As well as a stonking 55-inch OLED display, LG will be using CES 2012 to show off their giant 84-inch "Ultra Definition" 3D TV.

That's right, not HDTV, but UDTV, running at 3840x2160 resolution.

First hinted at during last year's Las Vegas show, the UDTV, pictured above, also has LG's Cinema 3D and Smart TV web-connected features built in. The 3D tech uses the same Film Pattern Retarder (FPR) screen and passive glasses that result in lowered resolution on LG's standard 3DTV screens, but with the extra resolution shouldn't cause much as notable a loss in definition.

"LG is pushing the limits of home entertainment innovation with this 3D UD TV," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company.

"We are bringing together all our Smart TV and 3D knowledge in the 3D UD TV in order to demonstrate to the CES audience that LG is committed to being the world's leading brand for immersive home entertainment in 2012 and beyond."

No word on pricing or release dates yet, but we'll be sure to keep an eye out for this set when we hit the show floor next week.

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Christmas television is as much a staple of the festive diet as crackers, eating too much and board games with the family.

The viewing is often nothing short of an absolute treat for the eyes and ears as programme makers and schedulers up their game to draw in the biggest audiences.

In previous years, televisions around the country flickered in unison as millions willed Tim and Dawn together in the memorable Christmas specials of The Office or watched Del Boy and Rodney finally make their million and many more viewers still turn on for the Queen's speech after stuffing themselves with turkey.

Other unforgettable moments in Christmas TV past include Smithy's race to the altar in Gavin and Stacey while both Only Fools and Horses and The Royle Family have shared a number of poignant, as well as hilarious, moments.

Of course, no holiday schedule would be complete without fireworks in Soapland and the likes of EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks look to make each year more sensational than the last.

This year looks set to be another visual and aural feast of entertainment, comedy and drama. For the first time ever, the phenomenally successful Downton Abbey will be on our screens over Yuletide. Those involved have remained tight-lipped over the content but it's sure to be a hit with fans. Elsewhere, the Dr Who specials have become essential viewing following the revival of the franchise at the hands of Russell T. Davies, while plenty of laughs are guaranteed with the ever-present Have I Got News For You.

Christmas television is the perfect excuse to splash out on a new television set for your viewing pleasure. After all, the best programmes deserve to be enjoyed in the best possible surroundings. If you haven't already, now more than ever is the time to upgrade to a high definition television (HDTV). You can take advantage of holiday prices and improve what you watch for an extremely reasonable price.

What with the congested fixture calendar from the Premier League being one of the sports fan's highlights of the holiday season, enjoying some classic clashes on the perfect screen will see them in heaven. The Christmas to New Year period frequently produces some of the most memorable, exciting and surprising encounters of any given season and deserved to be viewed in the best possible quality. With the European Championships looming next summer as well, it's an investment with long-term entertainment in mind.

In fact, why not push the entire boat out and scour the market for a 3D television? Though only a minority of programmes are currently broadcast using such a format, that number is continually increasing. Of the current shows, it is again sport that seems the most impressive though with more programmes being made with such techniques in mind, that trend is surely set to spread.

Of course, one area where 3D technology has already made huge inroads is in films and cinema. Many of the 3D films released this year are available to purchase for Christmas on blu ray and make for perfect presents or family entertainment. The technology to bring 3D television into homes is improving all the time and with more content available every week, many people are eager to experience the next level of home entertainment. If you would prefer to wait however, perhaps until most content is available in 3D, HDTV is still at the forefront of the current level of home entertainment.

It's also important to remember that, no matter what your choice of television set, it simply must be digital, otherwise at some point you will be left tuning in to a blank screen. Analogue broadcasting has been almost entirely phased out and now Freeview is the most basic package required in order to enjoy your favourite shows.

The best television programmes deserve the best platform on which to be broadcast. This year, enjoy everything that's great about Christmas television on the sets that do them justice.

