About 3D Projectors

3D Projectors are one natural trajectory for the projector technology in the near future. “3D Ready” means that the projector, with the right 3D conent, and accessories, can produce two virtually simultaneous images essential for the 3D image viewing model. Then, thanks to active or passive glasses, deliver those two image streams, one to each of your eyes.

As of the end of 2010, the amount of 3D content remained rather limited. Other than the gaming world, where PC gamers can convert many 2D games to 3D games, on the fly, with the right graphics cards, such as some Nvidia display card models, it's downright sparse. Few movies exist in 3D, though those are well known. in late 2010, there were few 3D movies, and most under temporary license only to one manufacturer, not much to buy. Not so, a year later, as my 3D movie collection is now in the dozens, and there's lots more 3D contetn - 3D movie, 3D sports, and lots of Discovery HD type content in 3D, to be found on cable and satellite

3D Projectors that use single chip technology, such as those single chip DLP projectors that are 3D Ready, work with those expensive active LCD shutter glasses. Today almost all 3D projectors for your home, schools and business are using active shutter glasses.

Each technology has distinct advantages, but in the US, active glasses are dominating, the high cost of glasses offset by much lower cost projectors, than those that can use passive glasses.

Starting the fall of 2011 3D projectors for home should start growing signficantly in market share, prices are far lower than a year ago. Highly specialized 3D solutions for business will gain wider usage, still mostly on a specialty basis - that is - used sparingly and only where truly worth the early costs - such as, perhaps displays of 3D modeling of brain scans, or a command and control facility at the EPA monitoring drilling in the Gulf.

Please visit our first 3D Projector Report. A link will be added, when ready.

A benefit of 3D projectors using active glasses, is they can work on almost all projector screens. Those (at least for the moment) using passive glasses, really must have a screen that is optimized for 3D. I should note that does cover some traditional (but usually expensive) 2D screens, like Screen Innovations Black Diamond screens, but also there's a whole new crop of 3D screens from Stewart Filmscreen, Da-lite, and most other players in projector screen space.

If you are a home theater person, you should keep this in mind, at all times: 3D can be awesome with good content. I've been watching 3D content on screens up to 100" and I've watched 3D on 40 and 50 inch LCDTVs. With projectors - it's like the theaters - awesome - you are immersed. With those LCDTVs, it's like having a cute little window box in 3D. "awe - how cute" but forget the immersive 3D "theater" experience. Tsk!

If there's one area where projectors blow away smaller displays, more than any other, it's got to be 3D. People who have been in my rooms and seen some of the 3D content on a large screen - are - truly impressed!

Is 3D the epiphany event for home theater projectors?

Can 3D on home projectors may well be the technology that takes home theater projectors from a niche market (relative to LCDTV and plasma) to the big time. I am so enjoying watching Discovery HD type content in 3D using the LG projector, on about a 100" screen. Dazzling!

Price

For commercial quality with full HD resolution such as the LG Electronics CF3D, be prepared to spend around $15k. On the other hand, you can buy a 3D projector capable for gaming, for well under $1000 (plus the cost of active glasses). Those projectors include 2010-2011 models including the Dell S300W (WXGA), and the BenQ W600 (720p), to name a couple of the 5 low cost one's we've seen. The 2nd half of 2011 has seen a major expansion of your choices, and a major lowering of costs. Look for the latest from Panasonic, Optoma, and Epson, as we review 3D projectors for the home, this fall.

One thing not yet seen, much of: Stacking two projectors and using passive glasses, may even prove to be less expensive that using one single chip 3D projector and buying 25 pairs of expensive active glasses (say for a classroom). We've seen various demos, but so far, the action seems to be in the very high end business market. I expect it will quickly get to schools though, over the next two years.

Resolution

Low range 3D Projector resolution starts at (800 x 600). Middle range specification from(1024 x 768) to (1280 x 800). Superior high definition 3D Projector resolution (1920 x 1080)...

Look for the first (and affordable) full HD1080p capable single chip DLP projectors are shipping this fall (2011).

Conclusion

3D should be big. No, you won't watch everything in 3D, nor will you likely want to. The evening news will still be boring or depressing in 3D, but until all the "live destruction" starts getting filmed in 3D... The weather report, however, could prove to be a whole new experience. Weather people (at least here in the LA area) already use awesome graphics to cover for innaccurate forecasts, but some of those graphics (and "moving through them") will be outstanding in 3D. Sports: Golf looks great in 3D, I've got some great footage - 3D is the only way to watch golf - if you can. Boxing promises to be downright scary in 3D. (I don't even want to think about Wrestling!) Football - great for the close-ups, and for many shots, but those long shots of the field, and before the snap, won't have much depth at all, until the producers come up with a new way of shooting those.

Movies in 3D? They will only get more sophisticated, with less dazzle, with content for grownups. For the kids, of course 3D movies will be truly over the top, in terms of effects. Any content in 3D, though, is going to look light years more impressive on a projector than on some tiny little 37 (or 55) inch LCDTV!