While Sony has announced that it is joining in the 3D development scene along with Panasonic the Blu-ray Disc Association has demonstrated the active shutter technology that is one of the leading contenders for this piece of the consumer heart ...

However the active shutter technology is in fact a pair of spectacles that alternately allow left and right eyes to view the screen.

Active shutter glasses literally block and unblock your view utilizing remotely activated LCD screens in the lenses.
Here's how it works: Your HDTV sends a signal (via IR, Bluetooth, or other radio transmitters) to the glasses to sync them to the correct frame rate. The glasses - which are powered by rechargeable batteries - will send alternating electrical signals to each lens which activates an LCD screen in the lens, effectively blocking that eye's view of the screen.

At this same time, the HDTV is alternating visual perspectives (called "alternate-frame sequencing") at the exact same rate. When the right eye is blocked (and the left eye is viewing), the left perspective is displayed. When the left eye is blocked, the right perspective is displayed. By alternating visual perspectives to each eye it gives the perception of a 3-D image. And this apparently all happens so fast, that you never realize your vision is being blocked.

Personally I doubt that consumers will buy into a format that requires alienware eyepieces ... perhaps if the HD screens were built into each lens as a kind of 3D video high def walkman then it would be a cool portable device .. otherwise its just another variation on red and green cardboard glasses ...

I would much rather see the studios putting out movies on fantastic transfers rather than being concerned about 2D or 3D ... there are an awful lot of grainy 1080i Blu Rays out there.

rab's opinion · administer