3D cinema has many detractors, calling out the discomfort of the glasses and the inflated ticket prices. They once had a high-proflie supporter in the shape of directorial legend Martin Scorsese, who had stated jsut a few short years ago that he had no intention of ever making a 3D film. Now, following the success of his first 3D flick Hugo, Scorsese has admitted to a massive about-turn over the benefits of 3D filming, going so far as to suggest he may never work in 2D again.

"Quite honestly, I would," said Scorsese when asked by Deadline if he'd consider a 3D only future behind the camera.

"I don't think there's a subject matter that can't absorb 3D; that can't tolerate the addition of depth as a storytelling technique. We view everyday life with depth."

So what brought around the change of heart?

"Well, the story of Hugo," he said. "The climate of what Jim Cameron did with Avatar and 3D seemed right and the subject matter was just perfect for it. And it was time to take a chance with it."

"(3D) shouldn't be limited to fantasy or sci-fi. Look at (Werner) Herzog's use of it (in Cave of Forgotten Dreams), Wim Wenders with Pina.

"It should be considered a serious narrative element and tool, especially when telling a story with depth as narrative."

Scorsese also talked about how a number of his older classic films like The Aviator and Taxi Driver could have benefitted from 3D technology.

"Taxi Driver, because of the intimidation of the main character, his presence is everywhere, a frightening kind of presence."

Could we see a 3D retro-fitting of Taxi Driver on the cards? With Cameron doing the very same thing with his blockbuster Titanic, anything is possible.

Name: Samsung UE60D8000

Type: 3D LCD TV

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: Around £3,350
When it comes to 3D TV, bigger is always better. At 60 inches, Samsung's UE60D8000 is one of the largest screens you can get in your house before going into 3D projector territory, and is backed by an impressive array of connected TV features. However, it's also one of the most expensive sets we've ever tried, nearly £1,000 more than its 5-inch smaller stable-mate at around a whopping £3,350. Does the TV perform well enough to justify the price tag?

Design

A 60 inch beast, the UE60D8000 manages to offer a gigantic screen while remaining catwalk-slim in profile. Measuring just 30.45mm deep and weighing 24.8kg with its slick, four-pronged silver foot base attached, it's as pretty to look at as it is svelte and (for its size) lightweight. A thin silver bezel sits around the edge of the screen, rounding off a space aged look, with a glowing Samsung logo (which can be turned off) sitting at the centre of the lower edge. Volume, power and channel buttons sit on the TV's left hand side, while a wealth of rear-mounted connections, angled in-line with the screen, make it perfect for wall mounting.

A premium set deserves a premium remote control, and the UE60D8000's weighty, metallic zapper fits the bill nicely. Backlit, with a brushed metal feel to the buttons and slightly raised lines to guide your fingers in low lighting, it sits comfortably in the hand and, when paired with the clear and intuitive UI on show here, makes navigating the set an absolute breeze. One-button access to web connected Smart TV apps and 3D features are appreciated, but as as with the Samsung UE55D8000 and the rest of the 8000 Series, the remote really needs a dedicated button for motion processing settings, as these are the ones that we found we most regularly tweaked, and yet are among the most deeply hidden options on the set.

Connectivity

Samsung don't scrimp on the connectivity option with the UE60D8000. 4 HDMI ports (one ARC enabled) are supplemented by 3 USB ports, a component port, Optical Digital Audio Out, DVI Audio In, PC Audio In, PC In (D-Sub) and a headphone socket too for good measure. RF connectors and F-connectors for Freeview HD aerials and Freesat HD satellites respectively both also feature. As well as an Ethernet port for wired web connectivity, the TV also comes with built-in Wi-Fi if running the extra cable up to your screen isn't convenient. Setting up the Wi-Fi connection was simple using the onscreen menu and it maintained a consistent connection when browsing the Smart Hub platform and performing DLNA streaming, which we'll discuss in more detail in a second.

