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Yes. With one exception, no HDTVs can be upgraded to support the new 3D formats used by Blu-ray, DirecTV, the Sony PlayStation3 and others.One reason is that the TV must be able to accept a 3D signal, which is basically two 1080p/24 images (one for each eye), to display Blu-ray 3D. That's potentially confusing because many non-3D LCDs have 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates, and manufacturer marketing also mentions "600Hz" plasmas. Regardless of the "Hz" spec, these non-3D models can only handle a single-image source, not the double-image signal required for Blu-ray 3D.
Another reason is that 3D requires different video processing and additional hardware, including some way to send the necessary infrared or Bluetooth signal to the active 3D glasses. Passive 3D TVs use a special screen "retarder" (see #5) that's not standard equipment on 2D TVs. We're not ruling our the possibility of third-party add-ons overcoming these limitations, but as of now there's no way to convert any 2D TV to be compatible with the new 3D TV formats.The exception mentioned above applies to the approximately 4 million 3D compatible rear-projection DLP and plasma TVs sold in the last few years by Mitsubishi and Samsung. Both companies sold such DLPs, and Samsung also sold the PNB450 (2009) and PNA450 (2008) series plasmas, but all of them required a special 3D kit, along with connection to a PC source, to display 3D. Mitsubishi now sells a conversion kit ($449 with two pair of glasses) that allows older Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D DLP TVs--but not older Samsung 3D plasmas--to work with the new 3D sources. Third-party sites also sell conversion kits that work with these legacy 3D TVs.
How much more do 3D TVs cost?It depends on screen size, extra non-3D feature differences and many other factors, but in 2010 cost of a 3D versus a non-3D model was at least $200, and usually more. As of press time Panasonic's 50-inch G25 plasma (2D only) and GT25 (3D) are separated by about $250; Samsung's 46-inch UNC6500 (2D) and UNC7000 (3D) by about $350. In 2011 the 50-inch Panasonic ST30 (3D) and S30 (2D-only) are separated by $400 list price. Note that none of these models include 3D glasses (see #21).Comparisons like this aren't strictly apples-to-apples, however, and especially in 2011 3D TVs will come closer to their 2D counterparts in price. Nearly every mid- and high-end HDTV this year will be 3D-capable, and we expect nearly all of the best-performing TVs to support 3D. Can the 3D feature on a 3D TV be turned off?Yes. All 3D TVs will display current 2D content with no problem and no glasses required, and their 2D picture quality is not affected in any negative way we've noticed by their 3D capabilities. The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for all such discs to also include a 2D version of the movie, allowing current 2D players to play them with no problem.Many 3D TVs include 2D-to-3D conversion processing that will allow viewers to "watch everything in 3D." However, in our experience those systems don't come close to the realism of true 3D content. Check out our "Avatar" in simulated 3D comparison for a taste.In 2011 some Blu-ray player makers have announced units, llike the Sony BDP-S780 and the Samsung BD-D7500 that will offer simulated 3D from 2D discs. We haven't tested any yet, but we don't expect miracles. Do 3D TVs use more power?That depends on the TV and its picture settings. We've tested numerous 3D TVs' power use and a few, namely Panasonic and Samsung plasmas, draw significantly more juice in 3D mode at default Standard picture settings.
