3D. 3D. 3D. Sony’s right behind it, pushing out 3D games left, right and centre; but they’re also right on top of 3D movies, too, although the PlayStation 3 isn’t quite ready for 3D Blu-rays just yet.
That’s going to change though: the firmware update required to enable 3D TVs to receive the important technical wizardry from the PS3 has been dated, at least in principle, and it’s currently down for September.
The news comes via a special Sony breakfast meeting this morning in London, where various 3D games and such were shown off. The firmware update for 3D Blu-ray is (obviously) subject to change, but just now, that’s the date we’re being told.
We’ve fired off an email to our guys at Sony for official clarification.
Thanks, Jas-n.
Jas-n
TV came today, one day early wooo… just trying to figure out how I get the 3D pack free, no code in the box or anything. I want to play superstardust, it had me hooked this morning.
CaptainMurdo
If you don’t mind me asking, how much was your TV and where’s a good place to buy a 3d one?
Jas-n
My TV was £1,400 + £300 (3 glasses) + £50 Transmitter
but the TV’s gone up to £1800 (for a 40″ Bravia) I got mine from a Sony shop, but I don’t think it matters too much, but I’d keep to the big guns, not the corner electronics shop.
TSBonyman
Hi Jas-n, just wondering, what’s the transmitter used for?
CaptainMurdo
I saw a Samsung in Costco for £999. It had sunglass style glasses, not the flickering one, but I don’t know the difference. There seems to be quite a few types of 3D available.
The Samsung was amazing though!
cc_star
Some TVs are ‘3D Ready’ which means you hook up either an infrared or bluetooth transmitter to sync with the active shutter glasses and others obviously have the tech built in
TSBonyman
Ah, i get it now , thanks cc_star.
cc_star
@CaptainMurdo
There is one sort of 3D, but there are 2 sorts of TVs, both are stereoscopic but some require polarising glasses (like in an IMAX, and presumably other cinemas, but I don’t know as I’ve never seen 3D in a non-IMAX) and some use Active Shutter technology
There isn’t a chance of backing the wrong horse as both techs will live quite happily side by side as they take the same 3D input and output by their own chosen method.
I think you can see them both in action in a BestBuy store (I’m not sure about the live demos offered in other retailers)
Obviously polarising glasses will be available for a couple of quid and active shutter ones will eventually be £50+ (although dearer now) I don’t know what the benefits of active shutter are
Raen
@cc_star From what I’ve heard anecdotally active shutter seems to create less eye strain than polarisation. I’ve heard this one or two places, but it’s certainly completely anecdotal and may just be individual expectations and physiology.
JaffaMan24
Active shutter technology is currently 1080p vs 720p for polarisation. Personally for me, active shutter gave me much more eyestrain!
Radboud
I have more eyestrain with the polarized method. Problem with the polarized method is that is has to be dark, because all light (not only the TV) will be polarized by the glasses which can lead to flickering lights around your TV when you are watching….
Owendarko
Did you get the Blu-Ray Deep Sea 3D inside?
Jas-n
Nope, I think that was/is for the US Market.
deadwelsh
Thought i read that 3d blu ray would not be possiblke on PS3 due to type of laser, but then again that might be for the new larger capacity BD’s instead
Jas-n
That’s for the Bigger BD, which is for commercial use rather than consumer.
bunimomike
Sony were right behind minidisc, too. :-P
G_The_Enemy14
Minidisk was a fail lol
G_The_Enemy14
*disc
tonycawley
Do you mean minidisc was a failURE? Or minidisc failED?
seedaripper1973
tony the grammar nazi is at it again! Sieg Heil!!
tonycawley
I’m on grammar nazi, i just cannot stand fail. It’s use in this situation was invented by 12 year old american boys and should never have crossed the pond.
cc_star
But this time everybody is behind Stereoscopic 3D, not just Sony
bunimomike
Mine was very much a throw-away comment. It’ll be interesting to see the uptake of the TVs. Projections are slow and obviously a good portion of us have HDTVs which have years left in them (let alone the recent cost to buy them).
bajere
are sony still giving cash back on old TV’s? Im sure it was £200 off a new Sony TV, So as my TV only cost £400 a few years ago, i dont think ill be missing out…rather a projector. cheeper, and much bigger screen. great for games!
Mick939
Actually mini disk won, it was just too late, mp3 took over right away
bunimomike
Minidisc was regarded as pretty much a failure everywhere other than Japan. It failed miserably to replace the CD (which is what Sony wanted). They managed a very impressive 66% penetration into HiFi systems in Japan but nothing like it anywhere else. Their marketing tried to fool us into thinking that everyone needed one and that it’d already won the battle. It hadn’t.
Actually, “failure” is probably too strong a word. It simply didn’t take off in most regions and just seemed to trickle along.
spooner_22
mini disk was awesome, loved my player, it was great
jimmy-google
Mini-Disc was more to replace cassette tapes but I had an mp3 cd player around the time mini-disc players were released.
SpikeyMikey23
and the umd…..
Watchful
I’d be more interested, and likely to buy a 3D TV in the next month or so if Sony hadn’t raised the list price of the TV I was considering by £600 quid since they first announced its price. At £2500 for the TV now and £250 on top for two sets of glasses and a transmitter it’s gone from just about affordable to forget it.
SpikeyMikey23
yeah, im gonna wait for alba or bush’s version lol… cheap! like the budgie
PriceKitty
Sony wins.
End of story.
wuntunzee
Hoping for a price cut and a market settle down next year.
Interesting article from 2008 that has an awesome headline –
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/10/philips-3d-hdtv/
about autostereoscopic displays.
plus I love Philips TVs, especially the ones with reduced bevel –
http://www.trustedreviews.com/tvs/review/2009/09/23/Philips-42PFL7404-42in-LCD-TV/p1
Supertaxman
Ooooooh, stop teasing me with all this 3d which is just out of reach!
Supertaxman
actually, a couple of grand out of reach :S