3D technology has been increasing in popularity for the past few years especially because more 3D contents have been made available to the viewing public. New animation technologies allow better resolution and imaging for cartoons and there are also new processes on how real motion pictures are translated into 3D images. But going into the store to get a 3D television for your home theater is not as easy as it sounds. There are numerous brands that offer 3D televisions and the popular ones also boast of other additional features that complement the 3D technology.
There is a specific factor that buyers should look into when choosing a 3D television and that is the type of 3D format that the TV is using. There are generally two types of 3D formats in televisions today. These are the active and the passive technologies.
Many homeowners misidentify the active and passive terms and relate them only to the 3D glasses. But it is actually the type of 3D technology that the TV is using that is important to know which type of glasses to buy.
Here is a short comparison between the two formats:
- Main Mechanisms: The main mechanisms between the two technologies differ from each other. The active type makes use of shutters in the 3D glasses. The TV is synched with the 3D glasses through IR or Bluetooth so that the images will be corresponded to the shutter motion of the glasses. The quick shutter motion can exclude images for the left eye and for the right eye in a very rapid pace and this gives the 3D illusion. On the other hand, passive TVs use circular polarization. The TV will display images for the right eye and the left eye simultaneously and it will be the job of the passive 3D glasses to merge those images together into a 3D picture.
- Resolution. When the two types of 3D formats are compared against each other, the active 3D technology will emerge as a winner for a having better resolution. This is because an active 3D TV can display the full high definition format of the images on the screen. It will be the job of the shutter glasses to create the 3D illusion. The passive TVs tend to display separate pictures for the left and the right eye which means that the resolution is cut in half.
- Cost of Glasses. When you buy a 3D television, you will be lucky enough to get 2 free 3D glasses with it. But you need to buy one for each family member to enjoy 3D movies together. Active 3D glasses are much more expensive and are heavier while passive glasses are lighter, cheaper, and a lot more comfortable when worn for prolonged periods.