3D TV at Home.

3D has become a common and loosely used term thanks to comuter graphics and realistic looking computer games. All computer generated pictures of buildings, animated movies, games, etc. are generally called 3D. While this is partly correct it is actually closer to 2.5 D - where D is for the third dimension of "depth".

How do we see in 3D? Click here to learn

If you look at regular pictures or 3D computer games - you actually see only a simulated feeling of this third dimension. Actual 3D... or to be more exact, Stereoscopic 3D, is the real feeling of depth as is evidenced when watching a 3D IMAX ® ™ type movie.

Portable 3D Camera With Sync unit via Remote.

Shooting 3D film involves the usage of two cameras, placed side by side with the center of their lenses spaced approximately and ideally, the same distance as the space between our eyes.

Both cameras record in sync and the resulting left and right eye videos or images are then edited and presented to the viewer (in cinemas) either via two projectors playing back in sync, or in modern Digital Cinemas, via a single projector, that rapidly switches between left and right eye videos, at least 120 times per second. This is the minimum "refresh" rate that is needed so as to provide for a flicker free 3D movie presentation.

The separation of the left and right videos is done via polarizing filters placed in front of the projectors, to "polarize" the light in a specific direction, either by using 2 opposite polarizing filters (in a two projector setup) or a via a polarizing lcd plate that changes its polarization at the same rate and in sync with the left / right video images being flashed through a Digital Cinema single 3D projector.

Companies involved in 3D Digital Cinema setups are Christie Digital, RealD, Dolby 3D and others.

(Dolby 3D does not use polarized 3d, but another technology called Infitec)

Viewing in 3D:

People at the cinemas wear 3D "glasses" that are also polarized to allow only the correct image to enter the correct eye. These 3d glasses can either be battery operated LCD panels that shutter on and off in sync with projection - thereby called an active 3D system in Cinemas, or they can have opposite polarizing filters for the left and right eye, that receive the images reflected off a polarizing retaining screen (sometimes called a silver-screen in 3D language).

RealD for example has many cinemas running in North America and around the world that use silver screens and passive polarized 3d viewing glasses.

There is somewhat more to the entire 3D Cinema process, but this is a general, and hopefully non-technical simplified explanation of the process.

3D TV at home:

Is it possible to bring the whole immersive 3D movie experience to a smaller Home Theatre setup?

The answer is Yes! and it can be done Today!

There are three possible 3DTV at home options:

• Projection based large screen 3D at home

• Plasma TV based

• Auto stereoscopic 3D displays. (glasses not needed 3D)

The WOWVx Autostereoscopic 3D Screen from Philips 3D.

Finally - Affordable 3D Home Cinema in HD