Anaglyph

One of the earliest forms of 3D video used color filters to separate the left eye and right eye images. This category of 3D is known as anaglyph and was first tested in the United States in 1915. Anaglyph 3D is still in use today, but not used in theaters, and considered inferior to the 3D experience provided by new transmission standards and 3D HDTVs.

The biggest advantage of anaglyph technology is that it will work with any TV - new or old or CRT - as long as it is a color TV. The paper or plastic eyewear has red and blue lenses which separates the left and right eye information by using color filtering. The two colors used are complementary colors, like cyan and red, or dark blue and yellow, so that each color filters out the opposite color. Each eye only sees the images intended for that eye.

The biggest disadvantage with this technology is that anaglyph glasses filter out a lot of color from the picture, so color detail is lost. That means the movie or TV show must be filmed to avoid certain colors that will basically disappear or appear very dark or light when viewed through anaglyph glasses.

Anaglyph movies and programs are readily available DVD and even in Blu-ray, and is easily found online. See the list of packaged media on this site and search the internet for where you can purchase.

Will anaglyph 3D go away for home viewing? That’s really up to the movie studios, but we believe it will be phased out as active shutter and polarized systems takes hold. In addition, there are several companies developing anaglyph to enable more accurate color rendering and enjoyable programs. This will certainly extend the existence of anaglyph in our technology toolkit.

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