Picture Quality

Both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners come built in with the UE60D8000. Paired with one of the slickest EPGs we've seen this side of a Sky+ HD set top box, you're straight into the HD party more or less right out of the box as a result.

For the most part, the UE60D8000 looks a treat when it comes to 2D picture quality, with Samsung cramming in edge-mounted LED backlighting with dimming for deep blacks, as well as their 800Hz Clear Motion system for smooth action, which pairs 200Hz processing with frame interpolation and backlight scanning to hit the claimed 800Hz mark.

As is usually the case with flatscreen HD TVs, the picture needs a fair bit of tweaking before it looks its most natural, pin-sharp best with high-definition content. While there are a handful of decent presets to stick with if you're not the most confident picture tweaker, thankfully Samsung have filled the set with all manner of imaging controls if you want to really make the set shine, including gamma and white balance controls, HDMI black level response and plenty of digital noise reduction settings.

Once you've got it up to scratch, it's an often stunning HD set. Incredibly bright for a panel this size, colours are punchy and vivid, making our Toy Story 3 Blu-ray test footage really come alive. It's also a fantastically sharp image too. Viewing our Blu-ray copy of Batman Begins and watching the early training scenes in the snow between Christian Bale and Liam Neeson, the epic mountainside surroundings of the icy scenes shimmered with detail.

Motion processing techniques are always a little bit iffy, but for once, merely sticking to the pre-set Clear Motion Rate "Clear" setting on the UE60D8000 managed to subtly smooth over fast moving scenes without ever leading to that strange floaty effect overusing the technology usually results in. Largely detailed action scenes, like those found in the Lord of the Rings trilogy Blu-rays, looked a treat as a result.

That's not to say it's always a perfect image however, and the extra screen real-estate has caused a few problems of its own. The strong backlight can be a little inconsistent in its dimming timing, particularly in darker scenes where it's presence can intermittently prove unwelcome as it bleeds into both the corners and lower central area of the screen. It's not an uncommon problem for edge-lit LED displays, but at around the £3,350 mark you'd expect a little better than what's made the cut here in this set.

Standard definition content is upscaled nicely on the UE60D8000 though, which usually proves to be a challenge on a screen this size. Instead, images are never stretched uncomfortably, and clever smoothing techniques make even the lowest bitrate footage perfectly watchable.

3D visuals

Samsung throw in two pairs of their newest 3D glasses with the UE60D8000. These use Bluetooth rather than infra-red to sync with any 3D content onscreen. On one hand, it's frustrating that any older Samsung specs you may have lying around are made redundant by the new standard, but on the other the new specs are far lighter than many rival's pairs, and don't suffer nearly as badly from flickering and ambient light interference as the preceding pairs from Samsung. They're still expensive at £100 a pair, but, again, at least you're getting two sets here.

3D visuals really knock you out on a screen this size. It's hard to explain the importance of a big screen when it comes to immersing yourself in 3D visuals, but with so much of your peripheral vision dominated by the screen itself, it's easy to get lost in the eye-popping action. Using our test copy of Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams through a PS3 console, we were totally enveloped in the subterranean, stalactite filled adventure. Thanks to the strong backlight on show here even the movies moodier, darker cave-bound scenes retained great detail.

It's a pity though that the screen suffers from the same crosstalk issues that many 3D sets we've tried also fall foul of. Ghosting is a regular annoyance when watching 3D content, and while it's not a deal-breaker, it's a nasty side effect that's arguably even more prominent with a screen this size.

Sound Quality

Surprisingly good for a flatscreen, the UE60D8000 offers a fair amount of boom and bite from its stereo speakers. Thanks to the sheer size of the screen there is fairly decent stereo separation on offer, with a comprehensive set of equaliser settings making dialogue sit cleanly at the fore of the soundscape.

