3-D Glasses Aim To Break Brand Barriers - WSJ.com

http://today3d.blogspot.com/2010/06/3-d-glasses-aim-to-break-brand-barriers.html

 

If you've zeroed in on the perfect 3-D television for your living room, what about the glasses? Currently, the choice of which 3-D specs to wear is dictated by the manufacturer, as the glasses are tied to a single brand of TV and can't be used on others.

But as early as this month, next-generation 3-D glasses will be hitting stores. The new specs are designed to work with any TV or computer monitor capable of playing movies or shows in 3-D.

Manufacturers hope the new universal glasses, which will cost more than $100 each, will help expand the niche 3-D market.

While 3-D at home is still in its infancy—sets first hit the market this year—TV makers are racing to add 3-D capabilities in order to capitalize on the growing popularity of 3-D movies. Recently, "Avatar" raked in more than $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in history. And seven 3-D films are scheduled to hit theaters this summer.

Television makers such as Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. unveiled 3-D TVs over the past year that work with active-shutter glasses. They're a far cry from the cardboard frames and blue-and-red lenses of 3-D's early days, and work by interpreting an infrared signal from the TV that rapidly turns each lens on or off, creating the three-dimensional effect.

"The glasses have to be standardized," says Riddhi Patel, who follows the 3-D television market for research firm iSuppli. She says the ability to use glasses from any manufacturer will give customers more incentive to go out and buy additional pairs. "It will definitely open up the market a bit more," Ms. Patel said.

Only a fraction of TVs have 3-D capability. ISuppli estimates that of the 170 million TV sets expected to be sold this year, only 4.2 million will be 3-D sets. Prices for 3-D TVs are about $2,000 and up, similar to large, flat-screen TVs.

Glasses that only work on one device remain a bottleneck for the industry.

Anyone who shells out for a current pair—usually one comes with the set, additional pairs cost around $150—can't simply head to a friend's house and check out the latest movie or 3-D game.

For retailers, "having different glasses is a major problem," says Ami Dror, co-founder and head of strategy for XpanD, an independent manufacturer of 3-D glasses.

This month, XpanD eyewear will go on sale at U.S. retailers. For $129, customers can purchase glasses that will work on any television or PC with 3-D.

"We have additional computing power and additional performance with the lenses that allows us to live in peace with virtually anything out there," Mr. Dror says.

XpanD's active-shutter glasses work like a universal remote control. The glasses scan for a specific signal until they find what the TV is emitting, and automatically sync up to provide the 3-D image.

Samsung's glasses can't work on other devices. The company declined to comment on whether future products would have the feature. LG Electronics Inc. also declined to comment on its plans. Sony didn't respond to a request for comment.

Nvidia Corp., a chip maker that has ventured into 3-D, is working on adding the feature to its next-generation of glasses, says Phil Eisler, head of the company's 3-D division. Nvidia's current generation works only with PCs, targeting video game enthusiasts.

The Consumer Electronics Association, an industry trade group, is helping develop standards for 3-D eyewear. A working group hoped to make a determination this month, but now expects something later this year.

"Everybody wants it to happen sooner rather than later," says Peter Fannon, a Panasonic spokesman.

He says it's important to wait for a determination: "There are all kinds of universal devices for all kinds of applications, but they don't always deliver the best experiences.