ALL ABOUT DETAILS OF 3D TELEVISION

 
3D TV is an emerging technology that allows consumers to enjoy three-dimensional movies, television programs and video games in their homes. Several companies have developed viable 3D technology for the home theater environment, but the reality of seeing 3D TV in the average household is probably years away. That's primarily because the technology requires the purchase of new television equipment, including a 3D-ready TV and a 3D-capable Blu-ray player.

One of the big questions about 3D TV is, “Will viewers have to wear glasses in order to enjoy 3D effects?” For the most part, the answer is, “Yes.” Although there are companies working on 3D television technology that does not require glasses, the systems that are coming out now use glasses.

Another thing slowing the adoption of 3D TV is the fact that content is scarce, but there are those who believe that will change in the next three to four years.

The global 3D television market will grow more than 5-fold to account for 11 percent of flat-screen TV sales this year, as prices fall sharply and manufacturers add the function as an add-on feature, research firm IHS iSuppli predicted on Friday.

It projected 3D TV shipments would rise to 23.4 million units this year from last year's 4.2 million units, gaining further to 159 million units in 2015. By that time, iSuppli said, 3D TVs would account for more than half of global flat-panel shipments.

TV manufacturers, led by South Korea's Samsung Electronics , LG Electronics Inc and Japan's Sony Corp are hoping high-end models such as 3D help them arrest razor-thin margins amid intensifying competition with low-cost producers in the commoditised flat-screen TV market.

Another research firm, DisplaySearch, also forecast last week that 3D TVs will rise to more than 50 percent of revenues and hit the 100-million unit sales mark by 2014.

By technology, active shutter-glass (SG) type sets, the current industry standard, will gradually give way to passive film patterned retarder (FPR) types and fall below 50 percent of the overall 3D market by 2015, iSuppli said.

The shift can be a big threat to top TV maker Samsung, which is aggressively pushing for SG technology and has been embroiled in a growing war of words this year with hometown rival LG Electronics and its panel supplier LG Display .

LG Group is making a big bet on FPR technology to stake out a bigger claim in the global 3D market, currently dominated by SG-type sets made by first such as Samsung and Sony.

LG contends that FPR addresses consumer concerns over blurry and flickering images, with glasses two to three times lighter than the previous bulky battery-charged eyewear that was required for 3D viewing.

The 3D market forecast by iSuppli is more bullish than Samsung's own forecast of 17 million units.

Nobody likes being bothered while they’re really getting into a movie, and as we all know you can’t really get into a movie unless it’s in 3D. Right? Sir Ian McKellen took things a step further, not only watching a screening of The Hobbit in the third dimension but doing it in character, and looking ever so slightly perturbed at having his viewing session interrupted by a rogue photographer. The guy in the back doesn’t seem to mind, though.

Remember that 3D display technology that Samsung and RealD were working on at CES? Today, the two companies announced that they’ve struck a licensing deal for the panels, which promise to deliver full resolution HD images to each eye by integrating active shutter technology directly within an LCD. This approach differs from the passive film patterned retarder (FPR) technologies that you’ll find in Vizio and LG displays, which cut image resolution in half for each eye. The new panels will also be compatible with RealD’s lightweight 3D glasses that are used in movie theaters. The technology should be available for 23 and 27-inch PC screens by early 2012, later making its way to 55-inch TV displays. No word on pricing or compatibility with other screen sizes, but expect more details to emerge at this week’s SID Display Week in Los Angeles. Full PR after the break.

Americans eager to get their eyes on Samsung’s 3D video on demand service are just going to have keep waiting, but our friends across the pond can break out their active shutter glasses and Santana Champ because Explore 3D has arrived in the UK. While the rest of us are stuck shelling out for Blu-rays and premium cable subscriptions for the luxury of watching videos in all their three-dimensional glory, Samsung Smart TV owners in Britain can now fire up movies, music videos, trailers and other clips for free. The company promised the service would be coming to the US and Europe shortly after its Korean launch in March and plans to expand its library of free titles to over 70 by the end of 2011. So, if you’re still excluded from Sammy’s free 3D party, relax — your patience will be rewarded. Full PR after the break.

On the picture above you can see a demo 3D Vision Surround system from Nvidia, but how does your 3D setup look like at home? In the comments below you can post a link to a photo of your 3D setup along with a short description about the hardware you are using. Maybe we can further grow this into a dedicated gallery with different 3D setups at a later time, so that other people considering going 3D may get some nice ideas about what and how to get to make the most out of their 3D experience.

“Samsung has led the 3D LED TV market since it launched last year, and the roll-out of our 3D video-on-demand service demonstrates our commitment to accelerating its growth.?

“We believe that in the near future every viewer will have access to 3D content in the comfort of their own living room through a Smart TV.? We will therefore continue to develop our Smart TV offering in order to provide consumers with the best viewing experience possible.”

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