The tech behind Panasonic's Full HD 3D TV

Panasonic will use the CEATEC Japan 2009 show, opening next week, to show its prototype 50in Full HD 3D plasma TV, which sees high-definition 3D coming down in size to more domestically acceptable screens.

Used with high-precision active shutter glasses, as used for last year's demonstrations, the TV uses the company's newly-developed high-speed 3D drive technology that enables rapid illumination of pixels while maintaining brightness. This involved the development of new panel materials and LSIs to accelerate the pixel illumination of the alternate 1920x1080-pixel images, thus enabling the set to display Full HD in 3D.

The panel also incorporates a crosstalk reduction technology to minimise the ghosting that can occur when left- and right-eye images are alternately displayed, while the glasses incorporate in-house technology that for precisely control of the the active shutters with the left- and right-eye images shown on the screen.

The system uses the Full HD x 2 frame sequential method, alternately reproducing discrete 1920 x 1080 pixel images for the left and right eyes on the display frame by frame. The frame sequential method is widely used in showing Hollywood 3D movies in cinemas, leading Panasonic to suggest that its new panel "elevates home entertainment to a whole new level with theater-quality 3D images".

We'll be at CEATEC next week to see the new Panasonic in action, along with all the other new products due to be unveiled – and hopefully the odd dancing or roller-skating robot. Watch our news and blogs channels for 'as it happens' reports..

Andrew has written about audio and video products for the past 20+ years, and been a consumer journalist for more than 30 years, starting his career on camera magazines. Andrew has contributed to titles including What Hi-Fi?, GramophoneJazzwise and Hi-Fi CriticHi-Fi News & Record Review and Hi-Fi Choice. I’ve also written for a number of non-specialist and overseas magazines.