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Uncategorized Thursday, April 21st 2011 at 9:47 am

2D Glasses

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Here’s a solution for a problem you may not have known even existed: Karen Kavett and Sam Rudge have teamed up to create Inventor Hank Green has created 2D glasses, which ‘remove’ the third dimension from 3D movies and media.

(The two people originally mentioned as having created the glasses actually created the website selling the glasses. I dun goofed. Thanks, Tim, for pointing out the error. –Ed.)

That is, if you walk into a 3D theater screening Avatar wearing 3D glasses, you’ll see the movie in 3D; walk into the theater wearing regular glasses and everything will look blurry. Walk into the theater wearing 2D glasses, however, and you’ll see the film in exactly two glorious dimensions, which, incidentally, is one more dimension than the characters in Avatar have. (Hey-o!)

The diagram below shows how they work:

The glasses cost $10 for a pair, including shipping.

(2D Glasses via Techland)

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  • http://twitter.com/BeccaTheWitz Rebecca H

    That’s all very well and good, but considering that you’re charged extra for the privilege of watching the movie in 3D, wouldn’t it make more sense to skip the 2D glasses, save your money and go to a 2D screening?

  • Senor Chang

    Apparently when 3D is involved, logic does not factor anywhere.

    Though I guess some feel-good hippie is going to expand by explaining how if you’re going to see a movie with a group of friends and the ones wanting to see 3D out-vote the ones not wanting 3D, this is your way of not having to watch 3D. So now you get the dual input rape of paying twice as much to see the movie in 3D and having to pay $10 for a pair of glasses that de-3Ds the 3D film.

    I’d say if friends attempt to impose a 3D movie on you: Refuse, leave… and find new friends.

  • Erik Kraemer

    Please do NOT forget the not so few minority (sometimes quoted as being as high as 30%) that gets nausea whilst watching 3D. I have a friend who vomited violently after only 30 minutes.

  • Anonymous

    You can see the film in 3D; walk in to the theater wearing regular glasses and everything will look blurry

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Salah-Majid-Mahmoud/641647001 Salah Majid Mahmoud

    Please answer this,

    If we go into a 3D movie to experience being there, under what circumstance might we enter a 3D movie to watch it in 2D, can’t we just go watch the 2D version.

  • Tandyscott22901

    Because a person who doesn’t like 3D might want to go with a group of friends who DO. Of course you CAN watch the 2D version if you want. This gives you a choice.

  • Callienglish

    im getting a pair of these for my mom. my little brothers always want to see the nw kids movies in 3d but my mom cant enjoy herself because the 3d makes her sick. these glasses are awesome!

  • Dennis_D

    Because in a lot of theaters they only show one version of a film, either 2d or 3d, so you really have no choice in the matter.

  • Inicholson

    Couldn’t I just buy 2 pairs of cheap 3D glasses (for $1 each), push out the lenses, then put both left lenses in one pair and both right lenses in the other pair?  Voila!  2 pairs of 2D glasses for $1 each.  If every body who does this sends me 50 cents I’ll be richer than the inventor of 2D glasses.

  • Yes

    Some smaller towns around the US only offer movies one way & instead of wasting $$$ on gas to travel to a town 2-5hrs away to see it how I’d prefer, this glasses scenario is more logical.

  • Sean Wilcox

    No you won’t. Have you ever seen a pair of glasses in your entire life? Practically all of them have one thing that is a major flaw in your idea; the shape of the lenses. The inside, or the part that is closest to your nose, is angled in some fashion as to sit comfortably on your face. So, there is no way to just simply swap the lenses. You would have to reshape them somehow and that would end up costing you more time and maybe money than just buying a pair of 2d glasses.

  • Inicholson

    No Sean I’ve never seen a pair in my entire life, I’ve lived a very sheltered life and only been to the talkies once; in 1977!  Also I’m blind but my dog complains about the headaches he gets from 3D movies.

    Meanwhile back in the real world – the lenses are mirror images of each other and the polarising effect is vertical in one lens and horizontal in the other so flipping the lens over horizontally won’t matter. In fact since posting I’ve discovered several videos on Youtube showing exactly what I suggested; it’s cheap, it’s easy and it works.  I wish I’d thought of doing it while I was struggling with terrible double-imaging and headaches watching PoTC4 with my kids last month (I had a couple of spare pairs of glasses in my back.  Unfortunately I’m too late to patent the idea but if you want to send me 50 cents anyway I might use it to see a movie.

    The idea is brilliant but $10 plus postage seems OTT when the normal ones are only $1 and these are really no different.

  • http://twitter.com/StevieMac26 Steven Hourihan

    If you’re going to see a movie with a group of friends and the ones wanting to see 3D out-vote the ones not wanting 3D, this is your way of not having to watch 3D.

  • http://twitter.com/StevieMac26 Steven Hourihan

    …because your friends must always just do what you want.

  • Worshipgeek

    The glasses are symmetrical, and the lenses are flat.  You can turn the left lens you popped out from the one pair around and put it in the hole from the right lens you popped out of the other pair, and likewise do the same with the other pair.  Of course, the cost of these 2D glasses is generally less than the cost of 2 pairs of 3D glasses, and you get a set that are “professionally” made.

  • some dude

    or you could just grab two pairs of the 3D glasses (which they give for free) pop out the left lens on one and attach it to the right lens area on the other (after removing that lens) and now you have FREE 2D glass

  • Hippy

    or the movie is only in 3D (Prometheus, The Avengers) and you do want to watch it?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=597437181 Kimball Kinnison

    For me, if I want to see a movie in the IMAX , i have to watch the 3-D version. Sadly for some reason my brain gets tired trying to focus on the edges and after about a half hour i no longer can see the “Depth” of the movie. But i am stuck with the glasses on otherwise the whole movie is blurred. I love to have some 2-D glasses to give me a chance to rest so I can fully enjoy the action sequances in 3-D

  • Jimi

    These will not work in IMAX. IMAX uses linear polarization, these were designed for Real D, which is radial polarization. :(

  • http://twitter.com/JonFromSeattle Jonathan Slater

    If you’re going to a 3d movie with friends, and 3d happens to give you headaches or eye-strain problems – what are you going to do? Sit there and struggle with the pain, and the knowing that you didn’t watch the film because of personal problems? OR Put on these 2d glasses, enjoy the film, and enjoy the company of your friends or family? It’s an obvious choice. Scott Johnson of Frogpants.Com had a problem for a very long time to where 3d media would give him a headache. Of course he had Lasik surgery, and that can cost thousands. However he did admit that these 2d glasses help for those that can’t quite afford the cost of laser surgery.

    Sure if it’s just you going to the movies then by all means skip the 3d movie, but a lot of films now are 3d exclusive and don’t even offer a 2d showing. Either way – you may end up paying a little more for the movie you want to see unless you want to wait for it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

  • Big Foot

    That’s awesome

  • http://dbakeca.com Dbakeca Italia

    hmm….interesting

  • opisafayget

    What, is the whole world retarded?
    You take two 3d glasses and swap the lenses over so both left filters are on one pair and both right filters are on the other.

    My motto is everyone should learn to improve their general intelect via google and wikipedia; you can literally learn everything via the internet.