2D Glasses Convert 3D Movies Into Something Watchable

Want to go see the latest summer movies with friends and family but can’t, because you get headaches from the 3D effects everyone else seems to enjoy? A different type of eye-wear might rid you of the stigma of being a 3D-movie killjoy.

New so-called 2D Glasses are designed to undo the stereoscopic trickery that produces the visual 3D effects, which roughly 10 percent of the population have difficulty viewing.

The 3D glasses generally used in movie theaters have a different polarized lens for each eye, allowing one side to see one image and the other a slightly skewed version. The tiny differences in the images—which make the whole movie look blurry when viewed without the filtering glasses—are what causes the perceived 3D effect.

The 2D glasses, created by inventor Hank Green for his wife, use only one polarized lens. This allows just one version of the moving image to be seen by both eyes simultaneously, essentially converting a 3D movie into a flat 2D movie.

The glasses are available at Amazon.com for $10 per pair and may also work with some passive 3D TVs. (Active 3D TV sets use battery-powered electronic glasses to ensure each eye is receiving the right picture.)

Get a headache from 3D movies? Check out these new glasses [Los Angeles Times]
2D Glasses LLC [2D Glasses LLC]

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