3D TV goes on sale in the UK

3D televisions go on sale for the first time in the UK today, with Samsung winning the race to get the technology out onto the High Street.

The 40-inch C7000 LED screen model comes with two pairs of 3D glasses and is now on sale at John Lewis’ flagship Oxford Street store for £1,800.

The sets being sold today differ from their 3D predecessors by using a slightly different technique from the established method that required tinted glasses.

Instead of viewing separate images through tinted lenses, Samsung uses ’active shutter’ technology, where battery-powered glasses block out each eye in turn by darkening the lenses. The television shows the appropriate image for each eye, transmitting an infra-red signal to the glasses to synchronise the shutter effect.

However, it appears Samsung may have been early off the mark. While viewers will be able to gain added depth to normal television broadcast in 3D format and Blu-Ray films, they will be unable to enjoy the full effect until Sky begins 3D broadcasting with the launch of its dedicated channel in June.

Last month, The Engineer reported on the latest wave of 3D TV. To read more about the technology and how it could change the home entertainment industry, take a look at the article here.