All you need to know about 3D TV (Part 2)

In the previous section, we went over the basic concepts of 3D TV. In this section, we will point to two major 3D TV technologies today: "active" and "passive" 3D, as well as 3D content.

What is active and passive 3D?

Active 3D and passive 3D are two types of technology used to display 3D images on TV . Both technologies are compatible with all sources: you don't need to worry that your Blu-ray player only supports active or passive 3D. The only difference between passive 3D TVs and active 3D TVs is their way of displaying 3D effects.

Launched in 2010, 3D technology actively uses glass with battery-operated liquid shutter. Active 3D glasses will continuously close / open 2 sides of the glasses. At one point, only 1 eye sees the image from the screen, creating a 3D effect. Therefore, active 3D glasses require TVs to provide at least 60 frames per second for each eye.

Active 3D glasses.

Passive 3D technology was launched in 2011 and uses polarized glasses like the ones used in cinemas. Passive 3D glasses will filter images on each side of the eye, so the left eye only recognizes half of the pixels and the right eye sees the other half.

Original image on passive 3D TV.

Images on passive 3D TVs, taken side by side with glasses.

Different brands use different 3D technologies

Up to this point, LG, Vizio and Toshiba all use passive 3D technology. Most Sony products also use passive 3D technology, while Panasonic sells both passive 3D LCD TVs and Plasma TVs using active 3D technology.

Samsung only sells active 3D TVs. Passive 3D technology is increasingly winning against active 3D technology, but with Samsung's overwhelming market share, perhaps active 3D technology will continue to exist and popularize in the future. Currently, Samsung's compatriot LG is the main force behind " background reading " technology to help develop passive 3D TVs.

Most Sony products also use passive 3D technology.

In addition, you should also note that TVs using LED screens (LCDs) can use both active and passive 3D technology , but T V uses Plasma screens that can only use active 3D technology. .

Active and passive 3D TVs are comparable in price, but passive glass is cheaper

The main advantage of passive 3D TVs is much cheaper glasses. Most passive 3D TV models are sold at least 4 pairs of glasses. Meanwhile, only recently has the new active 3D TV been sold with glasses, but most are only 2 pairs of glasses.

When buying outside, 3D glasses are actively priced from 20 USD (about 420,000 VND) or more. In recent times, TVs with Full HD 3D support can use all types of glass that support this standard, but older 3D TVs often only use glass from the same manufacturer. For example, Panasonic's 3D TV models launched in 2011 can only use Panasonic glasses. Some of the more expensive glasses can see all the old 3D TV brands, but their prices are quite expensive: about $ 50 (more than 1 million) or more.

Passive 3D glasses are easy to use and can carry a stylish design.

In contrast, passive 3D glasses only cost from about 5 USD (more than 100,000 VND) to 20 USD (about 420.00 VND). Even if you buy from lesser-known manufacturers or buy in bulk, the price may go even lower. You can use all this type of polarized glasses to watch passive 3D TVs, regardless of brand, from the same manufacturer's glasses to non-brand glasses or cinema glasses. .

Passive 3D glasses are easy to use and easier to wear

Because there are no electronic components, passive 3D glasses are lighter and easier to use than active glasses. Active 3D glasses are now much lighter than the first generation and therefore can provide a comfortable 3D experience for users. However, compared to passive 3D glasses, they still have many weaknesses.

3D glasses are active, heavy and require batteries.

First of all, passive 3D glasses have many types, including glasses for designers and auxiliary types for those who wear glasses / telescopes. Passive 3D glasses do not cause flickering if you have just watched 3D TVs and used laptops, phones or other electronic screens, even if you are sitting in a room with lots of light.

In contrast, active 3D glasses will blink when you use them to look at other electronic devices' screens or when the light source is too strong. The 3D glasses actively use rechargeable batteries (usually via USB), or use mini batteries.

Passive 3D glasses.

Most importantly, since the 3D glasses actively close / open the two sides of the glasses, some users will be dizzy and dizzy when watching this type of TV. Therefore, in general, passive 3D TVs provide a more pleasant experience than active 3D TVs.

