Comprehensive 3D TV Guide - Explore The Innovative World Of 3D.....

3D TV News

LG/Microsoft teaming up on 3D TV/Gaming

LG and Microsoft are reported to have reached an agreement to market the LG 3D TVs alongside the proposed Xbox 360 3D gaming platform.

DirecTV to gain a lead in 3D programming
DirecTV has plans to kick off four 3D TV channels in June this year, including three of its own and ESPNs channel.

Video On Demand in 3D
French Cable broadband operator Numerical has announced plans to offer 3D video on demand services using a Cisco powered platform. The VOD service is expected to be made available in late 2010.

First Major League Baseball Game in 3D
DirecTV will air the first ever MLB games in 3D on July 10th and 11th. The Yankees-Mariners games will be shown for viewers owning 3D sets.

Discovery, Sony and Imax 3D TV channel joint venture
May 03 - Joint venture announced between Sony, IMAX, and Discovery to air the first full time 3D TV channel in the US....more

May 03 - Sharp introducing first LCD 3D TV using Quattron technology.

Samsung/SES Astra 3D TV promotion partnership
April 28 - European network operator SES Astra and samsung have announced partnership plans where Samsung will support Astra with 3D content for its demo 3D channel to be launched on 4 May 2010.

BSkyB launch the first European 3D TV channel at the end of April 2010. Sky 3D will cover movies, sports, arts, and music on it's 'free to HD package subscribers dedicated 3D channel.

Panasonic released their first 3D TV model in March this year as a precursor to a planned rollout of additional models starting in May. New releases include four sets of different sizes, ranging from 50 inch up to 65 inch. Active shutter 3D glasses will be supplied with each set purchased......

50 inch - Model TC-P50VT25 - $2,599.95
54 inch - Model TC-P54VT25 - $2,999.95
58 inch - Model TC-58VT25 - $3,399.95
65 inch - Model TC-P65VT25 - $4,299.95

The Japan based Newsight company cause a stir at the Finetech Japan 2010 Expo, revealing a range of autostereoscopic ' no glasses required' 3D TVs which operate using parallax barrier technology. The 70 inch model displayed is claimed to currently be the biggest ' non glasses' 3D TV in existence.

April 27 Toshiba have announced their first research prototype 3D TV model that doesn't require glasses....Read More.....

Useful 3D TV Articles - Quick Links

One of the great ways to get information on any product or service is to search the many article websites. These are used by experts in their fields to post articles online - some good and some not so good - which cover just about everything you're likely to want to know.

Here's a good selection of article directories with quick links to the specific 3D TV sections within them.

ArticleAlley - Carries an extensive range of 3D TV articles.

EzineArticles - One of the best known and original article directories, offering a comprehensive list of 3D TV related articles and guides.

FindArticles.com - Long running and well respected article directory offering a great range of information on all aspects of 3D TV development, technology and products.

GoArticles.com - Billed as the internet's largest free content article directory

DMOZ - DMOZ is one of the oldest and most respected directories, carrying links to high quality and information rich websites. The 3D TV search returns some interesting results with great reading material.

Technorati.com - Lets you search blog posts or for website info. Techorati is a hugely valuable information source containing comprehensive 3D TV info.

Wikipedia - the internet's best known information source - carries an in depth 3D TV article that explains the history and technology behind the development of 3D television.

About.com carries an in depth FAQ article which covers all areas of 3D TV development.

Guide To 3D TV - An introduction to the new TV technology

We now all know of the revolution in home entertainment delivered by HDTV, but if the major television set and film producers are to be believed then we're all set to welcome 3D TV sets as the next boom in must-have entertainment products for our homes.

As little as a few years ago, most of us would have been laughing at the idea of buying a 3D-ready TV for our homes. That idea has now become a reality. Samsung is leading the 3D TV charge with plans to launch a range of 3D televisions that will convert 2D to 3D images in real time. Toshiba and Mitsubishi 3D TVs are either released or planned, and the other major manufacturers such as Panasonic also have advanced release plans. Major TV networks such as ESPN plan to launch the first official 3D sports channel in June this year.

What is 3D TV...and Why Do We Want It?
So, exactly what do we mean when we speak of 3D TV? Well, the simple answer is it's a generic term for a visual display technology that lets us, the viewers, experience images delivered on a home TV in the form of specially created content including games, movies, sports, and others. If the explosion in news articles of this new technology is to be believed, then over the next few years we're all going to see a huge increase in opportunities to experience TV in 3D.

