3D TV

As you know by now, I like my telly and probably spend far to much time watching the gogglebox for my own good however, I can say that for the last month or so I have rarely been bored which is more than most! This week, Channel 4 marks a new era in television viewing history and is showing a weeks worth of specially commissioned programmes, all filmed in 3D. Of course because none of us have 3D TVs, they are using the age old technique of anaglyph steriograms (the red and blue glasses) or at least I though they were red and blue glasses, whether it's because they have to make the programme viewable to those without the 3D glasses or whether its for some other reason, they seemed to use dark blue and yellow. I don't know whether the Channel 4 glasses are more compatible with the pictures than other glasses because I am using a pair that I kept from here so the rest of this blog may not apply to anyone else (although I suspect it will because it would require a lot of pointless effort to manufacture special glasses for this occasion).

I tried watching a bit of the Queen thing but didn't get very far before giving up and attributing the failure to the fact that it was the first ever 3D recording and perhaps they needed to tweak the process a bit. So I waited until today to watch Derren Brown's magic show in glorious 3D. Or not, perhaps the only bit of slight 3D I actually experienced was a bit of chandelier in the room where the acts were performing and other than that, apart from perhaps a tiny bit more depth to the picture and a slight headache I didn't really gain anything from the whole experience. The problem isn't with my glasses because afterwards I had a look around the net for 3D images and videos recorded in 3D and the majority of them seem to work really well. If 3D TV is going to become a reality though, we will ultimately need to ditch the glasses. It is fine at the moment for the occasional 3D film at the cinema - the new type glasses seem to work much better than the anaglyph ones and don't alter the colour of the image either. But there is a big problem with having to wear glasses to watch the telly and that is for people who already have to wear glasses to watch the telly.

I went to see Ice Age 3 over the summer and forgot to put my contact lenses in before I went, I had to sit through the whole movie with two pairs of glasses on and because the 3D glasses weren't right next to my face, the illusion didn't work quite as well as it should have done. I haven't made this mistake twice though, but not everyone has the luxury of contact lenses and they need to come up with a solution that works without. I have seen prototype screens on BBC Click that incorporate cameras to follow your head movements to ensure that the dual screens are perfectly positioned for your eyes but what if there is more than one person watching? TV (despite what you may think) is a sociable form of entertainment, it sparks comment and debate amongst those in the same room, take football for example - I can't imagine someone wanting to watch it on their own - the banter between viewers seems to be half the game.

If we are going to get 3D TV then it's a long way off. Personally I'd much rather it stay as it is for the time being, concentrate on more pressing issues like making the screens flatter, better quality and more energy efficient before you start delving into dimensions you shouldn't. Some people already think that soaps are depicting real life, what will they start to think if its in 3D?

Moving on, Heroes time. I have once again hidden the rest of this paragraph to stop the spoilers as series four hasn't even started to be aired in the UK yet and I've just finished watching episode ten.
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Sylar is back!! Not sure where exactly but he is somewhere. His mind and body have once again rejoined but Nathan's personality seems to still be intact - unless of course Sylar is playing a trick and trying to befriend Peter which on reflection would make a lot of sense. The mystery surrounding Samuel is starting to unfold and the show is starting to get a bit more interesting now that hero has started time travelling again. Perhaps the show was lacking a bit in the fourth dimension until now? We don't yet know what he has planned but it would seem that in the couple of months since he found out about his powers potential, he has amassed a great number of new followers. I suspect there may be a conflict between him and Sylar however, greedy for powers if he returns, he may try and steal Samuels power for himself which would make him even more unstoppable than he already is. For him, the carnival must seem like a feast rather than a sanctuary, its like someone has opened a powers shop ready for him to pick and chose as he likes. With peter limited to only one power at a time still - and perhaps indefinitely - who is there to stop him? Hiro's powers are weakening and Peter no longer has the healing ability to cure him and unless Matt can find some super side to his power, he will not have much luck either.

One final thing, I am delighted to see (hear) the return of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (from here on in referred to as ISIHAC). I thought Rob Brydon provided a superb performance and fitted in remarkably well in the panel. It does seem odd that there is only one guest panellist each week, whereas most other panel shows have at least two assuming the other two are the team captains. I particularly enjoyed the greetings card round this week which is one I've not heard of before. It was also nice to hear the Land of Hope and Glory remix of Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl. Nice to throw something modern in there I thought.