Passive vs Active 3D HDTV

Active 3D HDTVs require so called Active Shutter 3D glasses that require a power source, e.g. batteries, to work and are a little bit cumbersome. The shuttler glasses have LCD lenses built in, while the lens for one is is shut, the one for the other eye is open, so each eye is shown a slightly different image. This technology requires synchonization with the HDTV, the reason why Active Shutter glasses should always be the same manufacturer as the HDTV itself.

The advantage of the technology it isn’t very viewpoint dependant, it even works if you aren’t sitting right in front of your TV. There are several disadvantages: The glasses are bigger and heavier, they require batteries or have to be recharged and they aren’t really cheap. The different images for each eye aren’t broadcastet simultaneously, so the required refresh rate for the same smooth image quality you are used from watching 2D must be twice as high. Most HDTVs using this technology are relatively expensive, since they usually come with 240Hz.

Passive 3D HDTVs use linear Polarized 3D glasses. The huge advantage: These glasses are very light and easy to wear, pretty much like average sunglasses. Since no sychronization with the TV is needed, you can pick any brand you want. Passive 3D HDTVs broadcast the image for the right and the left eye at the same time, so 120Hz refresh rate are totally sufficient. One eye is shown a horizontally polarized image, the other eye a vertically polarized one.

The quality of the 3D effect is the same, although there is a big disadvantage of this technology, too: It’s very viewpoint dependant, you have to sit in front of the TV, as soon as you move too far to the right or left, stand up and walk around or similar, the 3D effect is gone. The color quality of the image is slightly affected, one image overlays the other. I checked it myself and didn’t really see a difference, no noticable decrease in image quality.

Overall passive 3D HDTVs certainly have more advantages than disadvantages, since they’ll make the home cinema 3D experience much more affordable. The HDTV itself is cheaper, the glasses are cheaper and since you’ll probably sitting right in front of your big HDTV in the living room when watching a 3D movie, the viewpoint dependancy is neglegtable. Best value for money in my opinion.