If you haven't yet seen one of the latest specially filmed 3D movies at the cinema, you're in for a real treat when you do. 3D is a very powerful technology which has the ability to immerse us in a viewing experience, and make the action pop from the screen. The 3D movie Avatar is a great example of that, and when we get the chance to watch our favourite sporting events and music concerts in real 3D I think we're in for a treat.

The 3D TV models, 3D DVDs, and specially filmed 3D movies that are already appearing are the first of what could become a major shift in our lives, where the TV images that have been at the forefront of bringing news and entertainment to millions is poised for the coming breakthrough in technical capability.

History and 3D TV Technology - How 3D TV Works
Employing technology first discovered in the early 1800s, the leading TV manufacturers are using ground-breaking technological skills to give us improved access to stunning 3D TV imaging, also known as stereoscopy, which basically tricks your brain into creating an illusion of visual depth by displaying two different images. This is known as a parallax view - the two slightly different perspectives of a visual object that each eye sees naturally because they are spaced physically apart. Our brains resolve these two different object views and this is what gives us the perception of depth and three dimensions.

You can read more about how 3D TV works, 3D TV technology in general, and what you need to watch 3D TV in my articles dedicted to explaining the technologies involved. If you want to read some technical detail on how our brains 'see' 3D images, there's a superb article on depth perception at Wikipedia.

3D Glasses
As the viewing of 3D images in films, movies, and short clips developed, we needed to use (and still do) special 3D glasses to help our brains 'see' those 3D images on screen. The main types of 3D glasses include Anaglyph, Polarized, and Shutter glasses.

The last named shutter glasses (they work by automatically turning shutters on and off very quickly without you realising) are the latest models for use in the home which give the best 3D results - they're a world apart from the old cardboard and plastic glasses of the 1950s, and different to the disposable glasses you get at 3D IMAX cinemas or at the latest regular cinema 3D movie showings. These shutter glasses are currently expensive and will set you back up to around $100 a pair - though as the developments in 3D TV gather pace there's no doubt you'll find this price dropping significantly.

3D TV Without Glasses - Parallax Barrier TV
For the near future we'll still need to use glasses with our specially designed home TVs, but developments in technology - particularly in the field of Parallax Barrier TV technology - promise to bring us true 'no glasses required' home 3D TVs over the next few years. To watch 3D TV without glasses you'll also still need some equipment to act as a source for content, and this is either delivered by the new generation 3D Blu Ray players or from content streamed by the 3D TV network operators.

3D TV Manufacturers
The major 3D TV manufacturers - including such well known names almost too numerous to mention as Toshiba, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, Philips, LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, Vizio, Sharp - have all announced intentions to release 3D TV models onto the market either in 2010 or 2011. Of course these will be HD sets, and many of you will only recently have upgraded to HDTV. It's worth noting here that no existing sets will be able to produce 3D images. You'll definitely need to buy (or beg/steal/borrow) a new 3D ready TV.

Pricing
So, you can expect the prices of true 3D TVs to be astronomically high initially, and beyond the reach of many of us. But there will be takers among us, particularly those of us who have been exposed to the immersive experience that good quality 3D imaging offers and can't wait for the cost to reduce. Personally, I'm in that number. I admit it, and I'm hooked. In feel for the estimated 5-10% of people that reportedly suffer from an eye condition known as stereo blindness - which means their eyes cannot process the image depth that's displayed in 3D viewing.

The Drawbacks
The obvious negatives of the new 3D TVs will be the requirement for glasses, and the requirement for a 3D Blu Ray DVD player. The other blocker to a near future take up is likely to be the current lack of mass content. In addition to this, there have been recent news articles on the potential health risks of 3D TV which we should all take note of. Price is also an issue - as with any new technology the cost of equipment is high in the early days. Prices will fall though, and for 3D fans the current entry cost might just be within reach of most of us.

Where Is 3D TV Heading? What content is available in 3D?

Currently there are two ways to watch 3D content on your 3D TV.

3D upscaling is a process which uses a 2D to 3D converter built into the 3D TV, and this allows 2D content to be translated into 3D.

True 3D content is filmed in 3D especially for the 3D TV experience. There are many movies and video games already available which have been shot or created just for 3D, and plans for 3D TV channels are well under way.

For many of us, that first true taste of 3D entertainment may come with the World Cup and the next Olympics. The point of no return might well be fast approaching.

As I mentioned earlier, there are some great 3D movies already showing in cinemas ( Avatar is worthy of a mention here, don't miss it if you get a chance) but 3D content for TV is in its infancy. If the popularity of true 3D movies is any guide though, the mass breakthrough in three dimensional programming for our televisions will occur.

See the full list of 3D TV news articles.