At only $699, the OHKI 42″ 3D TV is an absolute bargain, especially if you consider the excellent picture quality that you will be getting at this price. The 42 incher is a Full HD LCD TV and the LG manufactured panel boasts an Ultra Clear Panel technology. OHKI has chosen Passive 3D tech to power the three dimensional capabilities of the TV and you will get 4 3D glasses when you buy it, along with a HDMI cable. At roughly $700, this has got to count as one of the best bargains possible.
Other features of the TV include USB support and an in-built HD tuner to scan and save the channels without the help of a HD set top box. A more interesting feature of the 3D TV from OHKI is that it allows its users to record any program running on TV on to an external Hard Disk Drive. Check it out if you want to experience 3D at home, but without spending a lot of money to do so. Even as a 2D TV, the OHKI deserves nothing but compliments at this price range.
After the glassless 3D surprise that the Japanese company brought to us with the ZL2 at IFA 2011, Toshiba is now back to 3D with glasses. The Toshiba TL515 is targeted towards the more budget conscious TV enthusiasts among us with its combo of affordable pricing and impressive technology, especially with the inclusion of Toshiba’s Natural 3D tech. The TL515 will have Smart TV capabilities with Yahoo widgets and Netflix present in it, right out of the box. To add value to the Passive 3D powered television set, you will also get four 3D glasses when you buy the TV in addition to the option of buying a “Party Pack” of them at $60 only. Expect standard Full HD features like 1080p playback for both 2D and 3D video where it is supported, with a refresh rate of 240Hz and local dimming capabilities to attain the deepest of black levels on the LED panel. All of this was showcased at the Pepcom’s 2011 Holiday Spectacular in New York City, by Toshiba last week. Although the sizes were announced to range from 32″ to 55″ in the TL515 series, the exact prices may differ depending on your location, however, you can catch a bargain on Amazon without having to worry about that.
It seems that LG’s Cinema 3D, based on Passive 3D technology is all set to conquer the consumers of United States as the company turned out to be the most favored brand in a live face-off between 3D TVs from different manufacturers. The idea was to make people more familiar with 3D technology on the whole and so the “3D TV Challenge” was held at the Santa Anita mall, where almost three and a half thousand people voted to determine which one was the more favored technology, the Active Shutter 3D tech used by Sony, Samsung and Panasonic or the Passive 3D tech popularized by LG. As it turned out, based on the experiences of all the people who voted in between September 8th to September 11th, 78% preferred the new LG 3D TVs, mostly due to the lighter Cinema 3D glasses. It seems that even though informal, third party organized HDTV competitions are also confirming LG’s claim that most people choose LG 3D TVs over their rivals.
This prompted confident comments from Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president at LG in the US, “Our goal has always been to give people what they want in a TV: outstanding picture quality, a robust feature set and a compelling, comfortable viewing experience. The message from consumers in Los Angeles is loud and clear, LG Cinema 3D gives people what they want.”
It should also be noted that similar tests were also held at New York and Chicago in August and after taking into account the combined votes of all the people who participated in the unbranded competition, the reports state that 7,435 people out of the 9,507 have chosen LG and its Cinema 3D tech so far, without even knowing which company they were choosing
At a time when the world is opting for bigger flat screens with each passing year, LG has certainly surprised us by announcing a smaller 20 inch 3D TV in South Korea. Perhaps it is an excellent decision that will allow even people unwilling to spend a lot of money on a brand new three dimensional television set to experience 3D without having to do so. The LED LCD TV has a list of quite impressive specs nonetheless, so do not underestimate its capabilities in spite of its smaller size.
As is the case with all LG 3D TVs now, this one will also be powered by the Passive 3D technology which has been termed as Cinema 3D by LG. What is impressive is that the small LED panel of the 3D TV has a contrast ratio of 7,000,000:1 with Full HD capabilities. It is also totally USB friendly, which means that it is possible to record, access as well as display data from and on the TV via USB drives and cables. It is not yet clear when the smaller sibling of LG 3D HDTVs will make it to the US, but it would be interesting to see if it managed to attract consumers over here, if and when it does.
The best TV of LG‘s range of 3D HDTVs in 2011 is going to be available for the consumers in US starting today. As per the announcement at the CEDIA 2011 in Indianapolis, the 55LW9800 will be priced at $3,799.
The LX9500 was the best 3D TV from LG in 2010 and it was also the last TV from LG that used the Active Shutter 3D technology. With the LW9800, LG has totally chucked the Active Shutter 3D out of their HDTVs and has incorporated the Passive 3D tech which they call “Cinema 3D“. Cinema 3D has made 3D glasses cheaper, lighter and more comfortable as well as increasing the viewing angle of the televisions that use this technology.
The only squabble that some of the techies had about the LX9500 was that the picture, though brilliant, lacked uniform lighting at certain points especially. LG has addressed this issue with the introduction of the Nano Full LED technology through the LW9800, which uses a thin film and multiple nano LED lights strategically placed throughout the back of the screen. The Local Dimming tech would also be there to help you achieve some of the inkiest blacks possible on a LED TV. A 480Hz refresh rate should ensure that motion blurring is an issue of the past.
Apart from the techs and promises from the manufacturer, perhaps it would further help you choose if you knew that this particular TV is THX certified for both its 2D and 3D capabilities, something that should ensure high class viewing experience for its audiences. The LW9800 ships with the Magic Motion remote control unit and four pairs of Cinema 3D glasses at this moment.
It has been a little over a year since 3D televisions became available in the United States, but has it really grabbed the attention of the consumers in this span of one year? To answer this question, one must first remember that it is still a very new technology and it is too early to comment about its success or failure in an ultimate manner. However, consumer surveys show that 3D televisions and the technology as a whole, has not become as popular as some would have thought it would be in a year. That does not by any means project the fact that it has fallen behind either. The reasons for the somewhat reduced 3D sales are definitely not due to lack of interest on the customer’s part; there are three main reasons responsible for the mediocre sales records.
The price of the 3D televisions and other 3D capable devices act as a big deterrent for consumers and is one of the chief reasons as to why 3D TVs account for only ten percent of the total sales in flat-screen TV department (source: NPD’s Retail Tracking Service) at this time. Consumers often choose an elite class 2D TV set over an entry level 3D TV set based on the price point. This issue however, has been noticed and is in the process of being addressed by the top manufacturers as the price of 3D television sets are being cut down. Also, check out top class and award winning 3D TV sets like the LG LW6500, Samsung UND8000, Panasonic TC-VT30 as well as a host of other fabulous 3D television sets at an affordable price on Amazon.
The heavy glasses that must be worn to enjoy the 3D experience are despised by many consumers as they can become quite uncomfortable after a prolonged session of use. This is a point which has been recognized by LG and Vizio and they have solved it by manufacturing 3 dimensional televisions which work on the principle of “Passive 3D” rather than the conventional “Active 3D”. The glasses which are required for viewing 3D content designed for Passive 3D viewing are way lighter, cheaper and do not even require recharging. Check our detailed reviews on the LG LW5600 and LW6500 to properly understand the matter.
Lack of exposure to the 3D experience in home entertainment is a reason why people are still apprehensive about the new technology. As the price tags on the quality 3D TVs come down to a more affordable level and the technology becomes something that more people can experience, this issue will soon be history. In fact, surveys also show that the majority of the audiences are very excited about 3D, and would rather go to the 3D version of a movie than the 2D version which is running in a cinema hall. As the days pass, people will become even more accustomed to the relatively new and amazing technology, thus we can expect an even brighter future for 3D technology in the upcoming years.
