3D Buying Guide
Step-by-Step
Step 1 (required): To watch any content in 3D (such as 3D Blu-ray movies or 3D cable or satellite channels) you'll need a 3D HDTV.
Unfortunately you won't be able to use or upgrade your current 2DTV to display 3D content, since 3D requires additional video processing capabilities. Also, unless it has been specifically designed for 3D display a TV will not be able to send or receive the infrared or Bluetooth signal needed to sync the active shutter 3D glasses.
With pretty much all major CE manufacturers now making 3D-enabled TVs, you can expect plenty of new models to choose from. Initially, as is typical with the introduction of new technology, most of the 3D sets that were available at launch were the flagship models of their respective makers, now as it has become more popular, you will find 3D is included on a lot of the manufacturers TV models, almost becoming a standard like High Definition has become.
Step 2 (required): A pair of active shutter glasses
You'll need active shutter 3D glasses designed to work with your 3DTV. At least one pair will be bundled with new 3D sets; some brands plan to offer two with the initial purchase. These glasses contain liquid crystal lenses with the ability to become dark when voltage is applied, but otherwise remain transparent. The glasses alternately darken over one eye and then the other, in synchronization with the refresh rate of the screen, while the display alternately displays different perspectives for each eye to create the 3D effect. For those who already wear glasses, active shutter 3D glasses are designed to be large enough to wrap around your regular glasses and allow you to enjoy 3D video and movies.
One drawback is that currently there is no single standard for active shutter glasses, so some TV brand's glasses will work only with their 3DTVs.
Step 3 (optional, but highly recommended): A 3D Blu-ray player and Discs
You can wait for cable and satellite providers to roll out their 3D channels (3D programs will be accessible via current set-top boxes), but if you are like most of us, your right-now eagerness will lead you to 3D full HD resolution films on Blu-ray. To watch 3D Blu-ray discs you'll need to obtain a 3D-ready Blu-ray player (or update your PlayStation3 game console with the appropriate firmware. The PS3 console has enough processing power to handle the two 1080p signals that 3D Blu-ray requires). Again, it will not be possible to upgrade previous generation Blu-ray players.
There is a lot to like in the new Blu-ray 3D players: every Blu-ray 3D player and disc can deliver full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby providing not only the immersive impact of 3D, but also the industry's top resolution image quality. How to best describe 3D pictures in 1080p? Well, as Billy Crystal used to say when he played Fernando on the old Saturday Night Live skits, it looks mahvelous.
In addition, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D players will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, plasma, OLED, DLP or another technology. 3D Blu-ray players will be backward-compatible, too, and thus able to play both standard Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and CD's. Many of the new 3D Blu-ray players also offer Wi-Fi so you can wirelessly connect to your home network and stream a wide variety of movies, TV episodes, videos, music and more.
Step 4 (required to connect a 3D-HDTV to a Blu-ray player and to connect either/both to a home theater receiver): You'll need to use high speed HDMI cable.
If your existing HDMI cables are designated "high speed" (10.2 Gbps or higher), then you are ready to go and don't need to upgrade. (Please note: High speed HDMI cables come in two versions; one that supports ethernet pass through, designated high speed HDMI cable with ethernet (aka, HDMI spec version 1.4), and one that does not (simply called high speed HDMI or version 1.3.) Only newer receivers with HDMI 1.4 ports can pass through all of the 3D video formats including full HD (1080p) 3D signals.
High speed HDMI cables with Ethernet (spec 1.4) provide an audio return channel, which allows a TV, via a single HDMI cable, to send audio data "upstream" to an audio video receiver (AVR), eliminating the need for a separate audio connection. Consequently, while you can still connect a 3D Blu-ray player to your older A/V receiver using any HDMI or optical or coaxial output for the sound, to take advantage of the cable clutter-reducing possibilities, AVR manufacturers such as Denon, Yamaha, NAD, Pioneer, Sony and Harmon Kardon have been upgrading their products from HDMI 1.3 to HDMI 1.4.