3D

Active Shutter 3D TV sets look certain to become the de facto standard for 3D in the home, but pop out for a pint and you’ll still have a chance to compare the technology with Passive Polarization models, thanks to a deal between LG and Sky.

The Korean TV maker will supply the satcaster with a large (if unspecified) number of screens to be installed in pubs nationwide, in time for its weekly Premier League  read more »

Dolby will debut a new theatrical surround sound format, called Dolby Surround 7.1, in cinemas this Summer. The first movie to benefit will be the Disney/Pixar threequel Toy Story 3.

Dolby says that this latest cinematic iteration of its popular surround codec will better integrate with 3D imaging on the big screen, providing full 360-degree audio.  read more »

Hinting at a future where PVRs are made obsolete by Video On Demand, Virgin Media has announced a new hi-def receiver sans hard drive for subscribers to its ultra fast fibre-optic network.

The V HD Box will be available on March 22 for £49 (plus an installation fee of £35). There will be no additional monthly HD subscription to pay.  read more »

From tomorrow, you’ll be able to experience first-hand Sky’s upcoming 3D TV service. The satcaster’s new 3D TV Experience opens at the giant Westfield mall in West London (you’ll find it at the Sky Retail Store on level 2).
It’s the first in what will be 100 shopping mall demonstration 'Experiences' rolled-out to support Sky 3D this year.  read more »

LG today confirmed it will release its active shutter Full HD 3DTV and 3D Blu-ray player in May to meet what it describes as 'increasing interest in 3D across the nation.'  read more »

You couldn't make it up - as Richard Littlejohn is fond of saying. 3DTV isn't even in the shops yet, but already doom-merchants are claiming that it could be hazardous to your health.
Internet pundits such as BoingBoing.net and ABC.net.au are sounding Daily Mail-style warnings that prolonged exposure to 3DTV could  read more »

Philips has announced that it will employ LED backlighting across its entire LCD TV range this year. Both edge and full array LED backlights will be used (dubbed LED and LED Pro). The new 5000, 7000 and 8000 TV line up features edge lighting, while full array with local dimming is reserved for the top-end 9000 range (pictured left and below).

The company is also getting into 3D: the 9000 and  read more »

Panasonic has revealed at least some of the prices of its upcoming 3D hardware, as well as showing more of its 2010 product lineup.

At a spectacular press and dealer roll-out in Munich, the company revealed that its 50in TX-P50VT20 will street at around £2,000. The larger 65in TX-P65VT20 model will be priced 'closer to £4,000'. Both 3D sets will ship with two pairs of Active Shutter glasses included. Additional 3D eyeware will  read more »

Panasonic has confirmed its 3D plasma and Blu-ray  line-up for the UK and announced its first range of LED backlight LCD TVs, along with updated Freesat and/or Freeview HD Viera TVs. 

All the new plasma models utilise the brand’s proprietary NeoPDP technology, for lower power consumption and improved image quality.  read more »

Buy now, watch 3D later. That’s the message from Sony, as it launched a clutch of new Blu-ray hardware this week. In a move reminiscent of the stuttering introduction of BD-Live, Sony is rolling out players and systems described as ‘3D ready’. A firmware update later this year will ‘turn on’ three-dimensional functionality.

Key new kit is the BDP-S470 (pictured below), a step-down on the previously announced BDP-S570 player.  read more »

Toshiba finally uncrated its highly anticipated Cell REGZA TV on UK soil, but refused to be drawn on configuration and prices. Executives said that the screen will be introduced in the UK in the Autumn and that a spec and pricing announcement was 'imminent'. However, given fluctuations in the money markets, it’s more likely that Toshiba will refrain from setting a street price until IFA in September. In Japan the screen sells for around £10,000.  read more »

The HDMI Licensing body has announced an early update to its version 1.4 HDMI specification, to further broaden compatibility for 3D technology. The new v1.4a iteration will incorporate mandatory TV support for a variety of broadcast 3D formats, ensuring display equipment knows how to adjust depending on the type of 3D signal received.
While the first version of HDMI v1.4 provided 3D support for Blu-ray and  read more »

Sky has expanded its Sky+HD receiver lineup with a new box featuring a massive 1TB drive. Available now, priced at £249 (installation costs £30 for newcomers and £60 for the rest of us), the new model can store up to 240 hours of hi-def, or 740 hours of  standard definition TV.  read more »

Sky has announced that it will launch the UK’s first dedicated 3D TV channel this April. To kick-off publicity for the service, the satcaster will transmit this Sunday's Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium live in 3D to selected pubs around the UK and Ireland.  read more »

Samsung announced today that it has begun mass production of 3D panels for LCD and LED backlit TVs.
The new 3D screens will come in 40-, 46- and 55inch sizes. All are designed to be used with Active Shutter glasses and have a frame rate of 240Hz. 
The new displays claim to have a 20 per cent faster response time than conventional glass, at 4 milliseconds.
Samsung says that this  read more »