FULL HD 3D PLASMA TV
FULL HD 3D PLASMA TV VT20 SERIES 65, 50, 46 and 42-Inch (165, 127, 116 and 106cm) NeoPDP Plasma TV GT20 SERIES 42-Inch (106cm) NeoPDP Plasma TV 3D CAMCORDER HDC-SDT750 World’s First AVCHD 3D Camcorder 1 1 As a consumer Camcorder with 3D conversion lens for the AVCHD standard (as of 1 July 2010). ACTIVE SHUTTER 3D EYEWEAR TY-EW3D10E TY-EW3D2L TY-EW3D2M TY-EW3D2S FULL HD 3D BLU-RAY DMP-BDT300 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Player SC-BTT350 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System DMP-BDT100 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Player SC-BFT800 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Soundbar SC-BTT755 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH. VIERA is a brand name of Panasonic Corporation. The design and specification of products are constantly changing in the interest of improvement. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this brochure, some changes may not have been indicated and may have occurred after publication. Please check with your Panasonic dealer for details. Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH cannot accept responsibility for any errors and omissions. WWW.PANASONIC.EU/FULLHD3D WWW.VIERAEXPERIENCE.COM EVERYTHING MATTERS.
Special Feature 3D TV - The Wow Factor 3D is here to stay Meko Principal Bob Raikes makes the case for 3D TV 3D TV is the one of the hot topics of IFA 2010. But the big question is whether it will be a short-lived ‘gimmick’ – like 3D in the cinema in the 1950s – or a long-term trend. If it’s the first, consumers and brands can afford to ignore it; if it’s the second, it would be a shame to miss out on a massive improvement in the TV experience. I’m of the clear opinion that 3D is here to stay. In my experience of nearly 30 years in the electronic-display world, at any one time the vast majority of people think that what they have is good enough. It was true of the standard-definition blackand-white TV with mono sound and it’s now true of the widescreen flat-panel HD stereo TV. But displays are just communication devices – and the nature of communication is that we want higher and higher bandwidth. We want to get closer to the limits of human perception to communicate information (for business) or emotion (for entertainment). If we don’t exploit the human ability to perceive depth, we are missing a key part of the system – just as we are if we don’t use colour or surround sound. If you doubt the importance of depth perception, read the book Fixing My Gaze by neuroscientist Susan R Barry, who had vision problems when young, but trained her eyes and body to 'suddenly' see in stereo. But for any TV experience, you need content, you need a delivery system and you need a display. So where will these come from? First, the content will be available. Hollywood is producing a significant amount of 3D content. Although critics point out that several 3D films have flopped recently, there have also been plenty of 2D flops. Being 3D doesn’t guarantee a successful movie. Why should it? Colour doesn’t guarantee a good movie, but almost all movies are in colour these days. Sport is the other great driver for broadcasters, but sport content needs to be captured and delivered live. Fortunately, companies such as ESPN, which drove the acceptance of HD for sport, are as committed to 3D now as they were to HD in 2002. The company is recording 85 sports events in 3D in 2010. Many other broadcasters, such as Sky in the UK, are also starting to broadcast 3D content. Content will also come from games consoles. Sony in particular is committed to 3D gaming support on its PlayStation 3. You have to see Motor Storm or Guitar Hero in 3D to understand how much difference it makes. Looking at displays, the technology is starting to become available in the form of PDP and LCD sets that support 3D. At the moment, they are notably more expensive than 2D sets, but this will not stay the case for long. Feeding content to the sets will be a challenge in Europe, because of the fragmentation of the broadcasting system and the slow adoption of pay TV across much of the continent. Where consumers expect TV to be free, it’s harder for broadcasters to invest in content and technology. However, as with HD, competition will eventually force the market to move. A barrier to 3D at the moment is that, if you have multiple viewers, you need to wear glasses (a single viewer watching 3D on a mobile phone or tablet, for example, doesn’t need them). At the moment, the best choice for TV-makers is to use LCD ‘shutter’ glasses, but these are relatively expensive – especially if you need a pair for each member of the family. LCDmakers and TV brands are now looking at ways to make sets using polarising technology, which would enable low-cost glasses to be used. S o w i l l v i e w e r s b e persuaded to wear glasses? Possibly not for everyday viewing, but for specialoccasion viewing – a major sports event, say – certainly. I use reading glasses to enjoy a book. Human behaviour often changes with technology. Somebody using a hands-free phone would have looked crazy even a few years ago. www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday, 3 rd September 2010 25
