TV Buying Guide: Which is Right for You?

The expression “everything comes in 3s” takes on new significance with the advent and enhancement of 3DTV technology.

With 3DTV, your entertainment experience is about to get a lot richer. It’s the fastest growing segment of the flat screen TV business because the quality, level of content and user-friendly set-up have never been better.

The future of TV is becoming a lot clearer, and that’s because of 3DTV.

Introduction to 3DTV

People are replacing their HDTVs with 3DTVs because adding a dimension to already high definition makes for even better entertainment.

Many major motion pictures are now filmed in 3D and more television networks are adding that option to their programming every day. There once was a time when people wondered if 3DTV was a fad. That question has been answered with an emphatic “No.”

The difference between HDTV and 3DTV

3D televisions have superior fields of depth and color over regular HD TVs. It will just make your overall movie experience better.

It’s not really 3D, you know?

As you may have guessed your TV is a 2-dimensional object. No matter how fancy it is, it won’t ever be truly 3 dimensional. But what 3DTV does is offer the illusion of a third dimension, by relying on the fact that we have two eyes separated by a particular distance.

3DTV footage is essentially the same image shot at different angles, which tricks the brain into thinking it’s seeing something more. The glasses help in the illusion.

Do I really need those glasses?

As of now yes, but folks are hard at work creating a technology that will make those glasses a thing of the past. Still, the glasses come with the 3D televisions are not the flimsy ones you may have first seen handed out at the grocery store. And they’re not the uncomfortable movie theater models either.

They’re more like real glasses with polarized lenses, allowing for more comfort. Your TV can still be an escape.

Active vs. Passive Glasses

Active glasses are heavy, expensive, require batteries and need to be in constant communication with an transmitter on top of the TV to stay in sync. They’ve been the norm for consumer TVs up until now. Passive glasses are the kind you use at a movie theater, and now they come with some TVs. They’re light, inexpensive, don’t require batteries and they don’t need to communicate with the TV at all. They are universal, so your passive glasses will work with a friend’s TV.

Do I need a special Blu-ray player and receiver for 3DTV?

Yes. Because 3D Blu-ray players require extra processing and the signals are different, both pieces of hardware will need to be purchased or updated along with your 3DTV.

Most major manufacturers now have at least at a few models in their lines that will handle 3D.

The difference between HDMI 1.4 and 1.3

As of now the difference is fairly negligible. While most 3DTVs and 3DTV receivers have HDMI 1.4 inputs, your high-speed HDMI 1.3 cables will still work for 3DTV. As the technology evolves, though, some of your content may not work with the standard cables.

Go big with 3DTV

While the common wisdom with HDTV was that it was best to find a TV that fit your room, no matter the size, 3DTV is a “bigger is better” medium. To truly appreciate the magic that is 3DTV, you need to surround yourself in the experience, and that is best accomplished with a TV that surrounds your field of view.

In fact, 3DTV manufacturers are onto this, and you will find it difficult to locate a 3DTV smaller than 42 inches. You need to go all in with 3DTV.

» Shop all 3DTVs
» Shop all Innovation Weekend electronics