3D Vision Blog

Another 3D exclusive product just for today, ThinkGeek is offering a De-3D Cinema Glasses that do exactly what the name suggests – turn 3D movies into 2D ones, eliminating headaches and nausea associated with 3D movies for the people experiencing them. The glasses are with passive polarizing filters and are compatible with any movie theater using RealD 3D technology for projecting 3D movies. In this particular case however this is not a real product, just another April Fools Day joke… just click on the Buy Now button to confirm it if you don’t believe.

Actually making such 3D to 2D passive glasses isn’t that hard… should you need them of course. You just need to replace the right light polarizing filter with a one that uses the same polarization as in the left lens, so that as a result you will be seeing only the left projected frame in the movie theater from a 3D movie and thus you will actually see the movie in 2D. This of course is not very practical for watching 3D movies in 2D when you have to pay higher price for the 3D projection, but can be more practical for home use for screen sharing for example and opens some new and interesting possibilities. If you are following the blog you may remember my mod for the 3D Vision active shutter glasses that turns them into 2D ones, you can read more about that here: Modifying the 3D Vision Glasses to Show 2D Left or Right Frame Only.

- For more information about the De-3D Cinema Glasses at ThinkGeek…

If you are tired of wearing those uncomfortable and ugly looking disposable passive polarized 3D glasses that you get each time in the cinema, then you have some options. There are already a few companies that offer much better looking, better built, even better performing and of course more expensive passive polarized 3D glasses designed for movie theaters using RealD technology for projecting and viewing the 3D content (circular polarization). Among the most recent companies that started to exploit this new market are Gunnar Optiks and MicroVision Optical…

Gunnar Optiks currently offers only two different models of 3D Movie glasses from its Attache collection – the Anime and Phenom. Both models are with a price of $99 USD, which you can consider a bit high, but I like more the design of these glasses and the build quality is better. So if you go to watch 3D movies more often and prefer to watch them in a 3D Cinema equipped with RealD, then these glasses may be completely worth it instead of using the cheap plastic ones that you get in the cinema. Gunnar Optiks is claiming that their glasses are also superior in terms of optical quality thus making the 3D experience even better when watching a 3D move with them…

Microvision Optical offers a bit bigger assortment of RealD-compatible 3D Movie glasses. They have total of 29 different models that are separated in 8 product lines, so you have a lot more options here to choose from. These glasses are all plastic and a bit cheaper than the Gunnar Optiks’ models, Macrovision Optical’s 3D glasses cost between $30 and $35 USD a pair. Microvision Optical claims to have superior optics in their products as well as that their 3D glasses can be worn like a normal pair of sunglasses when you are not watching a 3D movie. The reason for that being is the fact that the lenses they use also block 100% the UVA and UVB ultraviolet light from the sun, just like a good pair of normal sunglasses, but unlike other traditional 3D glasses.

- More about Gunnar Optiks’ 3D Glasses Technology…
- To see MicroVison Optical’s 3D Movie Glasses Collection…

Two weeks ago Sony and RealD officially announced their technology partnership aiming to provide immersive 3D home entertainment to consumers beginning in 2010. The pact includes Sony licensing the stereoscopic RealD Format (side-by-side 3D format), know-how in producing active and passive 3D eyewear and other RealD technologies. Sony and RealD have been closely working together to create a better 3D experience at movie theaters for years. The parties will now join forces to deliver a similar premium 3D entertainment experience to the home.

“Sony has its proprietary LCD panel driving technology to reproduce full HD 3D images on the screen of new “BRAVIA” LCD TVs, which will work in sync with new 3D eyewear based on RealD’s technology. We are excited to work with RealD in bringing 3D to the home,” said Hiroshi Yoshioka, Executive Deputy President, Officer in charge of Consumer Products and Devices Group, Sony Corporation.

A week later JVC Kenwood also had announced its partnership with RealD, but in professional 3D imaging product and not for consumer products, but who knows their partnership could as well be extended. JVC Kenwood already has a track record of producing professional 3D-imaging devices including GD-463D10, a full HD 3D LCD monitor for professional use. Launched earlier in 2009, the monitor quickly earned acclaim for its soft gradation and true color reproduction, and is now being used by Hollywood movie studios, theaters, research institutes and other enterprises involved with professional 3D imaging.

“We are delighted to establish a partnership with RealD, the global leader in 3D technology for cinema, which will allow us to build on our solid track record of technological development for Hollywood and related markets,” said Haruo Kawahara, Chairman, President and CEO of JVC KENWOOD Holdings, Inc. “We hope this will lead to a dramatic increase in our 3D-imaging device business.”

And yesterday Samsung and RealD announced their partnership, with RealD’s 3D technology to be integrated into Samsung’s new line-up of 3D TVs. It seems that Samsung will also support the proprietary stereoscopic RealD Format for the delivery and display of high-quality 3D content. The two companies will also work jointly on active eyewear technology and New Passive Display technology to promote the adoption of quality 3D TV.

“Our collaboration with RealD is helping bring a new dimension of TV entertainment to consumer households around the world,” said Dongho Shin, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Division, Samsung Electronics. “Together, we are committed to enhancing the TV viewing experience with the best that 3D technology can offer including immersive lifelike depth and a new realm of color clarity.”

Other companies may follow the lead very soon and it seems that RealD is on track to becoming the standard to be used by the new wave of 3D TVs that are supposed to be coming out this year. Have in mind that RealD is not only producing passive polarized glasses like the ones you see in 3D cinemas that are also using company’s technology, but also active shutter glasses like Nvidia’s 3D Vision. And the wave of consumer-oriented 3D TVs we expect to start hitting us pretty soon seems to be on track of using active shutter glasses, instead of passive polarized solutions. This however raises an interesting question – how many pairs of glasses you’ll get with the TV and how will you be able to buy additional 3D glasses if you need more people to watch simultaneously. And unlike the PC where you usually need just one pair, because you are alone playing a game in S3D to watching a 3D movie, when 3D moves to the living room and on TV (with 3D TV broadcasts also starting to appear soon) things change a bit – the whole family would want to watch in 3D and will need glasses.