It may seem like a scene out of the 1980’s science fiction film Back to the Future but the technology for glasses-free 3D digital signage is already here.

A 3D sign comes alive in the Robert Zemeckis film Back to the Future II

3D imagery has been around for as long as the moving picture as 3D film was being used as early as 1890. However, it was in the 1950’s that 3D movies had its golden age when a multitude of cinema films were made in 3D.

However, 3D cinema is going through a renaissance with the development of 3D TV expected to be the next big step in home entertainment. And while most 3D systems require the viewer to be wearing 3D glasses, a type of 3D TV is being developed that requires no glasses at all.

The potential of 3D TV in the out of home advertising and outdoor digital signage market is huge – especially if glasses-free 3D TV becomes a viable and working technology.

Imagine walking down the high street and passing outdoor digital signage systems where the content leapt out in front of you, it may seem like a scene out of the 1980’s science fiction film Back to the Future but the technology for glasses-free 3D digital signage is already here.

Autostereoscopy is one method of providing 3d imagery without the need for special 3D glasses. There are disadvantages with the technology such as there being only certain points of view where the 3D effect works and there has also been complaints of headaches and eye strain from users who have indulged in prolonged viewing.

However, with all infant technologies, autostereoscopy is constantly being improved and it is expected that 3D TV technologies will play a big part in the coming decade.

One of the most exciting applications for this type of 3D technology is in the outdoor digital signage market. We have already seen over the last few years how much more attractive dynamic advertising and signage is compared to regular print media and it is possible that this up and coming 3D technology will make conventional outdoor digital signage seem as hackneyed as print media appears today.

Picked up the UN55B7100 from Best Buy this weekend (identical to 7000 except it is Gray ToC instead of red). I love this TV. Upgraded from LNT4061F from Samsung. It is so thin its amazing the wall mount screws don’t go through the screen. At less than 50lbs without the stand it is substantially lighter than any traditional 55 inch lcd or plasma. The colors are vibrant, the blacks are solid and the picture just seems to pop. I haven’t done any calibration or adjustments so I’m thinking it only gets better from here. Hooked up to surround sound system so I can’t say anything about the speakers. Yes, it is more expensive than many similar sized tv, but I really think it’s worth it.

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV – Beautiful TV, Great Picture

I’m not an audiophile, but in my humble opinion, this is a great TV. The picture is stunning. My son and I just watch the World Series on it, and never once lost the ball in the picture due to slow frame refresh or the less-than-240 MHz rate of 120. Nor have I seen any of the issues referenced by others regarding the 8000 series and issues with “lighting from the corners”. I pulled out a 65″ Mitsubishi Diamond, and put this in the hole it created in our entertainment center. Even though it’s 10″ smaller, it’s 1000% better. The only downside I see right now is that it’s hard to turn the TV off now… I should be reading more books!

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV – Great TV!

This is a great TV. There are a few minor issues, first the viewing angle is not the best, but I always have the best seat so not an issue. The second issue is there is minor bleed through in the four corners from the lights but you have to look for it to see it. It needs some adjustments out of the box to make it look good and get rid of the ghosting and juddering. But after that it looks amazing in movies TV, and video games.

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV – Top of the Line

Had this TV for about a week and it lives up to the hype. I’ve never seen a tv with a blacker black. My wife’s first comment when it was pulled of the box: “Wow, that is thin!”. Amazing that they can fit such a fantastic product into 1.5″ of depth. The only thing I would note is that I did see what some say about the light bleeding in from the edge. I noticed it at night during an almost completely black scene. I actually didn’t notice it until I thought to look based on others’ comments, and it’s very discrete. It doesn’t degrade the viewing experience at all. If that’s something that would bother you, stop looking at your tv and start watching your tv.

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV – For the Money it’s Okay

We enjoyed most everything this tv has to offer, to include the slim line body style, as well as viewing films in the 3d(which take some getting used to), beautiful slow & stills.

As far as sound, we had it hooked up to our bose surround sound, so I cannot confirm the sound issues.

What we did have a problem with was when we watched an action film or anything which objects move across the screen quickly (& we watch alot), the pixilation issues that happen around objects as they move across the screen quickly or fast. The tv just can’t seem to keep up. It’s very annoying and never happened with our old DLP.

