Will blu-ray / HDMI support 3D TV?

Will blu-ray / HDMI support 3D TV?

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Discussion

garycat

Original Poster:

4,569 posts

216 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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With all this talk of 3D TV's being the next big thing and coming to market in 2010, will existing blu-ray players and the HDMI cable they use support 3D when films are released?

If not, is it worth buying a bluray player?

Koing

442 posts

179 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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Non at the moment. They will need a firmware update.

I read somewhere that the PS3 will support 3D TV with a firmware update. It's very easy for Sony to update it's firmware. Not sure how willing the other manufacturers are keen on updating their firmware without wanting to flog you a 3D blu ray player...

You will likely need a 3D TV also to get the full affect of 3D. The blu ray won't just over lay the film slightly off to produce the 3d image. It doesn't quite work like that.

Do you watch many films? If not a normal blu ray won't be worth it for you. I have an i love film membership and get 4films a month for £8 or so. The quality is sweet and worth it to me. I use a PS3 as it was cheaper at the time and the quality for me is great enough on a 50" 1080p plasma screen.

Koing

Plotloss

67,280 posts

276 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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They have the capacity to, yes.

However, with the exception of one manufacturer all the 3D chatter at CES has been around glasses based solutions and thats the way I think it will stay for some time.

The only manufacturer that has said they have a potential solution without glasses is known for it's wild and largely inaccurate claims...

snotrag

14,828 posts

217 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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Could you expand on that...?

I've read titbits about 3D TV.

Using glasses is easy to understand.


However... 3D TV using just a screen.

A screen being, essentially, a 2 dimensional item. I just cannot work out how they expect to do it... will you have to sit and watch it bozz-eyed like a magic eye picture?

Plotloss

67,280 posts

276 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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You know those plastic cards that show a semi-3d image, that have a sort of ribbed feel to them? Its similar to that.

There is a long thin lens which runs over the surface of the panel which physically seperates what the left eye and the right eye sees.

You have to be in *exactly* the right place to get the right effect though and even then apparently its a bit odd.

But then it's a Samsung product so fancy claims and performance that doesn't live up to the expectation shouldn't be an enormous surprise.

Beardy10

23,630 posts

181 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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I don't think standard HDMI 1.3 supports 3D. I believe it needs to be High Speed HDMI 1.3 to support it and ideally you need the new standard....i.e. HDMI 1.4.

It's utterly unbelievable how they don't invest in HDMI technology and actually try and make it relatively future proof. I am sure they knew that 3d would require more than 1.3 could offer when it was launched. Not only does HDMI have dodgy connectors, poor quality over long runs and some would say poor quality full stop it also goes out of date bloody quickly.

I am just thankful I haven't invested in it to the extent I can't replace it. I have Cat5e runs and also component cable from my av cabinet to me screen.

FlossyThePig

4,092 posts

249 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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3D TV the new VHS/Betamax HD-DVD/Blu-ray squabble :-P

cs02rm0

13,812 posts

197 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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Plotloss said:
They have the capacity to, yes.

However, with the exception of one manufacturer all the 3D chatter at CES has been around glasses based solutions and thats the way I think it will stay for some time.

The only manufacturer that has said they have a potential solution without glasses is known for it's wild and largely inaccurate claims...
There are existing development sets from at least one mainstream manufacturer which work and don't require glasses for the 3D effect, there are other downsides though (have to stand in one particular spot, even worse eye strain issues, etc). Given the pace of development though I'm quite sure they'll appear soon enough, slightly surprised they weren't at CES.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

276 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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cs02rm0 said:
Plotloss said:
They have the capacity to, yes.

However, with the exception of one manufacturer all the 3D chatter at CES has been around glasses based solutions and thats the way I think it will stay for some time.

The only manufacturer that has said they have a potential solution without glasses is known for it's wild and largely inaccurate claims...
There are existing development sets from at least one mainstream manufacturer which work and don't require glasses for the 3D effect, there are other downsides though (have to stand in one particular spot, even worse eye strain issues, etc). Given the pace of development though I'm quite sure they'll appear soon enough, slightly surprised they weren't at CES.
They were at CES, Samsung had it on display.

It's a lens based system, as explained above wink

cs02rm0

13,812 posts

197 months

Thursday 14th January 2010
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Doh!