EXPLANATION OF 3D TV

                                   
         

3D imaging dates to the beginning of photography. In 1844, David Brewster introduced the Stereoscope, a device that could take photographic pictures in 3D. It was then improved by Louis Jules Duboscq and a famous picture of Queen Victoria was displayed at The Great Exhibition in 1851. By the Second World War, stereoscopic (3D) cameras for personal use were already fairly common.

The 3D movie development was parallel to the development of 3D pictures and images. Already in 1855 the Kinematoscope was invented, that is the Stereo Animation Camera. The first anaglyph movie was produced in 1915 and in 1922 the first public 3D movie was displayed – The Power of Love! In 1935 the first 3D color movie was produced.

In the fifties, when TV became popular in the United States, many 3D movies were produced. The first movie was the Bwana Devil from United Artists that could be seen all across the US in 1952. One year later, in 1953, came the 3D movie House of Wax which also featured 2D sound. Alfred Hitchcock originally made his film Dial M for Murder in 3D, but for the purpose of maximizing profits, the movie was released in 2D because not all cinemas were able to display 3D films. The Soviet Union also developed 3D films,with Robinson Crusoe being their first full-length movie in 1947.

Then, television stations started airing 3D serials based on the same technology as 3D movies.

A 3D moving image begins by recording the way that our eyes see (from two different perspectives). Two HD cameras are used in a special camera apparatus to take left and right images of the chosen scene or subjects.  What you then see is exactly what the camera operator views.

If the camera shots are set up with a 3D audience  in mind, you can enable recording of the actual  ‘real life image’ experience. If the camera operator is behind the goal of a football match or falling through the air with sky-divers in a movie, then the viewer at home or in the cinema can have almost the same experience.

Each image is then recorded sequentially (left and then right image) and can be broadcast live or saved for future broadcast.

Active glasses contain LCD lenses that alternately ‘black-out’ each eye depending on whether the right or left image is being displayed on the screen.  They are referred to as active because they require a battery to operate the LCD lenses. The shuttering occurs so rapidly that you don’t see the shutters just the amazing 3D picture.

Passive glasses use polarisation to separate out the left and right image.  They are referred to as passive because the glasses do not require any power to operate them. These work with polarised TVs that use circular polarisation to deliver the two images to the viewer.  The TVs have a polarized filter integrated into the screen, and when switched into a 3D mode, the filter orientates the light emitting from screen differently for the left and right image.  When you put on the passive polarised glasses the left lens has a filter that blocks out the right image and right lens has a filter that blocks out the left image.

One important point to consider is the cost of replacing broken or lost 3D glasses.  Active glasses will cost more than polarised glasses due to the additional technology they use.  Active glasses will also occasionally need a new lithium battery (similar to a watch battery) when it runs out.

Autostereoscopic displays the next big thing? Display Taiwan goes bonkers over 3D TVs without the spex. Home Cinema, 3DTV, Display Taiwan, Autostereoscopic 0 There’s no doubt that 3D is en vogue at the moment, but it's still unsure whether consumers are willing to invest in the hardware required or not. There’s also the problem of buying into a standard which requires specific types of 3D-spex for the technology to work. However, there’s light on the horizon, as several companies were showing off 3D displays that don't require glasses at Display Taiwan.? First up we have 3M, which was displaying a rather small display with 800 x 480 resolution. It uses what 3M calls Autostereoscopic 3D - a similar system to parallax barrier technology. The problem with parallax barrier technology, though, is that the picture quality isn’t that great and you only get half the resolution of what the display can deliver.? 3M’s Autostereoscopic 3D offers the full screen resolution, and the picture quality is a lot better thanks to a special layer of film the manufacturer has developed specifically. However, the technology is limited to handheld devices, such as mobile phones and handheld games consoles. That said, the demo screen is very crisp and has a better-than-average viewing angle for a 3D display.? AU Optronics was showing off a 65in screen that similarly doesn’t require 3D glasses, but also doesn’t look too great, as you can clearly see lines in the picture. This is most likely a parallax barrier screen, but we didn’t manage to get any details on the type of technology used. On the other hand, AU Optronics was showing off a model with polarized glasses that looked rather good.? We also had a chat to Chunghwa Picture Tubes, CPT, which was showing off a new technology called 2-view LC lens. CPT believes that this is the future of 3D displays and although we have to apologise about the picture we snapped of this screen, the technology itself is rather impressive.? This technology is similar to Autostereoscopic 3D, but offers better picture quality and is meant to work on larger displays. Rather than blocking out light, like the previous two technologies, 2-view LC lens technology transmits luminescence, allowing for a brighter overall image. CPT said that this is the technology that LG Electronics believes will be the winner in the 3D display war, long term.? Judging by these examples, it appears that 3D displays are here to stay, but it’s a long time until a winner will appear. However, one thing is certain, the requirement to wear glasses to watch movies in 3D isn’t going to stick around for too long. Although, if you’re getting a 3D TV now, we’d suggest to get one with active shutter glasses, because, currently, it’s the best technology out there.

Posted in: 3d apps.,3d tv autostereoscopic dispalys,3d tv features,3d tv models