The active vs. passive 3D TV battle rages on. On the passive side, you get a brighter image and light inexpensive glasses that don't require batteries, but at the cost of resolution and viewing angle. On the active 3D side, you get a nice full HD resolution image in 3D mode, but at the expense of more expensive battery-powered glasses and lower brightness. What's a 3D-loving videophile to do?
Earlier this year, Samsung seemed to have a solution, telling attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show that they had no immediate plans to make passive 3D TVs in the current style (using a resolution-killing film or glass pattern retarder), but instead working on a hybrid active/passive 3D TV that put an active polarizing filter on the TV itself. This technology, which was being jointly developed with RealD, would allow consumers to view 3D using inexpensive and convenient passive 3D glasses, while still enjopying the image quality benefits ofa full resolution 1080p picture.
Looks like Samsung has changed its mind again. According to Engadget, the deal with RealD is off. RealD confirmed the news in the company's second quarter earnings report.
"RealD today is announcing revised expectations for its license agreement with Samsung Electronics LCD Business," the report says. "In May 2011, RealD and Samsung announced that panels featuring RealD 3D display technology were expected to be made available to consumer electronics manufacturers by early 2012. RealD has recently learned that Samsung's initiative to manufacture panels under the RealD license agreement is not being pursued at this time. As a result, RealD is now pursuing other potential partners for its 3D display technology among consumer electronics panel manufacturers."
No further details were available regarding RealD's "other potential partners." Samsung hasn't released any details or comments yet.
It's possible that Samsung got cold feet. After all, it's probably not the best time to sink money into a new TV technology, particuarly with the lackluster reception that 3D TV has gotten in general. Panasonic recently announced plans to pull back on plasma production. Sony also revealed plans (via Bloomberg) to reevaluate and restructure its HDTV business.
RealD did post a profit in the same earnings announcement. The 3D company says that revenue jumped 35 percent over this time last year, to $88 million. However, that good news was short-lived. After the financial results spilled the beans about Samsung, RealD shares dropped more than 13 percent to $9.78 in after-hours trading. Will another company swoop in to resurrect this active/passive 3D approach? Time will tell.
Also Check Out:
