Digital 3D has advanced in leaps and bounds since the red and green 3D glasses of old. New digital 3D technologies are able to deliver clear, full colour images to each eye and advances in digital production technologies have improved how 3D movies and programmes are created and aligned on the screen. All of these factors combined provide a more convincing, comfortable and much richer experience than was available in past decades.
2. What do I need to watch today’s high‐definition 3DTV?
You will need:
- A 3DTV
- Passive or active Shutter 3DTV glasses ‐ these glasses are more sophisticated than the ones that you may have used at cinemas
- An infrared emitter ‐ often built in to the set
- A 3D video source ‐ a 3D capable Blu‐ray player, PlayStation®3 or suitable cable/satellite box
- 3D video content
You cannot watch 3D programmes on a 2D TV, as High Definition 3DTV requires video processing capabilities not found in 2D sets.
4. Can I watch things that are not in 3D on my 3DTV?
Yes, your new 3DTV will also show 2D content perfectly well, in addition to 3D content.
5. Do my Blu‐ray player and 3D television have to be the same brand in order to work with each other?
No. All you need in order to play 3D Blu‐ray discs is a 3D compatible Blu‐ray player and any of the new 3DTVs.
6. If I buy a 3D Blu‐ray movie, can I play it on my older non‐3D player?
Yes, but you will see the movie in 2D. Although, there are exceptions: some Blu‐ray players – such as the PlayStation®3 – can be upgraded with a firmware update, so that they are able to output the full‐resolution 3D signal.
7. What 3D content is available?
The major 3D content will be movies, sports/live events, television, and games. The movie studios are beginning to release their 3D movies on Blu‐ray 3D.
8. Are there 3D videogames? Can I play them on this screen?
Yes, there are several 3D video games, and many more in development for both PCs and consoles, especially the PlayStation®3.
9. Can I watch 3DTV while lying on my side?
No. The 3D effect is created by placing the pictures for your left and right eye horizontally next to each other. The effect works best when your head is upright. The more you lean over, the less 3D you will see.
10. I wear eye prescription glasses and contacts. Can I watch 3D?
Yes, special 3D glasses are large enough to ‘wrap around’ your regular glasses and allow you to enjoy 3D video and movies.
11. Is 3DTV safe and can everyone see it?
When used properly and when instructions and advice are followed, 3DTV should not pose adverse health or safety risks. People who suffer from stereo blindness may be prevented from perceiving the intended depth of 3D entertainment. Also, some people who watch 3D programming may experience initial feelings of motion sickness as they adjust to the picture. Others may experience headaches, eye fatigue or continued motion sickness.
12. Can I get 3D on DVD?
No, full high definition 3D is only available on Blu‐ray 3D.
13. Why do I need to pay for 3D glasses at home when I get them for free in the cinemas?
There are currently two different eyewear technologies used to view two different systems: 3D-Polarized and Active Shutter. Many cinemas in the UK use polarised systems, but most of today’s 3DTVs use Active Shutter glasses. These glasses are more sophisticated than the passive-polarized counterparts used in cinemas, due to the electronics built into the eyewear.
14. How do the 3D glasses work in the home?
Active Shutter glasses use LCD shutters to switch between the left and right eye in sync with the image on the screen to give you full colour and full resolution in both eyes. This technology makes the glasses more expensive than anaglyph or polarized eyewear, but the benefit is that Active Shutter systems can deliver the highest resolution image on today’s 3DTVs.
15. Are Active Shutter glasses compatible with all 3DTVs? Are they interchangeable between different 3DTV brands?
No. At present, each brand’s glasses will work only with their 3DTVs, but they should work on any 3DTV produced by that manufacturer.
16. Is the 3D I see on TV the same as in cinemas?
Just as high definition video and audio on 2D Blu-ray is the best possible representation of the 2D cinema experience, Blu-ray 3D is the best way to bring the 3D cinema experience into your home. Although there are different 3D presentation technologies at work between what you see in cinemas and what you see on your 3D TV, the overall experience will compare well, provided that home viewers are watching at an appropriate distance from the screen.
