Business · Engadget
Why 3D TVs faltered and the trouble with 3D in Hollywood.
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The rise of OLED and a lack of content made 3D TVs a short-lived fad.
Key facts
- You had to buy 3D glasses, which ranged from $10 to $20 for passive frames, to upwards of $50 for active glasses that required constant charging
- After the initial rush of 3D box office hits like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland (truly one of the worst films to cross the $1 billion mark) in 2009 and 2010, movie studios were emboldened
- According to a recent study by Precision Reports, around 25 percent of households with 3D TVs used the technology during the peak period between 2010 and 2018
- But by 2015, as the TV industry started to focus on 4K and HDR-equipped TVs, 3D had completely disappeared at home
Summary
As they gear up for the potential rise of Micro RGB TVs and the evolution of OLED, it's easy to forget that, for a brief moment, 3D TVs were everywhere. There are a few easy answers: 3D was a pain to use at home, and Hollywood also oversaturated the market with low-quality 3D releases because they commanded higher ticket prices. While many TVs released between 2010 and 2015 supported 3D, using the feature required clearing a series of annoying hurdles. For the niche media geeks who cleared those roadblocks, 3D Blu-rays did a decent job of replicating the theatrical 3D experience.