June 23, 2010: The big picture on 3-D TVs

>> Rooney: THE 3D PHENOMENA THAT HAS BEEN SWEEPING MOTIVE-GOERS INTO I-MAX THEATERS IS NOW READY FOR YOUR LIVING ROOM.

YES, YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO WEAR THOSE GOOFY GLASSES.

AT 55 INCHES WIDE AND ONE-INCH THICK, THIS SAMSUNG TV LOOKS LIKE ANY OTHER FLAT SCREEN ON THE MARKET NOWADAYS.

BUT WITH A FEW CLICKS OF THE REMOTE, YOU'RE IN A ANOTHER DEM SHON.

>> YOU PRESS OKAY TO GET INTO THE PRE-SELECTION PAGE.

I HAVE TO SELECT THE SCREEN SIZE, AND BOOM, I'M IN 3D MODE.

>> Rooney: 3 DIMENSIONAL TELEVISION IS THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE.

BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME KINKS TO WORK OUT.

>> IT IS NOT PERFECT.

IN THE SOCCER GAME WAS THE GHOSTING EFFECT WHEN THE PLAYERS WERE IN A DISTANCE.

>> Rooney: THE CAMERA CAPTURING THE VIDEO PRODUCES TWO DIFFERENT IMAGES OF THE SAME THING, JUST AT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLES.

WHEN THE TV's 3D OPTION IS ON, THE TWO IMAGES BLEND INTO ONE.

WITHOUT 3D GLASSES, ALL YOU SEE IS A BLURRY IMAGE LIKE THIS, BUT WITH THEM ON, YOUR BRAIN IS TRICKED INTO SEEING ONE 3D IMAGE.

>> IT HAPPENS SO FAST, YOU DON'T NOTICE IT IS HAPPENING.

THAT'S WHAT GIVES THE 3D EFFECT.

>> Rooney: BUT THAT 3D EFFECT COMES WITH A LIST OF POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS, RANGING FROM SEIZURE AND STROKE TO ALTERED VISION AND DIZZINESS.

AND IT WARNS ABOUT DILUTING YOURSELF INTO THINKING THAT THE 3D IMAGES ARE REAL.

>> IF YOU'RE AFRAID SOMETHING IS COMING AT TO YOU, AND YOU MOVE QUICKLY, YOU MIGHT HIT THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU OR CRUSH SOMETHING IN YOUR HAND.

>> Rooney: THAT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FOR A WHILE.

BECAUSE THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO 3D PROGRAMMING TO WATCH.

>> WE HAD THE GOLF TOURNAMENT AND WE HAVE WORLD CUP SOCCER.

THAT'S THE ONLY CONTENT YOU HAVE IN 3D.

3D.

>> Rooney: AND SO IT GOES FOR MOST FIRST GENERATION TECHNOLOGIST.

JOINING ME IS JIM BORROW FROM THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION.

I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY WE'RE A LITTLE BIT AWAYS AWAY.

>> YOU'LL HAVE EARLY ADOPTERS.

>> Rooney: WE ALWAYS DO.

THE TRIAL TESTERS AND ALL OF THAT.

YOU LOOK AT THE SIDE EFFECTS, NAUSEA, DIZZINESS, STROKE -- IT'S NUTS.

>> I THINK THAT'S AN OVERABUNDANCE OF CAUTION ON THE SIDE OF THE MANUFACTURES AND PERHAPS THEIR LAWYERS.

THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN AROUND -- SOME OF THAT STUFF, WITH 3D IN THE MOVIE THEATERS FOR 50 YEARS.

PEOPLE JUST GET A LITTLE QUEASY AND THEY DON'T DO IT.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF BIG-TIME HURTLES, SOME THAT ALL OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE AND SOME JUST THIS ONE.

ONE IS CONTENT.

WHAT DO YOU WATCH?

ANOTHER ONE IS COMPATIBILITY.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

>> Rooney: YOU CAN'T WEAR THE SAME GLASSES FOR DIFFERENT TVs.

>> SAMSUNG, NOT WITH L.G., NOT WITH SONY.

THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET SORTED THROUGH THAT.

AND THE OTHER THING IS THOSE GLASSES.

THOSE, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ARE THE ISSUE.

>> Rooney: ISN'T THAT THE ISSUE.

THE GLASSES HAVE GOT TO GO.

EVENTUALLY IT HAS TO COME TO THE TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT THEM.

>> I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE GLASSES.

THE TECHNOLOGY, IN A WAY, HASN'T BEEN -- IT'S NOT THAT NEW.

THE HOUSE OF WAX IN 1952.

I FEEL WILL AESTHETICALLY, THEY NEED TO GET PAST THE HOUSE OF WAX SENSIBILITY.

THE BOOGIE MAN COMING AT YOU.

EVEN AVATAR DID THAT.

I FEEL WITH 3D, I'M BEING UP-SOLD.

I TAKE MY 5-YEAR-OLD INTO TOY STORY, I HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN EXTRA $5 SO I CAN SEE IT IN 3D.

