It’s a new day in the world of 3D home media, as LG is beginning to ship its first line of 3D TVs that use the same kind of technology as that used in movie theaters across the country.
Last month, the company announced that it would be taking the radical approach to home 3D. With its LW5700 TV, consumers can actually sneak home the 3D glasses they get at a movie theater and use them on their TV in the living room. LG will of course also be selling its own glasses for the TV, and they will be considerably cheaper than those for current stereoscopic 3D TVs.
Most 3D TVs for sale today use a different form of 3D technology than what you’ll find in a theater. They use what’s called stereoscopic 3D, which provides a much crisper and more advanced picture, because it’s designed for personal, up-close use.
However, the downside is it results in a lot of technology needing to be embedded into the glasses itself. This results in glasses that are $150 to $200 per pair. A pair of “passive” 3D glasses (theater screens use passive 3D) should cost as much as 90% less than that.
LG has a lot at stake in the 3D market. In addition to these new TVs, it will be shipping a glasses-free 3D tablet as well as a 3D phone in just a few months. It didn’t do much in the 3D space last year – which was highly dominated by Samsung and Panasonic – but it hopes its late start in the game gives it an edge by seeing what people like and don’t like.
