Last week, we covered the topic of active 3D in our Active 3D TV Buyers' Guide, taking a peek at the many active 3D TV models available now or scheduled to be released in 2011. Now, it's time to talk in the passive voice... or at least talk actively about passive 3D TVs (is that an oxymoron?).
Passive 3D TV is an entirely new category of television for this year, which may be a bit of a shock. Many consumers seem skeptical about investing in 3D TV at all. Adding another format into the equation probably isn't going to help matters. However, before we rehash the whole Blu-ray versus HD DVD war (remember that?), there are a few things you should know about passive 3D TV technology.
The first thing is that all the same 3D sources -- Blu-ray 3D players, 3D-capable set-top boxes and 3D-capable game consoles -- work with either type of TV. So you don't have to worry about all your Blu-ray 3D movies not working with your chosen TV or worry that your chosen 3D technology will be obsolete overnight and stop working. The choice between Active and Passive 3D TV is more one of priorities and personal preference.
Passive 3D TV sets work a bit differently from active 3D TVs. Instead of requiring expensive battery-powered active shutter LCD glasses, passive 3D TVs use light, inexpensive polarized 3D glasses to create the 3D image. It's similar to how we watch 3D movies in theaters and, in fact those RealD glasses from 3D theaters will work on most passive 3D TV sets.
That said, Passive 3D doesn't necessarily make the at-home experience appreciably better -- at least not yet. Today's active 3D TVs offer a better resolution in 3D mode, typically full HD 1080p to each eye, while current passive glasses 3D TVs split the resolution with half going to each eye. This means that you'll lose some picture detail if you go the passive 3D route. Of course, if you want to save a few bucks, you can opt for a 720p active 3D TV and lose even more resolution, but we won't go there.
Passive 3D TVs cost about the same as active 3D TVs. However, they use technology called a Passive Pattern Retarder (PPR) or Film-Patterned Retarder (FPR), to separate out the left eye and right eye signals which does cut the TV's resolution in half. This filter, which is built into the TV panel, polarizes the left eye and right eye images in different directions, alternating each line to each eye. In other words, the odd lines may be polarized for the left eye while the even lines are polarized for the right. This technique allows you to view a 3D image using passive 3D glasses.
If you want full 1080p resolution from a passive 3D setup, you're going to need to go with a projection rig -- and an expensive one at that! Movie theaters generally use a dual engine projector and special optically treated screen materials in order to present 3D to the audience using passive 3D glasses. Buying a system like this for home use is very expensive and can be tricky to install properly.
However, that's not to say that passive 3D TV doesn't offer some type of savings or advantages over active 3D technology. Passive 3D glasses are much cheaper and also lighter than active ones. In fact, some manufacturers (see below) include multiple pairs of passive 3D glasses in the box with the TV. On the active side, this is a premium that's generally saved for more expensive sets. Samsung is the exception, recently announcing promotions to include two pairs of free 3D glasses with every 3D TV purchase, as well as drop prices on additional pairs. However, passive users don't have to shop around for bargains. You can pick up extra pairs of passive 3D glasses for under $6/pair.
Also, passive 3D TV systems tend to be a bit brighter than active systems because there is less light lost through the lenses. And while the vertical viewing angles of current passive 3D TVs are somewhat restricted, the horizontal viewing angles are fairly wide meaning you can walk around the room without losing the 3D effect.
But really the major advantage of passive 3D TV systems is that you can afford to put a bowl of 3D glasses on your coffee table -- enough glasses for your whole family, friends, even the in-laws! -- and if you break a pair, you just throw them away and don't worry about it.
It will be interesting to see if consumers will be able to see the difference in the two technologies, and whether lighter, cheaper glasses will outweigh the extra detail available in active models. And consumers aren't the only ones weighing options; very few manufacturers have announced plans to produce passive 3D TVs. At press time, only LG, Toshiba and VIZIO were planning passive 3D TVs for 2011. Let's take a peek at what we can expect from this exciting new category.
LG
Cinema 3D glasses weigh approximately 15 grams, which is just one bonus over active 3D. These glasses don't add the extra weight (or cost) of batteries and don't ever need to be charged. They are just ready to go whenever you are -- or anyone else in the family, for that matter. LG is including four pairs of Cinema 3D glasses with every 2011 Cinema 3D LED HDTV purchase. If you have more family members, friends or other freeloaders that want to watch 3D, you can score two pairs of LG Cinema 3D glasses for just $25. Other passive polarized 3D glasses will also work and are available even cheaper.
