3D tv's, are they worth it?

[str8t six]

im wanting to pick up a 55" LED tv this year and i want to know if its worth paying extra for the 3D feature. i have a ps3 and a surround sound that also plays 3D discs. is the picture any different, or how does the 3D look with the glasses that you have to use.

im looking more towards a samsung tv or a sony. my price goal is under $1500. any help is appreciated.

[patw]

I'm not a fan of having to wear glasses while I watch TV or play PS3. LG and Samsung are making noises about a new gen of 3d TV that won't require them. I won't even consider the units until they find the optimal method of display (passive glasses, active glasses, no glasses) and all stick to it.

[Heed]

From what I've been told - no.

[ruben]

i love 3D tvs because they drove the prices of non 3D tv's down. 3D is a gimmick. maybe in a couple more years when it becomes the norm at theatres will it be worth it.

[CynicalC]

3d tv is a joke. A passing fad that the industry is trying to force on us unsuccessfully. Save your money.

[alex.s]

i love the no-glasses 3d tvs. absolutely amazing, especially for games. the glasses tv are tv makers way of trying to make extra money in their transition into full no-glasses tvs which are more expensive right now. get everyone to buy cheap "3d" tvs with glasses to switch all the recording hardware and media and everything over to 3d, then by then the real 3d tvs will be cheaper and people will see their glasses tvs as inferior and go buy a real 3d tv. its a win win for tv makers

[str8t six]

good point alex, so whats a good non 3D tv? walmart has a 55" LG LED for $1K

[Boom King]

Originally Posted by patw

LG and Samsung are making noises about a new gen of 3d TV that won't require them.

Samsung initially said that glasses free 3D TV would not be available for another 10 years. Toshiba, however, has already launched glasses free 3D TV models in Japan using the same Cell processor found in the PS3. +1 to whoever said 3D glasses is just a transition technology. Any one remember EDTV? Any ways, in another 7 years or so, we'll be having a discussion about holographic TVs.

[Jono]

I know that 3D movies in the theaters give me a headache after I watch them so I will not be buying a 3D television because it would probably give me a headache as well. SO for me.. Not worth it. I'd rather have a nice 2D TV.

[Zombiphone]

Originally Posted by Jono

I know that 3D movies in the theaters give me a headache after I watch them so I will not be buying a 3D television because it would probably give me a headache as well. SO for me.. Not worth it. I'd rather have a nice 2D TV.

^^This. I hate the 3D thing so much. I got to demo Black Ops on a 3D TV when I used to work under Activision, and it was physically unpleasant to get through an entire 10 minute mission. I guess if your goal is to force yourself to use it less due to painful eyestrain, it could be a good idea. But otherwise, much like how I feel about motion controls in videogames, 3D just strikes me as another annoying gimmick that only serves to make entertainment less enjoyable.


But I'm also old and no longer hip, so take that with a grain of salt.

[NathanUc]

Coming from someone who actually OWNS a 3D display, here are my thoughts...

1. People complain about glasses but unless you already wear glasses, you'd hardly notice them. Without ACTIVE glasses, our technology just isn't good enough for proper 3D.

2. If movies are your primary intention, don't bother. Most movies don't look that good in 3D as most are written to be in 2D and ported over.

3. Of everyone that's used my TV, no one has gotten a headache yet. Not sure if it's the environment of the movie theaters that cause people to get headaches, but as far as I can say, it's not the same situation in a living room.

4. 3D gaming is very awesome. People call it a gimmick, but a properly designed game in 3D is just breath taking compared to it's 2D counterparts. 3D gaming is as much of a gimmick as two joysticks were when the dual shock came out.

5. With PS3, you get that weird two player full screen mode in some games. Very very very cool.

Overall, I say paying 25-50% more for a display with 240hz active 3D is worth it. You'll get a lot of people who knock it who haven't ever experienced a true 3D display. I upgraded from a 40" Bravia (120hz 2d) to a 46" Bravia (240hz 3d) and it was worth every penny. ANYONE who has used it at my place have loved it and been mad jealous :P


My 2 cents.

[alex.s]

2-player fullscreen is seriously amazing. @Zombiphone just cant appreciate it because shes hateful and fake. and wishes she had as good of hair as i do.

[Zombiphone]

Old, unhip, hateful, fake, and now the integrity of my hair has even come into question? What do I even have anymore?

Hahaha, goddammit Alex. You don't even play videogames, so your opinion is even more invalid. So... so there!

[NDspd]

The demos at Best Buy suck, so I wish I could see a good example of 3D tv's. I saw Avatar 3D in the Imax theater in London, UK and it was stunning...but my eyes were actually tired from looking around so much.

[Jiggles]

Josh, I used to work at Sears in Home Electronics selling mainly HDTV's and I have put hours and hours of research into the subject of 3D on TV's as well as HDTV's themselves. I no longer work there, but I can still help you determine the perfect TV for your needs.

First off, what is the lighting like in the room you want the TV to be in. Is it a bright room with lots of windows? When watching the TV will you be seeing any glare from lights or windows?

I ask because 3D looks much better on plasma sets (don't let anybody tell you plasma is inferior, it is in fact superior to LED in nearly every aspect). Your best bet is going to be a Panasonic 3D TV. Panasonic is widely regarded as the best plasma maker and their 3D is epic.

But before we get into that I want to know if a plasma set is even a viable option for you. The only category that plasmas fail at is in bright rooms or when there is glare.

[str8t six]

there isnt too much light in my room in the winter, but during the summer it gets a good amount of light in the room. i have a sliding glass door about 5ft from the tv but the light isnt able to reach the tv since it is set a little behind where the light comes in. so it doesnt get direct sunlight on it.