AND I WANT TO SEE IT IN 2D.

I WOULD RATHER HOLLYWOOD SPEND MORE TIME ON GREAT WRITING AND CHARACTERIZATION.

>> Rooney: THAT IS A GOOD POINT, JIM.

WHAT DOES 3D REALLY ADD TO THIS?

>> WELL, WHEN PEOPLE SEE IT, THEY LOVE IT.

THEY DO.

AND WE'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.

ANTI-ASSOCIATION, THAT PEOPLE REALLY LIKE IT.

IT IS A NATURAL STEP UP, BLACK AND WHITE, COLOR, COLOR, HIGH DEFINITION, HIGH DEFINITION TO 3D.

YOU'RE ASKING IF SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BUY IT.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUY ONE OF THE TOP OF THE LINE SETS AND IT'S ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS MORE, AND SO YOU'RE SPENDING A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND YOU GET THIS FEATURE IN IT, AND THE 2D IS GREAT, AND I'M AMAZED THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2D, AND SOME PEOPLE SAY IT IS ONLY 2D.

THAT'S THE HIGH DEFINITION THAT WE WERE TOUTING JUST LAST YEAR.

IT'S STARTING, AND IT'S HERE, AND OVER TIME IT WILL BE ONE OF THE STANDARDS.

>> Rooney: AND ARE THERE EXTRA ATTACHMENTS, IF YOU HAVE A 3D MOVIE, YOU CAN'T USE IT ON YOUR BLU-RAY.

>> THAT WILL KEEP THE MAINSTREAM, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WAIT UNTIL A STANDARD IS REACHED SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY UPGRADING EVERY SINGLE ITEM IN THEIR ENTERTAINMENT CENTER, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO.

IT IS HARD TO SAY.

I GIVE IT FIVE YEARS, MAYBE.

>> Rooney: FIVE YEARS.

>> A LITTLE WHILE.

>> Rooney: DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE STANDARD FAIR IN FIVE YEARS?

>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.

I THINK HALIGRAPHIC, 2030, THAT'S HOW WE WILL WATCH MOVIES.

IT WILL BE RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US.

2015, I'M NOT SURE.

I'M NOT SURE.

IT WILL BE UBIQUITOUS BY 2015.

>> Rooney: THE COMPUTER AND THE TV HAS TO BE ONE THING.

>> THEY ALREADY ARE FOR A LOT OF US.

THAT'S THE BUZZ WORD, CONVERGENCE, WE'RE GETTING THROUGH OVER THE AIR OR AN ANTENNA OR CABLE OR SATELLITE -- WE'RE GETTING ALL OF THIS STUFF.

MY DAUGHTER WATCHES HER TV SHOWS ON HER LAPTOP, IS SHE WATCHING TV OR THE INTERNET?

WHO CARES.

IT IS ALREADY CONVERGED.

>> Rooney: BUT WE'RE STILL BUYING TVs, IS MY POINT, AS OPPOSED TO COMPUTERS.

THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE NEXT STEP, THE TVs --

>> YOU CAN'T BUY A NEW TV THAT YOU CAN'T ALSO USE TO WATCH THE INTERNET.

THEY'RE ALL INTERNET COMPATIBLE.

WE WATCH OUR NETFLIX FROM THE INTERNET ON OUR TV.

SO WHAT JIM SAID, AM I WATCHING TV OR THE INTERNET.

I DON'T CARE.

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CALL IT.

>> Rooney: THE WHOLE THING ABOUT HIGH DEFINITION, IS THIS REALLY THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP OR IS THIS A GIMMICK?

>> I THINK IT IS THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP.

MORE REAL PICTURES AND SOUND IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN GOING SINCE BLACK AND WHITE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET THE WHOLE NEW SET.

WE DO HAVE SOME STANDARDS IN THE GLASSES AND SO FORTH, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET THE F.C.C. INVOLVED IN THE STANDARDS THE WAY WE DID WITH DIGITAL TV.

IT IS A TERRIFIC FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO WANT IT NOW, AND AS JEFF SAID, OVER TIME IT WILL BE A NATURAL FOR ALL OF US.

>> Rooney: YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> I'LL GO WITH GIMMICK NOUR AND INTEGRAL FEATURE LATER.

>> Rooney: THANK YOU FOR COMING.

TOMORROW ON MY RADIO SHOW ON 89.7, ACTRESS MARY CALAHAN, PLAYING SOPHIE AT THE NEW REPERTORY THEATER.

FOLLOWED BY CALLIE CROSSLEY AT 1:00.

AND TOMORROW NIGHT, CHARLIE BAKER WILL BE HERE, AND THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AUTHORS.

>> THEY CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE OTHER PIECES.

THEY CAN'T WAIT TO VOTE.

THEY CAN'T WAIT FOR US TO OPEN UP THE NEXT CHAPTER SO THEY CAN START WRITING AGAIN.

>> Rooney: THOSE STORIES AND MORE TONIGHT AT 7:00.

I'M EMILY ROONEY.

GOOD NIGHT.