| 3D television technology is becoming increasingly | | | | small viewing angle. |
| popular with each passing day. Due to the rise of | | | | Passive glass systems: Hyundai is developing this type |
| popular 3D feature films (namely Pixar's Up and James | | | | of LCD monitor which will allow both 2D and 3D |
| Cameron's Avatar), major television manufacturers | | | | images to be viewed. To watch the 3-D images, |
| began developing three dimensional home television | | | | viewers will need to wear the traditional glasses in |
| technology in 2009. | | | | order to watch three dinemsional media. This |
| There are several methods that these manufacturers | | | | technology is nothing new: the TV has two overlapping |
| use to create 3D images on an LCD television; some | | | | images and the glasses have polarized lenses. Each |
| are more expensive than others, and some are more | | | | lens is polarized so that it can see only one of the two |
| feasible than others. This article will discuss the three | | | | overlapping images. This technology is very feasible |
| primary methods of 3-D home theater technology that | | | | and 40 to 50 inch LCD TVs with this technology are |
| will be used in upcoming years. | | | | currently available for purchase. |
| Lenticular viewing: This technology has been pioneered | | | | Active glass systems: This system is very similar to |
| by Philips, and is available as of today. TV sets that | | | | the passive glass system, except rather than the TV |
| use this technology can be watched without those | | | | doing all work, the glasses do. The glasses |
| funny glasses that audiences used in theaters. These | | | | synchronize with the refresh rate of the TV, then they |
| televisions use a lens that can send different images | | | | alternate the polarization of each lens, making the |
| to each eye. That is, your left eye will see a | | | | wearers of the glasses see 3-D images. With this |
| completely different image from your right eye, which | | | | technology, people could be watching a 2-D movie |
| will emulate your two eyes' use of stereopsis (the | | | | comfortably, then at will switch the movie into 3-D. This |
| process by which your eyes discern depth). The one | | | | type of monitor is being developed by Samsung and |
| weakness of lenticular viewing, however, is that a | | | | Mitsubishi, but the downside is that the glasses could |
| viewer must sit in a very specific spot in front of the | | | | be very expensive. Some predict the glasses to be |
| TV. This means that only a couple people would be | | | | upwards of $100. |
| able to comfortably watch the TV at once due to its | | | | |