Ron Schenone

Will 3D Movies and Television Die a Slow Death?

Posted by on May 31, 2011 | 32 Comments

During the past few years, both the movie industry and television industry have been promoting their 3D technology as the wave of the future. Several popular movies, including Avatar and Alice In Wonderland, proved popular with audiences when these films were offered in 3D format. But since the time of these original releases, audiences have rebelled at the higher prices 3D movies commanded at the box office. In addition consumers have also been reluctant to buy 3D enabled television, waiting to see exactly how 3D technology would be accepted by the masses.

During the first half of 2011, the movie producers have brought out both 2D and 3D movies, with the 3D movies costing more to produce. That cost gets passed onto consumers. There now seems to be a growing chorus that no longer wishes to view movies in 3D. Two reasons are the higher cost to see a movie in 3D and the novelty of wearing 3D glasses is no longer an attraction. What the movie companies are seeing is what could become a backlash by consumers against 3D movies in general. If this happens, the demand for 3D televisions could also fade.

The Memorial Day advertisements in the Sunday newspaper from Best Buy had 20 televisions on sale for the holiday weekend. Of the twenty sets that Best Buy had on sale, only five of the televisions were 3D ready. I went over to the local Walmart site and took a look at the Samsung HDTV screens, in which there were 25 models being offered. Out of the 25 Samsungs offered, only two were 3D ready. Walmart also sells the Vizio brand and offers 46 HDTV models for sale online and only five are 3D ready. I believe the number of 3D HDTVs would be higher if they were selling better than 2D HDTVs.

There may be another reason why people are shying away from 3D. The high price of gasoline, higher food prices, and just the unknown of how well the economy will do have caused many Americans to curtail some of their spending habits. I know this weekend I went to the show and after paying $7 for a ticket, which I thought was reasonable, was almost gouged until I noticed the pricing of popcorn and a drink. How can anyone with a conscience take 10 cents worth of popcorn and ask $5 for it?

I can only imagine how those feelings may increase if one were to pay a premium to see the same movie in 3D.

Comments welcome.

  • D Lowrey

    I went to the show and after paying $7 for a ticket, which I thought was reasonable, was almost gouged until I noticed the pricing of popcorn and a drink. How can anyone with a conscience take 10 cents worth of popcorn and ask $5 for it?

    Fortunately…I live in South Central Idaho which has two drive-in cinemas in the city. Both have been here for years with admission costing $6 US for a double feature. In this case…brought my own treats while enjoying “Ringo” and “True Grit” this past Monday evening.

    The best part was not the cost or not being ripped off at the concession stand…but not having to put up with kids whose parents won’t keep them quiet. I would have been more than happy to have this experience over and paid double for what you usually have to put up with at an indoor cinema.

    • Anonymous

      Wow last of the Mohegan. I haven’t seen a drive in cinema in decades.

    • Anonymous

      Wow last of the Mohegan. I haven’t seen a drive in cinema in decades.

    • Anonymous

      Wow last of the Mohegan. I haven’t seen a drive in cinema in decades.

  • D Lowrey

    I went to the show and after paying $7 for a ticket, which I thought was reasonable, was almost gouged until I noticed the pricing of popcorn and a drink. How can anyone with a conscience take 10 cents worth of popcorn and ask $5 for it?

    Fortunately…I live in South Central Idaho which has two drive-in cinemas in the city. Both have been here for years with admission costing $6 US for a double feature. In this case…brought my own treats while enjoying “Ringo” and “True Grit” this past Monday evening.

    The best part was not the cost or not being ripped off at the concession stand…but not having to put up with kids whose parents won’t keep them quiet. I would have been more than happy to have this experience over and paid double for what you usually have to put up with at an indoor cinema.

  • D Lowrey

    I went to the show and after paying $7 for a ticket, which I thought was reasonable, was almost gouged until I noticed the pricing of popcorn and a drink. How can anyone with a conscience take 10 cents worth of popcorn and ask $5 for it?

    Fortunately…I live in South Central Idaho which has two drive-in cinemas in the city. Both have been here for years with admission costing $6 US for a double feature. In this case…brought my own treats while enjoying “Ringo” and “True Grit” this past Monday evening.

    The best part was not the cost or not being ripped off at the concession stand…but not having to put up with kids whose parents won’t keep them quiet. I would have been more than happy to have this experience over and paid double for what you usually have to put up with at an indoor cinema.

  • D Lowrey

    I went to the show and after paying $7 for a ticket, which I thought was reasonable, was almost gouged until I noticed the pricing of popcorn and a drink. How can anyone with a conscience take 10 cents worth of popcorn and ask $5 for it?

    Fortunately…I live in South Central Idaho which has two drive-in cinemas in the city. Both have been here for years with admission costing $6 US for a double feature. In this case…brought my own treats while enjoying “Ringo” and “True Grit” this past Monday evening.

