A feature on BBC’s “Click” asked the question “Could 3D television be dangerous to watch?“.
I don’t have an issue with the content, except for one quote from Jeffery Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation.
“For a five or six-year-old child to go in and see an 82-minute movie once every month, I have to say there is not anybody legitimate in the medical profession who has suggested that we’re jeopardising the health of our children”
Now, I don’t have any evidence on this one way or another, and I’m not medically trained at all. And I’m sure that Mr. Katzenberg is expressing honestly held beliefs – from the perspective of his company.
But surely the issue isn’t so much with 82 minutes / month, but with the 3 hours/day that 3D TV in the home (as opposed to movies) would involve.
The same companies that make the hardware (TVs) are also the key players in the generation of the software – so they could make 3D a precondition to “greenlight” a project, so that there’s the content needed to sell the hardware.
My fear is that, once again, the potential to sell a whole new generation of consumer goods would invalidate conclusions made on a low-volume – and hence low-risk – sample.
There’s not necessarily anyone being malicious here (and I stress that I’m not having a pop at Katzenberg). But corporates really do need to actively take consider the potential results of their actions when they dominate markets.
And not just in terms of putting a warning in the small print, or of settling lawsuits when it all goes wrong …
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