Although 3D television seems like a product of the modern era, it has actually been around for a lot longer than you might think. First demonstrated by the inventor of the television, Mr John Logie Baird, in 1928, it involved two different images being projected into each eye, much the same as the stereoscope images popular in that time. In 1935 the first 3D television was manufactured, and 3D motion pictures have continued ever since.
However, it wasn’t until around 2010 that it really gained mass appeal, and 3D televisions and movies became the mainstream. Even now, whilst the majority of movies and produced with 3D versions available, and some TV channels have 3D options, it’s still seen as somewhat of a gimmick. This is largely due to the fact that you need glasses to restrict the light reaching each eye, showing them different images and therefore creating the 3D effect, and often these can be clunky and detract from the viewing experience rather than add to it. These glasses have no use outside of the tv either, no style like a pair of Calvin Klein sunglasses, and are often an expensive extra.
New technology aims to make this a thing of the past with glasses-less 3D, although at this stage the technology is still in its infancy, and the details are quite sketchy. Director James Cameron and his production company have teamed up with Christie Digital, a specialist in high-end projection technology, and have signed a five-year agreement to develop the glasses free 3D solutions. The end result will hopefully be an RGB-based laser projection technology that will effectively form a holographic image in the cinema, and play the film through this medium.
This might sound far-fetched at the moment, but the pace at which technology moves means in five years it could seem a lot more plausible. If they do manage it, the technology will doubtless be used in other areas of communication as well, such as telephony. It might not be long before you can see a hologram of your friend or loved one when you talk to them!