Well, you’ve got to admire Panasonic’s guts. For after spending a good 12 months categorically slating LG’s passive 3D technology in both technical and, um, not so technical terms, the Japanese brand has this year added passive TVs to its own range.

And we’re not talking about one or two sets apologetically stuck in the brand’s ‘small print’, either. Rather Panasonic’s new ET5 series is a five-strong collection of screen sizes ranging all the way from 32in up to 55in.

While Panasonic may have had to accept that passive 3D’s convenience and significant cost (once you’ve taken its cheap passive 3d glasses into account) benefits have a fanbase, though, it kind of goes without saying that the brand has positioned its passive sets as the ‘entry level’ 3D models in its latest range, with prices starting at £600 for the 32in model going up to around £1800 for the 55in.

The edge LED-lit panels inside the 32, 37, 42, 47 and 55in sets are, of course, sourced from LG. But Panasonic has obviously put its own processing and operating systems in there, resulting in a claimed 300Hz motion rate (100Hz scanning plus a blinking backlight) and the inclusion of Panasonic’s Smart Viera 2012 online service, complete with a Web browser.

Panasonic’s perceived need to have an affordable 100Hz panel in its range was apparently the deciding factor in adding passive sets, for 100Hz active sets have been consistently proven not to work at all well.

Checking out 2D pictures first on the 47in model from the ET5 range, they’re probably best described as solid. Pictures are bright, natural and clean, and under the actually reasonably dim lighting of the show floor, black level response look quite good – albeit not in the same league, of course, as Panasonic’s 2012 plasma TVs.

We did occasionally spot a slight texture to the screen if the light happened to catch it the right way, though, and as ever with passive technology, during bright scenes you can sometimes see faint horizontal line structure, caused by the polarising 3D filter applied to the screen.

In 3D mode the effects of this filter are more obvious, becoming particularly clear in the shape of ‘jaggies’ around the edges of small, bright, contoured objects. There’s also no doubt studying the 47ET5’s 3D images right alongside those of one of Panasonic’s DT50 active 3D screens that they’re neither as sharp, detailed or ‘clean’ looking.

We’re not trying to ignite an unnecessary passive 3D vs active 3D debate here, though, we promise. After all, the 47ET5 also delivers on passive 3D’s advantages, shipping with four pairs of glasses included as standard (you don’t get any with Panasonic’s Active 3D screens), not suffering any 3D degradation when viewed from the sides, not suffering with any flickering even in bright ambient light, and only suffering very slightly with crosstalk (unless you watch from more than around 12 degrees above or below the screen).

What we’re saying, in other words, is what Panasonic was clearly thinking when it decided to include passive sets in its 2012 range: namely that both passive and active technologies have their own distinct advantages, and it’s up to you to choose which you prefer.

Personally we feel glad that Panasonic hasn’t let its pride stop it offering consumers a choice they clearly want, and we’re looking forward to putting the ET5 series through their paces when they start to arrive in our test rooms in March or April.

Posted by Look3D Eyewear

Marketing activity will be led by a stereoscopic 3D cinema campaign launching in May 2012, which will target ‘uncompromising seeker’ who place more emphasis on special features and design than on price. The electronics manufacturer will this year spend £10m marketing its TVs, with a focus on design, Smart TV and 3D capabilities.

George Mead, head of consumer marketing for home entertainment at LG, said the brand spent ‘95% of time talking about 3D’ last year. He said the company will shift its focus to a design emphasis because ‘there’s lots of consumer confusion in terms of what Smart TV and 3D give to consumers’.

LG 3D TV Ad

In the one minute ad below, LG presents its amazing ultra-thin-frame CINEMA 3DTV sets (42″ to 55″).

1 Million 3DTV sold in UK

More than 1m 3D TVs have been sold to date in Britain since their launch in April 2010. This rate is far higher than that recorded for the take-up of widescreen TVs and flatscreen TVs after they were launched.

Passive 3D Glasses

With LG promoting the use of cinema 3D glasses at home, this ad campaign seems the perfect fit for a captive audience. Wear your cinema 3D glasses at home!

A New Ad Campaign

LG will launch a new advertisement campaign in the UK with a focus on the Olympics and the coming big blockbusters like ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Spider-Man’.

PICTURE: SUPPLIED NATIONAL FEATURES

LG SAYS DEMAND FOR 3D TV WILL SOAR, STARTING WITH THE OLYMPICS.

