Harry Potter at IMAX has the first 12 minutes in 3D. It was a revelation. Gone were the headaches and rubbish glasses of old, in came a real immersive atmosphere. They say that watching HD you feel like you are almost there, well with 3D it went the next step and you felt like you were there.
It wasn't all fancy effects - although these were good, apparating for example. I actually really appreciated the subtleness of simply standing in a room and feeling a sense of depth, again, just as if you were standing there on set. It made a huge difference.
BBC Click has done a whole feature on the future of 3D and notably I'm pleased to find that 3D films are making a comeback. However, there are downsides. First, when the 12 minutes of Harry Potter in 3D ended, 2D then felt bland and boring, so presumably, if you watch a feature film in 3D at the cinema, when you get it on DVD at home, the magic will be somewhat lost.
If you visit the BBC link you'll see that 3D TV is being devised, but I think that this should be the opportunity for cinema to find itself a niche. Theatre goers pay a lot more money for something that technically they could get on DVD at a reduced rate. But part of the enjoyment is actually going and seeing it professionally done, on a much larger stage than a TV screen. I think cinema too could make this their unique selling point - 3D at it's best: on a massive screen with superb surround sound.
Needless to say, I still think there's something to 3D web browsing. Youtube in 3D seems the first step in the right direction.
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