Samsung also throw in a few pseudo surround-sound settings too, including SRS TruSurround HD adding to the width of the image. As ever, bass response is lacking in a screen this thin. You're never going to match the audio quality of a dedicated home cinema set-up (it would be a ridiculous oversight were you not planning on pairing this premium set up with at least a soundbar), but the UE60D8000 offers audio quality as good as you're likely to receive from a flatscreen telly.

Smart Hub and Media Playback

Once you're connected to the internet with the UE60D8000, heading over to the Smart TV apps hub shows off a welcoming, intuitive web-connected set up. As well as being the area from which you access networked media files or those stored locally on a plugged in USB drive, it also features well over 30 apps, from VOD services like LoveFilm, iPlayer, YouTube and Vimeo to social networks such as Twitter and Facebook and Skype messaging. There's even a fully open web browser based on the WebKit engine.

Since the last time we had a Samsung smart TV in our office for testing the company have also added a dedicated 3D on demand channel called 3D Explore. Much of the content is free and a perfect way to showcase your set's 3D abilities while you grow your catalogue of 3D Blu-ray titles. As it's mostly trailers and documentaries on show here it's not full of Hollywood blockbusters, but we were happy to see a number of familiar IMAX-like historical titles making an appearance, free of charge.

Media playback, via a USB stick or DNLA networking, remains as comprehensive as you'd like. Be it SD or HD file types, lossless audio or dirty CD rips, the screen had no issues whatsoever handling whichever format or codec we threw at it.

We've been impressed with the Smart Hub before, and that feeling remains with the UE60D8000. Consolidating media playback and web connectivity into one place is a sensible choice, and as the Smart TV platform is growing, Samsung appear to have mastered the art of fitting all the new apps in seamlessly. Where it does suffer though is at pulling off onscreen text-entry, needed quite regularly to scan and search the platform. It's fine to click through individual letters to put in the odd Wi-Fi password, but if you're leaving messages on Facebook or searching YouTube regularly it's a bit of a chore. An input method similar to that which Sony use on their PS3 (similar to the text/dial lettering and numbers seen on a home landline phone) would be a simple way to alleviate this problem.

Verdict:

Without question, the UE60D8000 is a fine TV. Apart from a few backlighting issues its 2D and 3D visuals are up there with the best of them, and in Samsung's ever more powerful Smart TV app hub, it's got one of the best web-connected feature sets to boot too. Text entry is a chore, and audio quality is still mediocre at best, but these are problems not unique to Samsung's 8000 series, but the flatscreen market as a whole. While these few foibles are admittedly minor, when you consider the fact they're in a £3,350 set they get a little harder to stomach. Contrary to the constant stream of junk emails I receive, an extra 5 inches is not worth hundreds of pounds, and here it's one of the only clear advantages over Samsung's own smaller, cheaper offerings. An impressive set then, but unless that extra screen real estate is a must have, you'd save yourself a pretty penny by opting for the marginally smaller UE55D8000 instead.

OLED screens have seemed the TV technology of the future for all too long now, but expensive production costs and diminutive screen sizes have kept the displays out of the mainstream. This may all change come CES 2012 next January however.

Both Samsung and LG are said to be lining up massive 55 inch OLED TVs for the show, with the plan to ship the screens by July 2012, just in time for the Olympic games.

We'd be lying if we were to say we weren't excited. Back at IFA 2009 LG showed off their 31 inch OLED prototype (as seen in the video above). It remains one of the best screens we've seen to date, and we cant wait to see what a year-and-a-bits worth of refinement and a fair few extra inches of display real estate brings to the table.

LG's screens will use a white-OLED with colour filter design, whereas Samsung will opt for hte more effecient true RGB OLED panel. As LG's are easier to produce, the cost should be driven down considerably however.

The Apple OLED TV rumours rear their heads again too, though you have to question their validity considering OLED panel production worldwide is very low. LG say they can squeeze out 30,000 a month for instance, which would hadly sate the appetite of the Apple hordes.

