It’s All Gone 3D For Panasonic

3D is one of those technologies that seems to have been taken to the hearts of consumers pretty much straight away. The release of major blockbuster movies in 3D and the proceeding release of 3D TVs and 3D games for the PC, as well as the imminent release of 3D console gaming and even portable glasses free 3D gaming from the Nintendo 3DS have helped to really push the emerging technology to the forefront of just about everybody’s minds.

The same is true of manufacturers too, and while Panasonic may not have released that many 3D gadgets as yet, they have enjoyed incredible success from their 3D plasma sets and they are likely to enjoy similar success for their newly released 3D camcorder. What’s more, claiming that 3D take up has been 3 times better than they initially thought you can expect a whole lot more to appear very soon.

The HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder is a groundreaking piece of kit that lets home video producers create their own 3D masterpieces. It is incredibly simple to use but the addition of 3D recording technology does have its downsides too, not least the slightly cumbersome nature of the device itself as well as the lack of any zoom feature. The quality, though, is pretty good and while it may not be up to 3D blu-ray imagery it is still incredible to watch your own footage in 3D on your TV. As you would expect, it’s not cheap, but at £1,300 it’s not as expensive as it could have been either.

Panasonic also announced that as well as the current line-up of 3D TVs they will be releasing new sizes and new models. They also touted the incredible 153 inch plasma 3D TV which is commercially available for around £400,000. OK, so it’s unlikely too many of you will be buying one of these but it does show the massive potential that 3D has.

Have you gone 3D yet?

Will you be getting the 3DS when it’s released later this year?

LG BX580 3D Blu Ray Player – Better Than The Rest?

Manufacturers were kind of slow to jump on the whole Blu Ray player bandwagon but it seems they don’t want to be left out in the cold again with 3D TV as pretty much everything at the moment is being created in 3D. Companies are clearly catching on to the general excitement and stir that is being created by the emerging technology. What’s more, companies like Panasonic, Sony, and now LG are even managing to combine the two technologies in some inspiring pieces of home entertainment kit.

The LG BX580 does exactly that because it is a 3D blu ray player. obviously, you still need the 3D TV, a pair of fetching 3D glasses (at least they look more like Blues Brothers glasses and less like the 1980s glasses they used to), and of course a 3D version of your favourite movie.

You’re given the choice of watching the film in 3D or in bog standard 2D and while there is a difference in colour and contrast (with 3D being slightly worse than 2D as you might expect) the overall look of 3D makes it well worthwhile.

As promised earlier by LG, you even get a number of web apps included in the BX580. You can look at news headlines, watch video clips, and store and share photos. These are decent offerings although if you’re after more from the web apps stable then you should look at other models of blu-ray player and if you want more web action and 3D then you’ll just have to wait.

The glasses provided are light and comfortable, as well as being rechargable, which is another good point, but overall the LG BX580 seems to promise a lot and then not quite deliver. There’s too few web apps, there are better quality 3D images from other brands, and you’re left hoping that they will improve what’s on offer with the next model.

Can’t wait to watch your favourite films in 3D?

Is the BX580 worth the money?

Ubisoft Predicts Every Home Will Have One By 2013 But 12% Of Brits Can’t See 3DTV

Ubisoft has said that the level of demand for 3D gaming is such that it predicts every home will have 3DTV installed by the year 2013. However, research has shown if this is the case then a reasonable amount of them will be largely unused as 12% of all Brits are unable to see 3DTV in all its glory.

What’s more, according to a report in the Telegraph, Samsung announced a couple of months ago that its 3D TV sets (and 3D TV in general) could be harmful to those suffering from epilepsy as well as pregnant women, the elderly, and children. In fact, those deprived of sleep and those that have been drinking are also advised to stay away while the list of possible side effects for even the average viewer includes dizziness, altered vision, nausea, convulsion, and cramps.

The positive news is that as long as you’re between the ages of 18 and 40 and have a signed letter from your doctor you should be enjoying a much greater range of 3D entertainment (assuming you’re not one of the 6 million people that can’t actually enjoy 3D, of course).

3D technology means that images are constantly bombarded at the viewer’s eyes and according to The Eyecare Trust our brains struggle to comprehend what is being thrown at them due to poor binocular vision.

If you are one of the lucky 8 or 9 people in the country that will be able to watch 3D then you might be interested to learn that not only is there an incredible range of Samsung TVs and TVs from other manufacturers designed for the very purpose but the PS3 has had a firmware update which means it is capable of playing 3D games and Nintendo has recently announced the launch of a 3D mobile gaming device by the end of the year that will not require users to wear those “special” glasses.

How’s your binocular vision?

