Specifications For 3D Blu-Ray Finalized, But Does Anybody Care?

Settle down 3D fans, the solution to all of your high-def 3D woes is finally here in the form of 3D Blu-ray. Word has been swirling about the format for the past year or so, and now the Blu-ray Disc Association has announced that the specifications for 3D Blu-ray have been finalized.

The key bits: 3D Blu-ray will use the new Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, which is an extension to the MPEG-4 AVC codec we use today on BR discs. MVC only requires about a 50% storage overhead, compared to the 2D version of a film, and both the discs and players will also be backwards compatible with existing 2D Blu-ray tech. To actually take advantage of 3D Blu-ray, you'll need a 3D BR capable player (the PS3 will offer an update to support it), glasses — and most likely, a new HDTV since only newer sets support stereoscopic 3D.

Clearly, nothing can go wrong with this plan, and 3D Blu-ray will soon take over the world.

By the time Fox is ready Avatar's home release, 3D Blu-ray players should be on the market. Given that a huge portion of the film's enjoyment comes from its groundbreaking use of 3D, you wouldn't want to watch the film at home any other way.

The problem, of course, lies in the fact that this new Blu-ray standard is coming too soon after many have already invested in new HDTVs and Blu-ray hardware. There also aren't too many films, aside from Avatar, that will compel consumers to invest in new hardware — along with glasses for the entire family. It's basically too much work for the average consumer, and this will quickly relegate 3D Blu-ray to the home theaters of a lucky few.

Read the full press release over at Engadget.

Discuss: What are your thoughts on Blu-ray 3D? Will you upgrade, or keep it in mind for new TV purchases?