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By Doug Gross, CNN
updated 3:53 PM EDT, Thu June 13, 2013 | Filed under: Gaming and Gadgets
Mike Iwamasa weas Vizio's 3-D glasses at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
ESPN announced it will suspend 3-D TV broadcasts by end of the year
The prospect of 3-D excited the TV industry, but consumers never took to it
Consumers complained about cost, awkward glasses, scarce 3-D content
Analysts say ultra-HD, 4K television may be the next wave
(CNN) -- Three or four years ago, it was supposed to be the next big thing in consumer tech: the magic of 3-D, right in your living room.
Fast-forward to today, however, and the truth comes right at you. Despite waves of hype, 3-D TV has never caught on. And now that one of its biggest early champions is abandoning the format, some are wondering whether the 3-D experiment should be declared dead.
ESPN, which in 2010 announced that it would offer events like World Cup soccer and the NCAA national championship football game in 3-D, now says it will stop doing so this year.
"ESPN 3D was great at home but due to low adoption of 3D to home, we are discontinuing to focus on other products for fans and affiliates," ESPN spokeswoman Katina Arnold announced on Twitter.
She followed up by promising that the network will keep trying to push the boundaries of the viewing experience.
"ESPN 3D production unmatched!" she wrote. "As tech leader, ESPN will continue to experiment with things like UHDTV (ultra high-definition)."
Analysts say ESPN's reasoning reflects a sad truth for an industry that once thought the runaway success of movies like "Avatar" meant consumers would have similar interest in watching 3-D in their living rooms.
"The excitement around 3-D TV was coming from many places: the industry, the TV manufacturers and the content providers," said Carolina Milanesi, a technology analyst for Gartner Research. "But not the consumers, and ultimately that is what proved fatal." Latest gadgets on display in Las Vegas
According to data from research firm DisplaySearch, adoption of 3-D TV in North America peaked in early 2011, when about 11% of TV owners had one. But growth has stalled and even dipped since then.
The technology fared better among TV owners in the rest of the world, growing to about 20% of the market before beginning to slide late last year.
Quite simply, Milanesi said, consumers just haven't considered it worth the money. Combine that with consumer-tech trends moving in the opposite direction, and it's a recipe for failure, she said.
"The lack of content and the higher cost of the hardware made adoption slow," she said. "And now we see consumers focus their money on other consumer electronics such as tablets, adding screens to their home rather than focusing on the main screen."
Complaints about home 3-D have centered around high prices, the limited number of 3-D offerings and the awkward glasses that made viewing uncomfortable over long periods of time. And many consumers, having recently traded in their clunky tube TVs for high-def flat screens, weren't ready to replace their sets yet again with newer models.
ESPN's 3-D channel has been carried by several cable networks, but AT&T's Uverse dumped all 3-D in 2011, saying it was too expensive. That's not the sort of thing that's going to encourage many producers or networks to make their own 3-D shows or pay for the pricey equipment needed to shoot live events in three dimensions.
A few other 3-D providers remain, most notably 3net, a channel jointly owned by Discovery, Sony and IMAX. In a statement, 3Net said ESPN's decision would have "no impact on our business."
"It's understandable that content creators are hesitant to continue investing in costly new technologies if the viewer base is not growing at an attractive rate," said Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch's director of TV research in North America. "This move by ESPN might signal that the momentum has shifted away from 3-D in the U.S., and TV manufacturers and retailers would be wise to take note."
That momentum appears now to be swinging toward the technology Arnold mentioned in her post: ultra HD, also known as 4K TV.
Screens on that emerging format promise definition that's four times sharper than regular HD. Sony is leading the pack with a giant 4K model already on the market and others hitting stores soon. But other manufacturers aren't far behind.
As with 3-D TV, there's still not a ton of available content for that level of definition. But 4K is in its infancy, and observers, including Milanesi, predict it will catch on in a way that home 3-D never has.
Benny Blades~"If you break down this team man for man, we have talent to compare with any team."
Client: “Is e-mail on the internet? I have no internet, can I still read my e-mail?”
Me: “Well yes, you must be able to get online to view your e-mail.”
Client: “Oh, dear. I can’t see my e-mail.”
Me: “Well, let’s see. Can you open up Internet Explorer for me and tell me what you see?”
Client: “Open what?”
Me: “Your browser, can you open up your browser?”
Client: “My…my…?”
Me: “What you click on when you want to browse the internet?”
Client: “I don’t use anything, I just turn my computer on, and it’s there.”
Me: “Okay. Do you see the little blue ‘e’ icon on your desktop?”
Client: “You mean I have to start writing letters again?”
Me: “I’m…what, I’m sorry?”
Client: “I don’t have any pens at my desk. I just want my e-mail again.”
