The A to Z Guide of 3D TV

 

Frequently Asked Questions About 3D TVs

So you think you have seen it all in television technology? There were the color CRT TVs, which still occupy pride of place in the living rooms of most Indian homes and are priced relatively lower than what followed. Then came flat-screen TVs, that initially used so-called "plasma screens", but now use LCD screens. More recently we have been seeing the "LED backlight" televisions, that consume even less power than LCDs and claim better picture quality. Such large video screens in the home are great for movies, taking you closer to the theatre experience without having to resort to projectors and the like. Nowadays 3D movies are touted as the next big thing, from sci-fi to sports, documentaries to kids' flicks. Is there a chance of recreating the same experience at home? Here's what you need to know about selecting the best 3D home-theater gear.

If you are to believe manufacturers, a 3D HDTV makes your images look brilliant, promises explosions that make you flinch and landscapes that seem to be rolling out of your TV. It is claimed to be the biggest breakthrough to hit home theaters in years. In case you were thinking of buying a 3D TV, just read through this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) guide to prevent making any mistakes while buying. We give you the low-down on 3D TVs - what is true, what isn't and how the system works.

How does 3D TV work?

All 3D displays work by showing each eye a slightly different image, which creates the illusion that you're seeing something from more than one angle. For example, the classic red-and-blue "anaglyph" 3D glasses achieved this effect by using the colored lenses to filter red light to one eye and blue light to the other.

The drawback of the anaglyph method, of course, is that it practically obliterates the color from the image. Instead of using a light filter, current 3D TVs work by combining a pair of powered glasses (called "active shutter glasses") with a television that has an infrared emitter. When the TV plays a 3D movie, it alternates between displaying an image for the left eye and displaying one for the right; its infrared emitter instructs your glasses when to dim the left lens and when to dim the right lens to create the illusion of 3D.

This method is significantly different from the one used in movie theaters, by the way. Most 3D movies use glasses that are polarized (kind of like sunglasses) differently in the left and right lens; a special filter fitted to the movie projector allows it to switch rapidly between images for your left eye and images for your right. In principle, it's similar to the red-and-blue 3D system, except that it keeps the color intact (though the polarization does dim the image a bit).

In any case, if you forgot to return your movie glasses after watching Avatar or Step Up 3D, you won't be able to use them with a 3D TV, since it uses a completely different display technology. 

What equipment do I need to be able to watch 3D content at home?

You'll need a 3D-capable HDTV, a pair of 3D glasses, and (if you want to watch 3D Blu-ray movies) a special Blu-ray player. Unfortunately, existing Blu-ray players available in the mass market won't quite cut it. For PlayStation 3 owners, Sony released a firmware upgrade in June to support 3D games, and the company is promising to provide a similar upgrade for 3D Blu-ray support in September.

As of now, it doesn't look as though you'll need to buy new HDMI cables or anything like that, so you may not have to spend on a special type of HDMI cable. Currently, a 3 metre long HDMI cable costs about Rs. 1,000 in the grey market, even with a non-prominent brand name label on it.

How can I tell whether my TV can display 3D images?

So far, only a handful of TVs from the big manufacturers can display 3D images: Samsung has a few higher-end LED-backlit LCDs (7000/8000/9000 series), plasmas (7000, 8000), and LCD TVs (750) that can handle 3D; other qualifying sets include Sony's Bravia XBR-LX900 series, LG's LX6500 and LX9500 televisions, and Panasonic's Viera VT25 line.

In other words, it's highly unlikely that you could possibly purchase a 3D-capable HDTV without realizing it. If you're still wondering whether your TV can show 3D images, just look it up on the manufacturer's Website--vendors aren't shy about promoting this capability on the relevant product page when they can.

LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony are the only big-name TV manufacturers with entries in the 3D arena already, though models from Philips, Sharp, and Toshiba should reach the market in the next year or so.

My HDTV says that it's "3D-Ready." What does that mean?

