Re: 3D TV prediction

[P3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 01:04:00 -0500
>From: P3D Marvin Jones  comments:
>
>> Meanwhile, the NEOS Corporation is developing a commercial version of
>> Soltan's 3-D TV.  Museums, theme parks, and planetariums have expressed
>> interest, but to get on the bandwagon, they'll need pockets as deep as
>> Disney's.  When 3-D TV hits the market early next year, the price tag
>> for a small version is expected to be around US$80,000.  Thereafter ...
>> the sky is the limit.  -- Steven Kotler
>
>I don't think this writer has a very good grasp of what he's writing about.
>3D TV isn't about to "hit the market early next year"! The system he's
>describing (badly) is highly experimental, capable only of producing a
>minute little image in a minute little cube. It has no practical commercial
>value whatever. It may lead to something commercial years down the line,
>but even $80,000 won't bring it into our living rooms anytime soon!


The system being described in the quote is NOT the *laser beams in a cube
project*. It uses a spinning curved surface illuminated with laser beams. I
have already built and played with a working model of this myself using
extremely inexpensive parts in 1991. It would take some doing to present
actual images in it but the basics are as basic as motors, mirrors and
lasers. Nothing really new here except that the person involved managed to
adapt the idea to a worthwhile project. Now that he's demonstrated it's
usefulness thus far, it's obvious there are many viable practical commercial
possibilities for this technology.

If it gets to livingroom versions, whenever that happens, they are likely to
be FAR cheaper than $80,000.  Jeez, I'd build you one for half that now!!!

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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