James Cameron And The Prospects For 3D Television

For awhile now, 3D televisions have been the talk of town. Samsung's even unveiled their 3D TV’s at the annual tech event CrunchGear, attempting to woo regular Joe’s and Jane’s to fill their living rooms with 3D television sets. But before you throw out your “worthless” HD televisions and get fitted for your 3D glasses, stop and think whether the switch is worth it.

How could it not be worth it? All of the new, great entertainment out there is in 3D, like Avatar, and, well, maybe just Avatar.

That’s the point Avatar director and 3D-pioneer, James Cameron, is trying to make at least. Cameron isn’t convinced that there’s enough 3D entertainment out there to make such a purchase worthwhile for everyday television viewers.

That’s not to say that he’s bursting Samsung or other company’s bubbles, but rather, he’s actually putting the pressure on other mediums – like television networks – to up the 3D ante.

“It can't be filled by movies, because we can't make them fast enough,” said Cameron in an interview. “So its going to have be filled by live production or near-live production.”

As cool as watching Avatar or other future films in 3D at home could be, the ceiling for television networks to film their daily programs in 3D technology is even higher. Imagine watching NBC’s Nightly News with Brian Williams, the New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox, or a live Black Eyes Peas concert (James Cameron just collaborated with them on a 3D concert) – all in 3D. That, arguably, could push more television owners over the edge, forcing them to splurge on the next generation of televisions.