3D Virutal Reality Becomes a "Reality" @ Home

This signal is based on a hypothesis created on ScienceX2.org and is being re-entered as a new signal on Signtific.

Based on a signal by Max Marmer3D Cinema Display in the Home - Coming SoonThere are several hurdles, technical and economic, before the technology becomes widespread in homes but this is a first step towards our eargerly anticipated future of interacting with our media and technology in three dimensions.With the release of a new set of 3-D video screens next week, Philips Electronics is bringing a sci-fi cinema standby a little closer to everyday use. Philips' WOWvx displays--which allow viewers to perceive high-quality 3-D images without the need for special glasses--are now beginning to appear in shopping malls, movie-theater lobbies, and theme parks worldwide.The technology uses image-processing software, plus display hardware that includes sheets of tiny lenses atop LCD screens. The lenses project slightly different images to viewers' left and right eyes, which the brain translates into a perception of depth. For now, the screens are expensive and not yet marketed for home use. But Philips, which first released the technology in 2006, is working on technical improvements that will make the screens better suited for the home.--Hypothesis of ImpactTime scale: In the next 5 years3d virtual reality adoption in the consumer marketplace, particularly the home, has been limited by three factors. First, the technology needed to display 3d virtual reality has been expensive and not integrated into consumer electronic devices. Second, the interfaces to achieve 3d have been cumbersome in specific those associated with active stereo display. Third, the bandwidth necessary to move highly accurate models has been limited to the home. These characteristics coupled with little "mass" exposure to 3d virtual reality immersion have effectively killed the home from being a virtual reality marketplace.However, within the past two years there have been remarkable changes removing some of these technological obstacles along with an increased interest in 3d. Perhaps the greatest indicator of consumer interest in 3d entertainment could be seen in the box office success of Beowulf, which grossed $82 million. [1]From a technological standpoint, more vendors, driven by potential consumer entertainment interest, are integrating 3d virtual reality capabilities into consumer televisions that function as the monitor home entertainment computer. This integration on the consumer end also comes with a maturation of tools allowing for easier creation of 3d objects. [2] Finally, there is a persistently increasing broadband capability in the United States. Current estimates place broadband penetration at about 57% for all households.[3]