Image quality

Like regular TVs, 3D image quality on 3D TVs depends on many factors: Manufacturer, product line, product life, glass quality, screen type (LCD LED or plasma) and even screen size. However, we can still confirm that passive 3D TVs generally have some weaknesses and strengths compared to active 3D TVs.

Passive 3D TVs have brighter 3D images than active 3D images.

Passive 3D TVs have brighter 3D images than active 3D images, since both eyes receive light at the same time. Passive 3D technology will also cause less interference crosstalk (also known as "ghosting" , ie the image is still fragmented, creating a sense of noise even when wearing glasses) than active 3D technology.

However, the 3D TV is passive or suffers from fragmented images in the edges and straight lines. The reason is that on passive 3D TVs, the resolution for each eye is only 1920 x 540 pixels (since the number of lines on the screen after being polarized will only be half). On small screens or when viewed at a distance, this phenomenon will be minimized.

When viewing from tight corners, active 3D TVs also reproduce the 3D effect better.

When viewing from tight corners, active 3D TVs also reproduce the 3D effect better. From normal angles, passive 3D TVs also reproduce 3D effects quite well, but when moving up, down, left or right, the 3D effect will be reduced on passive 3D TVs.

Passive 3D TVs may have the best quality in the future

Because of the noise at the edges and lines that are fragmented like this, passive 3D TVs will bring a rather uncomfortable movie experience when viewed at close range and on large screens. However, in rooms with multiple lights, passive 3D TVs can provide better image quality.

Sony XBR: 84 inches, 4K resolution and 3D effects.

3D TVs with Ultra HD 4K resolution will take advantage of all the advantages of passive 3D and eliminate jagged or straight line fragmentation due to their superior resolution. The number of 3D TVs using the Ultra HD resolution is still quite small, but it will surely increase in the future.

3D content for TV

Nearly all 3D movie titles have a 3D Blu-ray version.

In recent years, about 100 Blu-ray 3D players have been released each year. Nearly all movies that use 3D technology are released on Blu-ray in 3D format, from blockbuster movies like Avatar to movies only for a few. fans are "crazy" like Dredd.

Comes with 3D movie titles on Blu-ray are the corresponding digital versions. You can use the HD head or desktop / computer to make digital content playback in 3D format.

Besides movies, games are also a remarkable source of 3D content. Some "top" games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Assassin's Creed III, Crysis 3, Gran Turismo 5, MLB 13: The Show, and Uncharted 3 will support 3D play on PC, Xbox360 and PS3 platforms . With new consoles (Xbox One and PlayStation 4), the number of 3D games released will definitely increase! The hardware power of next-gen game consoles will help eliminate the resolution limits of the older generation, providing a more overwhelming 3D experience.

3D technology in Crysis.

In addition, online video streaming services, typically Netflix, also support 3D video formats. However, these services have not been provided in Vietnam, and therefore domestic users will have to keep waiting in the future.

Some TV manufacturers, most notably Samsung, LG and Sony, have also provided services for delivering 3D content (costly) to their Smart TV (Smart TV) products. Sensio's 3DGo 3D TV service is significantly more 3D than the manufacturer's service.

Conclude

Samsung UN65F9000.

Currently, the biggest obstacle to 3D TV is the amount of content (Blu-ray, TV channels, games .) is still quite meager. However, the biggest strength of 3D TV is image quality: All of the highest-end TV models have been equipped with 3D features, and therefore can confirm that the "high-end TV segment" has become into "3D TV segment". When buying 3D TVs, you will still enjoy the best quality of 2D images, and will also enjoy blockbusters (which are moving to 3D more and more) no different from sitting at the cinema.

Since the price of 3D glasses without glasses is still quite high, at the present time you will have to choose for yourself a suitable 3D glass technology: active or passive. In the future, the price of 3D-based TVs in general (needing glasses or without glasses) will definitely continue to decline, and then this relatively new technology will soon change the home entertainment space. , just like HD TV did a few years ago.