Go 3D

3D technology looks set to hit the home consumer market next year, with Sony on Wednesday announcing plans to sell 3D televisions globally by the end of 2010.

Sony’s decision to throw its weight behind the technology will be an important boost for the 3D industry, which has so far focused mainly on cinemas. British Sky Broadcasting has said it would introduce a 3D satellite channel in the UK next year, but it had been unclear whether there would be equipment available to view it on.

Speaking at the IFA technology trade show in Berlin, Sir Howard Stringer, Sony chief executive, will announce plans not only to sell 3D Bravia television sets, but to make Sony’s Vaio laptop computers, PlayStation3 games consoles and Blu-ray disc players compatible with the technology.

Mr Stringer is expected to tell the audience: “Today, 3D is clearly on its way to the mass market through technology, distribution and content.

“As with high definition a few years back, there are a variety of issues yet to be addressed. But the 3D train is on the track, and we at Sony are ready to drive it home.”

The consumer electronics industry has yet to agree on a single 3D standard, posing the risk of a format war akin to that between VHS and Betamax or Blu-ray and HD-DVD.

There are several types of 3D technology. Sony has opted for “active shutter” technology, using electronic glasses containing tiny shutters that open and close rapidly in synch with the television image to create a 3D impression. Cinema 3D uses “polarisation” technology with simpler glasses. However, this only works when viewers are at a certain angle to the screen, making it less suited to home viewing.

The electronics industry is looking for the next technology to boost sales, as high-definition television sales move past their peak. Hyundai is producing early 3D sets for the Japanese market and Panasonic has flagged up plans for products.

Sony’s commitment, however, improves 3D’s chances of becoming mainstream. It has given no indication of prices, but analysts expect early 3D TVs to cost several thousand dollars. Hyundai’s 3D TVs cost more than €3,400.

In cinemas, uptake of 3D has grown ninefold over three years, with 7,000 digital 3D screens expected to be in use worldwide by the end of 2009.


Sony

As it turns out, yesterday's report was spot-on. Sony today announced that it is bringing the experience of looking absolutely ridiculous in 3D glasses home to the living room. The initiative is "starting in 2010" and will expand through BRAVIA LCD HDTVs, VAIO machines, PlayStation 3, and Blu-ray discs... and not in the press release, but we clearly see a CyberShot digital camera in the promotional video (look out, Fujifilm). It's hard to say from the wording if all the listed product lines will go 3D next year, but from what we gather there'll at least be BRAVIA sets in time for that Christmas. Curious see the zaniest video this side of the second dimension? Well, we don't have that, but you can giggle your way through Sony's promo after the break.

If Sony had its way according to plan, the Japanese electronics giant would be offering 3D TVs worldwide as early as end 2010. This could possibly inject a new lease of life into the home display market which is gradually cooling off after the initial full-HD frenzy. According to an IFA-related report from the Financial Times, the company is not only planning to release 3D-enabled Bravias HDTVs, but also an entire ecosystem of compatible products. These range from Vaio laptops to Blu-ray players and PlayStation 3 consoles.






Sony to debut 3D BRAVIA TVs by end of 2010, also eyeing 3D VAIOs, Blu-ray films, and PS3 games?

The Financial Times has it on good word what the major unveil in Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer's keynote tomorrow at IFA 2009 will, so much so that it's quoting him with phrases he hasn't even said yet. According to the report, the company is making a huge push into the third dimension, with 3D BRAVIA HDTVs hitting the retail channels by the end of 2010. Also on the menu is 3D-compatible PlayStation 3 titles (which we've kind of heard before), VAIO laptops, and Blu-ray movies, but it's unclear from the article if they shares the same 2010 timeline. Polarized glasses will be required for use, but hey, just consider it a fashion statement. We're now very anxious to see how close Sir Stringer sticks to this purported script for tomorrow's big event.

The upcoming Sony 3D technology will be based on "active shutter" implementation that utilizes glasses equipped with micro shutters. These synchronize with the onscreen pictures to generate a three-dimensional effect. This solution currently delivers one of the widest viewing angles among the various 3D systems in the market. The new direction is definitely welcome news compared with the ongoing "ultraslim" TV rivalry among vendors, which adds very little value as far as viewing experience is concerned for the consumers.

Press Release

Sony Brings 3D Home in 2010

Berlin, Germany, September 2, 2009 - At a press conference held in Berlin, Germany on the eve of IFA 2009, Sony Corporation announced plans to lead the way in delivering new 3D viewing experiences by bringing 3D to the home in 2010. Sony will continue to accelerate its efforts across the Sony Group to create both attractive 3D hardware and content, and provide new forms of 3D enjoyment.

Sony's 3D compatible "BRAVIA" LCD TVs incorporate frame sequential display and active-shutter glass systems*1, together with Sony's proprietary high frame rate technology to enable the reproduction of full High Definition*2 high-quality 3D images, and will form the centerpiece of Sony's 3D entertainment experience for the home.

In addition to 3D compatible "BRAVIA" LCD TVs, Sony will also develop 3D compatibility into many more of its devices, such as Blu-ray Disc products, VAIO and PlayStation®3, to provide a multitude of ways in which 3D content - from 3D movies to stereoscopic 3D games - can be enjoyed in the home.

N the growing industry of 3D cinema, Sony has supported and driven the expansion of 3D by providing a wide variety of professional equipment for the shooting, production and screening of movies in 3D. The number of digital 3D screens is increasing rapidly, and is expected to reach 7,000 by the end of 2009*3. In addition to 3D movies, Sony's range of professional 3D products is also driving the growth of 3D production and distribution across a range of entertainment industries, from theatre and music performances to sport and beyond.

Embracing the "make.believe" (make dot believe) philosophy, which signifies the company's ability to turn ideas into reality, Sony will strive to further enhance synergies across its group companies. Sony will leverage its wealth of technology and engineering resources spanning both professional and consumer markets to bring the optimum 3D viewing experience to the home, from 2010 and beyond.

*1    A method of 3D display whereby the television set alternates the image for the left and right eye, and glasses open and shut in sync with the image on the screen.
*2    Displays 1,920�~1,080 pixels image per eye

Eyes-on Panasonic's Full HD 3D plasma and Blu-ray combo 

We just got a real eyeful of 3D, courtesy of Panasonic's upcoming 1080p plasma and Blu-ray 3D setup. The system uses synced shutters, and was easily some of the best "consumer" 3D we've seen -- almost on par with a theater experience, other than the fact that the screen was a whole lot smaller, at 103-inches. Unfortunately, while Panasonic is heavily touting 3D at IFA this year, just as Sony did at its own presser, there isn't much hard news to show for it. The plasma and Blu-ray combo was actually announced a full year ago, and the only word we have on release at the moment is "next year." Obviously, readily available 3D content plays a big part in this, and we get the impression that Avatar is syncing up nicely to be available on some sort of 3D home video format by the time it's ready for a disc release -- we've certainly seen enough teaser clips and trailers of it by now, anyway. To be honest, the 3D setup was seamless enough in our demo room that sometimes it hardly felt 3D. Avatar was especially "shallow" on the 3D scale (no pictures were allowed of the presentation, not that they would help), and we've yet to see anything mindblowing on that end. If anything, Panasonic's presentation was more an opportunity to be "blown away" by the company's awesome PowerPoint skills, if anything, so feel free to follow along in the gallery below.