2D glasses that flatten out 3D movies? It’s the kind of idea you wish you’d come up with, because these things are going to sell like crazy.
One pair costs $10 including shipping, and apparently cancels out the 3D effect in movie theaters (I haven’t tried them myself). Creator Hank Green says he originally built the specs for his wife, who gets headaches from 3D movies, so he wouldn’t have to take her to 2D screenings.
In theaters, 3D works by sending out two images simultaneously. Each lens of the glasses blocks one of the images, mimicking the perspective of two eyes looking at a single point. This is called passive polarized 3D. Green’s 2D glasses ensure that each eye gets the same image, so there’s no 3D effect.
Keep in mind that these glasses won’t work with home televisions that use active shutter displays — the kind that use battery-powered glasses. They will work with passive 3D TVs, which use the same kind of cheap glasses you find at the movies.
But they’re mainly meant for the theater, where 2D snobs will finally have a way to protest.
(via Gizmodo)