcoming gothic chiller Twixt Now and Sunrise.
TheGuardian: 3D technology has even sceptical directors embracing another dimension



No, it's failing
Mike Jones thinks 3D is - and will be - a failure because it:
  • Doesn’t make the cinema experience better
  • Isn’t worth the cost
  • Most people Don't want it or Don't care
and he has some graphs showing declining revenue's from 3D releases to prove it.
MikeJones.tv: Perspectives on the Death of Stereo3D



Meanwhile...
Dolby introduces lighter, cheaper glasses for theaters. Engadget: Dolby introduces lighter, cheaper 3D glasses to better compete with RealD and IMAX

And Panasonic and XPAND 3D announced they have formulated M-3DI, a new standard for 3D active-shutter eyewear products that will bring about compatibility among 3D TVs, computers, home projectors and cinema projection. Panasonic: M-3DI Standard to Create Compatibility among 3D TVs, 3D Projectors and 3D Cinemas



And at home...
Watching Avatar in 3D at home on your Panasonic VIERATV? Here's James Cameron's "preferred" settings: Panasonic Avatar

And if you're thinking about buying a set, do you want a passive or active set? Seems like the passive set market is heating up. HD Wars: 3D Face-Off



BUT...
...it looks like consumers don't care. According to the Media and Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), Best Buy reported that sales of Internet-connectable TVs and 3D TVs “did not materialize” as expected.
MESA: Best Buy: Slow Sales of Internet TVs, 3D Sets


[UDPATED - Added M3-DI Standards announcement]




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