3D comes to the living room with Blu-Ray 3D
A specification for 3D content on BluRay discs has been finalized, which will soon allow you to enjoy 3D movies such as Avatar 3D, and UP in your living room.
The new specification allows for encoding of stereoscopic video content in BluRay discs, such that with an overhead of about 50% the video stream will be able to store both right eye and left eye images, allowing one to get a 3D experience on any device which supports displaying it.
This of course does not mean that a mere 3D compatible BluRay player will be enough to add a dimension to your home theatre, you will need to be using some kind of 3D display. The new 3D encoded BluRay discs will be compatible with current BluRay players, and the 3D players will be compatible with older 2D discs.
The specification also allows for “enhanced graphic features” in BluRays which will allow for the creation of immersive 3D menus for navigating the BluRay disc’s content, and support for 3D subtitles positioned in 3D within a scene.
PlayStation owners will probably not have to purchase an additional BluRay 3D player, as the functionality will be supported.
This feature comes at the right time, as we see an increasing number of movies which are shot in 3D, with all future Pixar movies to be done in 3D, and many directors such as James Cameron and Steven Spielberg embracing this upcoming trend.