3-D HDTV
If you are either in the market for your first HDTV or lucky enough to be looking for another HDTV then you’re timing is great because the new 3D HDTVs, which are said to rival IMAX in theaters, are just starting to come out on to the market and three dimensional high definition television is poised to be the future of television. The bad news is that in order to get a fully capable 3D HDTV home theater you will need to shell out quite a bit of cash because even if you already have an extravagant home theater you will likely need to purchase everything new again except for the speakers and speaker wire in order to make it a fully functional 3D home theater system. The biggest exception to this is your Blu-ray player, if it happens to be a Sony PlayStation 3 or a few other select models which can be upgraded via firmware (software) updates.
Home Audio/Video Receivers
You may also be able to use your current stereo receiver but unfortunately the connections will most likely become a little more complicated since an older receiver will not be able pass-through the 3-D video signal to your TV so your Blu-ray player, cable or satellite box, or whatever source device you use will need to be able to output the video through HDMI to the TV and the audio to the Audio Video Receiver using a separate output connection. This should be a digital connection to keep the highest audio quality since a lossless connection will no longer be possible. This may also cause issues with the audio/video sync (lip sync) but this should be fixable through the receiver’s controls. Depending on your financial situation and home theater preferences you may want to consider upgrading to a 3-D home theater receiver. You will also benefit from new HDMI 1.4 cables since current 1.3 version were never intended to pass 3-D signals, Ethernet, or this much data through them. Check out the HDMI 1.4 page for more information on HDMI cables.
Using a PlayStation 3 as a 3D Blu-ray Player
The only piece of equipment that may be compatible with the new 3D HDTV (besides your speakers) may be the Blu-ray player, but only if it is a PlayStation 3. That is because Sony announced that the PS3 would be upgradeable through a pair of firmware (software) updates. The first to enable 3D gaming on the PS3 and the second will enable Full HD 3D Blu-ray playback. So far, the PS3 is the only Blu-ray player that any manufacturers have announced will be upgradeable to play Full 3-D HD Blu-rays and will most likely remain the only one. This is likely due to the fact that the cell processor inside the PlayStation provides more than enough processing power to render (draw) the 3D images (up to 240 per second) and no other current (non-3D) Blu-ray player can since they were originally only designed to draw up to 30 frames per second which is, or was the standard for television and the fact that the PlayStation 3 is a full-fledged computer as well as a gaming console that is, if you decide to install a Linux operating system on it.
Mitsubishi "3D Ready" DLP TVs
The good news is that if you are currently in the market for an HDTV you can buy a Full 3D HDTV for just a little more than a comparable 2D model, usually only a hundred or so. Now we are on to the main point of the article, preparation for the purchase of a new 3-D HDTV. There are currently two main types, for lack of a better word, of 3-D HDTVs on the market. The first of the three is the approximant two million plus Mitsubishi DLP “3-D Ready” HDTVs. These include basically all Mitsubishi DLP HDTVs and a handful of Samsung DLPs (which use the same Texas Instruments DLP processor chip) made in the last two to three years (manufactured before 2010), all of which are labeled as “3-D Ready”. To see if your TV is “3-D ready” check the input/output panel for a “3D Sync” connection or check the TV’s on screen menus for a 3D option. These TVs are capable of 3D but do not meet the Blu-ray 3-D standards because they do not provide a 1080i or 1080p picture to each eye (eg. 2x1080p24). Instead they provide half of that, a 1080p or 1080i picture to both eyes and therefore are dubbed half 3-D HDTVs. These TVs generally are not recommended for purchase as a new 3-D HDTV since it is not capable of producing 1080p pictures to each eye which is required for the 3-D Blu-ray standard and it is generally believed that production of this type of TV will soon cease and be replaced with the full 3D HDTVs.. However, they do meet the required specifications needed to reproduce 3-D video transmitted over cable and satellite. So if you only wanted to watch 3D from ESPN or DirecTV networks and likely future networks as well these TVs would work as long as you have Mitsubishi’s 3DC-1000 3D Starter Kit. The kit contains the 3DA-1 3D Adaptor box, an IR emitter, two pairs of 3D LCD Active Shutter glasses, and one copy of Disney's digital 3D showcase disc. The 3DC-1000 3D Starter Kit retails for $399.99 and the 3DA-1 3D Adapter by itself retails for $99.99. You may be able to get a great price on a 3D TV or a new one deeply discounted on sale due to the fact that the technology seems to be somewhat out dated with the new 3-D TVs.
Full HD 3D TVs
The second type of 3-D HDTVs are the new 3D TVs currently being advertised for on television and now displayed in many consumer electronic stores such as Best Buy, Fry’s, Sears and many others. These TVs are mostly flat screen televisions and can be easily differentiated from the previous “3-D Ready” DLP Samsung and Mitsubishi TVs because the new one will feature a “Full HD 3D” logo. These 3D HDTVs will still require you (and everyone watching with you) to wear the 3-D glasses, and additional glasses will need to be purchased separately because depending on the manufacture and model new 3-D TVs may come with up to two pairs of glasses, but some model don’t come with any 3D glasses in an attempt to keep costs as low as possible.
Autoscopic TVs
A third type of 3D HDTVs are the ones that do not require you to wear glasses in order to get the 3-D effect. These TVs have been termed Autoscopic TVs. Unfortunately, these TVs are not in mainstream production yet. Companies are currently working on producing large screens with images good enough for consumer sales but have yet to produce any at a reasonable cost. There are currently a couple of Autoscopic 3-D HDTVs that have been produced but sell for tens of thousands of dollars and viewers must sit in certain positions in order to see the 3-D effect, but with time I believe these TVs will become common place.
What 3D content is currently avilable?
So, after your wallet recovers from the purchase of a brand new 3-D HDTV, you can save up for a 3D ready Blu-ray player (unless you have a PS3), a 3D ready receiver, and last but certainly not least are the 3D glasses which everyone who wants to watch the 3D picture will need a pair. Keep in mind that the glasses will need to be compatible with your specific television. There are only a few different types of 3-D glasses, but be sure to check that the ones you buy work with your television before just buying any old pair of 3D glasses. Check our best buys and recommendations pages for more information on our recommended products. Finally, you will need some 3D content. ESPN is currently broadcasting the World Cup in 3D on their new ESPN 3D channel. Satellite provider DirecTV also offers DirecTV Cinema, DirecTV on Demand and n3D, as well as ESPN 3D.DirecTV Cinema offers the hottest Hollywood blockbusters pay-per-view movies, documentaries and more, all in amazing 3D on channel 104. DirecTV on Demand offers a wide selection of 3D titles to choose from. The n3D channel is a DirecTV exclusive channel, unprecedented and dedicated to HD 3D and offers the best in 3D sports, music, nature, arts and more all on channel 103. ESPN 3D is, as the title suggests, a 3D version of ESPN offering a minimum of 85 live sporting events in 3D during its first year, beginning with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Other presentations include: The X Games, the college football's ACC championship game, the 2011 BCS National Championship game, college basketball, and some NBA games, all on channels 103 through 107 on DirecTV. There are also currently a few 3D movies available including Avatar 3D, Tron 3D, Drive Angry 3D and many more to come.