How three-dimensional TV has changed viewing habits

Imagine motion pictures and images from your television screen crawling out” and appearing live in your living room! Imagine you feeling like part of a movie or programme that you are watching. Crazy, isn’t it? But this is what the 3-dimensional television technology has come with.

The technology is here with a promise of bright, non-flickering and “live” images right at the comfort of your living room couch. Three-dimensional television (3D) is the latest technology in the TV manufacturing segment. This is the new hype in town and top TV manufacturing brands are all striving to create more consumer-friendly modes to go with the series.

Experts say 3D technology is an ancient idea that came by in the early 19th Century, after the birth of 3D photographic and movie technology. In Kenya, 3-Dimensional Television gained more ground in 2010.

It is a technology that was initially used in films and theatre, with Box Office movies like Avatar and Clash of the Titans centring their success on 3D technology. But slowly, the technology might gain ground in Kenyan living rooms.

Coming in different formats including Plasma 3D TVs, LCD 3D models as well as LED 3D TVs, 3D television technology operates with the aid of 3D glasses that come with different TV models. The glasses are fitted with complex colour-filters, which alternately play on the eyes as one view the screen.

The glasses work by alternately blocking the vision in each eye in conjunction with the refresh rate of the display screen at a high speed. The resultant effect is a display of alternate images at slightly different perspectives, creating the three dimensional notion. Television manufacturers like Sony, Samsung and LG have launched their newest models of 3D television in the market. In addition to offering clear, bright and “live” images, 3D television models also offer flexibility in viewing positions as well as a wider viewing angle, because the screen can be tilted in any angle. Compared to the normal 2-dimensional TV then, 3D has an added depth and flare in viewership. The dizziness and eye fatigue that comes with normal TVs is resolved by the use of active LCD glasses.

One of the limitations of 3D television technology is perhaps the 3D content, given that not all normal 2D programs can be supported by 3D. But players in the manufacturing industry say they are designing models with 2D to 3D conversion feature, which will enable viewers to convert 2D content to 3D.

This, they say, will solve the problem of limited 3D content. Other features that come with 3D television include Wifi, Skype and access to social networks, browsers for movies and music files amongst others. Starters can also purchase Blue Ray Players that can enable them watch their favourite videos and games in 3D. Hence 3D offers a difference in television viewership.

Television viewership in Kenya has transformed from being a luxury to a necessary component in people’s lives. This is not just urban dwellers but in rural areas too. Gone are the days when the great “Great Wall” black and white television set used to serve a whole village.

Due to innovations in technology, TVs are now an integral part of people’s households, serving purposes of informing, educating and entertaining.

The advent of TV dates back to 1873 when a group of engineers explored the idea of television by use of electromechanical methods to scan, transmit and reproduce images. Over decades now, television has transformed in terms of features, models and even purpose.

But according to the Communications Commissions of Kenya (CCK), the 3D television technology might take time to trickle down to ordinary consumers because of underlying factors like cost of 3D TVs and accessories, and the purchase of high definition cameras (HD Cameras).

Besides, normal broadcasting on 3D Tvs require high bandwidth because the TV itself should be high definition. We are not yet at that stage in Kenya because of the prohibitive costs. We are still at the standard definition stage,” said a CCK official.

He added that this is an innovation that might take time for ordinary TV viewers to realize because any 3D viewership requires more than two high definition cameras and each viewer is required to wear shutter glasses to be able to view 3-dimentional images. “It might be hard for any current local broadcasters to adapt to this model because of costs.”

But 3D TV technology market players like Sony, Samsung, LG, and Panasonic among others say they plan to bring down their prices to be able to boost market demand. Currently, 3D TVs from major industry players cost between Kshs. 160,000 to 250,000 depending on the size of the LCD flat panels offering the 3D display. The display panels range from 40 to 55 inches viewing surface. Again, most of the sets come with a pair or two of viewing glasses and extra pairs are purchased for at least Kshs. 2,000 per pair.