#3D TV is dead in Australia, but smartphone-based #VR3D #VR viewers may replace TVs

As I’ve said before, smart phones provide an inexpensive entry point for virtual reality viewing:

A key benefit is that it does not require you to buy a new TV. Instead, you can use a smartphone, which 84% of Australians already have.

Source: 3D television is dead… so what next?

Consumer 3D TV died for multiple reasons

  1. Little to no content available (huge reason)
  2. Expense of purchasing a new TV just after many had upgraded to HDTV.
  3. The global economic collapse in 2009 onwards.
  4. And as the article notes, many parts of the world were just converting to digital television transmission, adding another hurdle for consumers.

Basically, timing and lack of content ended the consumer 3D TV market – and had nothing to do with having to wear glasses to view 3D, contrary to widespread news reporters assertions that 3D died because of “3D goggles” (the same reporters now gush over VR “helmets”).

While 3D TV has mostly disappeared for now, a lot of people are viewing 3D using VR 3D “Google Cardboard” viewers with their smart phones. There are Youtube videos targeting this audience that have been watched hundreds of thousands of times.

Evidence that VR 3D viewing of Youtube 3D videos is real #VR #VR3D #VR360

Not long ago, I began posting my own 3D video content to a new Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/Coldstreams3D (also known as “VR 3D SBS Coldstreams3D”)

As a brand new channel, I get few views! Most views come through Youtube searches for content.

However, of the views  I do get, 65% of the viewing time is coming from mobile phones, 20% from computers and 11% from 3D TVs and the rest from tablets, game consoles and “unknown” devices.

This is consistent with most people viewing the 3D content with VR cardboard-style viewers.

Structure Fire and Mop up Operations in #VR3D #3D #VR

This is a 3D SBS video for watching using a VR viewer, Google Cardboard viewer, 3D computer monitor or 3D TV.

When I originally shot this, I was a few blocks away taking still 3D photos of some industrial buildings. I saw a smoke column and then heard sirens so I quickly drove the few blocks over to see what was happening. I actually arrived before the police and fire trucks but did not have my cameras set up until the first units had arrived.

Note – this is side-by-side 3D for VR 3D viewing.

Guide to 3D and Drones

Coldstreams 3D and Drones