Panasonic Bets the Bank: Avatar, Future of Cinema, to Be Future of 3D TV

Once upon a time, back in the glory days of Hollywood’s studio system, vertical integration was the key. If a studio made a film, you could probably only see that movie in their theaters. From the ground up, until the Supreme Court struck it all down of course, the studios tried to perfect an insulated little system that they could control all the way down to the projection booth.

One gets a whiff of that sort of studio system micro-management with today’s news that, when 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases a 3D Blu-ray disc of Avatar in December, the only consumers who will be able to buy the item are those who will also shell out for a Panasonic 3D Viera plasma TV. (Check out where Pandora ranks on our list of the all-time best sci-fi planets)

For an undefined period of time, this will be the only platform through which you can see Avatar – the only must-see-in-3D experience – the way it was always intended to be seen. Which is kind of a cheap marketing tactic, if you ask me – reflecting just how desperate 3D TV manufacturers are to convince consumer that this is product worth upgrading to.

As for my take on all this, I have to be honest: My viewing of the Avatar Special Edition a couple weeks ago reminded me of just how groundbreaking this 3D achievement truly is. It’s 3D that’s light years ahead of any other 3D film. And Cameron did deliver on his promise to change cinema, offering up the proof as to what might be possible from a 3D-minded industry. But I’m not buying a new TV just for a movie, for any movie, and now Fox has taken a DVD launch that should be celebrated – as the first-ever must-own 3D Blu-ray – and made it a distasteful little marketing ploy.

I anticipate weak sales for both.

More at Techland: The 10 best sci-fi films of the decade

http://twitter.com/BeckettL Beckett

I agree with this article. As a society I think we are getting over that whole “force buy” thing. I stopped subscribing to terrorist commercials when commercial wars began (Brand X is far better than Brand XX). How stupid! That is what leads to dishonesty, and lack of public then, in creating the commercial advertisements.

They need to get back to what works. Tell the truth!
p.s. Have watched Avatar 25 times since I saw it at the theatre, and love each viewing as much as the first…but I’m not buying the television to get the movie either.
ajmartinez51

Isn’t it a great 3D movie?

I’m actually sitting here fantasizing about how great home 3D experiences could be without the interference of studios. These huge companies need to be told that loyalty to quality film may not win you the box office, but the money made on 3D discs (available across all platforms/equipment) should more than compensate for any lost income at the theater.

I’m (foolishly) hoping that the studios will forgo the immediate payoff in favor of long-term loyalty.
tereglith

The more I think about 3D TV the less I want it. Yesterday I was watching the news, and the head of a creepy old lady – three times actual size! – came on the screen and the camera started panning towards it. I DO NOT WANT THIS IN 3D.