Me: “No, ma’am, your desktop, on your computer screen. Can you click on the little blue ‘e’ on your computer screen for me?”
Client: “Oh, this is too much work. I’m too upset. Just send me my e-mail. Can’t you send me my e-mail?”
Me: “We…okay, ma’am. Can you tell me what color the lights are on your router right now?”
Client: “My what?”
Me: “The little box with green or possibly a couple of red lights on it right now - it’s most likely near your computer?” Client: “Lights and boxes, boxes and lights, just get my e-mail for me.
Me: “My test is showing that you should be able to get online right now. Can you tell me what you’re seeing on your computer screen?”
Client: “It’s been the same thing for the last two hours.”
Me: “An error message?”
Client: “No, just stars. It’s black and moving stars.”
Me: “…Do you see your mouse next to your keyboard?”
Client: “Yes.” Me: “Move it for me.”
Client: “Move it?”
Me: “Yes. Move it.”
Client: “My e-mail!”
Benny Blades~"If you break down this team man for man, we have talent to compare with any team."
Is that ^ true? If so, that has to be the thickest bstd on the planet.
If it isn't legit then its probably pretty close. I have back in my general computer support days dealt with people very close to that. In general it gives you an idea both how retarded people can be and in general how unwilling to learn even the simplest things.
Need help with something. It's not technology, and it's not geek stuff, but I can't find a help thread, and I don't like starting threads,....., I love my balls too much.
We have a Magpie that has built a nest in a tree in our garden. It's been there for a while now, and I think it and it's female companion just keep on having small magpies. Problem is, it squawks it's fucking head off almost all night long, and it's really starting to piss, not only me off, but the wife too... Who normally loves all wildlife. She won't let me climb the tree and grab its nest and shift it. None of us own a gun either. And the RSPB place have said there is nothing they can do and they will move on soon. And we have three cats. But the big daddy magpie keeps dive bombing them. To say our cats are a bunch of pussies is an understatement.
If it doesn't stop soon, I'll need to think of something practical. It's ruining my sleep and I need (and indeed, love) my sleep.
Apart from a sawn off shotgun, what would you guys do?
Edit: I've tried listening to music, doesn't help,
Methods to disperse magpies from a night roost include: Harassment Techniques
Harassment techniques include visual and audio stimuli and an assortment of other approaches to make magpies uncomfortable enough to move elsewhere. If possible, act quickly when large numbers of roosting magpies are detected. The birds will be more willing to abandon a roost site they have not been using long. Note: Most harassment techniques are effective only for a short time and the public may not like them because they cause magpies to move elsewhere—such as a neighborhood park or someone’s backyard containing large trees. Visual scare devices include Mylar tape, eye-spot balloons, scarecrows, and laser devices. Visual harassment devices can provide effective short-term control, especially when they are used in combination with auditory devices. Audio scare devices include hazing with pyrotechnics such as cracker shells, blanks, and propane cannons.
When using any auditory scare device, change the area from which it is emitted, daily if possible. When using pyrotechnics, try to elevate them above the roost site.
Magpies scare most easily when they are flying. They are most difficult to scare when perched in the protection of their roost. Therefore, audio devices should begin to be used when the first birds come in to roost, usually an hour and a half before dark. The same group of magpies may circle around and come toward the roost many times, so scaring efforts need to continue until it gets dark.
Scaring should stop with darkness or the magpies will become accustomed to the sounds. If using recorded alarm calls, play them only 10 to 15 seconds per minute when the birds are coming in. When most of the birds are perched, play the call continuously until dark. If possible, early morning scaring should be used in conjunction with evening scaring, and should begin as soon as the first bird movement is detected in the roost, often just before daylight.
Success may not be achieved for several nights and will entail continuous efforts every evening and every morning. Because the magpies may attempt to establish temporary roosts in other unsuitable locations, scaring efforts may be needed elsewhere until the birds move to an acceptable area. If magpies are disturbed in their new roost site they will move back to the old one. Be prepared to resume efforts if they return. Modify the Night Roost
Modifying the structure of the magpies’ night roost can discourage the birds from using it. This includes thinning up to 50 percent of the branches of roost trees, or removing trees from dense groves to reduce the availability of perch sites and to open the trees to the weather. A tree service company can remove tree limbs (Fig. 5). Figure 5. Before and after pruning of a large coniferous tree and a small deciduous tree to reduce their attractiveness to roosting birds. (Drawings by Jenfer Rees.) Other Techniques
Other techniques to disperse magpies include using 4-inch mesh bird netting to create a barrier between the roost and the magpies; spraying magpies with water from a high-pressure hose (some cities have used a fire hose); installing a 360-degree sprinkler up in the roost tree; and lighting up the interior of the roost with bright fluorescent lights.
Benny Blades~"If you break down this team man for man, we have talent to compare with any team."
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