COVER STORY 027 BY MARGE AXELRAD & ANDREW KARP Optical’s New Dimension EW YORK—With the holi- day shopping season fast Napproaching, consumers in end of the business, for optical currently 21 3D channels world- sorted out, clearing the way for the the U.S. and throughout the world retailers and ECPs. wide, according to Screen Digest. 3D market to grow even more rap- will soon be heading to the multi- 3D represents the “opportunity com, including ESPN and Direct- idly. Yet no matter which formats plex to enjoy the latest 3D Holly- of a lifetime” said DreamWorks TV in the U.S., and Sky in the or technologies win out, consum- wood blockbusters or snapping up Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzen- U.K. Sony, IMAX and the Discov- ers cannot experience the magic of new 3D televisions and video games berg in a keynote address that ery Channel have formed a net- 3D without the proper eyewear. at their local electronics retailer. kicked off the third annual 3D work that will soon offer 3D con- Electronics giants such as Sony, But, this is just the beginning, Entertainment Summit, a two-day tent in the U.S. Panasonic and Samsung, along experts say. The energy and excite- conference held in Los Angeles in Even more futuristic is the pos- with some of the leading video ment surrounding the fast-growing September. sibility of 3D TVs and projection gaming players, were the first to 3D field is growing exponentially, as “With six of 2010’s top 10 gross- systems that work without glasses. market 3D eyewear, offering non- entertainment companies, electron- ing movies in 3D, the promise is Although some TV suppliers are prescription, active shutter glasses ics manufacturers, and retailers— being quickly realized,” said Bob working to develop it, most agree that provide a 3D viewing experi- and most recently, eyeglass suppli- Dowling, a veteran entertainment such technology is years away from ence by synchronizing with a dis- ers—race to supply content or journalist who moderated the 3D being marketable. However, play and turning on or off the light hardware to satisfy rising consumer Entertainment Summit. researchers at the University of entering each eye many times a demand for 3D movies, sports pro- In 2009, the release of Avatar Arizona have developed a type of second. Active shutter technolo- gramming and games. The next- raised 3D’s profile to unprece- holographic image that creates a gies have limitations, though. One generation of 3D, too, has implica- dented heights. The animated moving, 3D projection without the major drawback is that they usual- tions for the health care, education Hollywood blockbuster has need for 3D glasses. It will have ly require the wearer to be posi- and online video markets as 3D become the highest-grossing applications in entertainment, tioned directly in front of the computers also come onstream, movie of all time, with a world- advertising, updatable 3D maps screen. Another is that you can observers tell VM. wide gross of nearly $2.8 billion. and entertainment, they said. only wear them at home, not in a As a result, within the eyewear Avatar’s domestic gross was $760 Although competing 3D formats theater. In addition, each manufac- and vision care fields, the advent million, nearly 81 percent of and delivery systems are compli- turer’s glasses can only be used of 3D is generating interest, inves- which was from 3D, according to cating the buying decision for con- with a television of the same tigation and discussion among Box Office Mojo.com. sumers, industry analysts and brand. If you’re going to invite those who see its emergence as a In the television arena, 3D is observers say it won’t be long your friends over to watch a 3D solid opportunity, in the premium rapidly gaining traction. There are before these technical issues are Continued on page 28 WWW.VISIONMONDAY.COM NOVEMBER 15, 2010 | VISION MONDAY 028 COVER STORY The Advent of 3D Presents Opportunity for Optical Continued from page 27 terclockwise for the left eye. With are primarily concerned about the though, Kirschner found that the Super Bowl broadcast, you’ll need to the use of circular polarization lens effects on patients’ vision. Accord- choice of which products to carry have enough 3D glasses for every- technology, viewers can tilt their ing to a recent survey by the Amer- in his dispensary is more complex one, and it would be better if every- head and look about the theater nat- ican Optometric Association, than he first realized. “When peo- one in the room can see the effects urally without a disturbing loss of 3D between 3 million and 9 million ple can use the glasses at home as on screen. Also, some