On the other hand, the LED TVs we've tested draw just a bit more, and one LED model actually drew less.Of course TV makers are free to adjust picture modes, which directly affect TV power consumption, and the Energy Star guidelines for TV power use do not apply to 3D mode. 3D TVs displaying 2D material don't inherently use more power than 2D TVs. Will all 3D TVs work with all 3D formats?Unlike with Blu-ray versus HD DVD, there doesn't seem to be a major "format war" between the various methods for delivering 3D. Those methods include "frame packing" for Blu-ray (the only one to promise "full 1080p to each eye"), side-by-side and top-and-bottom for TV programming and most games (which both halve resolution), and "checkerboard" (used primarily by the older DLP models; see #16) . All new 3D TVs will handle all three formats, although you might have to manually engage the correct setting in the case of the latter two.It's also worth noting that Blu-ray discs "exclusive" to one manufacturer (see #10) will play on every new 3D TV. Despite being a Panasonic exclusive for now, for example, the "Avatar" 3D Blu-ray will play on any current 3D Blu-ray player and/or TV.Do 3D TVs come with glasses? How many pair?In 2010 only two TVs included active 3D glasses, the Sony XBR-LX900 series (two pair) and the Panasonic VT20/VT25 series (one pair). Each was an expensive flagship model. The Vizio XVT3D650SV, which was released in December 2010, includes four pair of passive 3D glasses.We expect more of the same in 2011. Active 3D glasses will remain an optional ($60/pair and up) accessory for all but the highest-end HDTVs. Bundling glasses in with the TV for "free" will remain a selling point for passive models, all of which we expect to include at least 2 and more often 4 pairs. Can I use any 3D glasses with any 3D TV?XpanD's X103 universal 3D glasses.(Credit: XpandD)No. Active 3D glasses are proprietary for each manufacturer, so for example if you have a Samsung 3D TV, only the Samsung active 3D glasses will work with it. Despite calls for a "universal" glasses standard, in 2011 we don't expect to see any active glasses work cross-brand. There are third-party universal 3D glasses available, however, such as the XpanD X103, that will work with any active 3D TV.Passive 3D TVs, on the other hand, will work with most circular polarized 3D glasses regardless of brand, although some differences (slightly different tints, for example) may affect performance. Does everyone watching a 3D TV need to wear the glasses?Yes. Every member of a family sitting around the 3D TV, for example, must wear the glasses to see the 3D effect. If they don't, the image on the screen will appear doubled, distorted, and, for most practical purposes, unwatchable. Currently, there's no technology that lets a single TV display both 2D and 3D content simultaneously without glasses.Can I wear 3D glasses over regular glasses?Yes. People who wear normal prescription lenses already can experience the full effect by wearing the 3D glasses too, which are designed to fit over an existing pair of glasses. Of course it can be less comfortable to wear two pairs of glasses, and currently prescription 3D glasses are rare.Can I lie down while wearing the glasses? Can I surf on my laptop?3D doesn't work when you lie down sideways on the couch, and passive models seem to lose the 3D effect as well when viewed from far off-angle (see #34).On the other hand passive 3D glasses don't impede looking at your laptop, aside from darkening the image a bit. But when active shutter 3D glasses are turned on they strobe rapidly (see #5), causing the LCD screens of laptops, cell phones, iPads and similar devices to flicker to a greater or lesser extent. In many cases the flicker makes such screens unreadable. Active glasses also cause similar effects under some fluorescent lights, although the effect is usually subtle unless you look directly at the light. I hate 3D glasses. When will we get glasses-free 3D TV?Glasses-free, or autostereoscopic, 3D TVs have been released before, and are available now in Japan from Toshiba, but the technology is not ready for the mainstream. It's currently quite expensive, of limited screen size and requires viewers to sit in very specific places relative to the screen. Given these limitations we expect it to be a few years at least before autostereoscopic TVs hit U.S. stores in any quantity. Of course, we could be wrong.
Another reason is that 3D requires different video processing and additional hardware, including some way to send the necessary infrared or Bluetooth signal to the active 3D glasses. Passive 3D TVs use a special screen "retarder" (see #5) that's not standard equipment on 2D TVs. We're not ruling our the possibility of third-party add-ons overcoming these limitations, but as of now there's no way to convert any 2D TV to be compatible with the new 3D TV formats.The exception mentioned above applies to the approximately 4 million 3D compatible rear-projection DLP and plasma TVs sold in the last few years by Mitsubishi and Samsung. Both companies sold such DLPs, and Samsung also sold the PNB450 (2009) and PNA450 (2008) series plasmas, but all of them required a special 3D kit, along with connection to a PC source, to display 3D. Mitsubishi now sells a conversion kit ($449 with two pair of glasses) that allows older Samsung and Mitsubishi 3D DLP TVs--but not older Samsung 3D plasmas--to work with the new 3D sources. Third-party sites also sell conversion kits that work with these legacy 3D TVs.
How much more do 3D TVs cost?It depends on screen size, extra non-3D feature differences and many other factors, but in 2010 cost of a 3D versus a non-3D model was at least $200, and usually more. As of press time Panasonic's 50-inch G25 plasma (2D only) and GT25 (3D) are separated by about $250; Samsung's 46-inch UNC6500 (2D) and UNC7000 (3D) by about $350. In 2011 the 50-inch Panasonic ST30 (3D) and S30 (2D-only) are separated by $400 list price. Note that none of these models include 3D glasses (see #21).Comparisons like this aren't strictly apples-to-apples, however, and especially in 2011 3D TVs will come closer to their 2D counterparts in price. Nearly every mid- and high-end HDTV this year will be 3D-capable, and we expect nearly all of the best-performing TVs to support 3D. Can the 3D feature on a 3D TV be turned off?Yes. All 3D TVs will display current 2D content with no problem and no glasses required, and their 2D picture quality is not affected in any negative way we've noticed by their 3D capabilities. The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for all such discs to also include a 2D version of the movie, allowing current 2D players to play them with no problem.Many 3D TVs include 2D-to-3D conversion processing that will allow viewers to "watch everything in 3D." However, in our experience those systems don't come close to the realism of true 3D content. Check out our "Avatar" in simulated 3D comparison for a taste.In 2011 some Blu-ray player makers have announced units, llike the Sony BDP-S780 and the Samsung BD-D7500 that will offer simulated 3D from 2D discs. We haven't tested any yet, but we don't expect miracles. Do 3D TVs use more power?That depends on the TV and its picture settings. We've tested numerous 3D TVs' power use and a few, namely Panasonic and Samsung plasmas, draw significantly more juice in 3D mode at default Standard picture settings.
