3D moves to the mainstream of the PC world

3D gaming leads the way

The dramatic success of James Cameron’s Avatar – which this year will be followed by Steven Spielberg’s TinTin, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and others – has cast new light on the 3D phenomenon.

While 3D in one form or another has been around for decades, the latest technology is far more sophisticated, realistic, and immersive. And – besides the enormous potential it has in the home entertainment world – 3D has already made its way to the personal computer, with Rectron launching the Asus G51J 3D gaming notebook in South Africa last month.

Werner Joubert, personal systems and storage business manager, and Werner Kuhn, Peripherals Business Manager at Rectron, examine the latest advances in 3D technology, and their potential impact on gaming, work, and home entertainment.

Q: 3D technology has been tried before on the personal computer platform, but was not deemed successful – how have things changed in the past 10 years?
uhn: Stereoscopy, or 3D, has been tried in many different forms over the years, the most venerable being red/blue or red/green glasses. There have been many attempts, with varying levels of success, to add depth to flat images. Technology naturally plays an integral role and recent advances have allowed for new ways to portray depth and 3D.

As an example, while Avatar was a stunning success as a 3D movie, the film itself was conceived in the 1990s. Filming started in 1997 and initial release was scheduled for 1999. But James Cameron, Avatar’s creator, felt that technology was not up to the standard he wanted to achieve. By waiting for the appropriate technology to emerge, he has given us a masterpiece – and the ideal 3D technical showcase.

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