Update 1/31/09: SoBe Superbowl commercial in HD/3D pushed out to YouTube a Bit early. Get your glasses on and watch it in HD and be sure to watch it in full screen mode.
Update: one of the best parts of blogging is people in the comments who experimented more than I did. I initially watched the videos via the web browser and found it kinda meh, which is why I didn’t originally talk about them. But then I downloaded them per Joseph’s comment, and wow, what a difference. For one, the video was a lot smoother, and secondly, and probably more importantly, I could view in full screen. As Joseph notes, the bears are impressive (the snake, perhaps even moreso in terms of coming WAY out of the screen!).
Warning though, it’s a huge download if you download all the movies in large format (almost 300MB). It took me about 7 minutes for the download for me via broadband cable. Well worth it!
(original post, below)
Well, you could wait until the Super Bowl and Chuck, but since many went through great hardship to get the glasses — ok, it wasn’t like walking barefoot on broken glass or trudging through a blizzard, but why wait to play with them!?
I probably should’ve looked at the print on the glasses themselves, but thanks to commenter Grace, I played around with the demos that utilize the 3D glasses for Chuck and the Super Bowl at http://www.colorcode3d.com/gallery/index.htm.
I thought the best picture of the demos is the one that winds up linking here:
http://gallery.me.com/csvendb#100424/07&bgcolor=black
I liked it the best since it had the most pronounced 3D effect for me (and no, I’m not saying I liked it better than the boobs, only that there was more of a 3D effect with the planes).
One thing I noticed is this, bigger really seems to be better with the 3D effect. When I looked at the jet fighters in the link above, it looked very cool on the web site, but I wondered how it would look if I downloaded it to my PC and resized it to take up my whole desktop (1900×1200 on a 24″ monitor). The answer is that it looked quite a bit cooler, and the effect was even more pronounced.
So it would seem that size does indeed matter and the bigger the screen you see the 3D Super Bowl commercials (for Monsters vs. Aliens and Sobe) and Chuck on, the better.
I’m not sure how good it will be in terms of the TV broadcasts on Sunday and Monday, but in general I was much more impressed with the 3D technology (especially with free cardboard glasses) than I thought I would be.
Still don’t have your glasses yet? Here’s a post with the participating retailers.
Where do you get them??? I’ve found places that sell Sobe Water that don’t have them… Pls help
Laurie
There’s an 800 number you could call, but it’s probably too late. I called them on Wednesday and they overnighted it to me.
Best place to check is Target who should receive the glasses on 1/31.
Laurie, Target on Saturday may well be your best bet. Info on other retailers who are supposed to have them is here.
Speak for yourself, I practically went through a blizzard to get mine
So the glasses are just generic 3D glasses (the ones i’ve seen have red and blue filters), but with 2 red eye pieces instead? So i could just buy 2 pairs of 3D generic glasses and replace one blue filter with a red one?
Ben, bad photography on my part –the eyepieces are different colors, but unfortunately I took that against a brown background. Doh! I don’t think what you’re talking about would work they need to be the ColorCode3D/Intel intru3D glasses. From what I’ve read it updates the “generic” to improve 3D effects and allows them to film stuff in a way where people who don’t have the glasses can watch more easily.
Ben, the glasses seem to have one blue and one amber-colored filter.
Mr. Seidman, *thank you* for this article! I just got my 3D glasses today (*cough* bought them off of eBay *cough*) and was wondering if there was anything out there I could use them on before Sunday to see how well the effect worked, especially after this site mentioned a reviewer wasn’t impressed with 3D Chuck. I’m happy to report that despite having glasses which contain used Hubble Telescope lenses, I was able to perceive the 3D effect fine.
The still picture examples are fine, but I downloaded some of the 3D movies at the gallery link you gave (particularly the polar bears) and was very impressed. I know there are several 3D tv technologies on the horizon, and I’m now very excited for what the near future holds for television.
Now Mr. Gorman I fully expect your Cancel/Renew Index articles to be rendered in ColorCode 3D ™ from now on courtesy of some of the software on their site. Rather than just being in green, shows with high ratings should pop out at the viewer, while cancelled shows recede into the distance.
