LAS VEGAS - Old-fashioned 3-D has gone high-tech.
New technology being developed by Canadian firm Sensio Technologies Inc. that transforms 3-D into a smooth, digital experience and is soon to be available on consumers' TVs was on display Saturday at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Consumers will be able to buy a TV set that is 3-D ready, stream video on their computers in 3-D, play video games and watch live concerts or sporting events in this format without the ill effects.
Sensio's technology has been used in the broadcast of live concerts and sports events in theatres, 3-D movies on DVD, TV sports events and shows.
The Montreal company is betting that consumers want a reality-like experience.
"A lot has changed since the 1950s," Sensio CEO Nicolas Routhier said at the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, where his company had a suite to demonstrate digital 3-D.
The 1950s kicked off the 3-D era with the African adventure "Bwana Devil" and 3-D horror film "House of Wax" starring Vincent Price. Moviegoers wore cardboard glasses with one red and one blue lens and often complained of headaches and nausea.
Digital technology has made it almost a virtual experience.
"Three-D is actually showing a left-eye image and a right-eye image to the two different eyes and then you will get the perception that the objects are really coming out of the screen and you will see in-depth inside the screen," he said.
"So, it's really an immersive experience."
The digital technology allows 3-D films to be shown with one projector instead of two, eliminating the synchronization problem that contributed to moviegoers' queasiness.
Digital 3-D still needs glasses but they have been updated to look like fashionable eye wear.
Some TV manufacturers showed displays of sets that work with glasses or create a 3-D-like effect automatically on screen at the giant electronics show, which ends on Sunday.
Along with high-definition and Internet-ready TVs, 3-D will also be part of the TV watching experience. Sensio is talking to a number of television manufacturers to get its technology into their TV sets.
Sensio is also working to bring the 3-D experience to personal computers to allow users to stream content in that format.
"Very soon you will see some software that you will be able to download from major software providers to enjoy the 3-D at home on the PC," Routhier said.
Next year will be when consumer products with 3-D will be available in stores and that's when it's really going to take off, he said.
Routhier said Hollywood has given 3-D a big boost.
Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks Animation will be creating all of its movies in 3-D from now on with "Monsters vs. Aliens" due out in March. Director James Cameron of "Titanic" fame will be releasing his next movie, "Avatar" in 3-D this year.
Sensio wants its 3-D technology used in the broadcasting of live events in theatres.
It was used in 80 theatres in the United States to broadcast the FedEx BCS National Championship football game on Jan. 8, and will be used to broadcast the skills contest during NBA All-Star game weekend in February, Routhier added.
The Montreal company also was involved in the making of a 3-D episode of the hit TV show "Medium" in 2005.
The 3-D trend was also featured at the Consumer Electronics Show in ecommerce.
Canada's Nortel Networks and PC maker Lenovo teamed up to show the "eLounge," a virtual store that will allow shoppers to create personalized avatars, or virtual characters, to walk around the 3-D virtual store and browse through products.
With the technology, shoppers can also attend product demonstrations given by the virtual store's staff.
Nortel's web alive technology could help improve the online shopping experience for Lenovo's customers and let them browse through Lenovo's products.