    The best part was not the cost or not being ripped off at the concession stand…but not having to put up with kids whose parents won’t keep them quiet. I would have been more than happy to have this experience over and paid double for what you usually have to put up with at an indoor cinema.

    • Anonymous

      Wow last of the Mohegan. I haven’t seen a drive in cinema in decades.

  • talonmeyer

    I saw pirates 4 in 3D, I loved it and thought it was worth the $8 more for 3 people. I didn’t mind wearing glasses, either.

  • talonmeyer

    I saw pirates 4 in 3D, I loved it and thought it was worth the $8 more for 3 people. I didn’t mind wearing glasses, either.

  • talonmeyer

    I saw pirates 4 in 3D, I loved it and thought it was worth the $8 more for 3 people. I didn’t mind wearing glasses, either.

  • talonmeyer

    I saw pirates 4 in 3D, I loved it and thought it was worth the $8 more for 3 people. I didn’t mind wearing glasses, either.

  • Anonymous

    3D does nothing to improve the story line, plot or acting. IMO Avatar was little more than a highly polished turd.

  • Anonymous

    3D does nothing to improve the story line, plot or acting. IMO Avatar was little more than a highly polished turd.

  • Anonymous

    3D does nothing to improve the story line, plot or acting. IMO Avatar was little more than a highly polished turd.

  • Anonymous

    3D does nothing to improve the story line, plot or acting. IMO Avatar was little more than a highly polished turd.

  • Anonymous

    Another reason 3D sales might be low is the really low prices on HDTV sets. It has become more affordable to buy a good HDTV, see it in bluray, and stay at home. I don’t see TVs going away but I do see less people being able to afford or justify spending on a 3D experience vs a very good HD one.

  • Anonymous

    Another reason 3D sales might be low is the really low prices on HDTV sets. It has become more affordable to buy a good HDTV, see it in bluray, and stay at home. I don’t see TVs going away but I do see less people being able to afford or justify spending on a 3D experience vs a very good HD one.

  • Anonymous

    Another reason 3D sales might be low is the really low prices on HDTV sets. It has become more affordable to buy a good HDTV, see it in bluray, and stay at home. I don’t see TVs going away but I do see less people being able to afford or justify spending on a 3D experience vs a very good HD one.

  • Anonymous

    Another reason 3D sales might be low is the really low prices on HDTV sets. It has become more affordable to buy a good HDTV, see it in bluray, and stay at home. I don’t see TVs going away but I do see less people being able to afford or justify spending on a 3D experience vs a very good HD one.

  • Timo M.

    i dont like the 3d tv’s, but i do like 3d movies in the cinema…

  • Timo M.

    i don’t like the 3D TVs, but I do like 3D movies in the cinema…

  • Timo M.

    i don’t like the 3D TVs, but I do like 3D movies in the cinema…

  • Timo M.

    i don’t like the 3D TVs, but I do like 3D movies in the cinema…

  • http://twitter.com/eddkahn Edd Kahn

    3D is a gimmick and every so often it crops up to try and get more people in the cinema then dies out again and I fully expect that to happen.

    It doesn’t improve anything and the colour is actually worse when watching on 3D

    Lots of films such as Clash of the Titans have been retro-fitted in 3D and that looks awful – making a bad film even worse as well as costing a lot and delaying the release.

    Adds nothing to the film and, if anything, it distracts me.

    It’s almost as bad as when they had Smell-o-rama in the 1950′s!

  • http://twitter.com/eddkahn Edd Kahn

    3D is a gimmick and every so often it crops up to try and get more people in the cinema then dies out again and I fully expect that to happen.

    It doesn’t improve anything and the colour is actually worse when watching on 3D

    Lots of films such as Clash of the Titans have been retro-fitted in 3D and that looks awful – making a bad film even worse as well as costing a lot and delaying the release.

    Adds nothing to the film and, if anything, it distracts me.

    It’s almost as bad as when they had Smell-o-rama in the 1950′s!

  • http://twitter.com/eddkahn Edd Kahn

    3D is a gimmick and every so often it crops up to try and get more people in the cinema then dies out again and I fully expect that to happen.

    It doesn’t improve anything and the colour is actually worse when watching on 3D

    Lots of films such as Clash of the Titans have been retro-fitted in 3D and that looks awful – making a bad film even worse as well as costing a lot and delaying the release.

    Adds nothing to the film and, if anything, it distracts me.

    It’s almost as bad as when they had Smell-o-rama in the 1950′s!

  • http://twitter.com/eddkahn Edd Kahn

    3D is a gimmick and every so often it crops up to try and get more people in the cinema then dies out again and I fully expect that to happen.