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The Panasonic TCP58VT25 is a technological marvel as far as home entertainment is concerned. This HDTV has earned itself the distinction of the best 3D TV of the year 2010 and not without solid reasons.

The TC-P58VT25 58-inch plasma 3D TV employs quite a few advanced technical features to treat its consumers with a spectacular experience they will not forget in a hurry. The plasma technology, owing to its fast refresh rate, is responsible for providing a full 1080p resolution separately to the left and right eye. In contrast, even the latest LCD TVs are not able to match the ultra-smooth 3D performance of a Plasma TV on this feature. Given that the Panasonic TCP58VT25 is THX certified, you can expect excellent picture quality as that of films shot.

Thanks to Panasonic’s NEO Plasma Display Panel, the smaller power supply has not only brought down the costs of the Panasonic TCP58VT25 Flat Panel HDTV, it also helps in major savings in your power bill. This panel has also resulted in significantly brightening the visuals, though it still is not a match to LCD televisions.

This TV features both Wireless as well as Ethernet connectivity so that you are able to access your favorite web contents like YouTube, Picasa, Netflix, Amazon, Twitter, Skype, Video on Demand, and much more. Attach a keyboard in the USB terminal, and you make a PC irrelevant.

In spite of all the exciting aspects of the TC-P58VT25 58-inch Plasma 3D TV, if you are in the market looking for a super slim TV to enhance the décor of your living room, then we suggest that you look elsewhere.

The Samsung UN46C7000 is an amazing LCD HDTV with 3D technologies! Samsung’s latest television model creates a completely new level of home entertainment that, with the use of 3D glasses and 3D technology, can allow you to watch extremely life-like images in your own home. Leap into the middle of the action, or just sit back and enjoy the most lifelike colors and pictures you’ve ever seen on the screen. The 3D glasses are a separate purchase from the Samsung UN46C7000, but the extra small investment is more than worth it considering the viewing experience you will have!

Samsung continues to push toward the future, as it utilizes cutting edge technology, to turn a two dimensional image, into a three dimensional viewing experience. You are brought into the amazing 3D world, by simply putting on your 3D glasses, which transforms the two dimensional images instantly! And all of this wonderful action takes place on the UN46C7000′s spacious 45.9 inch viewing screen. All of this amazing technology and it somehow fits into the most slender TV frame you’ve seen; with Touch of Color® features that give the frame a magical glow and a slim line that lends a futuristic look, the Samsung UN46C7000 will satisfy even the most picky home decorator.

Other features included with the UN46C7000 are HDTV programming tuners and a QAM tuner that will unscramble cable. The LED backlight technologies employed in this model help to sharpen colors and contrasts, and with a super fast 240Hz refresh rate that prevents motion blurring, every entertainment experience will be enhanced like never before. The Samsung UN46C7000 is Internet-ready so you can go online in just a few clicks, and even watch movies over your connection if you subscribe for a Netflix account, all in a dynamic 6-million-to-one contrast ratio. The Samsung UN46C7000 also gives you Skype™ Internet phone calls. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows® operation systems and comes equipped with AllShare™, so you will find it fast and easy to connect the Samsung UN46C7000 to your PC.

In addition to a great picture and all of these amazing features, you can expect to experience a fantastic sound system with the UN46C7000′s two 10-watt speakers which are located internally in the bottom edge of the television. The set is sold with a remote control device so you can operate in comfort from afar. This LCD HDTV will help you to save energy and money on your electric bill, costing only about $1.70 each month to operate this full-featured Energy Star certified television set. In standby mode, the Samsung UN46C7000 only uses .05 watts of energy, and when powered on it uses only 92.10 watts.

You will be able to connect your peripherals easily. There are two USB ports, a PC input, an RF input, and HDMI connections built into the Samsung UN46C7000. The Samsung UN46C7000 will fit easily into your home with either the swivel base that comes with the TV or the special secure brackets for mounting on the wall (which are sold separately as well). This set has an aspect ratio of 16 to 9, a 1920 x 1080 maximum screen resolution, backlighting technologies, over the air tuner inclusions, an NTSC tuner, and a 1080p output too. The Samsung UN46C7000 has everything you need to enjoy TV like you’ve never been able to do before.

