Let’s have a round of applause for Sharp, which could be the only TV manufacturer here that isn’t freaking out over 3D. (Not that it, too, doesn’t have 3D TVs on its roster, but it doesn’t treat them as the be-all, end-all.) Instead, Sharp made the brave decision to try something different, which, you’ll recall, adds yellow to the usual threesome of red, green, and blue pixels.
Now, how successful this end up being, who knows? Cameras still only record using red, blue, and green, and it’s quite a bit harder to explain to people why the addition of the yellow pixel could be more substantial, and “better,” than WOW 3D COOL~!.
Other TV manufacturers? It’s all 3D, all the time. Monkey see, monkey do.
The beauty of 3D is that 1) it’s not new 2) it’s never been effective before 3) it’s riddled with potential problems. The most obvious concerns people who already wear glasses. (Sixty-eight percent of Americans who required vision correction wear glasses, according to some random site that I’m taking as Gospel.) Why would I want to wear a second pair of glasses on top of my regular glasses? It’s not very elegant, now is it? And then each of these TVs will require their own glasses. That means if you own Company A’s TV but your neighbors have a TV from Company B, you won’t be able to wear your glasses while visiting their house.
Never mind that there’s not a whole lot quality 3D content out there. (Not every movie or TV show is directed by James Cameron.) It’s a quick, easy-to-market gimmick that not a single journalist/blogger/person I’ve spoken to here has been impressed by.
So yeah, I just wanted to highlight Sharp’s go-our-own-way attitude. I have no idea if it’ll work out in the end, but it’s worth noting again.