By Robert Goldrich
The recently concluded two-day VRLA confab and expo in Los Angeles presented a dizzying array of technology.
But sometimes lost in the wondrous advancements is what VR truly advances—a special connection to a story and the people in it. Engaged viewers can, for instance, choose to put themselves in the shoes of people whom they might never get to meet. VR enables us to break out of our at times insular worlds and delve into the experiences of others. There have been a number of shining examples, including The Displaced, a virtual reality experience produced for The New York Times which places viewers directly inside the global refugee crisis. And last year director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu received a special Oscar for the VR project he developed with DP Emmanuel Lubezki: Carne y Arena which simulates experiences of immigrants crossing the deserts of the American west.
Thankfully, this big picture perspective was presented at VRLA. Cosmo Scharf, co-founder of VRLA, now in its fifth year, touched upon the compelling dynamic of VR, using Steven Spielberg’s feature Ready Player One as a reference point. Scharf described the film as “a big deal for our industry,” raising awareness of VR. However, there’s a lesson to be learned, he noted, as the film shows a physical world falling apart as people are immersed in living life through their VR headsets. They are so obsessed that they are unaware of “the trash heap that their real planet has become.”
Scharf affirmed that VR and AR “can only exist as long as the planet is healthy enough to support us.” He cited ongoing wars, the assault on our environment, poverty, profit motives undermining health, and other issues. And while VR inherently offers “an advanced sense of presence,” it’s important that we “reclaim awareness of the present outside the headset.” He fosters hope that VR, with its sense of presence and ability to evoke empathy, can be part of healing society.
In that vein, Jon Snoddy, SVP of research and development at Walt Disney Imagineering, talked at VRLA about the convergence of VR and storytelling. He contended that the next generation of VR is not about more polygons or better headsets but rather the value of story. Snoddy affirmed that this story universe is not about the worlds but the people who live in them.
A TV as big as a bed? With the holidays approaching, stores stock more supersize sets
For some television viewers, size apparently does matter.
Forget the 65-inch TVs that were considered bigger than average a decade ago. In time for the holidays, manufacturers and retailers are rolling out more XXL screens measuring more than 8 feet across. That's wider than a standard three-seat sofa or a king-size bed.
Supersize televisions only accounted for 1.7% of revenue from all TV set sales in the U.S. during the first nine months of the year, according to market research firm Circana. But companies preparing for shoppers to go big for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa have reason to think the growing ultra category will be a bright spot in an otherwise tepid television market, according to analysts.
The 38.1 million televisions sold with a width of at least 97 inches between January and September represented a tenfold increase from the same period last year, Circana said. Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics chain, doubled the assortment of hefty TVs — the 19 models range in price from $2,000 to $25,000 — and introduced displays in roughly 70% of its stores.
"It's really taken off this year," Blake Hampton, Best Buy's senior vice president of merchandising, said.
Analysts credit the emerging demand to improved technology and much lower prices. So far this year, the average price for TVs spanning at least 97 inches was $3,113 compared to $6,662 last year, according to Circana. South Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung introduced its first 98-inch TV in 2019 with a hefty price tag of $99,000; it now has four versions starting at $4,000, the company said.
Anthony Ash, a 42-year-old owner of a wood pallet and recycling business, recently bought a 98-inch Sony for his 14,000-square-foot house in... Read More