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Initially, 3D will be offered only in the higher end lines from set makers such as Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi, LG and others. 3D sets will utilize many display technologies including plasma, LCD, LED LCD, rear projection and front projection. 2010 3D flat panel screen sizes are expected to range from 40 inches to 72 inches.

3D film based content is recorded at 48 frames per second (24 frames per second per eye). Displays will present the image at either 120 Hz (60 frames per second per eye) or at 240 Hz (120 frames per second per eye) depending on the display technology.

What 3D HDTV Is Not

3D HDTV is not holographic television. For example, when viewing a holographic television image of a larger ball in front of a smaller one straight on, one would see just the large ball, since the smaller one would be blocked from view. However,  the smaller ball would become visible should the viewer move either to the left or right of directly in front of the display. That wouldn’t happen in stereoscopic 3D, which is what’s currently used in movie theaters and planned for FHD3D home viewing; unlike holographic television, changing your vantage point when viewing 3D will not change what you see.

The development and implementation of full motion color holography is decades away for many reasons. Full color holography requires multi-colored lasers. Full motion color holography requires far more information to be stored on disc than is currently feasible. Current broadcast and display technologies are not up to the task.

What You Will Need to View Full HD 3D at Home?

Full resolution (1920x1080) high definition 3D (FHD3D) requires a FHD3D source, a 3D compatible display and 3D viewing glasses. According to an HDMI.org spokesperson, a single HDMI cable from a Blu-ray 3D player to the display will carry both the full HD 3D video and audio soundtrack as a digital stream at a rate of about 6.75 Gbps.

Will FHD3D Blu-ray Discs Contain Surround Sound Audio Tracks?

Like today’s conventional movies, 3D movies will usually be available with digital surround sound audio tracks and will require a home theater surround sound system to enjoy the full surround soundtrack. Compressed digital audio formats such as Dolby Digital will be included in 3D movies and decodable via Toslink and coaxial digital audio connections using current AV surround sound receivers.

However, surround sound receiver manufacturers who’ve responded so far to our requests for information (Sony and Yamaha) claim that the incorporation  of the new lossless codecs such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS Mastersound within the 3D bit stream means they will not be decodable via current generation surround sound receivers, nor will current receivers be capable of receiving, switching and feeding 3D video signals to 3D displays, because their HDMI circuitry is not capable of understanding the EDID information from the 3D display and will automatically shut off the HDMI single within the receiver .

“Next generation” surround sound receivers are capable of receiving, switching and feeding 3D video over the the 3D HDTV and decoding lossless surround sound audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD via high bit rate HDMI are scheduled to begin shipping in Q2 of 2010.

Must You Wear 3D glasses?

Yes. Just as you must wear skis, boots and bindings to go skiing, you'll need 3D glasses to view 3D video. While technologies exist that allow you to view 3D without glasses, all of them divide up the resolution by the number of views (i.e. five viewing positions would provide only one-fifth the definition of FHD3D for each viewer, or around the same resolution as non-HD analog television). Currently, multiple view, high definition 3D television without glasses, is not feasible.

What Type of Glasses Must You Wear?

FHD3D viewing requires a way to send the left eye image exclusively to the left eye and right eye image exclusively to the right eye. A number of ways exist to do this.  To date, all FHD3D vendors have announced "shutter glasses" that blink rapidly on and off in sync with the displayed frames in the following sequence: left eye image to left eye during which time the right eyeglass lens is opaque, then right eye sequence with the left eye lens opaque, then back to the left eye and so forth. The shutters blink with sufficient rapidity to avoid the perception of flicker. An infrared or RF sync signal emitted and spread throughout the room by the 3D TV, accomplishes synchronization of the 3D frames with the glasses.

While other types of 3D glasses, including “anaglyphic,” the familiar paper ones with one red lens and one green lens (or another color combination), can and have been used in movie theaters and in other applications, because that technology does not provide the image quality or color accuracy of the shutter-type glasses it is not included in the FHD3D standard.

Commercial movie theaters showing 3D movies provide RealD 3D circular polarized glasses, linear polarization glasses, Dolby 3D glasses or Xpand shutter glasses. The Dolby glasses produce the two distinct eye views by incorporating color band filters in the lenses . The Xpand glasses are similar to the ones that will be used in home 3D systems. Xpand claims its shutter glasses produce a superior 3D presentation because they are free of the inter-ocular leakage, often referred to as “ghosting,” from which other systems suffer.

Unlike glasses used in other systems, which, like everyday eyewear, are passive, Xpand’s more expensive shutter glasses are active and require a power source, typically an internal rechargeable battery. Passive glasses can be inexpensive with the circular polarization type used in RealD 3D theaters costing around a dollar each.

3D HDTVs will most likely include two sets of glasses, with additional pairs available from dealers or directly from manufacturers at a retail cost of around $75, though discount coupons and other promotions from the FHD3D makers will likely lower the cost considerably.

3D HDTVs will be sold two different ways, depending on model and vendor. "3D Ready" sets will require the additional purchase of glasses and synch emitter for viewing 3D programming. “Full 3D” sets will include two pairs of glasses and the infrared or RF emitter.

A number of companies say they may manufacture their own 3D glasses. Higher volume and increased competition will inevitably drive prices down on 3D shutter glasses.

Display manufacturers have yet not announced whether their respective 3D shutter glasses will be interchangeable with other TV makers units.  We will have to wait until early 2010 to answer this question.

What Will You Watch in 3D HD?

Initial content, according to industry sources, will be full HD 3D movies, Playstation video games and for DirecTV subscribers with a HD satellite receiver, a new 3D channel. Dozens of 3D movies exist that can be converted to FHD3D Blu-ray disc.

2009 was a banner year for 3D animation. The release of Avatar marked the beginning of a resurgence of live action 3D. 2010 will see many more 3D movies released, a Playstation 3D upgrade from Sony and 3D video games, sports, movies and other 3D broadcasts in Europe and Korea, as well as a possible 3D launch by US cable companies late in the year, depending upon the establishment of a reasonably sized viewer base.

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