If everyone would be so kind as to don their goggles we can get started. The year 2010 will be brought to you completely in three dimensions.
Late last year Sony announced that it would be filming particular matches of the FIFA World Cup in 3D. These live broadcasts would be available to view around the world (not New Zealand though).
A few weeks later in Dallas, the Cowboys would trial live 3D replays on the world's largest HD LCD screen that just happens to be in their new stadium. It failed spectacularly and was canned after six minutes. Fans booed as they had to keep changing between wearing glasses to see the 3D action on the screen and taking them off to watch the 3D action on the field.
Then: Avatar. I still haven't seen it. After having the screening sell out twice while we were queuing I went online and discovered that the cinema is ludicrously booked out (not quite literally) weeks. The Avasteria has meant that a lot more 3D films are in the pipeline and has vindicated a lot of executives who were gambling on the gimmick.
And it just took a week into 2010 at CES and the explosion of brand new 3D tech was visible without special glasses. Sony, Panasonic and LG all announced 3D HD television sets. Panasonic and Sony also announced 3D Blu-Ray players.
Panasonic trumped the announcements by showing off a 3D camcorder, looking like an armless version of Wall-E. Even Sony's 3D concert featuring a 3D Taylor Swift playing behind the real Taylor Swift couldn't beat that. Sorry Taylor, imma let you finish, but…
DirectTV, a cable provider in the States, has announced three 3D channels with content from CBS, Fox Sports and others. And of course ESPN announced it will launch its own 3D channel this year.
What this means is that we're going to see a lot more people wearing glasses, as only one company seems to be making glasses-free 3D TVs. No I don't how that works either.
But do we want to see sports in 3D? Will it actually make watching a game on TV feel more like you're at the stadium? Probably not, especially if your already there. Then again watching sport in HD was much better than I expected it to be.
But watching sport is a little about atmosphere and a lot about detail. Watching sport on TV allows you to see repeated and precise replays so you can answer questions like "was the ball over the line?" etc. I feel that with 3D we'll be subjected to many more replays of stuff that will "look cool". And lot's more slow-mo.
Then again, I'm still incredibly jealous of those places that'll get to see the All Whites thumped in one extra dimension.