consumers are perception. For home use, passive Americans have problems with well as the three times a year they put off by the look and feel of the polarized glasses binocular vision prohibiting them go to a 3D movie, then that will active shutter glasses, which are provide a 3D f r o m be a great investment for me, somewhat bulky and geeky-looking. v i e w i n g watching something I can sell in my office. “The thing that will overcome field with 3 D T V It might be very marketable. I’m consumers’ objections to wearing 3D HDTVs a n d in wait and see mode, though. I 3D glasses is good looking, appro- that have movies. don’t want to dedicate the space priate glasses,” Dowling told VM. s p e c i a l , H o w - and marketing yet. But when the One supplier of active shutter polarized ever, other time comes that 3D is a pretty 3D glasses, XpandD, offers a “uni- screens. ECPs are standard feature on TV, everyone versal” product, the X103 model, A c t i v e focusing will want it, and it will be a great which is designed for both theater shutter 3D on the lon- opportunity for a second sale.” and home use. glasses are cur- ger-term poten- As the format wars continue, Recently, several eyewear com- rently attracting the most consumer tial for adding a profitable new type ECPs await another major devel- panies have begun offering an interest. But many industry observ- of eyewear to their product mix. opment that could reshape the alternate 3D viewing solution: ers, from among the electronics, They point to the role ECPs will be 3D landscape: the debut of pre- passive polarized glasses in plano. entertainment and eyewear sectors, able to play in discussing vision scription 3D glasses. Although These glasses, which have the believe passive polarized glasses issues with patients and consumers. optical companies offering pas- advantage of working with mov- will prevail in the long run because “I’m really excited about this sive polarized eyeglasses have ies, TV and video monitors, make they offer greater convenience, bet- whole technology,” said Dr. Ken not yet crossed this technological use of circular polarized lens tech- ter style and lower pricing. Kirschner, an optometrist with offic- hurdle, Samsung Electronics, nology that is different from the “It’s the eyeglass people who are es in the Chicago suburbs of Home- which makes active shutter 3D type of polarization used in sun- going to be the catalyst for 3D,” wood and Orland Park. “I saw some glasses and TVs, announced on lenses and from the linear polar- Dowling said. “And they are posi- new, 3D glasses at Marchon’s booth Oct. 20 the availability of 3D pre- ized lenses used in less sophisti- tioned perfectly in the 3D market, if at Expo West, and thought what a scription glasses in South Korea. cated 3D eyewear. they can work with the people put- great partnership we could have A Samsung spokesperson said the For movies, circular polarization ting out 3D entertainment and sets.” with our local electronics store if we company is considering a U.S. utilizes a projector that alternately Although few if any optical agreed to put some of their 3D TVs launch in 2011. And at least two projects right-eye frames and left- retailers or eyecare professionals in our shop and they could display of the major players, Oakley and eye frames 144 times per second. It are currently dispensing 3D glass- some of our eyewear.” Marchon3D, said they are active- circularly polarizes these frames, es, many are watching the emerg- After learning more about ly working on prescription 3D clockwise for the right eye and coun- ing 3D market with interest. Some active and passive 3D glasses, solutions. nn VISION MONDAY | NOVEMBER 15, 2010 WWW.VISIONMONDAY.COM 030 COVER STORY READ MORE ONLINE SEE OUR GLOSSARY FOR A DESCRIPTION OF CIRCULAR POLARIZED AND OTHER 3D TERMS Marchon Handles 3D on Tech, Design Fronts addsdfsfdsfONLY ON VISIONMONDAY.COM Company: Marchon3D and Mar- agreement with RealD, Mar- off and consum- chon Eyewear chon3D will distribute its 3D ers encounter a 3D Eyewear Brand: Marchon3D, glasses in cinemas, retail loca- completely new ckCalvinKlein 3D, Nautica 3D tions, e-commerce sites and viewing experi- and M3D Lenses through electronic equipment ence, there will Key Features: Marchon’s portfolio manufacturers worldwide while be an interest of circular polarized 3D lens tech- Marchon Eyewear will market and apprecia- nologies, certified by RealD, the designer 3D eyewear and, in the tion for premi- cinema system and technology future, a prescription 3D lens, to u m p r o d u c t s company, feature curved lens eyecare professionals. and certainly, designs in a range of styles.