The Buddy Holly-like spectacles are not only clunky, but some moviegoers complain that the reusable glasses cause eye strain and question how thoroughly they have been sanitized.
Now high-end eyewear makers and fashion houses are offering relief -- but it will cost you.
Since the release of "Avatar" a year ago, studios have been pushing to squeeze more movies into the 3-D pipeline. More than 30 films are scheduled to be released in the format next year; current movies include the new "Chronicles of Narnia" film released last weekend and "Tron: Legacy" coming Friday. Theater owners, who have profited handsomely from the higher ticket prices that the films command, have been scrambling to add enough 3-D screens to handle all the movies.
Eyewear manufacturers such as Oakley and fashion houses such as Gucci are jumping onto the stereoscopic bandwagon. They are introducing lines of 3-D glasses starting at $95 and going up to $225 -- or more than 100 times what most theater-handout models cost to make.
"The way we look at it, it's going to be a lifestyle accessory," said David Johnson, president of Marchon3D. "You've got your smart phone, you've got your iPad and now you
have another piece of equipment. This is a specialty technology device."
Marchon3D, a division of Marchon Eyewear, has licensed its technology to Calvin Klein and Nautica for 3-D eyewear costing $95 to $150. But the high-tech glasses, with a patented curved-lens design, are useful not just in theaters -- they can be worn outdoors as regular sunglasses.
Apart from being more stylish, the premium glasses vastly improve the 3-D viewing experience, manufacturers claim, because they're lighter, more comfortable and employ advanced optics to filter out reflections and other distractions that can cause eye strain.
RealD, the leading supplier of 3-D equipment in U.S. theaters, has "certified" Marchon's glasses and is working with Marchon's parent company to develop prescription 3-D glasses. By next year, consumers who are getting prescription lenses could opt for a 3-D version (at an extra cost, of course).
Marchon also plans to offer lower-cost 3-D glasses, in the $30 to $40 range, by spring. Australia-based Look3D has just launched an online store where budget-minded consumers can buy designer 3-D glasses for as little as $30 ($15 for kids).
"With more than 30 movies coming out next year in 3-D, moviegoers will spend plenty of time wearing 3-D glasses, and we expect many will want them in a style, color and fit all their own," said Michael Lewis, chief executive of RealD. "... We'll see a range of options at different price points, from designer 3-D glasses from brands like Calvin Klein to more budget-friendly glasses you can pick up at a local store or the movie theater when you buy popcorn."
Oakley spent more than two years working with DreamWorks Animation to develop the Oakley 3-D Gascan glasses, which went on sale for $120 recently at Sunglass Hut and Oakley stores. Oakley also has introduced a limited edition of 3-D glasses tied to "Tron."
"We began with a single goal: to set the standard for optical performance in 3-D," said Colin Baden, chief executive of Oakley. "This is a technological breakthrough."
Oakley's glasses, however, aren't meant to be worn outside. And there are other drawbacks to the new glasses, beyond the high prices.
The Oakley and Marchon glasses, for example, won't work if you take them to an IMAX or Dolby theater; they're designed to work in theaters with RealD systems, which represent about 80 percent of the available 3-D screens in the United States. And don't expect theaters to offer a discount if you bring your own glasses.
What's more, your 3-D glasses most likely won't work at home. The models from Oakley and Marchon use a "passive polarization" technology, which is most common in theaters. However, most 3-D TV sets require viewers to wear "active polarization" glasses that are battery-operated and use built-in electronics to actively "shutter" the images that reach each eye. (Some TV manufacturers plan to introduce 3-D televisions next year that work with passive glasses.)
Still, the move toward individually owned 3-D eyewear might have other benefits -- including for the environment. Although most glasses handed out in theaters are reused at least 10 times and are mostly recycled, at least 300 million pairs of glasses have been used worldwide since the debut of Disney's "Chicken Little" film in 3-D in 2005.
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