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If you've been gloating about your new high-tech Blu-ray player, enjoy it while it lasts: The newest home theater technology will open up a whole new dimension.
According to Yahoo News, Sony and Panasonic both plan to release 3D high-definition televisions in the coming year. Both companies were inspired by the newfound popularity of 3D movies: both Up and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs scored big with 3D versions, and the 3D films Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Monsters Vs. Aliens were both huge hits. Says one technology analyst: "We're raising a whole generation of kids who expect to see this effect for their movies at home."
Until recently, 3D movies were thought to have peaked in the 1950s, when the technology was mostly used in horror (House of Wax) and sci-fi (It Came from Outer Space) films. Then in 1995, the first 3D film premiered in IMAX (the docudrama Wings of Courage), setting off a new interest in the format. 2004's The Polar Express was the first full-length animated feature to be shown in 3D -- and when the small number of 3D screenings made more money than the large number of regular screenings, the trend of 3D kids' movies was officially launched. Although it's now most popular with family films, the 3D format has also been going back to its roots with fantasy movies like Beowulf and horror films like My Bloody Valentine.
The one downside to watching 3D movies on your new 3D TV? You'll still have to wear the glasses. The upside? No one will have to see you in them.
Would you want to watch 3D movies at home?
