During my school days, I vividly recall hearing my childhood friends rave about a particular 3D film called ‘My Dear Kutti Chatan’. Although I cannot distinctly remember if I had the chance to watch it back then, the discussions surrounding the thrilling pop-out scenes sparked my curiosity and fascination for the three-dimensional experiences.
My journey into the world of three dimensional movies began when I moved to Chennai for work. During that time, my friend Partha and I would regularly watch the newest 3D releases.
Among the films we enjoyed were Shrek, Avatar, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which particularly left me beaming during the exhilarating highway fight sequence where Bumblebee heroically transformed and shielded Sam Witwicky. Such awe-inspiring scenes fueled my love for such movies, compelling me to continue seeking out films that offered an immersive experience.
In 2012, following my move to the United States, I purchased a 40″ TV from the Best Buy store in Springdale, OH. Alongside, I brought home my very first 3D movie, Avatar.
Since then, I have been gradually building my collection of Blu-rays. In 2018, upon returning to India, I shipped my households along with my cherished collection, and my 50″ TV that was purchased in 2017.
Regrettably, the TV ceased to function after five-years, and repairs were not possible in India. It dawned on me that no 3D televisions have been manufactured since 2017, and I had to settle down to a regular television for my living room.
Whenever I cast my gaze upon my Blu-ray collection, a sense of longing for the immersive movie experience washes over me. This sentiment lead me to research and buy an ultra-short throw projector that supports 3D formats.
I needed to rearrange the office room to fit a movie setup. After getting the green light from my wife (with the one condition of adding a loft), I proceeded to redesign the room. Luckily, when I purchased the house a year ago, I hadn’t done any interior designs or installed wardrobes or a loft in the office room. This provided me with the flexibility to relocate my computers from one corner to another, allowing the room to accommodate both a home theatre and my office needs. To free up the necessary space, I sold my old large computer desk and utlized the available wardrobe area to install a new computer table, recliner, wall shelves, and a loft.
The computer desk color is not the exact brown that I wanted, but it was the only close option available from the contractor.
The home theatre setup features a XGIMI Aura 4K UST projector, a 100-inch screen and a Denon AV receiver. I chose five Q Acoustics speakers with subwoofers along with two JBL ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos.
The purchase and installation process was complex, requiring extensive drilling, relocation of switchboard fixtures, and over a month to complete. However, I am pleased with the final outcome. My 4 year old kid likes this setup as well. 🙂
This projector requires expensive DLP link 3D glasses, hence my old 10+ passive glasses are no longer useful. I’m not a fan of active shutter glasses but that’s the only option I have.
The movies now look fantastic on the new setup, rekindling my passion for collecting the blurays. 🙂
Now it has come full circle: my 3D movie collection prompted me to set up a home theatre, and the new home theatre, in turn, has led me to acquire even more movies.
After 11 years of collecting movies, yesterday, I received my 50 and 51st 3D movies – Harry Potter Year 7 part 1, 2, and The Hobbit: The battle of Five Armies Steelbook.
I know, the progress is slow and the collection count is less for a 11 year old hobby. I focus only on acquiring movies that genuinely captivate me rather than buying them solely for their format.
As 3D Blu-rays are facing a slow death , collecting them becomes a pricier endeavor, particularly when seeking out Steelbook editions. Nevertheless, I am determined to persist in my journey of gradually collecting 3D films until the world ceases their production. Here’s to hoping for an ever-growing treasure trove!
Thanks for reading!
Balamuthu's Blog 