Guide to Home Theater 3D
Everything you need to know about bringing the third dimension home.
March 24, 2010 - 3D was the big push at this year's CES, and now the products unveiled at the show are making their way into stores. But with all the terms and technologies at work, it's pretty easy to get turned around. Follow our guide to 3D to find out what you need, why you need it, and what it all does.
What you need:
3D technology doesn't really contain any particular piece of technology that you haven't seen before. The TVs aren't all that different from regular 2D sets, as are the Blu-ray players, cables, ports, and glasses. What is different is that 3D synchronizes all of these parts to produce a highly coordinated image with the illusion of depth. So the basics of a 3D set up are: a newfangled 3D HDTV, active-shutter LCD glasses from your TV's manufacturer, and a Blu-ray player, 3D-capable console, or cable box with HDMI 1.4 ports.
Why you need it:
In recent years a lot of TVs have been released under the '3D Ready' or '3D Compatible' umbrella. While they are capable of displaying a 3D image, they can't sync up with newer glasses or 3D Blu-ray players. This is why the new 3D TVs being released this year are necessary for the whole system to work properly. They feature 120Hz refresh rates, HDMI 1.4 ports, and a device for syncing with the wireless glasses. You'll need glasses because otherwise your TV will just look like a blurry mess, and they need to be from the same manufacturer because, unfortunately, other ones just won't connect to your TV.
Blu-ray players are one of the few components that may not need upgrading. If your player can connect to the internet for firmware updates, like the PS3, then there's a good chance it'll play 3D Blu-rays once they become available. If it can't be updated, you'll need a player with HDMI 1.4 ports for obvious reasons. The same goes for your cable box, if you want to take advantage of the 3D channels debuting later this year. And if you're just looking to play games in 3D, the PS3 will be getting a firmware update this year, while the Xbox 360 is already 3D capable. This doesn't mean you can go back and play your old favorites in 3D, but once more games start supporting 3D you can rest assured the console you already own will work just fine.
In recent years a lot of TVs have been released under the '3D Ready' or '3D Compatible' umbrella. While they are capable of displaying a 3D image, they can't sync up with newer glasses or 3D Blu-ray players. This is why the new 3D TVs being released this year are necessary for the whole system to work properly. They feature 120Hz refresh rates, HDMI 1.4 ports, and a device for syncing with the wireless glasses. You'll need glasses because otherwise your TV will just look like a blurry mess, and they need to be from the same manufacturer because, unfortunately, other ones just won't connect to your TV.
Blu-ray players are one of the few components that may not need upgrading. If your player can connect to the internet for firmware updates, like the PS3, then there's a good chance it'll play 3D Blu-rays once they become available. If it can't be updated, you'll need a player with HDMI 1.4 ports for obvious reasons. The same goes for your cable box, if you want to take advantage of the 3D channels debuting later this year. And if you're just looking to play games in 3D, the PS3 will be getting a firmware update this year, while the Xbox 360 is already 3D capable. This doesn't mean you can go back and play your old favorites in 3D, but once more games start supporting 3D you can rest assured the console you already own will work just fine.
What it does:
The biggest difference between 2D and 3D technology is the introduction of HDMI 1.4. It's the backbone of the whole system, increasing the amount of data that can be transferred between devices. New features include a built in ethernet channel with up to 100 Mb/sec transfer speeds, the dual-stream 1080p signal required for 3D, and support for 4K resolution. The 120Hz refresh rate on the TV ensures that the dual images being displayed alternate quickly enough to look like a solid image with no flickering, and the active-shutter glasses synchronize with the TV at the same speed to create the 3D effect. 3D Blu-ray players essentially do the same job they've always done, reading data off the disc and sending the signal to the TV, but now they're tasked with sending twice as much video data since 3D requires two versions of every frame.
What you can watch:
As of right now, there isn't a whole lot of 3D content available, aside from a Samsung exclusive 3D Blu-ray for Monsters vs. Aliens, Avatar: The Game on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360, and an XBLA game called 'Invincible Tiger: The Legend Of Han Tao'. Shrek 3D will also be coming to Blu-ray, but will remain exclusive to Samsung for one year. Even Avatar won't be arriving in 3D Blu-ray form until 2011. Sony has demoed titles like WipEout and Gran Turismo 5 in 3D, but they've yet to announce any formal plans for conversion. With the PS3's firmware update coming sometime this summer, the door is certainly open. Similarly, Microsoft has stated they're prepared to support any 3D efforts from their developers.
TV is getting the biggest boost, with Discovery and ESPN both launching new channels. Discovery has partnered with IMAX and Sony to deliver 24/7 3D programming on their new channel. ESPN, meanwhile, as promised to broadcast at least 85 sporting events in 3D over the course of the year, starting with the opening match of the FIFA World Cup on June 11. DirecTV is also on-board, debuting three new 3D channels this June and partnering with Fox to broadcast the MLB All-Star game.
The biggest difference between 2D and 3D technology is the introduction of HDMI 1.4. It's the backbone of the whole system, increasing the amount of data that can be transferred between devices. New features include a built in ethernet channel with up to 100 Mb/sec transfer speeds, the dual-stream 1080p signal required for 3D, and support for 4K resolution. The 120Hz refresh rate on the TV ensures that the dual images being displayed alternate quickly enough to look like a solid image with no flickering, and the active-shutter glasses synchronize with the TV at the same speed to create the 3D effect. 3D Blu-ray players essentially do the same job they've always done, reading data off the disc and sending the signal to the TV, but now they're tasked with sending twice as much video data since 3D requires two versions of every frame.
What you can watch:
As of right now, there isn't a whole lot of 3D content available, aside from a Samsung exclusive 3D Blu-ray for Monsters vs. Aliens, Avatar: The Game on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360, and an XBLA game called 'Invincible Tiger: The Legend Of Han Tao'. Shrek 3D will also be coming to Blu-ray, but will remain exclusive to Samsung for one year. Even Avatar won't be arriving in 3D Blu-ray form until 2011. Sony has demoed titles like WipEout and Gran Turismo 5 in 3D, but they've yet to announce any formal plans for conversion. With the PS3's firmware update coming sometime this summer, the door is certainly open. Similarly, Microsoft has stated they're prepared to support any 3D efforts from their developers.
TV is getting the biggest boost, with Discovery and ESPN both launching new channels. Discovery has partnered with IMAX and Sony to deliver 24/7 3D programming on their new channel. ESPN, meanwhile, as promised to broadcast at least 85 sporting events in 3D over the course of the year, starting with the opening match of the FIFA World Cup on June 11. DirecTV is also on-board, debuting three new 3D channels this June and partnering with Fox to broadcast the MLB All-Star game.
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