Should i wait for 3D TV?

My bet is expensive and not particularly brilliant. Will probably take a few years before they start getting it right (usually does with new technologies like this).

Of course I could be wrong - I'm not privy to any secret info!

We'll know more in the first week of January, Andy. The Consumer Electronics Show in the US (which we'll be reporting directly from) is the annual curtain-raiser for the year's new launches. It'll start off with a day of back-to-back press conferences from the likes of LG, Samsung, Panasonic and Sony, and i'd expect 3D TV to be a major topic, with all the new ranges being revealed.

We'll then chase the UK reps of those companies around for a few days and try and nail down the details of when they'll arrive here in UK, and at what price!

So, by the time you come to make your choice of set, you should be armed with a lot more info from us.

3D TV is supposed to immerse you in the film/programme etc. This cannot be done with a 40" or 50" screen - unless the majority of your field of vision is taken up by the screen, it's not going to be as convincing and impressive as it should be.

And then manufacturers say they have limited (if any) plans for projector implementation

It's an issue I hope to come back from CES with some convincing answers to/explanations for....

FrankHarveyHiFi:

3D TV is supposed to immerse you in the film/programme etc. This cannot be done with a 40" or 50" screen - unless the majority of your field of vision is taken up by the screen, it's not going to be as convincing and impressive as it should be.

I'm not too excited about 3D, but the issue you raise can be easily resolved by either:

1) sitting 1-2 ft away from the tv; or

2) buying a competitively priced 103" screen from panasonic (at close to, or in excess of, £100,000).

I would have thought that the most logical solution for both price and screen size would be to incorporate this technology into projectors, given that presumably the technology there is already quite advanced as a result of its use in cinema.

But then again all the recent Panasonic demonstrations - and here I'm think particularly of those at CEATEC - have used 50in plasmas, with the company saying extending it to projectors is less of a priority.

they havent fully achieved hd yet so starting waiting for

3-d ...............................

I've not seen any of the 3D televisions, but the LCD shutter-glasses system is capable of out of the screen, in your face effects.

Admittedly, I think it will be quite some time before we have full, holographic immersion!

Andrew Everard:

But then again all the recent Panasonic demonstrations - and here I'm think particularly of those at CEATEC - have used 50in plasmas, with the company saying extending it to projectors is less of a priority.

I'm looking forward to seeing the 103" 3D set when Panasonic bring their tour to London in a weeks time. (out of interest, not because I'm jumping on the 3D bandwagon, if there is one - also going to try and watch avatar in 3D in a couple of weeks)

I wouldn't want to be an early adopter of the 3D technology (the manufacturers haven't yet come to a consistent standard). Also, the first generation 3D TVs will require you to wear glasses which isn't really practical.

I think the earliest ideal time to buy a 3D TV will be in 2013. Until then, just stick to established technology, i.e, 2D TVs.

Andrew Everard:

But then again all the recent Panasonic demonstrations - and here I'm think particularly of those at CEATEC - have used 50in plasmas, with the company saying extending it to projectors is less of a priority.

FrankHarveyHiFi:

Andrew Everard:

But then again all the recent Panasonic demonstrations - and here I'm think particularly of those at CEATEC - have used 50in plasmas, with the company saying extending it to projectors is less of a priority.

Yeah, only because they know that plasmas are more popular. The stupid thing is, because of the necessary screen size, this is perfect for projectors.

I agree, but I assume that the market for projectors is considerably smaller than that for tvs. If Panasonic want to sell 3D to the majority of consumers, which obviously they do, then the best way for them to do that is to present it on a medium that most consumers will buy. 

They should do both though.

FrankHarveyHiFi:

The stupid thing is, because of the necessary screen size, this is perfect for projectors.

As I explained in my blog from its 3D seminar in Japan, Panasonic thinks not...

I would have thought some of the more specialised projector manufacturers would be interested in 3D. Surely it's only ever going to be a niche product in the long term. I can't imagine everyone in 5-10 years sat around watching Coronation Street in 3D. Haven't 16:9 sets been on the market 15-16 years, yet many programmes which are made in 16:9 are still shown 4:3 on some of the Sky channels. Even ITV and Channel 5 seem to shown movies later on in 4:3.

NSYGrinner:

I would have thought some of the more specialised projector manufacturers would be interested in 3D.

Indeed, as outlined here...