A couple of thoughts:
1. Saying that 2D films' use of depth cues to cleverly simulate 3D makes them somehow artistically superior is an odd argument. It's like saying painting is superior to sculpture because it simulates 3D rather than actually doing it. Also, have you noticed that the best 3D work still uses those depth cues as well?
2. Most of those 4K displays also support 3D. Some of them support it without glasses. A lot of them have alternate lines polarized opposite directions. This means you can put on cheap, lightweight 3D glasses and see a lovely high-res 3D image without flickering.
3. Personally I just like 3D when it's done well. Saying it's a format nobody wants is hyperbole. If you want to, say it's a format that a niche of people like.
4. We're just getting started. The future is quite clearly a glasses-free experience which is not just double-eye stereo but lightfield. Eg you move your head around and can see around the object. This should feel far more natural.
5. Have you considered that some of the reasons The Hobbit looked a little like video were due to things like 270 degree shutter, RED (limited dynamic range, skin tones), etc? It doesn't necessarily make sense to automatically blame what you didn't like about The Hobbit on 3D.
6. 3D can look amazing if projected properly. When you're sit in a bay at a top-end post house watching good content, you're like "holy shit this is awesome" Have you considered that maybe, just maybe, the reason filmmakers are excited about it is not because of technical or financial reasons but because they genuinely want to share that feeling? Sorry it doesn't measure up... but when technology improves (laser projection will do a lot, since it is brighter and due to technical polarization details, loses a lot less light when you view it through polarized glasses), I sincerely hope that some folks will get to experience that feeling too.
7. Marketing is about a simple message. "Smart 3D UHDTV" is just too complex. Focus on the new stuff. 3D is now assumed.
Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com