LG M1962D 19 Inch Ready LCD TV

The “ready” stands for HD ready, and the connectivity options on the LG M1962D 19” Ready LCD TV let you hook up to High Definition gadgets such as games consoles or Blu-ray machines. You can also use the two SCART sockets to connect to non HD devices and it can also function perfectly well as a quality PC monitor.

 

Picture Quality

The quality and richness of the image is really the key with any HD TV or computer monitor, and the LG M1962D 19” Ready LCD TV doesn’t let us down. The resolution of 1366 x 768 and the dynamic contract ratio of 50,000:1 give you a wonderfully detailed picture.

Features

The screen image apart, what most draws the attention is probably the power and definition of the sound which this television is capable of emitting. The LG M1962D 19” comes with SRS TruSurround HD virtual surround sound, which provides a great audio quality.  

Value

This is a very good value LCD TV, coming in at comfortably under £200 for internet shoppers.

Summary

The LG M1962D 19” Ready LCD TV is a great value buy for people who want a lot of flexibility but don’t want to pay more for it. For example, if you are looking for something which has the class to be the main television in a compact living room this fits the bill. Equally, it you need a quality bedroom telly, a laptop monitor or something which can be used to connect to fancy new games consoles or older machines you will find it all here. The HD ready aspect and the variety of connectivity options mean that it will be up to date and usable for a long time.

LG 50PK350 50 Inch Full HD Plasma TV review

If you have never watched a film on a huge screen you will be amazed. If you have never seen a football game in HD you will be astonished. If you think this is going to cost you an arm and a leg you will be pleasantly surprised. I won’t ruin all the surprises at once, so let’s go through the features one by one.

Picture Quality

The 50” screen isn’t just for showing off to the neighbours when the delivery men come staggering in through your front door under its impressive 31 kilos of weight. The huge surface area, combined with the Full HD (1080p), 16:9 Aspect Ratio Resolution and 3,000,000:1 Contrast Ratio really does give you a picture quality which will make you stagger just like those delivery guys. All in all, the LG 50PK350 50” Full HD Plasma TV gives you a picture quality which is simply incredible.

Features

You’ve got the big picture so the last thing you want is a tiny little sound to come out the telly. 10W + 10W outputs of audio will solve that, while Clear Voice II is compatible also. Digital Freeview comes included, with 40 free channels, an on screen guide to the next 8 day’s entertainment and interactive services.

The LG 50PK350 comes with a USB to let you connect your digital camera, flash memory or MP3 and 2 HDMI input slots for to connect your gadgets to a games console. Intelligent Sensor and Smart Energy Saving are two nice extra touches.

Value

Did I mention earlier that you might be surprised by the price? The normal £999 price is excellent but the current £699 offer in PC World is absolutely amazing. All this TV and all these features, services and cutting edge technology for under £700? This is a great price for a television which you can expect to stay up to date and in fashion for a very long time.

 

Summary

At the normal price this is an excellent buy, although you would maybe be left feeling just a little guilty at giving yourself such luxury. However, at the special offer price I mentioned above you will probably make you mind up in the time it takes me to type the name of the model one last time – LG 50PK350 50” Full HD Plasma Screen TV. Have you decided yet? Get it with free delivery by clicking on the banner below.

Sony launches first 3D TVs and Games in UK

Sony has started the roll out of 3D TV technology in the UK, first with an update for the PlayStation 3 earlier in the week and now with the arrival of the first Bravia TVs capable of displaying 3D images.

The new 3D TVs on which Sony has been working are available in a number of styles, although you will have to put up with a limited amount of content if you are going to jump on the 3D bandwagon from day one, as the first 3D Blu Rays and games will be arriving in a trickle rather than a flood.

Sony held a press conference on Thursday in order to launch its 3D products and talk a little about how the technology would become relevant to UK users. It said that by 2014 around 40 per cent of UK households will have some kind of 3D ready device, which is a bold prediction to make.

The cheapest of Sony’s 3D TVs will require that the user buy both the active shutter glasses and the sensor which synchronises them separately, but if you opt for the top of the range screen this sensor is integrated, simplifying the setup.

Sony is launching a pack of four 3D ready games via the PlayStation Network and it showed off trailers on a PS3 to prove that the 3D gaming experience was worthwhile. Titles such as Gran Turismo and Kill Zone are going to get a 3D makeover and both WipEout HD and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift really make use of the effects.

Panasonic showcases 152 inch 3D Plasma TV

Panasonic has created one of the largest televisions in the world, with its latest plasma screen measuring 152 inches across the diagonal and coming with 3D playback capabilities.

