At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2010 conference in Las Vegas, display manufacturers heavily promoted 3D HDTVs. More recently, Panasonic broadcast live to a movie theater the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in 3D HD for free to the general public.
It is very exciting to see manufactures' collective push to bring 3D displays to the consumer market this year. When sports fans see how incredible the 3D HDTV picture looks when watching their favorite team play live, I believe we will see increasing interest for 3D HD displays.
The plan is to broadcast live sporting events in 3D HD, making owning a 3D HDTV very attractive for avid sports fans the world over. Because the public has seen how realistic 3D can be while attending recent IMAX movies such as The Polar Express, U2, Avatar, and now Alice in Wonderland (2010), it is my feeling that 3D HD will now successfully make the transition to the home theater market.
What are the next steps in consumer 3D HDTV movie and live sports broadcast viewing? Well, the good folks at Mitsubishi have already been selling 3D-capable laser displays since 2008, including the 833 Series and all Mitsubishi Home Theater TVs. Mitsubishi is using active shutter glasses to achieve the realistic 3D HD image. Active shutter glasses have a layer of glass containing liquid crystal wedged between a polarizing filter. When voltage is applied to the glasses, the liquid crystal darkens, creating an alternate-frame sequence between the monitor and the glasses. This provides each eye with a different image, producing an impressive quality 3D HD experience. No more of those goofy red/blue glasses which essentially eliminate color, and are not “true 3D”. Now the job of 3D HD display makers is to convince enough content providers to do their part to complete the circle.