3D Movies

Sleepyskull · November 22, 2009, 05:53:22 PM

So I just bought Friday the 13th: Part 3 on DVD and it has the option of playing in either 2D or 3D. It also comes with two of those thick paper 3D glasses. I tried 3D but it would not work for me. Now I have glasses anyway because I am nearsighted and I am wondering if that would affect anything... Does anybody know if it's because of my regular glasses, the DVD quality, or anything else? Any solutions? Also has anybody ever had a similar experience?

The Burgomaster · November 22, 2009, 07:54:27 PM

I have this DVD, too. The problem is the DVD quality. They made the DVD using the red / blue (or red / green . . . I can't remember which) 3-D process, which really stinks when they try to use it for color movies (I have one or two other DVDs like this and the 3-D effects aren't very good). Unfortunately, the 3-D process they use in theaters won't work on television screens, so we're stuck with this. The best 3-D effects I have seen for TV are the movies that use the gray flicker-lens glasses. I bought these glasses and a few movies several years ago and it's the closest you'll get to theatrical 3-D.

Javakoala · November 22, 2009, 08:47:07 PM

Quote from: The Burgomaster on November 22, 2009, 07:54:27 PM
I have this DVD, too. The problem is the DVD quality. They made the DVD using the red / blue (or red / green . . . I can't remember which) 3-D process, which really stinks when they try to use it for color movies (I have one or two other DVDs like this and the 3-D effects aren't very good). Unfortunately, the 3-D process they use in theaters won't work on television screens, so we're stuck with this. The best 3-D effects I have seen for TV are the movies that use the gray flicker-lens glasses. I bought these glasses and a few movies several years ago and it's the closest you'll get to theatrical 3-D.

Wow, unless you got a great discount, that rig was/is expensive. And then you get to see cheesy movies with Ron Ford doing bad makeup effects and getting slaughtered on the screen.

The Burgomaster · November 23, 2009, 01:55:37 PM

Quote from: Javakoala on November 22, 2009, 08:47:07 PM
Quote from: The Burgomaster on November 22, 2009, 07:54:27 PM
I have this DVD, too. The problem is the DVD quality. They made the DVD using the red / blue (or red / green . . . I can't remember which) 3-D process, which really stinks when they try to use it for color movies (I have one or two other DVDs like this and the 3-D effects aren't very good). Unfortunately, the 3-D process they use in theaters won't work on television screens, so we're stuck with this. The best 3-D effects I have seen for TV are the movies that use the gray flicker-lens glasses. I bought these glasses and a few movies several years ago and it's the closest you'll get to theatrical 3-D.

Wow, unless you got a great discount, that rig was/is expensive. And then you get to see cheesy movies with Ron Ford doing bad makeup effects and getting slaughtered on the screen.

I bought it several years ago, so I don't remember how much it cost. Probably $100 or more, but I think it came with a few movies. I think I have 4 pair of glasses. I have cheesy 3-D movies like CAMP BLOOD and HUNTING SEASON, but I also have a couple decent ones I bought on Ebay: HOUSE OF WAX with Vincent Price and ANDY WARHOL'S FRANKENSTEIN.

Javakoala · November 23, 2009, 06:15:02 PM

Yup, Camp Blood has Ron Ford and he does some of the makeup effects and Hunting Season has him getting killed in a bit part as a bird watcher and he was also doing the makeup effects. They are truly awful movies, but I'd LOVE to see them in 3D. Just can't afford the set up to watch them.

AndyC · November 23, 2009, 08:15:31 PM

Yeah, the red-blue process does not work well on colour movies. The other problem with 3-D video is the TV itself. If the hue is a little bit off, it won't filter right. Back in the 80s, there was a bit of experimentation with showing 3-D movies on TV with glasses available through the mail or at certain convenience stores. They put up a test screen every so often so you could tweak the colour if necessary. You had to adjust so that a half-blue half-white screen looked like one continuous colour through your blue filter. It's the blue that's most difficult to get right. A lot of leeway in the red, but it's so easy to get a double image if the blue is not just right.

retrorussell · November 23, 2009, 10:27:59 PM

Has anyone seen COMIN' AT YA! ? I was wondering if it was worthwhile outside of the 3-d gimmick.

The Burgomaster · November 24, 2009, 05:10:27 PM

Quote from: retrorussell on November 23, 2009, 10:27:59 PM
Has anyone seen COMIN' AT YA! ? I was wondering if it was worthwhile outside of the 3-d gimmick.

I have the 3-D DVD . . . the quality sucks. The movie isn't very good either, but I've seen worse.

retrorussell · November 25, 2009, 12:08:47 AM

Thanks Burgo. I shall avoid it like a streaking Rosie O'Donnell.

WingedSerpent · November 25, 2009, 11:22:57 AM

This is a bit off topic, but sometimes it's fun to watch a 3D movie on TV without the 3D effects turned on. Like when they show Jaws 3D on TBS or something. Everything just looks strange because everything is jutting out at the camera with wired angles.

Haven't bought a 3D movie DVD yet, so I don't know how the glasses work.

AndyC · November 25, 2009, 12:50:19 PM

I bought my daughter a copy of Fly Me to the Moon a while ago. The 3-D wasn't great, but it might improve with colour adjustment. The beauty is that with a home theatre PC, I should be able to have a profile specifically for 3-D in the display settings. Should save some fiddling.

By the way, Fly Me to the Moon is a fun movie, and Buzz Aldrin provides his own voice.

Sleepyskull · November 25, 2009, 01:03:07 PM

Thanks Burgomaster and AndyC! I'm actually kind of disappointed that the problem is not my glasses. If it was I could at least get laser surgery or contacts... Oh well maybe someday a good home 3D system will be released.

The Burgomaster · November 30, 2009, 04:00:08 PM

Quote from: Sleepyskull on November 25, 2009, 01:03:07 PM
Thanks Burgomaster and AndyC! I'm actually kind of disappointed that the problem is not my glasses. If it was I could at least get laser surgery or contacts... Oh well maybe someday a good home 3D system will be released.

The system with the "flicker lenses" (sorry, I'm too lazy to look up the real name of the system) is actually pretty good. But the glasses aren't cheap and there are only a small number of movies available (and you need to search to find them).

Criswell · November 30, 2009, 06:46:05 PM

Quote from: Sleepyskull on November 25, 2009, 01:03:07 PM
Thanks Burgomaster and AndyC! I'm actually kind of disappointed that the problem is not my glasses. If it was I could at least get laser surgery or contacts... Oh well maybe someday a good home 3D system will be released.

Apparently, there is going to be a 3d blu ray player in the works.

AndyC · November 30, 2009, 07:21:42 PM

Quote from: The Burgomaster on November 30, 2009, 04:00:08 PM
The system with the "flicker lenses" (sorry, I'm too lazy to look up the real name of the system) is actually pretty good.

That's field-sequential 3-D. Red-blue is anaglyph 3-D. As I understand it, the big disadvantage of field-sequential is it uses image interlacing, which is fine for a CRT set but problematic if you have LCD or plasma.

On the plus side, there seem to be more and more titles available on DVD for both kinds of 3-D.