Television in 3D

Interesting article on the BBC News website. I wonder how long it is until we see this in homes?

The service can be delivered to Sky HD boxes. Would this require just polarising glasses, or a special television set too?

Special TVs & glasses under the current implementation.

Philips has a tv with the polarized lense fitted on the screen, so it's possible it may be done without the glasses.

Demonstration of this on YouTube. Obviously it's not 3D for us, but you easily get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3tEdVaGkFA

What does 3D TV mean? Are we talking about fuzzy semi-translucent images protruding out of the screen so the TV is the farthest point away from the viewer or are we talking about the effect where the picture seems to have depth so the TV is the closest thing to the viewer?

Either way, nice gimmick but whats the point?

I've no doubt that if this ever gets turned in to a consumer product then it will be successful simply because its a Sky product and people will lap it up even with an extra £10 per month charge - maybe call it glasses hire.

New TV and glasses needed with current system. Existing set-top boxes may be fine.

Both LCDs and Plasmas are now in prototype/production form that have built in polarisers (previously projectors were used).

For interlaced 1080/50i it is as simple as Even Field-> Right eye, Odd Field-> Left eye. (And with a Full 1080 screen with 1:1 mapping you just have polarisers for each line on the screen)

You have to be careful with cuts though, as if the point of interest changes, you can get eyestrain. In post production it is possible to dynamically remap the point of interest to reduce the strain caused by cuts, live this is tricky. It is one reason that 3D coverage still has a lower cut rate.

What's the point - once this is unleashed something better will come along anyway!

Having seen it earlier this year it is very impressive - but equally can be quite uncomfortable.
One issue is that you have to sit with your head upright with linear polarised systems. If you tilt your head you see both views through both eyes and it looks very unpleasant.
Dolby have a great system that uses 6 primaries and very clever (=expensive) glasses - so there are two different reds, greens and blues on the display, and only one of each gets to each eye.

Yes, you can't beat 405 line monochrome

Nice gimmick but TBH I'd rather just watch TV normally that all this 3D nonsense.

Now if you excuse me I'm going to go back to my Gramophone to put on some vinyl.

I guess however if TV goes 3D then TV Forum will ancient.

eastenders in 3d it just won't work

EastEnders in 2D barely works.