The age of 3D home entertainment technology has well and truly begun, with various mainstream electronics manufacturers all joining the fray to get you to part with your money for some cutting edge visual immersion. 3D technology has been in and out of cinemas for decades, but with new digital processes it is here to stay and is now far easier to replicate in the home. For the time being you still need to wear glasses, but now let us look at what technology is available and how it all works.
Sony, LG, Samsung and several other firms have already launched 3D TVs. The majority of these still cost many times more than the equivalent non-3D HDTV because the technology is fresh and the capabilities of the TV have to be at the top end if it is to cope with 3D playback. Most good 3D TVs require that the viewer wears a pair of active shutter glasses. These are usually sold as optional extras, but they can come bundled with the TV if you choose certain packages. The glasses have electronic components that block out the right and then the left eye in quick, imperceptible succession and they are synchronised with the 3D TV so that the illusion of stereoscopic 3D is created with compatible content.
Some 3D TVs use passive technology, which does not require active shutter glasses, but much cheaper polarised lenses which have no moving parts or synchronisation to worry about. These are not as desirable as active alternatives because the 3D result is slightly less impressive, but they are perfect for an environment in which expensive glasses are not as appropriate, such as for showing 3D sport in a pub.
As with standard HDTVs, you will need to think about screen size and additional features when it comes to 3D TV selection. Because the first glut of 3D TVs have been aimed at the early adopter who is willing to splash out thousands, the sizes have been typically above 40 inches, with full HD resolutions supported to give the 3D content maximum impact. Some 3D TVs have the ability to switch easily between 3D and 2D content so that their use feels seamless, while others have the ability to endow standard 2D images with real time 3D effects, which will enliven 2D content and make your investment feel all the more valuable.
When looking at 3D TVs you will also need to consider how you are going to watch 3D content on them. There are two main ways to access this at the moment. The first is via a 3D Blu-Ray player and there have been a growing number of these on the market since the first 3D TV arrived. The second is via a Sony PlayStation 3, as a recent software update has allowed the first 3D games to make an appearance, giving an interactive twist to the technology. Some previous generation Blu-Ray players can be upgraded to offer 3D playback, so if you already own one you may be in luck, but this is not a universal feature available to all Blu-Ray users.
At the moment the 3D TV market is relatively untested, with the early models all offering high-end 3D thrills at a significant cost. You might want to think carefully about the brand you choose, because for the best results you should ideally pick a 3D TV and 3D-ready Blu-Ray player that share a manufacturer, enabling synchronisation and making it easy to use one device as a universal remote control.