Via: OLED Info/ ETNews

Glasses-free 3D tech seems sure to be the direction that home entertainment set-ups are headed towards. However, apart from a so-so offering from Toshiba in the shape of the 55-inch ZL2 TV, it still seems a long way off from being the norm in living rooms.

Most of the innovation is coming in through the digital signage industry, and few items seem as impressive as this offering from JVC and Kenwood in partnership with Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications (NICT).

Not only is it the world's biggest glasses-free 3D screen at 200 inches, but it's also pushing the 3D experience further than any other screen out there at the moment.

Using 57 individual projectors, viewing angle "sweetspots" number 57, far more than with other screens. The plan is eventually to expand the technology to allow for 200 sweetspots.

Also, the large number of projectors mean that the screen gives the impression that viewers can actually peer around the sides of the projected objects; you'd be able to look over, under and around items, making it not only a far more natural-feeling 3D experience, but also perfect for showcasing products through adverts.

The technology comes with a few caveats of course. For starters, it's still a prototype, not ready for commercial usage yet. Secondly, it's being aimed towards public display markets, not home consumer ones (yet). Thirdly, the screen weighs a back-breaking 500 kg, so you'd probably have to reinforce the foundations of your house were you even able to get your hands on one.

The large number of video sources needed to push content from the 57 projectors also poses some interesting challenges for content creation. It's currently just not feasible to set up an array of 57 HD cameras at the 1cm intervals needed to make the 3D effect fully come to life, meaning all the video on show was created using CGI.

Still, it's a tantilising glimpse into the future, and a step closer to the holographic projections of sci-fi fantasy.

Hit the video above to check it out, courtesy of Digi Info.

Moving on from two footed football tackles, Sky 3D are looking to add some depth to the 4-legged escapades of this year's Horse of the Year Show. Covering the 8th and 9th of October at the event, Sky have lined up a few 3D specific surprises for the coverage.

As well as covering the Dressage and Puissance competitions, Sky has worked with event organisers to create a specially designed jump that will maximise the 3D experience, carefully lining up shots that emphasise depth and movement.

"We know from the experience of looking at other sports that it's always good to have low angle shots with lots of images within the frame so that we get some nice 3D depth," Robin Broomfield, Sky Sports' 3D Technical Specialist, told Tech Digest.

"The camera positioning we already use for equestrian sports is already very low angles well suited to 3D shooting, so it's just been a case of looking at what we already had and working with the director and producer to set up some spectacular shots of the horses and jumps. The distance between jumps and combination jumps in 2D tend to appear to look shorter than they actually are - in 3D you'll be better be able to appreciate such depth."

If all goes well, the Horse of the Year show could mark the first of many equestrian shows in Sky's 3D catalogue.

"I'm hoping this will be the start of more equestrian 3D coverage for Sky; not just jumping but events from the racing calendar also. Horses are incredible, spectacular looking beasts and I think in 3D it will really come to life", added Broomfield.

The event finale will be broadcast on the Sky 3D channel on Saturday October 8th at 8pm and Sunday October 9 at 8.30pm. It will also be simulcast in 2D on Sky Sports 4.

For more information visit www.sky.com/3D.

Image Credit: Roberto Cubeddu

3DTV; it's a love/hate relationship for most of us. We love the idea of more immersive movies and exciting visuals, but we hate headaches, glasses and the premium price tag attatched to it.

However, a recent study commisioned by Panasonic on US consumers suggests we're now finally starting to embrace the technology on a wider scale.

The study carried out by independent market research firm Frank N. Magid Associates, revealed that the vast majority of the 500 viewers questioned found their watching experience "significantly improved" by 3D effects.

99% of respondents who had tried a 3D TV said that it was "somewhat better" than "standard" 2D TV. Even more impressive was the response from 71% of those polled who described 3D viewing as being "dramatically better" than traditional 2D television.

