Is virtual reality the next 3D TV?

Many seemingly wonderful technologies always fall inadvertently, such as 3D TV. Although many TV manufacturers and TV network companies are cheering for 3D TV, there is no attractive enough 3D content to overcome the shortcomings of the technology. Even the currently popular virtual reality (VR) may be the same. It was popular for a while in the 1990s, but now it can only be regarded as a rebirth. But on the other hand, some technologies can make users willing to endure the inconvenience of the initial popularization, such as VCR (home video recorder). In the early days, VCR had low image quality and had to change tapes when the film was too long, but users got a brand new experience, that is, they could watch the dramas they wanted at any time, as many times as they wanted, even if the road was muddy on rainy days.

People queuing up to experience Oculus at CES 2016

What the industry has learned from 3D TV is that you have to have content. The same is true for VR, but there are some difficulties to overcome in achieving this.

First, VR is still in the so-called "Cambrian Explosion" stage, which means that there are many different technologies to choose from, from suppliers to consumers. VR content can be produced, edited and processed on one platform, but consumers may watch it with completely different software and hardware. This makes each production like an experiment, and the quality is difficult to control. Is it suitable for Oculus or HTC?

So the biggest problem with VR right now is probably content. Not only is the content scattered across various platforms, but even within a specific platform, it’s hard to find anything particularly attractive.

The narrative style of VR content is also limited by different production and media companies. VR content requires different technologies than traditional film and television. For example, when switching from a static shot to a moving shot (a moving car), it is better to use jump cuts instead of letting the viewer see the camera accelerate, because this can reduce dizziness. Today's producers are learning new rules, but there is no ready-made knowledge to share, and they are not willing to share. If the industry's production level is not improved fast enough and the quality of VR content is worrying, then no matter how good the hardware technology is, it will be useless.

In addition, VR faces greater difficulties in market education than 3D TV. When 3D TV came out, ordinary users already had a certain understanding of the basic concept and had experienced it through 3D movies. But for VR, most people don't know what it is, and there are fewer ways to experience it. They may have to queue up at some technical exhibitions.

Some of the above problems will be solved naturally. For example, unified technical specifications are likely to mature in the next few years, reducing the current confusion. Even now, we can see that consumer VR products are gradually divided into three categories: low, medium and high, represented by Google Cardboard, Samsung's Gear VR and Oculus Rift. Producers can choose their own platforms as needed. Correspondingly, on the production side, standard editing and processing tools will gradually emerge.

Other problems may be more difficult to solve, such as finding the best narrative method for VR. This may require companies in the industry to be more generous and share their own technology and experience in production.

However, VR does provide a new and attractive experience for 3D TV. Whether you call it "teleportation" or "presence", VR can make you feel that you are part of the world you are watching, which is something that IMAX movies cannot compare to. If VR companies can always focus on this core experience instead of bluffing with concepts, consumers will be willing to buy it, even if they need to overcome financial obstacles, and VR will not become the next 3D TV.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.