Here at 3D TV Watcher we get asked questions everyday about 3D TV and its capabilities. So, we have teamed up with Sky’s official 3D TV partner, LG, to try and make everything a bit clearer.
What is the difference between Cinema 3D™ and active 3D TV technology?
LG’s Cinema 3D™ is the next generation 3D technology delivering 3D in the same way as cinemas across the UK, using polarised glasses to separate the images displayed and filtering the specific imagery intended for the left and right eye through the relevant lens. You may have heard this technology being referred to as Passive. The world’s first Cinema 3D TV technology delivers the ultimate viewing experience to share with your family and friends.
This is different to active 3D technology found elsewhere in LG’s plasma 3D range and used by other manufacturers, which uses active shutter glasses that are battery powered and require synchronisation with the TV.
Active 3D TVs use special LCD shutter glasses, which are activated by an emitter built inside the TV. The glasses’ shutters open and close at different times to allow different images into each eye. With active 3D TV, much of the 3D technology is housed in the glasses themselves, therefore making them more expensive than the Cinema 3D™ polarised equivalent. These active glasses also require charging, which can be done easily via a USB connection found at the back of the TV or using your laptop.
What can I watch in 3D?
The launch of the Sky 3D channel last autumn has provided consumers with a wealth of incredible 3D content, from groundbreaking documentaries like David Attenborough’s Flying Monsters, to the world’s first opera in 3D, not to mention eye-popping blockbusters like Avatar and some of the world’s best sporting events like the US Masters. 3D gaming is also starting to take-off, with games like Avatar and Call of Duty: Black Ops already out and much more due to hit the shelves in 2011.
Do LG’s Cinema 3D™ (passive) TVs provide Full HD 3D?
Yes, both Cinema 3D™ and active 3D technologies support Full HD, differing only in the way they relay pictures. Active 3D technology delivers 1080p lines of resolution to each eye, whilst Cinema 3D™ projects 540p lines to both eyes (creating 540+540=1080p Full HD). This has been certified by Intertek.
What’s the right angle to watch 3D TV?
LG’s Cinema 3D™ TVs have an ultra wide viewing angle, so there’s no need to rearrange the furniture for this 3D TV! They accommodate flexible positions, so whether you’re lying on the sofa or even just while leaning backwards – Cinema 3D™ TV provides good picture quality from every angle. Active shutter glasses need to be synchronised with the screen, so viewers need to be sitting in a position where the receiver will connect with the glasses i.e. in a direct line to the TV.