In our survey that asked you what you thought was best there was a clear winner and it was Passive 3D. That's all well and good but there are definite issues with passive 3D technology so we've compiled these top 3 tips for getting the best from your Passive 3D TV.
Passive 3D TV - Top 3 Tips
1. Distance Matters - With an Active 3D TV it doesn't matter how close you get to the set, in fact with some the 3D seems to get better the closer you get but this isn't true for Passive 3D. If a manufacturer has a minimum distance to sit away from the set then do yourself a favour and stick to it. The problem is that the interlacing causes the pixel grid to become visible if you sit too close, totally spoiling the image quality never mind the 3D effect. For example with my 42" passive 3D TV anything closer than about 2 metres spoils the picture.
2. Height Matters - Thinking of wall mounting your Passive 3D TV? Great but please keep in mind that the 3D effect is only visible in quite a narrow range of view (compared to active 3D TVs). The biggest problem is with vertical alignment and if you mount your TV too high you'll find that you lose the 3D effect. From experience I wouldn't want to go more than 8 inches above or below eye level in an ideal world.
3. Light STILL Matters - One of the great advantages that passive 3D has over active 3D is that you can still watch 3D television in daylight! This is great becuase with Active you need to shut out as many light sources as possible or you're in for a world of hurt. But don't let this make you believe that light doesn't matter. I'm yet to see a single Passive 3D TV that doesn't have a highly reflective screen, it's just something synonomous with modern TVs in general. You'll still get the best from your passive 3D TV if you can keep the lighting low and consistent.
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1. DISTANCE
I wouldn’t say being able to discern the polariser is an image killer (and it certainly should have minimal effect on the 3D) but it’s probably a good idea to sit far enough away so that you’re not aware of it. A crucial point to remember with distance is that it directly affects the 3D effect. Sit too close and it’s reduced but sit further back and you get a stronger effect (both for pop-outs and depth).
2. HEIGHT
Height I’d class as critical and always recommend a TV stand for a passive TV as this automatically places the TV at the perfect viewing height. IMO this is better than mounting high and then tiling down since if sitting exactly vertical then everyone in the whole room can enjoy the 3D (and we all know how cheap the glasses are)
Honestly, I think 3D should stay just for movie theaters, I don’t really think it’s that important to have a 3D tv at home. I’m not saying it’s bad to have one, I just think it’s a little too much, all I need is a nice and comfortable tv and I’m set. But if I ever decide to buy a 3D tv I’ll take these tips into consideration.