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. |
Samsung UN55C7000 3D LED LCD HDTV Review
Panasonic TC-P50VT20 3D Plasma HDTV Review
Sharp LC-68LE920UN LCD HDTV First Impressions Review
Panasonic TC-P65VT25 Plasma HDTV First Impressions Review
Toshiba Cell TV 3D LED LCD HDTV First Impressions Review
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Home > Reviews > 3D
It's really unfortunate the UN5C7000 is plagued with so many issues at its launch, because otherwise it's a pretty decent TV. It has a good contrast, good color response despite a slightly wonky color temperature, and surprisingly little motion blur. The big downsides are artifacting issues and screen uniformity. 
The Panasonic TC-P50VT20 is the second 3D HDTV to hit the scene, but it's actually showing up with all the necessary gear: it's currently being offered as a bundle with a set of 3D glasses and a 3D-capable Blu-ray player. While this bundle makes the TC-P50VT20 the best option for 3D if you need to have it right this second, we'd think it might be smarter to give the first wave of this technology a pass.
The LC-68LE920UN is the flagship of Sharp's new LE920 series, has two unusual, new features: it's one of the few 68-inch models, and the panel uses 4 colors, adding yellow to the usual red, green and blue components.
The TC-P65VT25 is the flagship HDTV from Panasonic, featuring a 65-inch, plasma display and 3D capability. In addition to 3D, the TC-P65VT25 is wireless ready. This feature allows users to access online content via Panasonic's Viera Cast system, and place video calls via Skype (though you'll have to buy a webcam to broadcast your own image).
The Toshiba Cell TV is one of the most talked about products here at CES 2010. With a truly stunning list of specs, you have to wonder how well it's going to deliver on all these fronts. Here's what's promised: 3D display, a 4K resolution, the most powerful processor in any television, a 1TB media drive, 480Hz refresh rate, 2D-to-3D realtime upconversion, wireless HD, and 512 zones of LED backlighting. Yeah, it's a hell of a resume. Let's hope it can deliver.