What about those new fangled 3DTV’s?

In the past, the average customer would just walk into a store and buy a television. More than likely their biggest choices were, which brand should I get and what size do I want?  It was relatively simple for most people.  But as Bob Dylan once said, “For the times they are a-changin’.”

Over the past ten years or so the television market has evolved and expanded very quickly.  We went from our big square looking SD boxes to ultra slim HD widescreen sets.  The market has vastly changed and I’m sure it’s enough to give some people a headache.  What do you choose?  LCD, Plasma, DLP, LED?  1080i or 1080p?  Component or HDMI?  120Hz or 240Hz?  It can be a whole lot of hassle and it isn’t going to get any easier with the recent push in 3DTV technology.

But what is 3DTV?

It is a technology that displays the images on the screen in a third dimension depth.  What you have on screen are two exact images being shown simultaneously.  One image is meant for your left eye while the other is meant for your right eye.  This creates a 3D perspective.  Sound familiar?  It should because this isn’t a brand new idea.  And just like in earlier attempts, you will need special glasses to get the effect.

These aren’t your old typical style of glasses that involved a red and blue tinted “lense”.  While they did give off a 3D perception, they were usually horribly discolored with a low resolution.  The glasses you wear will be using liquid crystal “lenses” with added technology.  This will give off the effect in a far better resolution with true colors.  You should be feeling a true 3D effect like you haven’t quite experienced in your home before.

The experience isn’t just limiting itself to one thing.  Besides the obvious use for movies, we will also be seeing 3D support for TV shows, Blu-Ray discs, and video games.  Ever wanted to truly feel what it is like to be in your favorite game?  Well, with 3D, you should feel closer to it than you have ever had so far.  That is, of course, if you have the cash.

For 3D to be used, not only will you need a 3DTV (which will cost a good bit), and the liquid crystal glasses (not cheap), your peripherals will need to support it as well.  Let’s say you have a nice Blu-Ray player, but it isn’t 3D-ready.  You’re a bit out of luck then.  You will be able to play Blu-Ray 3D discs, but you won’t get the effect.  Consider the upgrade if you plan to go the way of 3D.  For the PS3 owners, don’t worry, Sony is rolling out a firmware update later this year to full take advantage of 3D.

3DTV seems to be set to start its big push this year.  Companies such as Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio all seem firm on bringing out the products this year.  Ah, do you smell that?  It’s that lovely competition thing again.  3D does have major support by the big guns, but should you take the plunge?

Well that really depends on you.  There are no pictures or videos that I can show you that will really give off the proper effect to make a decision.  The only way to really see if 3D is for you is by demoing it out for yourself.  I’m more than sure major retail chains will have displays setup for your viewing pleasure.  Also consider the cost.  It won’t be a cheap upgrade and you’ll have to just see it for yourself and weigh the pros and cons.  The decision is yours.

3DTV is meant to give us a whole new exciting experience by bringing to life an old idea.  It has a lot of potential and a lot of marketing power behind it.  Will it be the next leap in home entertainment?  Will it give us a whole new level of interaction?  Like most everything, time will tell.  One thing is for sure, it will be an interesting year for 3D.