Google YouTube converts HD video to 3D

Someone over at YouTube managed to convince his boss that the world would be much better if we had to search for our handy pair of 3D glasses before watching the latest viral videos. So the company has been working on a conversion process that could take the highest-quality videos already posted on YouTube and make them available automatically in 3D, with uploaders not needing to do a single thing.

YouTube announced the update today, which offers the ability for users to switch from “HD” to “3D” when they’re watching a video that was uploaded in 1080p. In a blog post, the company said it used color, spatial layout, and motion to estimate depth, created a generated depth map to overlay the two halves of a 3D image together, and also relied on “machine learning” to better automate and learn patterns in the creation of 3D imagery and video. There remains a question of long-term viability when it comes to 3D video content. James Cameron’s Avatar happened to come at just the right time, igniting our imaginations at just the same time a whole new product line – 3D TVs – was heading to the US. That was followed by 3D game systems, 3D cameras, 3D phones, and just about everything else you can think of. The only problem is consumers don’t seem to be latching onto this trend like the industry thought it would.