"We've always said that, just as with HDTV, once consumers experience 3D TV, they will want it," said Eisuke Tsuyuzaki, Panasonic Corporation of North America's chief technology officer.

Mike Vorhaus, president of Magid Advisors, drew comparisons with the last major leap in TV tech.

"Their feelings are very reminiscent of the public's response to HDTV in its early days."

We haven't seen all of LG's IFA 2010 TV range hit stores yet, but they're already leading the way at this year's show in Berlin when it comes to TVs with the announcement of the LW980T Cinema 3D TV.

Available in 47 inch or 55 inch screen sizes, it uses the company's preferred passive 3D technology, shipping with seven pairs of passive 3D glasses. That passive display is also brighter, slimmer, clearer and with a smoother picture than the 2010 LX990 flagship thanks to new NANO Full LED tech in the panel, allowing it to be just 27.5mm thick.

The screens also sport 2D-to-3D conversion, TruMotion 400Hz image processing, 2x USB ports, HD DivX Plus playback, 4x HDMI ports, energy saving modes, and built-in Wi-Fi.

As is the current TV trend, there's a whole host of Smart TV funtions in there too, including apps for Twitter, Facebook and the BBC iPlayer.

LG are billing the set as "the ultimate TV and entertainment hub for the entire family," and if paired with the recently revealed HX906TX 3D 9.1 speaker system, matbe that's not such a grand claim after all.

We'll keep you posted on pricing and release schedules as these screens land.

Have more money than you know what to do with and are looking for a TV straight out of an episode of The Jetsons? Then we've got just the telly - the Bang & Olufsen the BeoVision 7-55.

Adding a built-in Blu-ray player and active 3D to the 55 inch flagship model, the BeoVision 7-55 gets added "wow-factor" points for its motorised stand which lifts and lowers the massive panel, as well as hiding a built-in surround sound technology that adapts and tunes its sound dependant on the acoustics of your living room.

"3D functionality is in increasing demand right now where Hollywood as well as the gaming industry is starting to produce more material suited for 3D viewing," said Ole Moltsen, senior product manager of Bang & Olufsen.

"At the same time, more and more TV channels - in particular sports channels - are beginning to broadcast for example important football matches from Premier League in 3D. However, the quality of the 2D experience is just as important because it is still what our customers will use the most."

No pricing revealed just yet, but knowing Bang & Olufsen, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford it.

Are we all in awe of 3D TV once more?

That certainly seems to be the case according to new figures released by the Dixons retail group. Currys and PC World recording a whopping 500% growth in 3D TV sales over the course of the last quarter, with one in five TV sales including 3D tech.

"Interest around 3D TV technology has massively increased over the last quarter and we have seen uplift in demand from customers online and in our stores. Prices have become really competitive, with 3D TVs available from as little as £499, opening the technology up to a mass audience," said John Mitchell, Category Manager of Dixons Retail.

"Great prices combined with increased 3D content, ranging from films, to documentaries and sport, is leading to increased adoption of 3D. This increase is reinforced in our TV range, around 40% of which is made of 3D televisions currently and which we expect to increase in the next 12 months, as premiership football is screened in 3D and films including Harry Potter Final Movie are released in 3D."

Sales are definitely on the rise then? Is this a sign of increased consumer interest? Has 3D content become compelling enough to warrant its premium price? Or is the sales spike merely due to the fact that the majority of new big-name-brand TVs bought have 3D functionality by default?

Help us find the answers! Leave your mark in the poll below, and chime in with any thoughts in the comments section.

LG have revealed their second-quarter 2011 financial results. And while the Korean firm claim to be back on track after the recession hit profits, it seems that their home cinema products are taking a lot of the flak for faltering smartphone sales.

Profits of 158 billion Korean Won (£89 million) sees a 21% increase in profits over the previous quarter, and a 25% rise year on year. Most of this is attributed to strong sales of home entertainment gear like LED LCD TVs and 3D Cinema TVs.