On the other hand, the LED TVs we've tested draw just a bit more, and one LED model actually drew less.Of course TV makers are free to adjust picture modes, which directly affect TV power consumption, and the Energy Star guidelines for TV power use do not apply to 3D mode. 3D TVs displaying 2D material don't inherently use more power than 2D TVs. Will all 3D TVs work with all 3D formats?Unlike with Blu-ray versus HD DVD, there doesn't seem to be a major "format war" between the various methods for delivering 3D. Those methods include "frame packing" for Blu-ray (the only one to promise "full 1080p to each eye"), side-by-side and top-and-bottom for TV programming and most games (which both halve resolution), and "checkerboard" (used primarily by the older DLP models; see #16) . All new 3D TVs will handle all three formats, although you might have to manually engage the correct setting in the case of the latter two.It's also worth noting that Blu-ray discs "exclusive" to one manufacturer (see #10) will play on every new 3D TV. Despite being a Panasonic exclusive for now, for example, the "Avatar" 3D Blu-ray will play on any current 3D Blu-ray player and/or TV.Do 3D TVs come with glasses? How many pair?In 2010 only two TVs included active 3D glasses, the Sony XBR-LX900 series (two pair) and the Panasonic VT20/VT25 series (one pair). Each was an expensive flagship model. The Vizio XVT3D650SV, which was released in December 2010, includes four pair of passive 3D glasses.We expect more of the same in 2011. Active 3D glasses will remain an optional ($60/pair and up) accessory for all but the highest-end HDTVs. Bundling glasses in with the TV for "free" will remain a selling point for passive models, all of which we expect to include at least 2 and more often 4 pairs. Can I use any 3D glasses with any 3D TV?XpanD's X103 universal 3D glasses.(Credit: XpandD)No. Active 3D glasses are proprietary for each manufacturer, so for example if you have a Samsung 3D TV, only the Samsung active 3D glasses will work with it. Despite calls for a "universal" glasses standard, in 2011 we don't expect to see any active glasses work cross-brand. There are third-party universal 3D glasses available, however, such as the XpanD X103, that will work with any active 3D TV.Passive 3D TVs, on the other hand, will work with most circular polarized 3D glasses regardless of brand, although some differences (slightly different tints, for example) may affect performance. Does everyone watching a 3D TV need to wear the glasses?Yes. Every member of a family sitting around the 3D TV, for example, must wear the glasses to see the 3D effect. If they don't, the image on the screen will appear doubled, distorted, and, for most practical purposes, unwatchable. Currently, there's no technology that lets a single TV display both 2D and 3D content simultaneously without glasses.Can I wear 3D glasses over regular glasses?Yes. People who wear normal prescription lenses already can experience the full effect by wearing the 3D glasses too, which are designed to fit over an existing pair of glasses. Of course it can be less comfortable to wear two pairs of glasses, and currently prescription 3D glasses are rare.Can I lie down while wearing the glasses? Can I surf on my laptop?3D doesn't work when you lie down sideways on the couch, and passive models seem to lose the 3D effect as well when viewed from far off-angle (see #34).On the other hand passive 3D glasses don't impede looking at your laptop, aside from darkening the image a bit. But when active shutter 3D glasses are turned on they strobe rapidly (see #5), causing the LCD screens of laptops, cell phones, iPads and similar devices to flicker to a greater or lesser extent. In many cases the flicker makes such screens unreadable. Active glasses also cause similar effects under some fluorescent lights, although the effect is usually subtle unless you look directly at the light. I hate 3D glasses. When will we get glasses-free 3D TV?Glasses-free, or autostereoscopic, 3D TVs have been released before, and are available now in Japan from Toshiba, but the technology is not ready for the mainstream. It's currently quite expensive, of limited screen size and requires viewers to sit in very specific places relative to the screen. Given these limitations we expect it to be a few years at least before autostereoscopic TVs hit U.S. stores in any quantity. Of course, we could be wrong.
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