3D TV in Your Home? Here’s What You Need.
April 15th, 2010 by Chris M
3D is the most exciting advancement the TV market has seen in the past few years. However, we are asked quite frequently about what is needed to implement this in your home. For starters, there are three essential components: a 3D TV, 3D blu-ray player, and 3D glasses.
The first component is a 3D TV set. Many manufacturers are making 3D TVs this year. Samsung alone has five (5) LCD TVs and two (2) Plasma TVs that are 3D ready. By themselves, these TVs are normal flat panel TVs. You can plug them in like any other TV and watch cable, satellite, or blu-ray. Combining the TV with a 3D source, however, will transform the set into a 3D screen.
Logically, the second essential to getting 3D in the home is the source. Currently, the only available 3D source is blu-ray, but that will likely change in the future. Recently, Comcast Cable even broadcasted the Masters Golf tournament in 3D . Samsung’s released its BD-C6900 3D blu-ray model this year. It’s important to note that the blu-ray DVD player does not turn a DVD movie into 3D–you must purchase a 3D blu-ray disc. Having connected the 3D blu-ray player and inserted the disc, the hardest part is complete.
The last item you will need is the 3D glasses. These glasses are not your old-style cardboard style from the past. The lenses are battery operated active LCD shutters that open and close quickly to give the 3D effect. There is an infrared sensor on the glasses that communicate with the 3D TV to stay in sync. The Samsung glasses sell for around $150 each and every person watching the movie will need a pair of glasses. Otherwise, the picture will appear distorted and un-watchable. Once you have all 3 elements combined, customers are able to enjoy great 3D right in their living rooms.
It’s also worth noting that 3D blu-ray content requires 50% more bandwidth than regular blu-ray data, so finding a cable that can handle the information load is also vital. We recommend the AudioQuest 1.4 compatible cables such as the new AudioQuest Cinnamon line.
Also, as a side note, 3D compatible DLP rear projection TV sets have been on the market for years from Mitsubishi and Samsung. These TV sets are not fully 3D ready, but with the additional purchase of an emitter box and 3D blu-ray player, 3D TV is still obtainable. Companies like Nvidia and Aspen Media manufacturer emitter boxes, but these will only hook up to TV sets with the proper 3D connections on the rear of the set. Although there is limited 3D content on the market right now, 3D TV channels are in the works and additional 3D blu-ray movies will be released soon. 3D has officially arrived .