    It doesn’t improve anything and the colour is actually worse when watching on 3D

    Lots of films such as Clash of the Titans have been retro-fitted in 3D and that looks awful – making a bad film even worse as well as costing a lot and delaying the release.

    Adds nothing to the film and, if anything, it distracts me.

    It’s almost as bad as when they had Smell-o-rama in the 1950′s!

  • http://twitter.com/sobercool Eric T.

    I don’t watch 3D movies anymore. The experience is just annoying, expensive and I end up with headaches after the whole movie. My dad told me 3D before was better than this digitally managed crap. I also quited the whole popcorn stuff. Since movie theaters are mostly in malls I ‘d rather eat before the movie in my house or go get a pizza or a hamburger service after the movie ends. It’s much more worthy.

    Also I always finish the popcorn during the previews and I’ve never seen the whole point of food in the movies. Yes, you’ll spent two hours sitting and you might be starving but I consider eating while watching a distracting behavior that’s now a subconscious response once we have the ticket in our hands. I only eat when I watch a movie at home. Movie theaters better spend money in sound and HD quality technologies. That’ll be something the experienced movie-goers will appreciate IMO.

    Enough with this 3D horsesh-t. Most of the time when I take my glasses off I don’t see a 3D movie format, I see a 2D movie and that’s why I quited paying 75%+ for a 3D ticket.

    I found an article a long time ago that was about how the human brain is not developed for the format, because it had to process too much angles and images to make the 3D effect successful to our eyes and that’s why sometimes we have a hard time with those glasses on.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t watch 3D movies anymore. The experience is just annoying, expensive and I end up with headaches after the whole movie. My dad told me 3D before was better than this digitally managed crap. I also quited the whole popcorn stuff. Since movie theaters are mostly in malls I ‘d rather eat before the movie in my house or go get a pizza or a hamburger service after the movie ends. It’s much more worthy.

    Also I always finish the popcorn during the previews and I’ve never seen the whole point of food in the movies. Yes, you’ll spent two hours sitting and you might be starving but I consider eating while watching a distracting behavior that’s now a subconscious response once we have the ticket in our hands. I only eat when I watch a movie at home. Movie theaters better spend money in sound and HD quality technologies. That’ll be something the experienced movie-goers will appreciate IMO.

    Enough with this 3D horsesh-t. Most of the time when I take my glasses off I don’t see a 3D movie format, I see a 2D movie and that’s why I quited paying 75%+ for a 3D ticket.

    I found an article a long time ago that was about how the human brain is not developed for the format, because it had to process too much angles and images to make the 3D effect successful to our eyes and that’s why sometimes we have a hard time with those glasses on.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t watch 3D movies anymore. The experience is just annoying, expensive and I end up with headaches after the whole movie. My dad told me 3D before was better than this digitally managed crap. I also quited the whole popcorn stuff. Since movie theaters are mostly in malls I ‘d rather eat before the movie in my house or go get a pizza or a hamburger service after the movie ends. It’s much more worthy.

    Also I always finish the popcorn during the previews and I’ve never seen the whole point of food in the movies. Yes, you’ll spent two hours sitting and you might be starving but I consider eating while watching a distracting behavior that’s now a subconscious response once we have the ticket in our hands. I only eat when I watch a movie at home. Movie theaters better spend money in sound and HD quality technologies. That’ll be something the experienced movie-goers will appreciate IMO.

    Enough with this 3D horsesh-t. Most of the time when I take my glasses off I don’t see a 3D movie format, I see a 2D movie and that’s why I quited paying 75%+ for a 3D ticket.

    I found an article a long time ago that was about how the human brain is not developed for the format, because it had to process too much angles and images to make the 3D effect successful to our eyes and that’s why sometimes we have a hard time with those glasses on.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t watch 3D movies anymore. The experience is just annoying, expensive and I end up with headaches after the whole movie. My dad told me 3D before was better than this digitally managed crap. I also quited the whole popcorn stuff. Since movie theaters are mostly in malls I ‘d rather eat before the movie in my house or go get a pizza or a hamburger service after the movie ends. It’s much more worthy.

    Also I always finish the popcorn during the previews and I’ve never seen the whole point of food in the movies. Yes, you’ll spent two hours sitting and you might be starving but I consider eating while watching a distracting behavior that’s now a subconscious response once we have the ticket in our hands. I only eat when I watch a movie at home. Movie theaters better spend money in sound and HD quality technologies. That’ll be something the experienced movie-goers will appreciate IMO.

    Enough with this 3D horsesh-t. Most of the time when I take my glasses off I don’t see a 3D movie format, I see a 2D movie and that’s why I quited paying 75%+ for a 3D ticket.

    I found an article a long time ago that was about how the human brain is not developed for the format, because it had to process too much angles and images to make the 3D effect successful to our eyes and that’s why sometimes we have a hard time with those glasses on.