3D High Definition TV is here!
( 3DFlightSim's guide to 3D TV )
Texas Instruments' 3D-DLP logo |
3D-Ready High Definition TV's have now arrived in most consumer electronics stores!
Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D-Ready TV's have actually been sold in stores since 2005.
You may even have bought a 3D-Ready TV without knowing it. Panasonic and Sony have also committed to 3D home theater.
According to the Wall Street Journal (November 27, 2009) "Sony Corp. expects new 3-D compatible televisions will account
for up to half the TVs it sells" in the next few years.
For console gamers there is also exciting news: Sony Corp. has announced that many if not most PS3 games will work with 3D glasses starting in 2010 (but only if you have a 3D Ready TV).
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What does "3D Ready" mean?
Samsung's 3D-Ready logo
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3D-Ready means that you can use REAL 3D glasses (not the red-green color paper glasses)
with your TV to watch true, stereoscopic high
definition 3D video. The "ready" indicates that you need some additional hardware for the TV to display 3D video.
Words fail to describe the stunning effect of true, high definition 3D on these new 3D TV systems.
The outstanding stereoscopic 3D performance of these 3D TVs are the result of several features:
- High definition resolutions: either 720p or 1080p
- High refresh rates - at least 120 Hertz (compared with 60 Hz for older TVs)
- Built in electronics to decode special 3D video signals
- Many models offer a special 3-pin connector (see below) for 3D glasses
Televisions that provide these features are presented as "3D Ready". The LCD stereoscopic "shutter glasses" for 3D TV are called "active" glasses and are used in many foreign 3D theaters. They give give similar or better 3D as the glasses used in most U.S. movie theaters.
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Is My TV "3D-Ready?"
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There is a simple way to find out if your HDTV is 3D-Ready. Look at the back or side of your television and find the connection panel.
Look for a round socket that is labeled "3D SYNC OUT" or "3D Glasses". The jack looks like an "S-Video" jack, but it only has 3 pins.
The wireless transmitter for your 3D glasses plugs in here. If your TV has this jack then your TV is 3D-Ready.
Update: Samsung's recently released line of "LED 3D" televisions have a built in IR emitter without the VESA 3-pin sync connector. This means that for the time being, you will be locked into purchasing Samsung glasses (for $150 / pair). It is not yet known if future LG, Panasonic or Sony 3D-Ready TV's will include the VESA 3-pin sync output.
Can I watch recent Hollywood 3D titles like AVATAR at home?
Not yet. (But the wave is coming, see below.) Currently several DVD titles like POLAR EXPRESS are sold with red-green or red-blue (anaglyph) paper glasses and are marked as 3D movies. These anaglyph movies do not give true 3D and the experience is disappointing. True stereoscopic 3D video on 3D-TVs is similar or even better
than the 3D shown in IMAX and other movie theaters. But Hollywood wants to entice movie-viewers into the cinemas for increased ticket
sales. Therefore they have not yet released very many true-3D movies in DVD form.
Update:
"Monsters vs. Aliens" 3D Blu-ray movie
is now available in a Samsung promo-kit. More Hollywood true-3D DVD's will soon follow.
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The Sony Factor
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Sony Corporation's commitment to 3D television is expected to be a bonanza to home 3D theater enthusiasts. Why? Sony corp. owns the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and unlike other Hollywood producers Sony has a major incentive to provide true-3D content to DVD consumers.
Expect a run on 3D glasses soon!
When true-3D Hollywood content for your 3D TV is made available by the likes of Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi and Panasonic you can expect
a run on 3D glasses for your 3D Ready television. It may be months before retail outlets restock their sold-out supply of 3D
glasses. In the mean time there is plenty of stunning 3D to watch in your home 3D-IMAX theater. |
What movies can I watch in true-3D?
There are three formats available for watching 3D video on your 3D TV:
1) High Definition 3D video 2) Non-HD 3D movies on DVD 3) 2D to 3D conversion
An excellent example of class 1) is the UNESCO 3D travelogue
titled Upper Middle Rhine Valley. This movie is a nonstop
series of scenes in the most real, holographic imaging you can imagine. At one point your TV transforms into a picture window as you gaze out over a spectacular
mountain valley. At another point you are sitting inside a castle. Yes, you feel as if you are there!
Most of this kind of high quality 3D video is available in the form of free downloads, and consist of travelogues and documentaries.
In class 2) there is a sizable selection of DVD movies in 3D format for your 3D-HDTV that are not in high definition format.
The best retail store for these 3D-DVD movies is Ultimate3DHeaven. Check out
Ultimate 3D Heaven for a list of titles for your 3D home theater.
Finally, with special software you can watch any DVD movie or recorded TV with 3D glasses. The software does a pretty decent job of converting
2D video into video with 3D depth. It cannot match real stereoscopic 3D but is good enough to be very entertaining.
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- Page 2 - 3D glasses and PC requirements
- Page 3 - video card and software requirements
- Page 4 - Hooking up the test
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