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View Full Version : The next generation HDTV in 3D!


Chris Blount
09-30-07, 09:17 AM
Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the world premier of a 3D HDTV system set up by Mitsubishi. A local high end electronics store (Bjorn's) has been working with Mitsubishi for the past nine months to make this happen and boy, what a treat it was.

Mitsubishi brought in a large truck with all the equipment. 14 visitors at a time entered the trailer to view the 8 minute looping demo containing 3D footage from Meet the Robinsons, Chicken Little, Monster House and other animated titles along with scenes from sporting events.

There was also another room inside the store where they had demos setup by Texas Instruments with 3D displays of a Star Wars EP IV and a football video game.

The system uses a more refined version of Field Sequential technology. The glasses are basically a LCD shutter system that is synced with the monitor. No wires because an emitter from the TV sends the proper signals to the glasses.

I asked the rep about the monitors. He says that the Mitsubishi Diamond line will work along with a few Samsung models. The main thing to look for when buying a compatible monitor is to make sure it has the 3D glasses emitter output on the back. The amazing thing is that the 70" DLP monitor only weighs 98 pounds!

You can buy the system now at http://www.i-glassesstore.com/dlp3d-complete.html. It's computer driven at the present time but a set-top box is not too far in the future. If you already have the proper monitor and the computer hardware, all you need to buy is the emitter, software and glasses at $199.

The computer hardware requires:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or Athlon 64 X2
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon X800
Hard Drive: 100MB free
OS: Windows XP or Vista
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c
DVD-ROM Drive
InterVideo WinDVD or InterVideo XPack
High Speed Internet Connection

The 3D is quite remarkable. Very clear and clean with no flickering. The 3D Star Wars demo in the Texas Instruments room was awesome! It was prepared by Lucasfilm for the demo. I will tell you this much folks, when George Lucas releases the Star Wars movies in 3D, you are going to be amazed. It really does look great. I could swear that the original film was photographed in 3D.

The pictures below show the outside of the trailer, the inside during the presentation, and the outside of the store.

I can't wait for this 3D system to develop into a viable home theater add-on. It's going to be great!

machavez00
09-30-07, 09:29 AM
I have seen Samsung DLP sets advertised that say "3D HDTV Ready"

bigbenny13
09-30-07, 09:36 AM
Where I work we sell both the samsung models and the Mitsubishi models. I think if someone comes up with an add on box soon for the 3-D option it might be fairly popular.

By the way I think the Mits DLP's are way better than Samsung.

Dr_J
09-30-07, 10:42 AM
People have been talking about widespread 3D TV since the 1950's. While there may be scattered programs here and there, I don't think it will be widespread anytime soon. Let's focus on 2D HDTV first! :-)

emrmc
09-30-07, 12:20 PM
my wife and I saw Meet the Robinsons in 3D at our movie theatre last summer. very nice looking. they showed a preview of a U2 concert that was done in 3D also. We were impressed. Glad to see its making its way to the home.

feschiver
09-30-07, 01:30 PM
I also saw the demo at Bjorn's and it is amazing but the computer needed is about $1500 plus the cost of the 1080p DLP

waynenm
09-30-07, 01:48 PM
I just wonder when an attempt at 3D will not include having to use glasses. Seems
silly at this point that a 3D image requires special shades.

Draconis
09-30-07, 03:42 PM
waynenm's remark makes me wonder about something I remember seeing from when I was a kid.

There used to be a show called “That’s Incredible”, on one episode (which only aired once) they showed off a 3D system that we watched on our home TV without glasses.

I remember that the screen shook but the image was defiantly 3D. I have always wondered what happened to that technology.

Update: Since my curiosity was peaked I started searching, the technology was called “Visidep” and it was never developed. Makes you wonder what they could do with that old 80's technology on a modern HD system.

Either way, this TV set is definatly intresting. I have seen the "3D HDTV Ready" stickers as well and was wondering how they were going to pull that off. Thank you for the rewiew.

John in Georgia
09-30-07, 05:48 PM
Thanks for the update, Chris.

dtvrillo
09-30-07, 07:02 PM
Where I work we sell both the samsung models and the Mitsubishi models. I think if someone comes up with an add on box soon for the 3-D option it might be fairly popular.

By the way I think the Mits DLP's are way better than Samsung.

I'm a D* tech and with my job I get to see every brand and every model at work at home not in the showroom, and I agree 110% Mitsubishi is in my humble opinion the best DLP out there:hurah:

DrZaiusATL
09-30-07, 08:08 PM
Working in TV as I do....I feel really uncomfortable wearing any device that connects my brain to a TV. Sounds cool but not for me. I enjoy thinking for myself and advertisers, for a fact, want you to think like their clients. Good luck everyone!

cforrest
09-30-07, 10:01 PM
This is not the same as this article below, that I read a few months back and forwarded to a friend of mine? If so, not so world premier, but amazing stuff nonetheless!

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9764622-1.html?tag=bl

Chris Blount
09-30-07, 10:10 PM
This is not the same as this article below, that I read a few months back and forwarded to a friend of mine? If so, not so world premier, but amazing stuff nonetheless!

http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9764622-1.html?tag=blInteresting. Sounds like the same thing. Maybe what I attended was the first of their mobile display. In any case, it really is neat stuff.

ITSec_Guy
09-30-07, 11:36 PM
The problem with this technology is that it isn't mainstream enough for broacasters to actually BROADCAST programming in 3D. Just like a 64-bit operating system sounds like a great idea, it's useless if no one developes for it!

I have the 61" samsung model with 3D and saw the demo on it and it sounds great... I have the "wait and see" mentality on this one...

TNGTony
10-01-07, 02:49 AM
I'm sure this is great for those who have two working eyes or the ability to process steroscopic vision. Those of us without that ability generally just get a headache or suffer from motion sickness. :)

I have two working eyes, but my brain doesn't put the images together so I have double vision with a very dominant left eye. For me it's so bad that when they tell me there is a 3D anything involving any kind of glasses I have to bow out. I see 3D fine in real life, holographic images or properly displayed images (I forgot the medical term but one eye dances back and forth to get the paralax views to determine 3D). This field technology which has been around for decades is not a universal answer for 3D.

See ya
Tony