"The company expects to see sales continue to rise with the anticipated strong consumer acceptance of its film patterned retarder (FPR) Cinema 3D TVs as well as smart TVs," the LG release states.

This is sullied however by the news that the mobile arm lost 54 billion KRW, despite sales rising by 11.6%. LG remain bullish, saying:

"The company continues to strengthen its global competitiveness by launching a mix of competitive smartphones and its continued investment in R&D.

"LG Electronics expects to see modest growth year-over-year in the third quarter of 2011 with new product launches in major categories and creative marketing activities across its various 3D products, said LG

"For the long-term, the company will continue to strengthen profitability through aggressive cost innovation and strategic investments in existing as well as new business areas."

Director Ridley Scott, the brains behind the iconic Alien and Bladerunner flicks, has vowed only ever to work in 3D for his future movies.

The 3D epiphany moment for Scott came while working on his latest project, the 3D Prometheus film, set in the same universe as his Alien creations. It is the first time Scott has worked with the extra dimension made popular once more by James Cameron's Avatar.

Speaking via satellite link as part of a Comic-Con panel, Scott said:

"I'll never work without 3D again, even for small dialogue scenes. I love the whole process. 3D opens up the universe of even a small dialogue scene so I've been very impressed with that."

Damon Lindelof, co-screenwriter of Prometheus, was equally full of praise for the technology:

"3D helps bring you into that immersive environment and just based on what I've seen so far I think probably one the most visionary and visual directors in the world is finally using this medium, I think its going to be pretty special."

Both critically acclaimed and a big box-office earner, Ridley Scott's seal of approval may tempt other directors into the 3D-only fold.

Do you believe in a 3D-only future for cinema? Or has Scott's judgement been replaced by a Replicant's? Let us know in the comments below.

Via: 3D Radar

Samsung may have been first on the scene with a free 3D VOD TV app (Explore 3D), but Sony are hot on their heels with their own 3D Experience app for Bravia 3D TVs.

Owners of Sony's connected 3D TVs will be able to access the free VOD service from today, offering roughly 30 3D videos. In a variety of genres, content includes 3D music videos and documentaries and movie trailers, as well as highlights from the recent Wimbledon tennis tournament.

"Sony is committed to creating great 3D experiences by combining the best content with a full HD 3D," said Edd Uzzell, proposition development manager at Sony UK.

"This free service delivers exclusive content directly to your home via any Bravia 3D TV and straight out of the box. We will continue to work with partners to give our customers access to more great 3D entertainment."

Sony are also hoping to roll the 3D Experience app out to their Blu-ray players and home cinema systems too for those who may have them paired with a rival brand's 3D sets.

While 3D TV sales may still be a little sluggish, between 10 and 20% of all new televisions made by the end of this year will have a 3D-enabled panel installed, according to new figures from the five key panel manufacturers.

Samsung, Sharp, LG Display, AU Optronics (AUO) and Chimei Innolux (CMI) have all revealed their projections for the coming months, showing that 3D screens are going to become increasingly dominant in electrical retail stores next year.

CMI have stated that one in five of their panels will be 3D ready, while AUO are hoping to achieve as much as 10 percent of their total panel production in 3D-enabled screens. The more recogniseable brands Sharp, LG Display and Samsung all have similar ballpark figures.

With the split between active and passive technologies likely to cause a 3D pricing war in the coming months, and an increasing amount of 3D content available, it looks as if the 3D market is finally beginning to mature. Whether the increaseed 3D availability leads to consumers buying 3D out of choice rather than the default fact that most new TV's will support the format is another matter entirely.

Via: DigiTimes

Samsung's 3D video on demand portal has racked up a total of 1 million views in just 100 days, despite the relatively small amount of Samsung 3D TV owners.

