Samsung’s 3D plasma TV lands in Australia, needs PC and glasses

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Saturday, 02 August 2008

Page 1 of 2 ! 3D TV has been promised as the “next big thing” for years, but while consumers can now buy one, play selected 3D games through a PC and watch 2D DVD converted to “3D” through a PC, as well as 3D movies, all with special glasses, 3D television programming isn’t here yet. Want a 2D television that can be made to display 3D video, with the addition of special 3D glasses and a suitably equipped PC? Samsung’s just announced a 42-inch and 50-inch plasma to the press, but have actually had them on store shelves in Australia since June 2008, or around two months! The announcement follows one by Telstra which has launched a glasses-free 3DTV advertising solution in Australia in its “Executive Briefing Centre” in Melbourne’s CBD – see our previous article “Telstra claims Australian first with 3DTV”. Although both plasma panels are high definition, they only have a resolution of 1365X768, meaning 720P compatibility, not the “Full HD” spec of 1920x1080P. Both models are part of Samsung’s 450 series, with the 42-inch PS42A450 specs here, and the 50-inch PS50A450 specs here. As the TVs are also standard 2D high definition plasma screens with 3D capability, they’re dubbed “3D ready”, but require a dual-core PC and capable NVIDIA or ATI graphics card and special 3D glasses to do the job. 3D content is booming in the US, with Australian audiences already able to watch movies in 3D at selected cinemas and IMAX 3D cinemas. Samsung gives the example that “major film studios like Pixar and Dreamworks together with video game studios are investing considerable amounts of money in the development of 3-D content for home entertainment” to demonstrate that a flood of 3D content is on the way. That said, if you buy the optional “SSG1000X 3-D Accessory Pack”, connect a compatible PC and have at least one set of 3D glasses, both 450 series plasmas can support not only existing 3D content but can also “create 3D viewing when playing back ordinary 2D DVDs”. This is done using “world's first technology from ‘DDD’, which is able to analyse the DVD footage in real time and add a 3-D effect for a ground-breaking home viewing experience”.  DDD, also known as Dynamic Digital Depth, is the company Samsung has partnered with to deliver 3D content. Headquartered in Perth with offices globally, DDD has “won the exclusive rights to develop and produce 3-D software and content for Samsung’s 450 Plasma TVs worldwide.” DDD that says it is “transforming the viewing experience with applications for 3D displays” using “patented technologies to enable 3D viewing with and without glasses [depending on the capabilities of the 3D TV in question]; simple integration of computer graphics applications with 3D displays; supply of 3D content through 2D to 3D conversion; and 3D transmission over existing networks.” This significantly expanding the amount of “3D” content you can watch, while also significantly expanding the amount of money you’ll need to spend beyond buying one of the “3D ready” models in the first place. What other features do the Samsung 450 series screens have up their sleeves, what does Samsung say about the introduction of 3D ready screens into the Australian market and what do the screens cost? Please read on to page 2. << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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