3D TV TECHNOLOGY

                                      


Three Dimensional home television programing is going to be the next big thing since HD and Blueray! Computer users have been cutting their teeth with 3D for a year, with Nvidia’s 3D technology but it has not reached the mass market yet.

With more and more films being made in 3D it is only a matter of time before this technology reaches the wide market place. 3D has undergone a tremendous resurrection in the public’s consciousness.  Block busters such as Avatar, paved the way introducing new technology to film makers.

This year alone in Hollywood movies you will see close to 80 films in 3D HD come out.

Companies such as Sony, Samsung, and LG are making 3D televisions right now for consumers homes.

Our news service is aiming to be the definitive source for all of the latest news on 3D HD Television. All of our articles and news stories are meant to give the public an idea on; who the movers and shakers are, the costs, dates, and competitive research on different brands.
Sony showcased their class as Sony United highlighted several of their 3D TV models and also modern features of internet on television along with their contribution to the “3D value chain” of Sony.

Howard Stringer, the chairman of Sony got the event started at the just concluded Consumer Electronic Show by taking center stage accompanied by a gigantic 3D LED billboard display in a tricked-out car. The same features in the upcoming movie “The Green Hornet” featuring actors Seth Rogen and Jay Chou.

This event not only promoted the upcoming film giving it the much awaited hype but Sony also announced its plans for releasing fully 3D content for the box office in 2011. Stringer further stated that the company is gradually taking baby steps towards making 3D a revolution in the world of television. The event also marked the launch of an extensive second-generation Bravia 3D LCD TV line.

Stringer stated at the event that Sony has emerged in this market as undisputed leaders in 2010 because of the variety and versatility of the content that they have explored by which he referred to the production of 3D movies as well as 3D TV as well for home viewing. He further said that the year 2011 will mark the beginning of a new era where 3D is going to turn personal.

In all, the 2011 products lineup from Sony will includes 27 Bravia models. 16 of these brand new models will be supporting 3D with Full HD LED LCD displays. Out of the 27, a hefty 22 will have the capability of getting connected to the Internet.

Sony is not only ruling the present market but has also set foot to rule the future. They have showcased a set of future televisions which are glass-free. Quite amazing isn’t it? These models include a 46 inch 2K pixel LCD, a 56 inch 4K pixel LCD monitor and a 24.5 inch 2K pixel OLED display.

Sony will also be presenting prototype versions of a head mounted 3D display and a portable 3D DVD player model, which also is free of any glass. Well that is ought to be SOMETHING.

Sony just tends to dream big and just turns the dream into reality. What else will come to mind if you come to know that Sony has also turned CE products into 3D supported products. With the 3D Handy cam camcorder, Sony has managed to create something which is being called the world’s very first 3D camcorder, that too capable of recording ‘double HD quality’ images. Also in the kitty were a set of digital 3D cameras and a 3D compatible Vaio notebook. Sony did not sparing anything from the 3D mania.

Sony has also highlighted the fact that they are leaders in the connected television category as well. They have managed to pull this off by introducing various products last year ranging from the Bravia Internet Video Link platform to its Internet compatible television sets which have been powered by Google TV.
                      
Sony is leaving no stones unturned to simply stamp their authority over others. They have started an advertisement campaign with a motto of “Television Redefined: Sony Internet TV.” We may say that they know marketing better than most others.

With the rising popularity of Sony and its products who wouldn’t want to sponsor contents from Sony. Sony has YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon on Demand as old loyal ones with addition to Sony’s Qriocity VOD service and Music Unlimited service as content partners for the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link models. Music Unlimited is another exciting prospect coming from Sony that will have its official launch in the U.S. this year. This service is tipped to present the owners with 6 million songs coming from several major labels.

Sony has also managed to improve the viewers with a promise that this year Time Warner Cable will be producing every program on the cards in association with Sony’s Internet-connected Bravia HDTV models.

Sony is looking forward to even more betterment for the company with the newly elected Sony Electronics USA president Phil Molyneux. He stated that though the details are not much, the revolutionary change that the viewers are going to experience for paid channels is that the channels will be delivered over the internet with the help of programming eliminating the use of set top boxes.

