Re: Updated 3Discover Info

[P3D Michael Kersenbrock <michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> But you didn't address the question, which was: How MANY people project?

Ok, how's this for a quasi-practical product idea: Use projection TV's for slide-projection.

Before getting too bent out of shape about quality, let me say this is a
mass-market idea of sorts.  Everybody knows the masses care little about
quality.  :-(

Have the "viewer/projector" be a little box with a camcorder's "Cam" portion
but with a fixed focus macro lens.  With borrowed technology, one of the 
camcorder companies should be able to knock this off cheap.  Have it accept
Kodak slide reels (borrowing more existing cheap technology).  This way, slides
could be fully automatic (sorry this goes toward dual 2x2's, not realist format).

What this would do is use one's TV set, including projection TV's, for 
one's photo display.  Assuming that the mass market would also
use a TV-display to show/look_at digital camera output in the future
(possibly HDTV), my currently described device would integrate well 
with that system as a legacy-converter-device.

Okay, how to make a stereo version?  Use VR-glasses similar to the ones
being used now.

All the consumer then needs is yet-another-electronic-consumer-appliance
to put in the living room near the TV.  No putting up screens, darkening
rooms, etc, etc.

What makes this more realistic than one would perhaps like (in terms of
quality) is the very high likelyhood that digital cameras will eventually
take over the mass point-and-shoot market.  With all that digital information
available, the mass market may go to using one's TV for the viewer, rather
than prints (although I'm sure Kodak would fight that as hard as they can).

Hopefully HDTV will make it "acceptable" long-term.

So, might people start "projecting" more again in the future (flattie
if not stereo) ?


Mike K.


P.S. - One might argue that people "project" images now, but that it's done
       with a video source of image rather than a slide source of image.  But
       I won't make that arguement!

P.P.S. - Do I really think anyone will make such a 3D device?  No.  Do I think
         someone will make a digital camera to TV appliance (w/hard disk probably)
         someday?  Yes, possibly.  A camera-PC in the sense that Net-PC's are
         now trying to be made.




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