For years the central question when any new television technology comes out is whether explicit entertainment providers will adopt it. In the case of 3D TV, friends, there’s no question: 3D TV is here and its here to stay… but will it be popular? We talked to someone close to the industry, Kathee Brewer, who offered some insight on the future of 3D pr0n.
Kathee is a former editor-in-chief of trade journal AVN Online and a co-founder of irreverent sex, politics and culture site DailyBabylon.com. These days she plagues readers and editors across the spectrum with freelance articles about all sorts of useless information but today she sat down with us for in IMterview about the future of 3D in porn – and why it’s already a moot point.
CG: So 3D porn. Great or amazing?
Kathee: uh…. How about “Too soon to tell?” There are some really good things about it, and some, frankly, scary things about it.
CG: Well, remember the old days when we were all like “Porn will define who wins, Blu-Ray or HD DVD?” Is this the same thing or is it still too weird?
Kathee: How could I forget? I think 3D porn may loom toward the “too weird” end of the scale this time. Don’t get me wrong — it’ll be popular, but I’m not sure how quickly it will catch on
CG: Did porn define the winner in that last race, do you think?
Kathee: In the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD battle? I think Hollywood got that one. It’s still a challenge for adult content producers to find Blu-ray duplication facilities
CG: What’s holding that back? People don’t want to touch the stuff?
Kathee: Most duplication facilities make the majority of their money off mainstream content, and studios like Disney absolutely will not allow their product to be produced in the same facility as pr0n.
CG: nice. CHILLING EFFECTS!
Kathee: Very much so! lol
CG: So in terms of HD cameras, it probably wasn’t so hard for them to move over. But 3D cameras? Have you talked to anyone about that? Would they invest in the hardware?
Kathee: 3D cameras are no challenge for adult, really. Sometimes, the difference in the way adult producers think has to evolve in order to make 3D pr0n interesting, and THAT can be challenging
the gadget? Heck, adult content folks are all over every new gadget that comes down the pike. Studios already are investing in the hardware. One gay adult studio made the leap to 3D porn about a year ago.
CG: They did, now, did they?
I mean is it like Michael Jackson in Captain EO 3D?? With like wieners instead of flying things?
Kathee: LOL! Now there’s an image for you….
CG: So bottom line: How popular will this be? Hasn’t streaming killed most physical media for these guys?
Kathee: I honestly think it’s too early to tell. The gay studio says it’s doing well, but consumers tend to either love or hate the stuff
CG: Well, there’s the vertigo!
Kathee: Consumers aren’t so wild about having to wear special glasses to view pr0n although some really love feeling like they’re “in” the scene. I’m not quite sure how comfortable I’d be with a 3D pr0n closeup.
CG: I mean HD is bad enough with the stretch marks and the hair and whatnot
Kathee: Exactly! Now imagine viewing in 3D all those physical things most people hope others never see….
CG: Good lord
Kathee: Not a particularly pretty picture, is it?
CG: Kittens are pretty, though. i like kittens in baskets. wearing bonnets
Kathee: Did you get to check out Bad Girls in 3D’s new “home 3D porn delivery system” [SFW] while you were in Vegas?
CG: No. No i did not
Kathee: That company is hoping to combine 3D adult content with IPTV delivery
CG: See, i could definitely see that. I can see it in my head right now.
Kathee: IPTV actually is a growing market segment for adult, especially in Europe and 3D IPTV has lots of promise, if the kinks get worked out. In order to make 3D ANYTHING work in a home environment, though, there are variables that have to be just right or the experience is disappointing.
CG: And who wants that?
Kathee: Sexually explicit content, though, probably won’t be held to as high standards in 3D as mainstream content, just as it hasn’t been held to Hollywood’s standards on any other scale.
CG: So low quality 3D porn. Sounds delightful
Kathee: Doesn’t it? Porn has gone big time into HD content. In fact, I’m not sure anyone is producing anything in standard-def anymore. I know they’re not shooting in standard-def, except in rare instances. Even the Web studios are shooting in HD, though HD can’t be delivered via the Web yet.
CG: So they take new technologies and just future proof.
Kathee: Many studios that started out on the Web now are producing DVDs for the brick-and-mortar market, as well. So right — porn is big into “future-proofing.”
CG: I mean what else do they have to spend their money on? Sets? Scripts?
Kathee: One of these days, some enterprising future archeologist is going to uncover some enormous stash of future-proofed porn and come to all kinds of interesting conclusions about 21st Century humans.
CG: So 3D porn is already here and the big guys like Sony and Samsung are rushing to offer ways to view the content.
Kathee: I’m sure the big guys like Sony and Samsung are hoping no one ever discovers they’re rushing to offer ways to view adult content, if they are. Sony isn’t hot on porn appearing on ANY of its platforms: PlayStation, Blu-ray, you name it.
CG: But soon it will all be 3D. Imagine the possibilities.
Kathee: Did you see the sex robot in Vegas? Now THERE’s real 3D.
So there you have it: porn is basically way ahead of the studios on this one and when you buy your 3D TV rig, porn will be right there alongside you, offering gentle encouragement and larger than life 3D genitalia. Welcome to 2010.