Molyneux boasted of the fact that the viewers will get a new freedom and an altogether new experience of watching TV over the IP addresses.

The brand new 3D cable network being produced by Sony, joining hands with IMAX and Discovery has been christened the “3net”.

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REVEALING HOW 3DTV TECHNOLOGY

Parallax barrier 3D TVs work by using tiny lenses which are integrated into the TV screen - layered liquid crystal displays. Each layer contains small stripes that hide specific pixels so that some can only be seen by your left eye, while other pixels can only be seen by your right. The result is the two images our eyes need to see to send a 3D image to our brains. With the lenses being built into the screen, there's no longer a need for 3D glasses. The biggest drawback is that parallax barrier only works if the viewer remains in the same spot, hence the reason why the early Toshiba sets are on the small side. Screen brightness is also a possible problem.
                      
Another method of delivering no glasses 3D TV is by the use of lenticular lenses , which are shaped and designed so that a different image is displayed to each eye depending on the viewing angle. This is achieved by building small lenses on to the display screen and then refracting the left and right images that are emitted. This gives slightly less reduction in brightness than parallax barrier displays and a wider range of viewing angles.

Head tracking works by using a webcam that locks on to a viewers eyes and adjusts the images sent from the display as the viewer moves so they see in 3D. Clearly this only works for one viewer at a time and seems best employed with small screen devices such as mobile 3D TVs or laptops. In fact a Toshiba 3D laptop has already been demonstrated using this technology.

The 3D TV Box is another recent development in 3D TV without glasses technology. The Hungarian company have demonstrated a Tridelity 65 inch LCD 3D autostereoscopic 3D combined with the prototype version of the Box. The technology works by taking a standard 3D image and transmitting it to the Box to be displayed. The 3D TV Box takes the image and projects it on to the TV display at the same depth you see when using 3D glasses on most 3D sets, and can take content from Internet, satellite, cable or any other services that currently offer streaming 3D content solutions.

There were some limits in viewing angles, which is to be expected, but in general the technology offers no worse results than any others seen so far and in fact does offer an improvement in quality to the extent that the depth of imaging at least equalled that achieved with glasses. There was an added bonus achieved in brightness because lasses are not being used.

For parallax barrier viewing to work, one of the drawbacks is that the angle from which you watch the screen and your distance from the screen can be critical. So, to get a full and high quality effect you need to be sitting directly and squarely in front of the TV at the optimum viewing distance.
                        
This is a difficult one to answer at this point. The 3D TV manufacturers are still working on perfecting the method, though it's likely to be some time before the technology is advanced enough to create massed numbers at an affordable price.The first no glasses sets are also on the small side, though advance reports from the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 suggest a number of the manufacturers have prototype models under development. Sony in particular plan to show glasses free 3D TVs in both LCD and  light emitting diode models.

One thing is for sure, the current boom in the interest in 3D TV in general is already fuelling the need to develop no glasses 3D TV. If the major manufacturers want to hold an advantage over their competitors, it'll be critical for them to be looking at the best ways to deliver.

With the arrival of the first commercially available Toshiba sets, the precedent is already set for the development of bigger screen 3D TVs which use parallax barrier or lenticular lenses. Major manufacturers are already displaying prototype larger screen models. If they can deliver these commercially at a reasonable price, and with the same quality that you get from TVs that require active shutter glasses, then the predicted explosion in the acceptance and uptake of 3D viewing, whether for TV or for 3D games, may well be guaranteed.

There are a couple of other developments to be aware of. One is the potential of sets that contain tiny cameras which track the viewers position. These would adjust the emitted images so that the viewer is always in a sweet spot, relieving the need for keeping in a specific position or at a certain distance when watching. In fact, one of the latest prototype 3D laptops from Toshiba already uses this technology by use of a built in webcam which locks on to your eyes when you approach the screen. Further development is needed as at this stage it does not deliver the same quality as you get with active or passive 3D glasses.

Further future potential lies in holographic technology which of course begins to take us away from viewing images on a screen and starts to focus on the objects viewed, bringing us into the realms of science fiction - the real thing played out right in front of you. This is a little further away!

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