3D TV's Are Now On The Market
A few tips on what to buy and when to buy 3D televisions

3D Televisions are now in the market. 3D Movies are now available using the Blueray DVD technology. However, I think that the biggest users will be Gamers. Here are some thoughts on whether this is a good and timely choice.

If you are a conspiracy theorist, then you believe that 3D consumer technology is being pushed by Big Business Entertainment Companies in order to keep control of every facet in the electronic consumer experience.  And I'm sure there is something to that arguement.  In order to watch something in 3D, you have to have all the right equipment, right down to the goggles.  And right now, it is the 3D glasses that are causing a clash in the business plans of the major TV manufacturers.

Current 3D technology demands that the viewer keeps within a certain angle of the screen, and wears 3D glasses.  Yes there are some monitors capable of delivering the three dimension experience without using the glasses.  The problem is that the technology is too slow for any practical entertainment purpose. 

It has been rumoured that Samsung has put a $500,000 reward out, for anyone who can overcome this speed and picture quality problem.  So unless you get your thrills out of slow swimming whales, you can rule out glasses free viewing.  There are some commercial applications for the no-glasses 3D technology, such as static or slow moving technical work ( map reading, architectural renderings, etc) but not for most of the entertainment applications.

Because of the double layered image projection, 3D technology demands fixed, passive viewing. There is good reason that all the new 3D TV's come bundled with a great movie.  The companies want you to think of what a great movie experience you are about to have, and forget about your usual viewing habits, which probably entail a lot of moving around or focusing on other things in the environment.  This is why I think the current stage of technology is perfect for gamers.  Gamers and interactive viewers have been conditioned to spend long periods of time in one position.

Interactive TV viewing is becoming more popular.  We are used to the various video game platforms on the market, with Sony moving quickly into the 3D gaming space.  But the TV manufacturers are quickly developing partnerships with application providers.  You can get a large selection of free apps to be used on your TV and a growing number of paid apps.  You can currently download 3D movies, and I'm sure that someone will figure out how to use the various social apps in 3D.  All these interactive features make putting on a pair of glasses a painless choice.

The good news for those people who still have to move around while watching TV is that the 3D TV's have great tech specs when used in 2D as well.  And some, like the Samsung 750 series, offer 2D to 3D conversion at the click of a button.  There is no doubt that the next few years will see improvements in the technology, but there is a strong technical base which has been built through the HDTV battles of the last few years.

We are seeing solid screen technology with the led lit lcd screens.  The refresh rates of the new TV's are extremely fast, the contrast ratios and picture quality are very good across the board.  And now with the Application Subscriptions (apps), you can be free of the restrictive cable content and can customize your TV experience. Also the entry price for 3D hdtv is not as prohibitive as it was when the HDTV came on the scene. 

There are some fierce battles going on between the major manufactures, such as Tochiba and Samsung.  Which means that the consumer is the winner.  This may be the time to take the plunge and move up to 3D technology.

by Colin Noden - November 22, 2010

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Source: http://myelectronicreview.com/