3-D Television

This year Panasonic and Sony are saying that they will have 3-D televisions on the market this in 2010. JVC and Mitsubishi are also said to be in the works of this technology. According to Panasonic’s Executive Producer Vice President Robert Perry the 3-D television is “the next frontier.” The comparison he made was when color television took over black and white television. Another example of this comparison would be standard definition television to now high definition television. In fact, ESPN is testing this 3-D concept by shooting sporting events with a two lens set allowing the sports players to spear three dimensional. Although the 3-D television would require a owner to buy a new television and use 3-D glasses the price would not be too much higher than certain types of high definition televisions currently available to buy.

However, there are some people who believe that homes are not ready for 3-D television. Since 3-D broadcasts needs twice the amount of data it might take up too much bandwidth in television. There is also the fear that the 3-D glasses will not be accepted in American homes. Some reasons include giving viewers a headache, like they do to the HDTV Magazine’s publisher Shane Sturgeon. Sturgeon believes that the manufacturers are not ready yet and there are too many factors taking away from the enjoyment of a film with the 3-D concept.

The concept of the technology in 3-D technology is that different images are given to the left and right eyes and the person’s brain will put the two together creating the idea of 3-D. Each company goes about this in their own way. By using “high refresh rates” and “active glasses” Sony and Panasonic showed their concept in Atlanta, Georgia at a technology expo. By having the two different images going through the right and left eye they go back and forth very fast on the screen. The person’s vision goes back and forth due to the 3-D glasses shutters and they change by 240 hertz or 120 hertz. There is a sensor in-between the 3-D glasses that connect the images. Since it happens so fast the brain is fooled and is able to connect the images creating the 3-D effect according to Sony’s content manager, John Wyckoff. However, if one looks away from the television the viewer can see the opening and closing of the lenses, which can be annoying.

Although this may be the case the Panasonic’s footage of skiers appearing to be flying into the laps of audience members in the Olympic events in 3-D technology impressed viewers at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association Expo. Although David Lesch who is the AC Media sales director found himself to be “fidgeting” with the 3-D glasses during this Panasonic demo the picture of the 3-D images on the one hundred and three inch plasma screen was great. However, he was not sure if the image would have been as impressive on a different type of television program. Lesch added,"I cannot imagine that I will watch CNN in 3-D. But for sports, yes. To watch soccer and ice hockey -- anything -- that would be great." 3-D television or the “next-generation televisions” would have the ability to show images in not only 3-D bu 2-D as well. At the expo in Atlanta Sony showed this as well.

According to Sturgen at HDTV Magazine rather than having strobing glasses like Panasonic and Sony they are making a different type of 3-D television. Instead glasses that are polarized are used by JVC. In fact, since the left eye’s image and the right eye’s image are separated it is more appeasing to watch.

In addition, along with 3-D glasses live television in 3-D will need to have new type of broadcasting equipment which means a lot of major converting in technology. Plus, Bu-ray is in the works of creating a type of technology that allows movies that are 3-D in ones home.

3-D products created by Sony and Panasonic admit that they are working on getting rid of kinks that still exist. However, Perry at Panasonic said that he thinks in five to ten years 3-D television will be a common technology within homes. In ten to fifteen years he believes tat 3-D television without the use of glasses will exist.

A spokesman Michael Bridwell for Digital Projection which is a company that creates 3-D home theaters that are high-end says that in the “foreseeable future” 3-D television will be the “biggest” technology on television and in home movies. He followed this by saying, "until we get to holograms," he said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/18/3D.home.television/index.html