The size of the screen is impressive on paper, but it is the incredible native resolution of 4096×2160 that will really blow viewers out of their seats. Given that it supports 3D content, there is no other TV in the world that could reasonably claim to be its equal.

If you do not have the room for a 152 inch plasma TV in your home then you might consider its 103 and 85 inch baby brothers, which reduce the resolution to a more acceptable 1080p. The full sized beast will set you back the best part of £350,000 and so only industry buyers need apply!

The 152 inch TV will be available to buy at some point in the autumn and given that the launch of Panasonic’s 103 inch screen a while back attracted the attention of thousands of wealthy buyers, it would be unwise to assume that the 152 inch sequel will not make its way into the domestic environment of the super rich.

Panasonic has thus created a television that costs more than the average house and then made it so large that it could not reasonably fit it into most homes. However, if you did squeeze it into your living room, the resolution would allow you to sit relatively close to it without eyesight damage, which is a plus.

PlayStation 3 having 3D teething troubles

Sony has said that the process of bringing 3D gaming to the PS3 is not running as smoothly as it had hoped, with assurances of full backwards compatibility with older titles not being made.

Sony’s Simon Benson said that many PS3 games would be compatible with the 3D gaming experience, but that there were still franchises that Sony could not optimally convert to operate using the format.

Mr Benson told Official PlayStation Magazine that Sony was fully behind the 3D gaming experience and it appreciated that updating older games could make them much more immersive and engaging for the player, perhaps resulting in increased sales of the PS3′s back catalogue.

Games built with 3D in mind are simple to convert, but Mr Benson said ensuring that games which are not currently able to output two HD signals simultaneously, as per the requirement for 3D gaming, are trickier to integrate into the system.

Games arriving this month will bring the first full 3D ready compatibility to the PS3, including classic space racer reinvention WipEout HD and Super Stardust HD.

The PS3 is definitely going to support not just 3D gaming but also 3D Blu Ray movies, although it was announced that the firmware update that enables movie playback will be coming along after the PS3 is readied for 3D gaming, which makes a lot of sense considering its core functionality.

Sony is one of the only console manufacturers that is talking about 3D gaming on a frequent basis, but to the average consumer who won’t be picking up a 3D TV any time soon, it could seem a little irrelevant.

3D TV to ditch glasses in five years

A Taiwanese firm has said that by 2015 the use of polarising or active shutter 3D glasses in home cinema systems will be a thing of the past as technology evolves to make them unnecessary and obsolete.

The first crop of 3D TVs are all going to use the slightly wacky glasses to provide the 3D effect in the home and at the moment this is being seen as an added expense that increases the price of the already expensive 3D equipment.

The Industrial Technology Research Institute is developing parallax barrier technology which will provide native support for 3D without the need for any eyewear and it showcased its potential in a 42 inch display which it thinks will be market-ready in five years.

The biggest problem with parallax barrier in its current form is that the effects are only visible to people sitting in a particular spot in front of the screen. Hopefully this obstacle will be overcome before we start getting glasses-free 3D TV at home, otherwise fighting over sofa space will become even more of a battle.

The first products to use the parallax barrier technology being developed in Taiwan will be digital photo viewers and signs for advertising. Rumours also suggest that the next handheld console from Nintendo, tentatively titled the 3DS, is going to use similar technology. Clearly, with a handheld, getting the user to view the display from a set angle is a far easier proposition.

Sony previews 3D digital cameras

A series of standalone digital cameras which can capture still images in 3D have been created by Sony, which is hoping to ride the wave of consumer interest surrounding upcoming 3D TV and gaming systems.

The Alpha range of cameras is not heading straight for the professional market, as serious SLR lovers will probably have a hard time accepting that 3D photography is the way forward. Instead Sony has made sure these devices are compact enough to appeal to a mainstream audience.

The Alpha cameras will have interchangeable lenses and on-board software that is capable of adding the 3D effect. This is because the stereoscopic technique used by filmmakers requires two cameras essentially melded together and such a technique is not really convenient for a pocket-sized digital camera.

The Sony Alpha range will work in tandem with the 3D Photo Viewer from Nvidia, allowing for the 3D effects to be added retrospectively to the images.

The majority of people will have been exposed to the incoming 3D technology relating to TV and filmmaking, but the Alpha range is Sony’s attempt to get people talking about 3D still photography. This announcement comes hot on the heels of its rival Sharp revealing that it had been working on a 3D camera that could be attached to mobile devices, such as smartphones.

Adding depth to still images could reinvigorate the stand-alone camera market and with Sony working on a range that appears to offer this functionality with a user friendly approach, many cameras could soon come with a 3D function as standard.

<Next Page » 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Page »