Both the LW5600 and LW6500 use LG's LED Plus technology, which is edge-lit LED lighting that provides local dimming capability for up to 16 addressable segments. This provides better contrast and better black levels by selectively dimming areas of the screen in response to the actual content you are watching.
All Cinema 3D TVs have Light Boost, a thin screen covering to counteract light lost in 3D mode. Other features include a 3D Depth adjustment option, 2D-to-3D conversion, customized 3D picture settings, 178-degree horizontal viewing angles, and DLNA support. Each set also comes with LG's Smart TV platform, which provides on-demand access to Netflix, VUDU, YouTube, Amazon Instant Video, MLB.TV, and plenty of other entertainment apps. It can also tap into the web, which is easy to navigate via the included LG Magic Motion Remote.
Available in 47- and 55-inch sizes, the LW5600 models have a 120Hz refresh rate and come with a Wi-Fi adapter for wireless access right out of the box. The LW5600 is also the first line to be certified by Intertek (Korea) and TUV Rhineland, which boasts flicker-free 3D viewing.
The LW6500 bumps the refresh rate up to 240Hz on its 47-, 55- and 65-inch TVs.
Toshiba
VIZIO
The VX Series offers one of the most affordable 3D TVs we've ever seen (the 32-inch E3D320VX is currently $499 on Amazon!). Two of the three models have three HDMI ports, with the 47-inch E3D470VX adding in one more. All three TVs come packing two pairs of 3D glasses, a full 1080p image, and built-in Wi-Fi. Those networking features make it easy to access VIZIO Internet Apps, which offers Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, VUDU, Pandora, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and more, right from the two-sided (one has a keyboard!) remote.
VIZIO hasn't announced availability or pricing for its M Series Razor LEDs. However, we do know that all six models feature a 240Hz SPS refresh rate and Edge-Lit Razor LED technology with Smart Dimming, which are organized into 32 zones. There are three SR models and three SV models. Both lines have 42- and 55-inch TVs; the SR has a 46-inch model and the SV adds a 47-incher. Other features across the line include VIZIO Internet Apps and a Bluetooth Universal Remote, which also has that QWERTY keyboard.
Two of the four models in the XVT Series use VIZIO's Full Array TruLED backlighting with Smart Dimming technology. This includes 120 zones across the entire display, boasting control over specific areas of the image, depending on what's on screen. All four models have VIZIO Internet Apps and the IR QWERTY remote. The 22- and 26-inch models don't have the Smart Dimming, but get a 60Hz refresh rate. The other two models get the dimming and bump that rate up to 240Hz. Again, VIZIO has yet to announce prices and release dates for these four sets.
Three models from the XVT SP TruLED Series will be coming later this year. All three TVs feature the Full Array TruLED backlighting with Smart Dimming technology, a 480Hz SPS refresh rate, VIZIO Internet Apps, and the Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard.
VIZIO's 65-inch XVT3D650SV Razor LED has the Edge-lit Razor LED backlighting with Smart Dimming, a 1080p image, and VIZIO Internet Apps. A nifty little hook is built-in 802.11n dual-band Wi-Fi. Also, this model also comes with four pairs of 3D glasses.
The two XVT TruLED models don't have prices or release dates, but they certainly have plenty of other goodies. Besides the Smart Dimming, both models are part of VIZIO Internet Apps Plus (VIZIO VIA) ecosystem, meaning that users can incorporate the VIZIO Phone and VIZIO Tablet for one connected lovefest. VIA Plus TVs also include Google TV, as well as built-in dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth QWERTY universal remote that includes a touchpad.
Last, but certainly not least, we have two models in the XVT CM Razor Series. VIZIO has yet to announce a lot of info for either TV. However, we do know that both sets have the Smart Dimming, an aspect ratio of 21:9, and a native resolution of 2560x1080. Other features include VIZIO Internet Apps and the Bluetooth QWERTY remote. That 50-incher has a 240Hz refresh rate, while the larger 58-inch version cuts that number down to 120Hz.
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