The big story in the TV world this year at CES was 3D TV. This looks like the year that the stars align to deliver 3D to man caves. There have been 3D TVs for a few years, but the only good content that has been available to date has been 3D PC gaming.  3D really does add a new dimension to video games. You are drawn into the game on a new level. I played Left for Dead for a few hours on a huge 82-inch Mitsubishi and I started to think the zombies would keep following me after I quit the game. But as immersive as PC gaming is, what we really want is sports, and ESPN is stepping up to be first to deliver. Starting in June, ESPN will broadcast 85 live sporting events beginning with the World Cup. Movies are will also start following this summer. It looks like this might be the summer to add 3D to man caves across the country.

So what are the basics of this new source of entertainment? There are components needed to watch 3D in your man cave: a 3D ready TV, 3D glasses and a 3D source (something to play 3D content from).  Lastly, you will need 3D content to play through your system. Here is a little more detail on each component:

3D TVs

Mitsubishi has made 3D TVs for three years, and they make big TVs – up to 82-inches! With 3D, bigger is better. That sounds like man cave logic, but also makes rational sense. The bigger the screen, the bigger the 3D experience. No one wants to watch Avatar on the small indie film screens at the movie theater, IMAX is how we want to see it. If you are going to set up 3D in your cave, go as big as your budget or cave allow. The biggest 3D HDTVs are DLP TVs from Mitsubishi, and they are available now.  Mits specializes in big: 60 – 82 inch big! An 82” will run you about $3,100 at retail today. An amazing value vs . LCD flat panels. Many people already have a Mitsubishi or Samsung 3D TV in their cave and don’t know it, so check your Mitsubishi or Samsung DLP to see if it is 3D ready. You might be in for a good surprise.  Vizio announced a 72-inch LCD for $3,499 available in August.

3D Glasses

For better or worse, you need glasses to watch 3D. Someday glasses might not be needed. I saw a few examples of 3D without glasses at CES in January, but the 3D is not very good and those TVs can’t show regular 2D content. So for now you get to make a fashion statement in your cave with 3D glasses. Home theater 3D glasses are different from the passive glasses from the 3D theaters. Glasses for the best home theater 3D are active shutter LCD glasses. Active glasses are far more technical and sophisticated, but they provide a deep 3D picture at home.

3D Source

You need a source to play the 3D content from. Right now the only real option is playing games from a PC. But new options are on tap for this summer.  Direct TV will have three 3D channels go live this summer. Sony announced PS3 will be have a software update to be able to show 3D. Imagine playing games and watching blu-ray in your cave on PS3. Nice. There is a full house of blu-ray players headed out this summer too.

3D Content

So what is there to watch in 3D in your cave? For the past few years you could play 3D games from a PC on a DLP HDTV from Samsung or Mitsubishi. Make no mistake, 3D gaming is awesome on a huge TV. But there has to be more. This summer ESPN will launch 85 live sporting events in 3D. World cup Soccer. X Games. BCS National Championship Game. This will be the real goods. Next up are movies on blu-ray from Disney and Sony Pictures.

Surround Sound

Not many people are talking about this, and I don’t know why. 3D picture with surround sound is a natural. Imagine watching freestyle motocross in 3D with 7.1 surround sound. The bike and crowd sounds would surround you, dragging you into the 3D event. I was stoked to play Call of Duty with surround sound. I could hear bad guys coming up behind me, bullets hitting all around me. Surround sound for 3D gaming rocks. It completes the 3D experience. The only thing left is smell-o-vision.

This blog is to give you the highlights of 3D today. There is a ton of much more detailed and scientific information out there, and we may post more specifics later. For more detail check  out this cnet article on the top 3D questions.

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Tags: 3D glasses, 3DTV, CES, ESPN, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony