3D - Can you see what I see?

Mention 3D and many of us will immediately think of the pioneering 3D movies that we first saw in the cinema. For the older amongst us, it might be frighteners like the shark Jaws jumping out of the cinema screen to shock the audience, or for the younger reader their first view of an incredible 3D world in the movie Avatar.

It’s something that sticks in the memory as you sat down for the first time in the darkened cinema and put on those strange red and green lensed glasses. And I bet we all wondered just how does this work?

Not new but evolving

We may still think of 3D as being a relatively recent invention, but simple systems have been around for many years. However, there are two types of 3D projector technology that dominate the market today: Active and Passive 3D Technology.

Active 3D projection is based on the use of Active shutter alternate frame sequencing and battery powered (active) glasses with transparent LCD panels in front of each eye. The biggest recent improvements in this technology have been the ability to deliver higher frame rates from 60 frames to 120 frames per eye – providing a much more seamless effect with better separation.

Only a single projector is required to create a 3D effect and any projection surface can be used. It’s also a very scalable solution as multiple projectors can be syncronised together. 

However, Active systems are mainly used in specialist areas such as medical training, where they provide a high-quality image. Only specific projectors models can decode and synchronise active shutter 3D systems. The glasses are expensive and also require a wireless data link active at all times, so it makes them challenging for use in Location Based Entertainment environments.