As Samsung and LG square off over who has the best 3D TV technology, Japanese company Panasonic has entered the fray with a new 3D active shutter technology that they claim should be the standard for 3D viewing.In what is becoming another VHS Vs Beta battle, Panasonic has teamed up with XpanD, to deliver a new offering called M-3DI that designed to deliver standard 3D compatibility across 3D TVs, projectors and PCs. The new technology is expected in Australia in the second half of 2011 when Panasonic launch their new high end plasma TV range.
XpanD chief strategy officer Ami Dror said that while Panasonic was a founding partner in the technology, it was set to be adopted by brands such as Changhong, Funai, Hisense, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Philips, Sanyo, Seiko Epson, Sim2 and Viewsonic.
“The idea is to allow you as a user to buy a pair of glasses for a Panasonic TV, for example, and take them to an XpanD cinema, or use them to watch 3D on a friend’s Sanyo TV, etc.” said Dror.
The standard uses two-way technology to allow communication between glasses and components. Once a user puts the glasses on, the glasses will recognise which brand and model component the user is viewing and will allow the user to adjust certain parameters, such as rate of transition time and dark time, to address user issues such as ghosting and brightness.
The parameters can be adjusted using a PC or through an XpanD app on a handheld device.
TWICE Magazine said that the bones of the standard are a combination of XpanD’s existing 3D protocol and Panasonic’s protocol, so the glasses will only work with certain brands of existing active-shutter 3DTVs on the market.
“Most of the same companies behind the original HDMI standard are behind the M-3DI standard,” he added. “The licensing starts today for the founding partners, and we expect, starting tomorrow, other big-name companies to join in and start licensing the technology.”
Participants in the standard making will publish the specs and will organise quality-control testing and approval procedures.
Dror predicted the first wave of CE products incorporating the M-3DI standard will be available in approximately six months.
