The History Of 3D Entertainment

The aim of a 3D, or stereoscopic image is to give an illusion of depth, and since 1936 when the first stereo viewers were introduced, people have been trying to create more and more realistic environments for the viewer. This began with two simple frames taken from a slightly different angles that were shown to each eye independently, through a set of goggles. The brian interprets both and merges them to give the illusion of depth. 3D made the jump to film in the 1950′s with stereoscopic cinema projectors and the classic red and blue glasses. They were very popular in America to begin with, but soon faded into an obscure niche that many forgot about. They lay there until a huge resurgence in the mid 1980s, thanks mainly due to the booming economy, new IMax cinemas and Disney resorts. Disney has always been a big player in the 3D film market, and the success of films like ‘Honey I Shrunk The Kids’ along with their 3D versions, Disney resort rides and experiences has really helped the whole 3D movement gain mass appeal. Despite a slight lull in the 90s, 3D films grew through the 00′s up until the huge success of Avatar in 2009. Alongside this 3D television became more and more popular, and also in 2009 the broadcast of several 3D TV channels began, with Sky being the pioneers in the UK. In the past few years we have seen more interest in 3D viewing than at any other time, and modern technology is helping the manufacturers give us an even better experience.
Lenticular lenes are the new craze for creating 3D images, but they were originally invented way back in the 1940s. The technology is commonly used for making the images that change depending on the viewing angle, but has been developed to project two different images towards the viewer. This means that when the viewer is sat centrally, the brain combines the images to give a sense of depth. This technology has been widely utilised since the first general release in 2004 by Sharp, but the difference today is that there is a lot more content. For a technology to be successful, it needs to have other who will come on board quickly, and in this case it’s TV, film, game and to a lesser extent computer companies. The fact that Sky now has dedicated 3D channels is one of many good indications that the technology will be around for a while. Let us hope that this gives manufacturers a good chance to invest some R&D time in make a seamless 3D experience that really does feel like being there!