3D TVs?

ComplexP

This technology is around the corner but I dont know much about it. Does anyone know whether we'll need to buy a new '3D' television or whether an existing 1080p screen will work?

I thought it was just the transmitted image that was important but after hearing that cinemas have needed to purchase 3D projectors for films like Avatar I'm not so sure any more.

Cheers

Browntoa

bbc article seems to indicate just a special pair of glasses

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8285187.stm

vyle

the way that the new tvs will "do" 3d isn't the same as how it's done at the cinema or how it's done as you would know it.

The new wave of tv will use shuttered glasses. Essentially, the tv is alternating very quickly between the left and right version of the picture very quickly, and the glasses are synchronised to shut and open very quickly, so that only the left eye sees the left image and the right eye sees the right image.

This requires TVs that are designed to be able to do that, and a transmitter for the special glasses.

ComplexP

Thanks Vyle

That sounds like a very complicated way of achieving the desired effect. The glasses I used to watch Avatar at the cinema didn't have a transmitter inside and they seemed to work fine. I wonder why the method employed at the big screens cant be mapped over to the small screen?

Marty_J

vyle wrote: »

the way that the new tvs will "do" 3d isn't the same as how it's done at the cinema or how it's done as you would know it.

The new wave of tv will use shuttered glasses. Essentially, the tv is alternating very quickly between the left and right version of the picture very quickly, and the glasses are synchronised to shut and open very quickly, so that only the left eye sees the left image and the right eye sees the right image.

This requires TVs that are designed to be able to do that, and a transmitter for the special glasses.

They don't have shutters that open and close; they have polarising glass in them, and each eye is polarised differently so only one eye can see one image, and the other eye can see the other.

vyle

Marty_J wrote: »

They don't have shutters that open and close; they have polarising glass in them, and each eye is polarised differently so only one eye can see one image, and the other eye can see the other.

ah yes, right you are. When I read the term shutter glasses, my brain imagined a motorised shutter, even though, when thinking about it, all the videos i've watched don't show anything like quick flapping horse style blinkers on the sets lol.

I don't know why they're using that method. The only think I can think of is that it might achieve better/more reliable results on smaller screens, but I really have no idea.

patman99

Sky will be using a system that relies on 'Polarising screens', these won't need (or indeed work with) shuttered glasses.
These work by having a special coating on the screen.

There was a whole article on this, and the 3 other technologies in a magazine before christmas.

aliEnRIK

To use 3D tv you need ~
a 3D tv
1.4 hdmi compliant cable
3D source (Possible that a PS3 will do it, not yet confirmed)
3D glasses that are compliant with the new technology
Depending on the source a new amp may also be required to allow the 1.4 signal through

I have ZERO interest in it myself.

***EDIT 1.4 hdmi cables might not be needed for some of the 3D viewing, all depends if they can get the bandwidth limits right***

timbim_2

There was discussion of a technology that would use tiny lenses on the screen to achieve a 3D effect without glasses. Massive problems included only working in a few, small "sweet spots" and the enormous cost of making the screen. Expect any 3D technology to be extremely expensive on release.