There are two types of 3d glasses that are used with modern 3D technology, and they are not interchangeable. Which type of glasses you have to buy will depend on where you want to use them, and if it is for a television in your home, what type of 3D TV you buy. Each type of glasses have different qualities which affect how much they cost, where you can use them and how clear a picture they produce.
How 3D Glasses Work
When something is broadcast in 3D, whether it be a film, a TV programme or a sporting event, the same process is going to be in effect. What happens is that each frame is only being shown for one eye, and alternate frames have a slightly different perspective on the action.
The glasses come in by separating those frames out, so that each eye only sees alternate frames. That means that each eye is getting a slightly different perspective on what is going on, as they do in real life. The brain then combines these images to create one three dimensional image, which is how we perceive depth in real life.
The way this is done differs with the different types of glasses though. With the active kind, an LCD screen actually blacks out one lens after another so that only one eye can ever see the screen at a time. With the passive glasses, the images are polarised, and each lens only allows in one of the frames at a time.
How Effective Are They?
In terms of effectiveness, the active shutter glasses beat the polarising (passive) ones. That's because with the active glasses you are not losing any resolution as you are always seeing the full screen and there are no distorting effects.
When you are using passive glasses, the image is not quite so clear, although this is not a massive difference. If you ever seen a film in 3D at the cinema then you will have been using passive glasses, so you will know that it is still a good image.
Where Can You Use Them?
You can use the passive glasses in a lot more places than you can use the active shutter kind. All of the images are polarised in the same way, so one set of polarising glasses will work in the cinema, in pubs and with certain 3D TVs.
It's a different story with the active shutter glasses though. You can't use them in the cinema, in a pub or with any television or computer monitor which was made by a different manufacture than made the glasses. That is unless you are using a universal pair, which are actually a good option for this reason.
What Are The Differences In Price?
The most important factor for a lot of people is that of price, and there you get perhaps the biggest difference. The passive glasses don't use any active technology (hence the name) and so they are a lot cheaper. They don't cost so much to make.
With the active glasses, you have an LCD screen in each lens which requires power. Usually they are rechargeable. Also, they have to sync up to the television so that the lenses are being blacked out at the same time, so that is more technology which has to be used. This adds up to a much higher price.
Which Type Of Glasses Are Better?
Only you can really decide which sort of glasses you think are better, because it depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for the sharpest images to watch on your TV at home, then you should go for the active kind. If you don't want to spend too much money though, and you want to use them in multiple locations, then you'll have to go for the passive variety.
How 3D Glasses Work
When something is broadcast in 3D, whether it be a film, a TV programme or a sporting event, the same process is going to be in effect. What happens is that each frame is only being shown for one eye, and alternate frames have a slightly different perspective on the action.
The glasses come in by separating those frames out, so that each eye only sees alternate frames. That means that each eye is getting a slightly different perspective on what is going on, as they do in real life. The brain then combines these images to create one three dimensional image, which is how we perceive depth in real life.
The way this is done differs with the different types of glasses though. With the active kind, an LCD screen actually blacks out one lens after another so that only one eye can ever see the screen at a time. With the passive glasses, the images are polarised, and each lens only allows in one of the frames at a time.
How Effective Are They?
In terms of effectiveness, the active shutter glasses beat the polarising (passive) ones. That's because with the active glasses you are not losing any resolution as you are always seeing the full screen and there are no distorting effects.
When you are using passive glasses, the image is not quite so clear, although this is not a massive difference. If you ever seen a film in 3D at the cinema then you will have been using passive glasses, so you will know that it is still a good image.
Where Can You Use Them?
You can use the passive glasses in a lot more places than you can use the active shutter kind. All of the images are polarised in the same way, so one set of polarising glasses will work in the cinema, in pubs and with certain 3D TVs.
It's a different story with the active shutter glasses though. You can't use them in the cinema, in a pub or with any television or computer monitor which was made by a different manufacture than made the glasses. That is unless you are using a universal pair, which are actually a good option for this reason.
What Are The Differences In Price?
The most important factor for a lot of people is that of price, and there you get perhaps the biggest difference. The passive glasses don't use any active technology (hence the name) and so they are a lot cheaper. They don't cost so much to make.
With the active glasses, you have an LCD screen in each lens which requires power. Usually they are rechargeable. Also, they have to sync up to the television so that the lenses are being blacked out at the same time, so that is more technology which has to be used. This adds up to a much higher price.
Which Type Of Glasses Are Better?
Only you can really decide which sort of glasses you think are better, because it depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for the sharpest images to watch on your TV at home, then you should go for the active kind. If you don't want to spend too much money though, and you want to use them in multiple locations, then you'll have to go for the passive variety.
About the Author:
If you're interested in buying 3d glasses or if you'd be interested in getting additional information regarding the way they operate and how they can be valuable, http://www.3dglasses.co.uk is a fine site. It is the place which Justin Floyd often writes articles at.