THE 3D television is making a comeback. After a loud launch followed by a deafening silence, 3D broadcasts will return to free-to-air television in July with the London Olympics.

Experts say the new broadcasts will deliver “a real window of opportunity” for TV makers, though they are also reigniting a technological feud.

Makers are separating into two camps: one behind active 3D, with full high-definition pictures and battery-powered glasses; the other behind passive 3D that offers comfortable viewing and cheaper spectacles.

Audio-visual specialists expect both to flourish.

Australia’s 3D market revived when the Australian Communications and Media Authority confirmed it had issued Channel 9 a 3D trial licence to screen the Olympics.

The broadcasts, available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast, will include the opening ceremony, swimming finals, gymnastics, diving and athletics.

ACMA chairman Chris Chapman says viewers will need to ensure they are within the trial coverage area, and warns the 3D TV licence is only temporary as “the long-term technology is still developing”.

But manufacturers are keen to use the opportunity to promote 3D televisions again.

New screens from Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic are trickling into stores, with LG proving the biggest proponent of 3D technology.

LG marketing general manager Lambro Skropidis says demand for 3D screens and content will soar.

“Do we expect the appetite for 3D to continue?” Skropidis says. “The answer is a resounding yes. 3D content continues to find its way to consumers via free-to-air and 3D pay-TV.”

He says 3D TVs already represent 63 per cent of dollars spent on LED-backlit TVs in Australia.

Samsung also contends 3D TV demand will rise, with director Phil Newton saying the technology had become “a mandatory, must-have feature” in high-end TVs.

But that is where the similarities between makers end, with the companies taking different approaches to 3D.

LG’s TVs feature passive 3D that uses polarised glasses like those seen in movie theatres, with a polarised TV filter matching filters on 3D glasses to deliver a different image to either eye. Its benefits include flicker-free images, cheap glasses and less eye strain.

Samsung’s screens use active 3D technology, which uses battery-powered technology to deliver different images to each eye in full high-definition.

Audio-visual expert Stephen Dawson says both systems produce significantly better results than when first launched in Australia, and predicted audiences would support both.

“Samsung 3D TVs are much improved and the Panasonic models are also better,” Dawson says. “The major hindrance for active 3D … is the cost of the glasses, but Samsung says they’re hoping to get their glasses down from $140 to just $40 a pair.”

Dawson says users will need to re-scan channels on 3D TVs to tune into the 3D Olympics broadcasts from July 16.

Duane Varan, director of Audience Labs at Murdoch University, says the technologies will attract different audiences.

“Passive 3D is actually easier viewing on the eye – because you don’t have the flickering image – but purists would argue you’re compromising resolution,” Varan says. “There’s a trade-off between convenience and resolution.”

He says predictions about the rise of the technology are likely to come true this year, as his labs’ research proves 3D coverage increases viewer enjoyment and engagement.

“With 3D you have a box-office seat and a greater feeling of being there that increases your engagement,” he says.

Madagascar 3 in 3D is definitely one of this year’s much anticipated 3D blockbusters. The DreamWorks / Paramount release hits cinemas in June 2012 and the Look3D team have done it again with this one!

Madagascar 3 - 3D Glasses

These themed 3D Glasses are evolving with every release and this time the guys at Look3D Eyewear are adding sunglasses to their list of products and why stop there… You can choose between a blue boys frame or a pink girls frame and also, every pair comes with a set of four character “toggles” to mix and match.

These unreal 3D glasses will be available in selected cinemas worldwide and Look3D are also currently in negotiations to have these glasses available in retail stores as they can be used on all of your passive 3D electronics including LG, Vizio and many more!

Posted On PRweb

• 3D Movies

Three-dimensional movies are on the exact trajectory that Cameron expected, as more 3D movie screens and more 3D movies are being released than ever before. In fact, of the 10 movies that have ever crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, six are 3D films, and one is getting a 3D makeover. Cameron holds the No. 1 and 2 slots with Avatar ($2.8 billion) and Titanic ($1.8 billion), the latter of which will be released in 3D on April 6.

Cameron is working on two Avatar sequels, which will hit theaters in December 2014 and December 2015, respectively. He’s also been busy working with longtime partner Vince Pace to help other filmmakers push 3D technology with their films. Cameron partnered with Pace in 2011 to form the CAMERON | PACE Group (CPG), the industry leader in 3D technologies and production services.

