3D Televisions – How do 3D tv’s work
It has only been in the last twenty years or so that 3D TV has ceased to be the stuff of science fiction writers and joined the realm of potentially viable technology. In recent months a number of 3D television manufacturers have been promising that the latest flat screen high definition sets, which are projected to be on the market in the near future, will have a 3D function. While this is a new thing in the realm of television, most manufacturers are simply adapting nineteen sixties cinema technology, by the use of special glasses that work with high definition blue ray machines.
3D glasses work in much the same way as the human eye, so you actually get two different images through the glasses. In order to grasp the depth of an image our eyes need to see things from two perspectives. 3D glasses work in a way that is compatible with our eyes and basically turns a flat image into one that has depth. Many films have been made with 3D in mind such as Avatar and the new Harry Potter film.
While most manufacturers will be working with the use of special glasses, Panasonic, Toshiba and Sony say that people viewing on their sets will be able to do so without the glasses. These companies have made some heavy investment in television that has a 3D functionality. A favourite means of introducing this functionality is the adaptation of existing LCD sets to deal with a three dimensional function. Panasonic are launching their latest VT25 screens, as they alone are saying that the best television sets for 3D enabling, are the plasma sets.
The Panasonic 3D set will be attached to a Blue-ray player, which will be the actual source of the 3D and will be used with special shutter glasses. Already, this method, along with Panasonic’s TC-PVT25 plasma 3D television, has been on display in Las Vegas. Panasonic technicians argue that plasma should be the preferred medium for 3D television because of the deep blackness of plasma screens.
Sony are talking about the, as yet to be launched, five foot wide LCD TV, its LED back lighting and an integrated three dimensional function, again users will need a Blue-ray 3D disc as the source. Viewers who do not have Blue-ray, but who have the Play Station 3 D games console, will be able to receive their 3D through that. Toshiba are betting on their Tri-Vector converted from 2 to 3D via Cell technology. This particular technology is meant to analyse the picture frames so that it can make a prediction as to each frame’s field depth. The company have undertaken dry runs with viewers using active shutter glasses for the 3D effect, and this has, reputedly, been very effective.
Sony have said that their smaller 46 and 52 inch LCD televisions will also have an integrated 3D function with high definition screens and LCD backlighting as well as function for reducing image blur. Samsung’s 900 is similar to the Cell technology that Toshiba are using to convert flat images into 3D ones. Manufacturers say that the set works with a range of 3D enablers, including those with full high definition resolution and being associated with Blue-ray Discs.