3D Televisions Will Be the Big Splash in 2010
Posted 4/1/2010 by Sean Tretiak

3D is coming to home theaters in 2010!  While 3D has been around a long time, it has in the past been limited to Elvira-hosted Halloween specials and the like.  With the success of Avatar, and with the pending release of high quality high definition 3D systems by Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony, HTD fully expects 3D to take hold in earnest in 2010. 

To view 3D, you will need:

  1. Source material produced in 3D.  This material will be distributed to your home over either Blu-ray (including video games) or DIRECTV which has already announced release of an ESPN channel and Discovery Channels in 3D.

  2. Players capable of 3D, including firmware-updated DIRECTV boxes, PS3’s, or new 3D compatible Blue Ray players.

  3. An unbroken HDMI v.1.4 pathway to your display.  Note that this may require a new AV Receiver or HDMI switch.

  4. A display that is 3D capable.  While these displays will likely run at 120Hz (thus showing each eye a 60Hz image in an alternating fashion), note that current sets  (as of April 2010) are not compatible, even those that run at 120Hz.  When sets that are compatible go on sale, they will clearly be labeled as 3D compatible.

There are multiple methods to achieve 3D, and it is not clear if the 3D systems that are slated to be released will be compatible with each other.  Blu-Ray players and monitors from the same manufacturers will be compatible, and Panasonic was showing in conjunction with DIRECTV at CES2010, so they will certainly be compatible.