3-D HDTV with DLP

3D is an exciting new feature for the home theater market. For some dramatic movies or soap operas, 3D may seem out of place. But for sports, action movies, etc. 3D makes as much of a difference as color vs. noir et blanc. And the new 3D technology is superior to the 3D system that has been used in theaters.

The commercial successes of recent 3D movies such as “Beowulf”, “Meet the Robinsons” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” are sparking interest from film studios to produce more 3D content material. Disney, Universal, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Thomson and IMAX are currently exploring the potential 3D HDTV market. Disney said it would start making all of its computer-animated movies in 3D. According to Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, all major studios have 3D projects underway. There will be more than 2,500 cinema screens equipped with Digital 3D technology by the end of 2009. All of this content will be available for the home theater market. The big question: Will the 3D market be widespread enough for major networks, especially the sports subset, to broadcast in 3D?

3D layout

Satellite television companies such as DirecTV and Dish Network are likely to distribute the 3D versions of HDTV programming first. 3D movies should have approximately the same bandwidth as other 120fps (frames per second) high definition movies. Satellite companies have enough transmission bandwidth to support niche markets (cable companies don’t), and 3D HDTV is a niche market for now.

“Satellites will be limited not so much by the number of channels they can transmit but by the number of channels they can get,” said Bob Scherman, Satellite Business News.

By 2010, 60% of television receivers in the United States are projected to use a satellite signal, up from 15% in 2002.

3D HDTV Home Theater Systems

Due to the high frame rate for 3D and the need for synchronization, LCD screens are generally incompatible with advanced 3D. However, Phillips prototypes have been demonstrated for more than $ 20,000 and this technology does not require glasses. Phillips technology is optically very complicated. Unlike electronics, it cannot be assumed that the price will go down.

By the end of this year (2008), more than one million 3D-ready DLP HDTVs, manufactured by Mitsubishi and Samsung, will have been sold in the US The technology works by providing a 60 Hz signal to each eye (equivalent to 120 Hz total). ). These computers can display standard HDTV and are compatible with 3D material. Some of the source material is available for download and 3D Blu-Ray discs are available. “Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” was the first 3D Blu-ray Disc.

The glasses: 3D sequential field

Special glasses are used with the DLP 3D system. The system is called “Field Sequential 3D” or HQFS (High Quality Field Sequential). This technology uses electronic shutter lenses instead of the red-blue lenses that we are used to in movies. The effect is definitely superior. Our eyes see a slightly displaced view of a scene. The brain combines the two slightly different views to result in our ability to see in 3D. Field Sequential 3D simulates this experience with shutter glasses. The shutter is not mechanical, but rather an LCD filter, which blocks vision when the view of the opposite eye is shown.

A high definition TV with a refresh rate of 120 Hz is recommended for 3D viewing. The 3D system uses half of the total information from each eye. If we used a TV with a total 60Hz refresh rate, it would supply only 30Hz to each eye, and that refresh rate would be visible (flicker).

When designing a 3D system with previous 3D techniques, we have the option of sending two signals of equal bandwidth with complete information, effectively doubling the bandwidth of the signal, or sending the signal so that the horizontal or vertical resolution is reduced. in half, half for each. eye. Doubling the bandwidth would be a problem as the bandwidth capacity of the HDTV signal is already low. Using the same bandwidth as non-3D material means that we can use the technology with current HDMI or DVI interfaces.

The alternative to cut-off resolution is not attractive as we have worked so hard to upgrade our system to high definition that we don’t want to compromise. By using alternate frames for each eye, we see a flicker-free high definition signal.

Two sets of wireless shutter lenses, with a control transmitter (Infrared (IR), the same technology as the TV remote control) cost about $ 100.

DLP issues

Many consumers are fascinated by the idea of ​​hanging their new large-screen HDTV on the wall, like a painting. It is worth noting that most large screen LCD and Plasma TVs are never wall mounted. It’s a major challenge to mount something weighing 60-150 pounds on the wall, and once installed it’s an ongoing challenge for maintenance (for example, a 50-inch Pioneer PDP-5070HD weighs 128 pounds).

According to the NPD Group, only 13 percent of current LCD TV owners and 25 percent of plasma TV owners have their set mounted on the wall.

DLP is very popular with those who want larger screens with high image quality at affordable prices. For the money, DLP easily provides the highest quality size value. An LCD screen of the same size and price will not have the image quality of a DLP. DLP is also available in larger screen sizes than LCD televisions.

However, a DLP rear projection television is a few inches thicker than an LCD or plasma screen. LCD screens are typically 7 to 10 inches thick; DLP assemblies are typically 12 to 17 inches thick. Due to the fascination with mounting their equipment on the wall, this difference of a few centimeters becomes the deciding factor for the purchase decisions of many consumers.

Texas Instruments, which makes DLP chips in a foundry in South Korea, sees renewed potential for the technology, which uses tiny mirrors in a semiconductor. The new LED Light Engine called “Phlatlight” (manufactured by Luminus) replaces the arc lamp design and color wheel of previous DLP HDTVs. Samsung has had its own proprietary LED lamp system for a couple of years. The LED light engine will need to be replaced infrequently (unlike cold cathode fluorescent lamps that had to be replaced every few years).

LED-powered DLP HDTVs are more energy efficient than similarly sized flat panels, and the lack of a moving color wheel in the design means they operate with less noise. The DLP chip is faster than any other HDTV technology, with the mirrors turning on and off more than 15,000 times per second to deliver a blur-free picture for fast-moving images like sports.

DLP HDTVs are a very smart choice for most people, but be picky. Many of the high definition televisions in stores do not yet have important technology, such as LED backlights.

3D TV compatibility can be verified by looking for an input on the back of the unit, marked “3D Ready”.

Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)

A major trend in home theater is the integration of the personal computer (PC) with the home theater. Integrating a PC into your home entertainment center has many advantages in addition to allowing 3D video. Downloading movies is one of the advantages. The HTPC must have a graphics card with a DVI (digital video interface) connector. Both XP and Vista will be compatible with Microsoft’s home theater product.

HDTV and 3D video require a lot of computing, that is, a high-performance computer. For 720p videos, a dual-core microprocessor is required; 1080p or 1080i videos require a quad-core microprocessor for smooth playback. Video files are very large (!), So the bigger the hard drive, the better.

DirectX 9 graphics drivers (software) must be installed, if not already present. To find your current version, click “START” and then “RUN” from your Windows desktop. Type “dxdiag” in the “Run” box.

The software is available from several different vendors; “StereoPlayer” (version 1.3.4) from 3DTV.at is available. The purchase of StereoPlayer costs approximately $ 50. While on 3DTV.AT also download the GPL MPEG-1/2 decoder. Alternatives to Stereoplayer include “Dynamic Digital Depth” (ddd.com), “Stereoscopic Player” and “Tridef Visualizer”.

Resume

3D technology has become a major force in Hollywood. This trend is likely to repeat itself in the home theater. CRT and DLP work best with 3D technology, although plasma systems are also available. DLP offers the best value for large screens using HDTV, not just 3D HDTV.