Samsung has announced that it is starting mass production of 3D-capable LCD and LED television panels. The panels will be produced in 40, 46 and 55in sizes with both LED and regular CCFL backlighting. Active shutter glasses technology will be responsible for the televisions' 3D effect.
“Recently, 3D displays have captured the industry spotlight,” said Wonkie Chang, Samsung's president of LCD business. “Samsung Electronics aims to lead the global 3D TV panel market in pioneering panel mass production for 3D LED and LCD TVs.” Samsung's 3D technology hinges on the new televisions' native, un-interpolated 200Hz refresh rate, displaying alternating images for the left and then right eye.
When a pair of active shutter 3D glasses is worn, the television will display an image to the right eye when the left is blocked by the active shutter, and vice versa. This creates a 3D effect superior to the older "anaglyph" method, which relied on a shift between red and blue copies of an image. A response time of less than four milliseconds prevents any blurring or overlap between alternating frames. The televisions can also be used to display regular 2D Full HD 1080p content.
Australia's head of consumer electronics marketing for Samsung, Mark Leathan, believes that 3D technology is the next big thing for Australians, with 3D-ready televisions expected to be available in April. "Interest from consumers and the recent announcements at CES all point towards 3D being the next big technology in Australian living rooms," he said. "Samsung is already working to deliver on the 3D experience and build upon its number one market status in the TV market here in Australia and around the world.”
