3-D TV for Home Theater
Some digital televisions can show 3-D movies in your living room
New technologies offer promising options for high-quality 3-D at home but programming and necessary peripherals need more time.
Consumers are snapping up new digital televisions faster than ever. In the search for the perfect new TV, one more question on the list should be, “Is this TV capable of showing 3-D?” Only a few models can answer yes to this question today, but more choices are in the pipeline. Is 3-D at home the way of the future or just another flash in the pan?
3-D TV Hits the Highways
Touring the US in a sleek million-dollar custom showroom on wheels, the digital TV manufacturer Mitsubishi is giving consumers a peek into the future. Loaded with its latest LCD flat panels and DLP rear projection televisions, the featured product is a 73” DLP that shows a 7-minute loop of movie clips, sporting events, games and ads, all in 3-D. According to Mitsubishi factory representatives on board, consumer reaction has been enthusiastic even though it requires wearing clunky 3-D glasses.
How 3-D TV Works
The Mitsubishi consumer web site indicates that only their top-of-the-line Diamond DLP series televisions are capable of showing 3-D content. Why not LCD or Plasma? The answer lies in DLP’s 120-frame per second speed. The 3-D content is loaded on a PC and attached to the TV. When 3-D mode is selected, the signal is broken down into two 60-frame per second images that are shown simultaneously. An emitter unit attached above the screen tells the 3-D glasses to shutter the picture which creates the 3-D illusion for the viewer. Currently, only DLP technology is fast enough to produce a highly realistic 3-D effect.
3-D Plasma on the Horizon
In addition to the Mitsubishi Diamond DLP models that are 3-D capable, Samsung also offers 11 models of DLP that are 3-D ready. In January, 2008 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung demonstrated a new plasma TV that is 3-D capable and comes bundled with the necessary emitter and 3-D glasses. Product is due to begin shipping in the US later this year. But even if you buy the latest and greatest 3-D television, don’t expect your favorite sitcom to be broadcast in 3-D anytime soon.
Programs available in 3-D
Right now your best bet for 3-D content is the roughly 30 or so movie releases and hundreds of PC-based video games. It should be noted that a number of the movie releases are adult titles so obviously the porn industry thinks this is a growing market. And it is possible to convert 2-D content to 3-D although the quality is not going to equal programs that are created in 3-D. Third party vendors are offering package deals that include a PC, all necessary software, glasses and assorted 3-D titles but at roughly $1500 for the full-meal deal, it’s a spendy upgrade on top of the cost of a new TV.
A promising alternative for getting 3-D content appears to be the upcoming iteration of Blu-Ray high-definition DVD players. Unconfirmed rumors are that Samsung or Mitsubishi or both, will offer a 3-D Blu-Ray player next year.
3-D Coming Soon to a Sofa Near You
The 1950’s 3-D movie craze was a short-lived fad that quickly fizzled. Modern 3-D techniques offer theater-goers a vastly improved experience. According to Ryan Nakashima’s Associated Press article entitled Movie Studios See the Future in 3-D, Hollywood studios are investing in a big way in both 3-D movies and another 10,000 3-D theater screen conversions in the US and Canada. The next arena for 3-D may very well be your living room. Before you buy a new television be sure to ask if it is 3-D capable and when 3-D content and peripherals become more widely available and affordable, consumers will be prepared.