A few manufacturers have sold TVs labeled as "3D-Ready." Many of the models in Mitsubishi's DLP HDTV line carry this designation, for example, as do a handful of Sony Bravia TVs. While the definition of "3D-Ready" varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, the term typically means that the set can display 3D content but lacks the IR emitter needed to sync the TV's image to the glasses--so you'll need to buy that separately. Also, because the 3D techniques found in DLP TVs ("Wobulating") sacrifice detail for a 3D image, if your source media is in 1080p ("Full HD"), it'll show in 3D at half that resolution.

How much does a 3D TV cost?

The total cost of fully 3D-ifying your home-theater setup depends on such factors as the set's display size and other features. Generally speaking however, you're looking at investing at least Rs. one Lakh upon the set itself, plus anywhere from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 for a 3D Blu-ray player and Rs. 7,500 for each additional pair of active shutter glasses (some TV sets will come bundled with one or two pairs).

What kind of content can I watch in 3D?

At the time of writing this, not much 3D content is out there. After you've spent a bunch of money on a 3D setup, you might very well find that you can't watch anything in 3D quite yet.

So far, few 3D Blu-ray movies are available (Amazon.com lists only Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and Monsters vs. Aliens). In the US, sports fans can get ESPN's 3D channel, where 3D is available only for specific events on the schedule. You can be quite sure that 3D content through cable TV will be a long time coming to India. Aside from Blu-ray and ESPN 3D content, you could hook up your TV to your computer and play some of the more recent PC games in 3D mode. Of course, this demands your PC to be very up-to-date in terms of specifications.

 

3D gaming has begun to emerge as a big draw for consumers. In addition to the PS3 firmware upgrade mentioned earlier, PC gaming has supported 3D for a year and a half now via kits such as the nVidia GeForce 3D Vision, which you can pair with a compatible 3D display to run plenty of games in 3D. Wondering if your favorite titles will work in 3D? Check out nVidia's recommended 3D game list.

Can everyone see 3D images?

Regrettably, not everyone can see 3D. Somewhere between 4 and 10 percent of people simply can't see 3D images, though apparently the appropriate kind of stereoscopic vision can be "learned." Meanwhile, the disclaimers attached to 3D TV and theater displays are quite interesting. To judge from them, 3D TV isn't for the young, drunk, elderly, or pregnant, and watching it can actually cause disorientation, so you might want to hold off on buying a set until its precise effects are better known.

Can I watch regular 2D content on a 3D TV?

Yes, you can watch normal 2D shows on a 3D TV. (If you smirked to yourself while reading this, just remember that your friends and family will probably start asking you the same question during the holiday shopping season.)

Some 3D apps and devices offer support for upconverting a 2D source to 3D, though at this point such support comes mostly from Samsung's TV and Blu-ray lineup. The latest release of Cyberlink PowerDVD can upconvert to 3D with passable results, too. The upconverting modes probably won't make you want to re-watch your entire Blu-ray collection, but it's a promising start.

Do I need to wear those dorky glasses?

Yes--for now, at least. A number of companies are working on no-glasses 3D, or "auto-stereoscopic" displays, most of which use a lenticular lens system that displays a different image depending on where you're standing in relation to the display (if you've ever seen a movie poster that shifted as you walked by, it's the same idea). For the time being, however, it's substantially more expensive: a Chinese company named TCL sells such a 42-inch display for about Rs. 10 Lakh. Samsung is working on a lenticular lens display, too, though it's designed for commercial use (think flashy signs and such).

Will my 3D glasses fit over my corrective glasses?

Yep. All 3D glasses are designed to fit comfortably over corrective glasses, though you'll want to try a pair on before you buy them. Unfortunately, nothing is available on the market at the moment to make you feel like less of a doofus for wearing glasses over your glasses.

Will my glasses work on all 3D TVs?

Not quite. In the rush to hit the market with 3D displays, manufacturers never paused to hammer out a design standard for active-shutter glasses, meaning that your Panasonic glasses won't work with your friend's Sony TV. A few solutions may be in the works, though.

XpanD offers universal 3D active-shutter glasses that can determine the type of TV you're using based on its IR signal and adapt accordingly. We haven't tried them out yet, but the company claims that they work with most of the 3D displays on the market. In the meantime, you can use your Samsung glasses with Panasonic sets (and vice versa)--but only if you wear the mismatched glasses upside-down.