3D phones: That gimmicky, extra dimension

3D PHONES are still very much novelties. The market has seen a slew of releases from the likes of HTC and LG in recent months, albeit with mixed reviews.

Whether manufacturers are creating these devices to fill voids in the lifestyles of hardcore technophiles is up to one's opinion, but nonetheless it is a test for them to see if they can successfully implement 3D capabilities into mobile handsets.

But is 3D necessary? It is undeniably a big success on the silver screen, as proven by box office hits such as James Cameron's Avatar, and perhaps to a certain extent with handheld gadgets, particularly the Nintendo 3DS.

Watching movies on a 4-inch screen, however, doesn't appeal to everyone, unless its a desperate situation (ie an 18-hour flight on a budget airline), and not everyone needs their games displayed in 3D.

Additionally, not everyone is sold on watching movies in 3D. Renowned movie critic and Pulitzer prize winner Roger Ebert wrote in a blog post earlier in January that 3D "doesn't work with our brains and it never will".

"The notion that we are asked to pay a premium to witness an inferior and inherently brain-confusing image is outrageous. The case is closed," he said, citing a letter from Walter Murch, one of modern cinema's respected film editor and sound designer who won an Academy Award in 1979 for his work on "Apocalypse Now".

Having watched several 3D movies already, the format isn't as immersive as marketers claim. More often than not did I have the urge to ask for my money back.

This excerpt from Robert's post says it all: "3D films remind the audience that they are in a certain 'perspective' relationship to the image. It is almost a Brechtian trick. Whereas if the film story has really gripped an audience they are 'in' the picture in a kind of dreamlike 'spaceless' space. So a good story will give you more dimensionality than you can ever cope with."

Other than watching movies and playing games, one of the most appealing aspects of having a 3D device (especially when there are so few worthwhile things to see) is supposedly the ability to take pictures and videos that add an extra dimension.

However, taking a look at two of the most hyped-up 3D-capable products to enter the mobile market in recent months, the HTC EVO 3D and the LG Optimus 3D, this ability is put into question.

It seems that even today's mini computers are yet to be capable of pulling another dimension out of thin air, as most product reviews reveal.

Both have two cameras on the back to capture stereoscopic images, which look decent on the 4.3-inch screens. But it's when you try to switch over from 2D to 3D for a game or for pictures that the screens becomes slightly fuzzy (and sort of pops out at times), with a tendency for results to be a bit on the grainy side when using the feature for converting 2D pictures to 3D and vice versa.

Both have connectivity options for plugging in an HDMI cable to a TV for viewing recordings on the big screen a plus only for the minority who own 3D TVs.

After scouring through the Net for side-by-side comparisons and product reviews, there is a general consensus that Nintendo's 3DS easily beats the two phones in terms of display quality. It is much better suited for gamers too, obviously due to the bigger selection of titles to choose from.

"But a recent price cut and humbling statements from executives indicates that most people aren't sold on having a portable 3D system. Indeed, the novelty can wear off pretty quickly," read one review.

3D is still very much a gimmick, at least for portable gadgets, and I can't help but feel that manufacturers are just banking on the rising popularity of media consumption in the 3D format. What's next? Reading news in 3D? Only time can tell.The Brunei Times