Sunday 31-01-10 goes down in history as the date that Real 3D TV broadcasts started and 3D for TV became more than just a dream.

BSkyB jumped the gun somewhat when they suprised industry analysts and beat ESPN to become the first broadcaster to screen a live tv sports event. At the top of the league Arsenal versus Manchester United game, played at the Emirates stadium in London on Sunday January 31st, the UK based broadcaster transmitted two live feeds, one to it’s traditional Sky Sports subscribers domestic and commercial and another 3D feed to 9 selected pubs and clubs across 5 cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Eire.

This move came in advance of it’s planned April 2010 dedicated 3D channel nation wide launch and bestowed on the lucky punters the honor of being the first people to watch a live broadcast in 3D any where in the world. The transmission was broadcast using two different production and commentary teams and two seperate camera crews.

When launched, Sky’s 3D channel will be available to existing subscribers to their Sky plus HD service at no additional cost. Of course these 1.6 million customers will need to upgrade to a new lcd 3d tv system to be able to take advantage of the service and the company expects the commercial side of the business to be the ones to drive the sports service forward. The company have however provided customers with a small carrot in the form of the promise of at least one premier league game broadcast live each week, but only when demand rises.

There are some down sides to 3D for TV, namely the upgrade so hot on the heels of HDTV and Blu Ray winning the war of the DVD players but we are all aware that the promise of an amazing, complete package of real 3d tv that includes shows, movies and sport will eventually eintice us back to the store for another upgrade.

A look at Alioscopy’s auto-stereoscopic technology, which creates 3D effect on an LCD screen without requiring glasses. –Kenneth Wong, contributing editor, Desktop Engineering

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV

I am a bit of a gadget guy and a techy. As such, I was not expecting to be surprised with this purchase. I knew the features, I knew the details, I saw this in stores. I was surprised at 2 things.

The picture looks much better in my house then it did in the store! It has better depth and the color/tones are fantastic. Both are much better then I experienced in the stores. The color/tones was the main reason I was leaning towards Sony but the brightness of this set was needed for my environment. So I was surprised that I got the brightness I needed and the fantastic color that I wanted.

Additionally, I was please to find that Samsung opened up all of the A/V settings so you can seriously adjust the picture to suit the environment and the types of viewing you will do. {I have a lot to learn on this aspect. My previous Sony you had to go into a special mode for those settings. I never bothered}.

A shout out to the white gloves service. They were simple, effective, and quick. They brought it in, unpackaged it, connected it, tested (with me observing) and were gone after cleaning up after themselves.

I installed this on the wall myself using the Samsung Ultra-slim mounting kit. This kit was as easy as hanging a 50lb picture. The kit also includes a special movable “leg” that allows you to tilt the TV out from the wall to make connections. It worked great.

Bring on the remainder of Football season!

Samsung UN55B7000 55 1080p LED HDTV – Best but I couldn’t Live with It

I bought this TV after hours of searching and reading. Let me say first off that the brightness in the corners that there are so many comments about didn’t bother me at all. They are there when the screen goes black but they are easily ignored and did get less when I updated system software from Samsung.

Pros: Best picture ever. the resolution , clarity, etc is absolutely phenomenal, the controls are numerous, the TV is incredible. Especially on non-HD shows. you feel like you are watching HD even when you are only watching 480i TV. Don’t put much value on the content features such as internet, yahoo widgets etc. there are too many other ways to do these types of things and do them better that I put no value on these at all. I could not get streaming Tv or movies of any kind. I didn’t list those last 2 things as cons because in my mind no other TV can do them either so do them other ways instead.

Cons: the resolution and clarity is so profound that some shows look unreal. It is almost a 3D effect. It is not 3D but there is something about it. I could not get used to it and decided i didn’t like it. Funny, that sounds like too good is not good, but if your used to how a show looks then when it looks really different it is weird.

The only other con I had trouble with is the color. It seemed too inconsistent. The movie wouldn’t have enough color so I turn it up a littel then the commercials would have way too much color. Even from station to station I would have to adjust the color. These kinds of things are easy to get used to and easy to find settings that help but never the less it is a con in my mind.

But overall Samsung is definitely on the right track with this TV. Best I have ever owned – ever.

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