• 3D Home Entertainment

While much of the focus around 3D has been on the silver screen, both Cameron and Pace believe the future of stereoscopic 3D is in the home. According to Research and Markets, the global 3D TV market size is expected to exceed $100 billion by the end of 2014. “What excites me is we’re taking the bookends of what we understand 3D to be contained to — a sci-fi film or a horror film — and removing them,” says Cameron. “When done correctly, it brings out more emotion, more character and more athleticism than any other medium out there.”

Another key area of 3D growth is the PC. A growing number of laptops and desktops support 3D movie playback and video gaming. “We’re talking about a complete revolution of the way we interact with screens,” says Cameron.

Posted By: 3D Market & Trends

Is your stereovision OK or not? Here under is a simple online test in the form of a black circle you have to focus on and a few lines of text explaining what happens (or should happen)…. Have your friends pass the test and learn who is stereoblind among them!

According to several recent studies, between 6 and 12% of the world population are stereoblind. But don’t worry too much if you are, there are plenty of depth cues in the world that help you appreciate the depth and distance of objects. And you may as well spare a few bucks when going to the movies…

The test

Ingredients for the receipe : the above black circle displayed on a computer screen some 60 cm (2 feet) from your nose, one finger (yours or not), and both of your eyes!

Place the finger vertically at half distance between your eyes and the black circle;
Focus on the circle. What you see should be similar to picture 1 here under;
Then focus on your finger. What you see should be similar to picture 2 here under.

Test 1

Test 2

If you perceive both situations as described, your stereo vision is OK. If not, then you are stereoblind.

In case of bad or absent depth perception,you see only one of the two fingers in the first case and/or one of the two circles in the second case. Sometimes, you just feel a blur change on the silhouette of the finger or the edges of the circle but you don’t perceive a really visible difference between both situations. Stereoblindness is not always impossible to cure. In case of doubts, consult an optmetrist.

This test is not a medical one and should not be substituted to a real optometrist test !

By CASSIE CARPENTER
UPDATED: 10:47 GMT, 8 March 2012

Katy Perry announced today on her Twitter that she will be following the leads of Justin Bieber, the Jonas Brothers, and the cast of Glee.
The Grammy-winning singer is launching her very own 3D concert movie entitled Katy Perry: Part of Me.
The 27-year-old pop star tweeted: ‘FINALLY, my MOVIE is coming out with Paramount this summer! It’s called “KATY PERRY: PART OF ME” Presented In 3D! KATYCATS-LETS TREND #KP3D’

Katy in 3D? Pop star Katy Perry announced today on Twitter that Paramount will release her very own 3D concert movie this summer

Shout out: The singer told her fans the good news on Twitter
Paramount is in early discussions with Grammy winner, whose 2010 album Teenage Dream spent over 60 weeks in the Billboard Top 10 (the only album to ever do so) and spawned five number one singles.
News broke back in early February that Paramount had approached Perry and her camp about doing a documentary-style 3-D film.
Katy is naming her film after her new single Part of Me, which she debuted at the 54th Grammy Awards.

According to recent reports, Sony has a grand plan to start rolling out passive 3D television sets.

Some of you might remember that Sony has been especially keen on active 3D sets, as according to the firm, the image was much clearer and the resolution – sharper.

Although the Japanese firm is yet to confirm the news formally, it has been said that it started to feed these passive products into the Chinese market, while Europe has to wait until September to catch a glimpse of the Sony’s offering during the IFA tech show in Germany (Berline).

Noriaki Negishi, Sony Deputy President of Home Entertainment Products, was quoted as saying that while the production team were not too keen on passive 3D solutions as “it had half the resolution of active shutter 3D”, yet consumers were more open to the former.

The news connects the dots and paints a pretty precise picture: active 3D is costlier and therefore cash-strapped consumers reach out to the cheaper passive option. Panasonic made notes and started working on passive 3D, and now it appears Sony followed suit.

3DTVwatcher is wondering whether or not Samsung will hop on the passive 3D bandwagon, seen as it was left as the only-lonely in the active 3D sphere.

Posted by Geoff Slaughter – 5 March 2012

…at least this is what Danny DeVito, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are thinking after the opening week-end of The Lorax grossed more than 70M$, the best 3D stereoscopic movie opening of the year!

Posted in 3D Blockbusters