Samsung to Release 'Hybrid' 3D TVs

hodg100

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In something of a surprise move, Samsung are to adopt a new method for delivering 3D images. RealD - who's 3D glasses are widely used in cinemas - and Samsung made a joint announcement, today, that RealD's glasses will be used with the jointly developed new technology that sort of sits somewhere between active and passive.

There will be no half resolution images, as we see in the current passive system, and panels are expected to be available for PC monitors in 23-inch and 27-inch sizes by early 2012 and for TVs in 55-inch size sometime after. The availability of additional panel sizes and details about pricing are to be announced at a later date.

"RealD and Samsung's new displays look fantastic and represent the next step in 3D home entertainment," said James Cameron (yes that one) who is a member of RealD's board of directors. "Full resolution viewing is key to experiencing 3D as a filmmaker intended, and when combined with the comfort and practicality of RealD 3D cinema glasses, this display technology will set a new standard for 3D in the home."

Despite the fact the glasses used will be almost identical to those used in cinemas, the new display technology delivers full resolution, HD 3D images to each eye by adopting active shutter technology on the display. So we should see brighter, flicker-free images across a more generous viewing angle. The LCD based technology is integrated on the panel and actively syncs with the left and right eye images for full resolution 3D video that can be viewed through circularly polarized RealD 3D cinema eyewear. They say RealD 3D displays are also 2D compatible - thank the lord - with 'no reduction of image quality in 2D mode'.

"3D displays should not compromise image quality by degrading resolution, it's simply not the premium viewing experience consumers have come to expect from 3D," said Bob Mayson, President of Consumer Electronics at RealD. "By working with Samsung to integrate active shutter technology on the panel, these displays deliver a full resolution 3D experience with the convenience and familiarity of RealD 3D cinema eyewear." "We have been developing this advanced active 3D display technology with RealD for a long time and look forward to introducing displays with full resolution to each eye and a wide viewing angle so audiences can experience content as it was intended to be seen," said, the rather fantastically named, Wonkie Chang, President of Samsung Electronics LCD Business.

RealD and Samsung will be demonstrating RealD 3D display TVs, PC monitors and laptops in their booths at SID's Display Week 2011 being held in Los Angeles this week. We will be visiting Samsung HQ very soon so we should be able to discuss these excting developments with them in more depth.
 

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Ok, am a bit confused. So does this mean that the active shutter display am about to get with my hard earned cash is about to be obsolete already???

Man, not all of us have yatchs, bugatti etc, lol
 
I'm confused, how can it be flicker free if it's still using active shutter on the screen?

Surely they would be better of investing in higher resolution screens to eliminate flicker and revert to LG-esque passive tech to enable passive fullHD?
 
eh???


SO

1 - Passive
2 - This format
3 - Active


A triple format war?


So...are the RealD glasses active shutter or not? Totally confused by this whole 3D thing
 
eh???


SO

1 - Passive
2 - This format
3 - Active


A triple format war?


So...are the RealD glasses active shutter or not? Totally confused by this whole 3D thing

There's no format war at the moment as all 3D material works on all TVs. There's no reason to think this new format would change this situation.
Let's not start a bloody format war rumour when there isn't one.
 
Stuart Wright said:
There's no format war at the moment as all 3D material works on all TVs. There's no reason to think this new format would change this situation.
Let's not start a bloody format war rumour when there isn't one.

What about this SBS I keep seeing?

Sent from my secret lair via my personal midget Miguel
 
This technology has been used for years by RealD in the cinema. It's an LCD screen that sits in front of the cinema's projector (and soon the main LCD/plasma panel in Samsung's TV's) which electronically changes the polarization for the left eye and right eye images as each are displayed sequentially. This screen is known as the 'Z-Screen'.

The technology is 'active' because the polarization is changed on the TV set itself as each left eye and right eye image is displayed and 'passive' because the standard circular polarized RealD non-shutter glasses are used.

It's easier to think of as full resolution passive 3D. Great news! :)
 
A couple of things.

I've heard that RealD makes film (appear) darker. When I first saw a RealD film at the cinema, I occasionally took the glasses off. I could verify that the glasses do marginally dim the image.

Inside a custom made theatre, particularly a big-screen Cinema, this won't be as big of an issue as there are practically no external light sources. However, I can't see how consumers will put into their home a technology where polarization glasses are used - especially if they see it in a brightly-lit shop first. Unless there's some clever trick by manufacturers to make the image appear brighter, I see trouble with mass acceptance.

The second issue is screen width. Nano-metre-thin panels, to my view, look breathtaking. However, if the technology requires
...an LCD screen that sits in front of the cinema's projector (and soon the main LCD/plasma panel in Samsung's TV's)...
... won't this significantly increase the width of these panels - taking away the wow factor?
 
With its use in cinemas why didnt AV manufacturers use this technology from the outset?
 
All 3D technology with glasses dims the image to a lesser or greater extent.

The active shutter in front of the screen should not add much to the thickness. All LCD screens use a polariser to absorb the reflected light anyway, so its only a case of putting another layer in front of the panel.

I will look forward to this with interest.
 
Just a bit of a follow up to this. We spoke to Samsung UK and, for the time being, the technology is geared toward computer monitors and one commercial (55") LCD. One could perhaps speculate the 55" will be for use in larger non-domestic situations where having a load of cheap glasses is a plus. As far as Samsung UK are concerned, there is no move away from their current solution for the home environment in the foreseeable future.
 
A couple of things.

I've heard that RealD makes film (appear) darker... Unless there's some clever trick by manufacturers to make the image appear brighter, I see trouble with mass acceptance.

The second issue is screen width... won't this significantly increase the width of these panels - taking away the wow factor?
I think noiseboy72 has answered these concerns excellently.

Mark Hodgkinson said:
Just a bit of a follow up to this. We spoke to Samsung UK and, for the time being, the technology is geared toward computer monitors and one commercial (55") LCD. One could perhaps speculate the 55" will be for use in larger non-domestic situations where having a load of cheap glasses is a plus. As far as Samsung UK are concerned, there is no move away from their current solution for the home environment in the foreseeable future.
What a shame! I guess it must be down to the cost of producing larger screens with this technology.
 

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