3-D seems to be the big new thing these days. But how does it work? Let's take a look at all the different pieces that make your movie can pop out of the screen.
First, the movie, game, or tv show has to be made with 3-D in mind. Specifically, it has to have an entire version of the show made for each eye. This is why Blu-ray and high speed services like direct tv are so important, 3-D takes up a lot of space!
Your Blu-ray player or satellite/cable box sends your content to a 3-D TV. The TV then has to split the content up, and switch between showing the version for your left eye and your right eye. There are several different ways this can be done, but the most popular right now, active-shutter, quickly flashes back and forth between the right and left view for each frame of the show.
The TV then sends a signal to the last piece of the puzzle, the glasses. In active shutter, the glasses receive a signal telling them each time the frame switches, and they turn the other lens opaque. When you constantly switch back and forth and block the other eye, you receive 2 different pespectives, one to each eye. The compilation of the images by your brain produces depth and creates the 3D effect.
For 3D with no glasses, we will have to wait. There are TVs that can do it, but they are still undergoing testing. They create a 3D effect by having essentially two screens right on top of each other but each one slightly to the left or right. A thin barrier in front of the the screens controls the direction of the light, directing the two images in two different directions.
With 3D on the rise, it's important to understand how the technology works so you can make an informed decision. Hopefully this has helped.
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