TV O.K. for 3D?

[Thund3rball]

I LOVE all this 3D TV crap. The gorgeous LED TVs I have had my eye on are so bloody cheap now it's almost worthy of an impulse buy! :D

[SKYMTL]

It is a totally confusing market which I am sure will hold it back for the forseeable future. I've been briefed by everyone from VESA to NVIDIA to Samsung and I still have problems distinguishing up from down.

First of all, 3D Blu Ray is a format not for displaying images but rather for adapting a 3D film to blu ray. Meanwhile, 3D Vision is a DISPLAY METHOD for 3D which is compatible with 3D Blu Ray as long as you have the necessary hardware and software within your computer.

As for the methods, there are several but most TVs use active shutter glasses which are fed information from an IR transmitter. The main reason why the glasses aren't compatible from one manufacturer to the next comes down to the syncronization between the glasses and the TV. They have to be set up in parallel and there is currently no standard for the IR signal reception and sync. This is why Bit Cauldron's Heartbeat technology is used in some upcoming glasses from Monster and others in order to create a nearly universal pair of 3D glasses. Basically, these glasses are able to intercept, read and properly sync the onboard shutters with the TV's IR signal.

[bojangles]

Ugh...I really think they should certify standards before technology is released...sure makes adoption one heck of a lot easier...

[JD]

Originally Posted by bojangles

Ugh...I really think they should certify standards before technology is released...sure makes adoption one heck of a lot easier...

Where's the profit in that?!

I think on Engadget they said 5 million 3D TVs have been sold in the US? Seems awfully high, but I guess people have money to burn...

[Slik]

Maximum PC has a short article on 3D TV and they say that all you need is a 'true' 120hz refresh as opposed to 'legacy' 120hz. They did not go on to explain the difference other than to suggest it's a manufacturer trick of some sort. I want to believe my $2900.00 TV is 3D ready.Everything I have read so far does not give a definative answer.Anyone here find anything more informative? Thanks all.

[SKYMTL]

The Max PC article raised m ore questions than it answered.

Basically, there IS NO SUCH THING AS A LEGACY 120HZ SET. Every single manufacturer is still releasing sets that aren't true 120Hz. Even the newest Samsung c-series and Sony Bravias have several models that don't use 120Hz refresh rates.

The difference is that an actual 120Hz panel will refresh the image 120 times every second whereas a "false" 120Hz set will use interpolation to fudge things. This distinction is particularly important for 3D as the shutter glasses being used need to run at 60 refreshes PER EYE so the user doesn't see a rapidly flickering image.

TVs that don't have a 3D-Ready certification but still advertise 120HZ or even 240Hz use interpolation as I mentioned. Basically what this means is instead of actually refreshing the image 120 or 240 times per second, the TV's image processing routine is just generating additional frames to eliminate judder, etc.while the TV itself is still working at 60Hz. It is just marketing that makes up these "Hz" values since they sound nice.

Now, a true 120Hz set will actually have a panel working at 120Hz which will result in accurate syncing with the 2x 60Hz shutters in the 3D glasses. Just remember that even a true 120Hz set can still use interpolation in order to achieve 240Hz.

[Slik]

Wow,talk about buyer beware!

[Zero82z]

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

The difference is that an actual 120Hz panel will refresh the image 120 times every second whereas a "false" 120Hz set will use interpolation to fudge things.

Not quite. Both will refresh at 120Hz. The difference is that a "normal" 120Hz TV will not accept a 120Hz signal and will instead turn a 60Hz signal into 120Hz by interpolating the intermediary frames, while a "true" 120Hz TV can actually take in a 120Hz signal. Both panels are displaying 120 frames every second, but it's the circuitry behind it and the TVs' built-in software that determines whether or not you can actually display 120Hz content.

[Slik]

Originally Posted by Zero82z

Not quite. Both will refresh at 120Hz. The difference is that a "normal" 120Hz TV will not accept a 120Hz signal and will instead turn a 60Hz signal into 120Hz by interpolating the intermediary frames, while a "true" 120Hz TV can actually take in a 120Hz signal. Both panels are displaying 120 frames every second, but it's the circuitry behind it and the TVs' built-in software that determines whether or not you can actually display 120Hz content.

Does my Sony KDL BR9 have a true 120hz? Where would I look to find out?

[SKYMTL]

If your Sony had a true 120Hz panel, they would have marketed it as "3D Ready" IMO.