3D TVs ended up being a fad, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have their fair share of fans. I personally never got my hands on one, and it’s a regret I have because I would love to enjoy 3D movies at home. I started to dig into anaglyph 3D, you know, the version that needs those old red and blue glasses. As it turns out, there’s quite a bit out there that supports those old glasses, and new releases are still coming out to this day.
I want to warn you that if you go down this rabbit hole, it’s not nearly as good of an experience as what you find in the theaters or with a 3D TV coupled with a 3D Blu-ray disc. I watched Friday the 13th Part 3 in this format, and Avatar it was not. Once you get over that, there’s some interesting stuff to dig into here. I’m honestly not sure if anything’s enhanced by watching it at home in 3D with these glasses, but it’s fun to try new things out sometimes.
QuizBlu-ray players
Trivia challenge
From disc capacity to codec wars — how much do you really know about Blu-ray players?
TechnologyHistoryFormatsFeaturesHardware
In what year did the Blu-ray Disc format officially launch for consumers?
Correct! Blu-ray launched in June 2006 alongside the first wave of players and titles in North America. Sony’s PlayStation 3, released later that same year, also played a huge role in driving adoption of the format.
Not quite — Blu-ray officially launched for consumers in 2006. The format had been in development for years prior, but it wasn’t until June 2006 that players and discs hit store shelves in North America.
What was Blu-ray’s main rival format during the high-definition disc format war of the mid-2000s?
Correct! HD DVD, backed primarily by Toshiba and Microsoft, went head-to-head with Blu-ray in a fierce format war. The battle ended in early 2008 when Toshiba conceded defeat after major studio and retailer defections to Blu-ray.
The correct answer is HD DVD. Backed by Toshiba and supported by Universal and Paramount studios, HD DVD was a serious contender until early 2008, when Toshiba officially discontinued the format after losing key studio support.
What colour laser does a Blu-ray player use to read discs, and what is its approximate wavelength?
Correct! Blu-ray players use a blue-violet laser with a wavelength of approximately 405nm. This shorter wavelength compared to the red laser used in DVDs allows data to be packed much more densely on the disc surface.
The correct answer is a blue-violet laser at around 405nm. This is actually the origin of the ‘Blu’ in Blu-ray — the shorter wavelength enables tighter data pits on the disc, dramatically increasing storage capacity over DVD.
What is the standard single-layer storage capacity of a Blu-ray Disc?
Correct! A standard single-layer Blu-ray Disc holds 25GB of data. Dual-layer discs double that to 50GB, and later BDXL discs pushed capacities to 100GB and beyond using triple and quadruple layers.
Not quite — a standard single-layer Blu-ray Disc stores 25GB. For comparison, a standard DVD only holds around 4.7GB, so Blu-ray represented a massive leap in optical disc capacity when it launched.
What is the name of the interactive feature system built into Blu-ray that enables web connectivity and advanced menus?
Correct! BD-Live is the Blu-ray profile feature that allows players with an internet connection to access downloadable bonus content, online games, and interactive features. It was introduced as part of the Blu-ray Profile 2.0 specification.
The correct answer is BD-Live. This feature, part of the Blu-ray Profile 2.0 specification, required players to have internet connectivity and local storage, enabling studios to offer downloadable extras and web-based interactive content.
Which gaming console, released in November 2006, significantly boosted Blu-ray adoption by including a built-in player?
Correct! Sony’s PlayStation 3 included a Blu-ray drive as standard, making it one of the most affordable Blu-ray players available at launch. This gave Blu-ray a massive install base advantage and is widely credited with helping the format win the format war.
It was the PlayStation 3. By bundling a Blu-ray player into a gaming console priced competitively against standalone players, Sony put Blu-ray hardware into millions of living rooms rapidly, which proved decisive in the format war against HD DVD.
Which audio format, developed by Dolby, was introduced as a lossless surround sound standard supported by Blu-ray players?
Correct! Dolby TrueHD is a lossless audio codec that Blu-ray helped bring into mainstream home cinema. It supports up to 14 discrete audio channels and is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, delivering truly reference-quality sound.
The correct answer is Dolby TrueHD. Unlike Dolby Digital Plus, which is a lossy format, TrueHD is fully lossless — meaning it reproduces audio identically to the original studio recording. It remains one of the premier audio formats for home theatre enthusiasts today.
What is the maximum video resolution supported by standard Blu-ray discs and players?
Correct! Standard Blu-ray discs support a maximum resolution of 1080p, or Full HD. For 4K content on physical media, you need an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc and a compatible player, which is a separate, more advanced format launched in 2016.
The correct answer is 1080p (1920×1080 progressive). Standard Blu-ray tops out at Full HD resolution. If you want native 4K content on disc, you need Ultra HD Blu-ray — a separate format that launched in 2016 and requires its own compatible player.
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Getting things started with a horror classic
It was made for it
Since I already talked about it, I might as well get it out of the way early. Friday the 13th Part 3 was made with 3D in mind, and there are many shots throughout the film that don’t make any sense if you don’t have a pair of 3D glasses on. I’m talking about harpoons being shot at the camera, yo-yos being bounced off the screen, and an eyeball popping out of a head for no real reason other than to show off the 3D effects.
I wouldn’t go as far as calling Friday the 13th Part 3 a great movie by any means, but it’s a fan favorite for a reason. It’s the movie where Jason Voorhees dons his iconic hockey mask for the first time, so it has that going for it. It’s just always funny to look back at such an important moment for a horror icon, only to see 3D scenes sprinkled all through the movie.
Another horror movie, but less well known
Frankenstein fans rejoice
Coming to you in Chill-O-Rama 3D, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror is a Spanish horror movie, and despite the name, it doesn’t feature much of a Frankenstein. Instead, this movie mostly centers around vampires, and it might surprise you to learn that this one hit Blu-ray in late 2025. It’s pretty cool to see relatively new releases supporting such a dated technology.
The thing that stood out to me most about this 3D conversation was the lifelike spider webs popping out at me. It’s been a while since I watched this one, but that’s the thing I remember the most. It’s a pretty quick movie, clocking in at just 78 minutes, so you don’t have to put aside much of the day to watch it. The Blu-ray comes with a reversible cover, so that’s cool as well.
The best of both worlds
Concerts are fun in 3D
Miley Cyrus is very far removed from Hannah Montana, but in case you want to relive that era, you can with the Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert. This had a theatrical release where it was viewed with the traditional 3D glasses you see today, but at home it’s with the red and blue ones. This movie rode the wave that was Avatar, so if you’re wondering why this concert was randomly in 3D, that’s your answer.
You can still find this one floating around on Amazon for around $20, so it’s not a collector’s item or anything of the sort. I will say that your experience at home won’t be as good as the theater experience just because of the shift in the 3D formats. Anaglyph 3D simply doesn’t compare to what we have today, and there might be some whiplash going from one to the other.
The best of all worlds
Get every format with this one
Believe it or not, 2025’s The Glass Web Blu-ray comes with the regular cut, an anaglyph 3D cut, and the stereoscopic version that requires a 3D TV or projector coupled with a pair of glasses. This movie came out in 1953, and it’s directed by Jack Arnold of Creature from the Black Lagoon fame — another movie well known for its 3D transfer. You’ll notice that a lot of movies that make this list are quite old, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them.
The Glass Web is another quick watch, coming in at 81 minutes, but unlike the others on this list before it, it’s not a horror film. I’d suppose you could consider it to be a little horror-adjacent, however, since it’s still packed with suspense. Older horror movies aren’t packed with gore and jump scares like the ones you see today, so the genres certainly felt like they had a lot more in common than they do now.