Joseph, wow, thanks. I downloaded the movies and updated the post based on your comments. BIG difference vs. watching them in the web browser. And the bears were impressive.
I really like the idea of 3D Renew or Cancel posts — but since Bill is the one producing them he may feel differently. But, if Intel will a.) supply a technology to allow us to create such a version and b.) pay us LOTS of money to promote their tech, I’m glad to pitch in and create the 3D version
Joseph, out of interest, do you live outside of North America?
where can u get the glasses if you live in canada does anyone know?
Mr. Seidman,
A favorite thoroughbred handicapping author of mine likes to say, “The more you share, the more you have to share.” You’re also right about the snake – I hadn’t downloaded that video until after my post, and it is truly amazing. I converted some of the videos and put them on my Creative Zen with a 2.5″ screen and you’re absolutely correct about the effect being more pronounced on bigger screen – the snake still comes out at you, but no where near as far as when viewed on my 17″ monitor. I did find available and upcoming software on the ColorCode 3D people’s website that creates the 3D effect, but sadly they want you to pay rather than the other way around, so I guess I won’t be seeing 3D Cancel/Renew anytime soon.
Ben, sorry, I live in the United States, New Jersey to be specific.
Mike, I don’t know where you can pick up the glasses in Canada in time for the game/Chuck. However, I do know that eBay is flooded with glasses right now and are a great way to get them if your area is out of them or doesn’t have them. I paid $1.99USD for 8 pairs that included shipping. You’d have to record the Superbowl/Chuck though because you probably wouldn’t be able to get them before airtime.
Anyone still looking for glasses I can confirm that Target has them today, I know that the 3 in my area all had them so if you still need them i think target is your best bet.
Ok I made a post thinking the 3D for CHUCK was a mistake, but after seeing these demo’s I have to say I am really Imprested, I can see if you are trying to wear the 3D glasses over your regular glasses the effects are not nearly as impressive but if CHUCK is as good as these DEMO’s it really might have something. What also I liked is if you dont have the glasses you can still watch the show without any blurring effects.
I work on CHUCK stage crew at WB Studio in burbank. The crew and guests had a screening of the show last Thursday and The 3D was good and yes you can watch without glasses,I took mine off several times and the TV screen looked fine. Don’t miss the lead-in before opening credits, Chuck fans. Be tuned to NBC a couple minutes before the show starts so not to miss it. Hope you enjoy it.
Hmmm, Pathmark was all out of the glasses, and it’s a pain to drive to Target. I should have checked CVS when I was there on Friday, but I forgot — although someone said that CVS doesn’t actually have them, even though they’re supposed to. (I’ll be in Midtown Manhattan on Monday so I’ll check CVS at 33rd & 5th. Anybody know if anyplace else might have them in Midtown?)
I just bought the 3D glasses a few hours ago this morning from eBay, and i hope it is worth the $AU35 (incl. shipping) i paid.
I went to target today to get the glasses, and they didnt have any?
For the shut-ins snowed in this winter, I just noticed a distorted 3D effect with the standard comic book 3D Red-Blue glasses. The yellow ghost distortion was relieved by combining the Red-Blue with Imax 3D Clear-Yellow glasses. Those website links are nice to view.
I was not impressed with the commercials…of course I have an old standard tv, not a LCD or plasma, so it might have been better on a better screen.
It wasn’t. The commercials were, in a word, pathetic compared to the demos on the web. I was incredibly disappointed.
Joseph, I agree with Bill’s theory (on another post) that the effects were probably toned-down so that the video would look OK and not distorted to anyone not wearing the glasses.
Nothing beats the polarizers (regrettable cant go thru TV or PC monitors). These amber and super-dark-blue glasses gave me a monstrous headache just watched a few min i already i’m feeling like i’m off the boat of rough seas
Anyone have any 3D glasses for the chuck episode they dont want anymore please email me at pannala@yahoo.com I want some please. for the love of god i want some…….