3D Televisions3D HDTV is the next big thing. Or at least that's what the manufacturers are hoping. 3D HDTVs such as the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 and the Samsung UN55C7000 are now available, and other models from Sony and other manufacturers will be available soon.The way that these 3D HDTVs work is by using both of your eyes: you wear a pair of glasses that contain LCD shutters in the lens. Triggered by a signal from the TV, these shutters turn on and off. Meanwhile, the TV is displaying two different images 120 frames a second. Because of the shutter in the glasses, each eye sees a different image, and your brain combines them and produces the 3D effect. And because the picture changes 120 times a second, each eye sees 60 frames a second at the full 1080p resolution of existing 2D HDTV signals. Below are a series of images that show how this works.  What you see without 3D glasses: there are two images superimposed on each other
 What the left eye sees when looking through the glasses  What the right eye sees when looking through the glasses Your brain uses the differences between the images to create depth, and that's what happens with a 3D HDTV: the glasses help the eyes and the brain create the 3D effect. In the example above, the balls in the performers hand appear to be closer, while the performer in red looks further away. Here's a video that shows the 3D glasses in action. At least, that's the theory. Our reviews of the first 3D HDTVs to hit the market indicate that it does work pretty well; we found that the Panasonic TC-P50VT20 produced a pleasing and subtle 3D effect on much of the sample video that we looked at, although we will have to wait to draw more definitive conclusions, because there is only a limited amount of 3D content available at present. One thing to note here: all of the models that have been announced can play back standard 2D HDTV as well as 3D: you do not need to have a separate TV to watch 3D and 2D content. 3D HDTV has been helped by the announcement of a standard for putting 3D movies onto Blu-ray discs; you can now buy a Blu-ray player that can play back 3D movies. Sony has already announced that their PS3 games console and Blu-ray player will be upgradeable to the new standard at some point. Broadcasters are also getting in on the act: DirectTV was demonstrating a live 3D broadcast at the CES show, and Sony is partnering with both the Discovery Channel and ESPN to launch 3D networks later in the year. So while it remains to be seen if 3D HDTV is the next big thing or the next big disappointment, we are definitely going to see lots of products in the next few months that offer it. |
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Home > Reviews > 3D
The Sony XBR-52HX909 is Sony's top-of-the-line 3D HDTV and it shows. The TV had incredible picture quality overall, and while it's 3D experience wasn't perfect, it was definitely better than other Sony TVs we've seen and compared very favorably to other manufacturers' high-end 3D models. Lastly, as with all Sony HDTVs, you'll also get an incredible line-up of online content providers.
Last week, Panasonic announced the first consumer 3D camcorder, the HDC-SDT750 (Camcorderinfo.com just published the first 
The LG 47LX6500 ($2699 MSRP) has a lot of intriguing features, most notably the 3D display. It's LG's first attempt at a 3D TV (along with the LX9500 series), and we're sorry to say that it's a poor result. Sure, it's a very good 2D performer, but who wants to pay the "early adopter tax" if the 3D effect is a headache-inducing mess? 
The Sony XBR-52LX900 ($3999) is the creme de la creme of Sony's 2010 line-up. It has it all: built-in 3D, built-in WiFi, tons of streaming content, great picture quality, and two pairs of 3D glasses bundled in the box. Sony even managed to build a camera into the TV, though they make astonishingly poor use of it. This is one amazing television—if you can afford it.
The Sony KDL-46HX800 ($2699 MSRP) is a 3D-ready TV. What does 3D ready mean, you ask. In short, it means you have to buy more accessories. Not just the glasses, which run $150 a pop. You also have a buy a "3D Sync Transmitter" for $50, which sits on top of the TV like a Wii sensor bar. You can't just ask the KDL-46HX800 for 3D, you have to beg for it. 