As part of the company's Smart TV connected platform, the app allows a range of free 3D video content to be accessed, with over 10,000 3D viewings every day since the service went live.

"With more free 3D content to come, we will continue to develop our Smart TV offering to bring more excitement of 3D to the Smart TV platform ensuring more consumers access 3D content free and on-demand.'' said Samsung's Vice President of Consumer Electronics Andy Griffiths.

The Smart TV portal also offers iPlayer apps and social networking apps, as well as movie rentals through LoveFilm.

For an in depth look at Samsung's Smart TV range and connected TV apps, click here.

LG have revealed a set of snazzy 3D specs from UK designer Giles Deacon. The "FILES for LG" glasses are an "ultra stylish" option for Cinema 3D owners, with colouful stripey frames surrounding the polarised lenses.

"LG produce innovative and exciting products and these glasses are designed to complement that," said the designer.

"GILES is a label that creates trends using design that is conversational, with lots of colour and bold statement prints. Working with LG has given me a chance to experiment with technology which is something that I am constantly inspired by."

The problem is, passive 3DTVs biggest draw is that the glasses cost just a couple of quid to pick up or replace, with even the ones you cheekily nab at the cinema compatible. Slap a designer price tag onto them and that benefit is gone.

Still, if you can't face looking a little stupid even in your living room, you can pick the specs up exclusively from Selfridges from today, costing £29.99.

Thanks to the popularity of Apple's App Store and the now-ubiquitous nature of apps on smartphones and tablet PCs, apps are weaving their way into every aspect of modern life. From doing your grocery shopping to finding a parking spot, there are apps to help you out with almost everything.

Though many manufacturers have attempted to put apps into their HD and 3D TVs, most have been met with, at best, middling success. Between clunky interfaces and a dearth of content, they feel tacked on additions to otherwise strong hardware.

Samsung however have taken the whole area very seriously, refreshing their connected TV line in 2010 with the Smart TV platform. Mixing together social networks, video on demand content, games, news and even video calling through a Skype app, its use of an app store and familiar grid-like app icon layout made it far easier to navigate than most rival offerings.

"Due to the popularity of smartphones and tablets, we know people are comfortable with smart devices. Smart TV is the next step in the evolution of smart devices and Samsung Smart TVs do everything that other smart devices do and more," said Guy Kinnell Samsung's UK Marketing Director for TV.

"The Samsung Smart TV hub is one of the most user friendly interfaces on the market and viewers are quickly mastering how to make the most of their Smart TV. For instance, Apps such as LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are all common place in people's lives and are also all available on Samsung Smart TVs".

Where Samsung look most likely succeed where other rival's connected TV platforms have failed however is in the attention to synergy between the hardware of Smart TVs, Samsung's wider product catalogue and the app software. For instance, text entry in the past for TV apps has been a real chore using traditional remote controls, but the company's Touch Remote with (you guessed it) touchscreen controls makes it far easier to send Tweets or Facebook updates from the sofa. The "AllShare" feature, allowing you to control elements of the Smart TV platform with a Samsung mobile again makes navigation far more intuitive.

Most notably however is the introduction of the new free-to-view 3D Video On Demand app, the first of its kind on any 3D TV from any manufacturer. One of the biggest points slowing the growth of 3D TV sales is the relative lack of 3D video content to go with them, especially for free. With Samsung's 3D Smart TV range you now have access to 3D content straight out of the box, free of charge, with many of the offerings previously having been IMAX 3D cinema exclusives.

"The demand for 3D is growing rapidly, but only a handful of channels are providing content. Samsung has led the 3D LED TV market since it launched last year, and the roll-out of our 3D video-on-demand service demonstrates our commitment to accelerating its growth," said Andy Griffiths Samsung's UK Vice President for Consumer Electronics.

"We believe that in the near future every viewer will have access to 3D content in the comfort of their own living room through a Smart TV. We will therefore continue to develop our Smart TV offering in order to provide consumers with the best viewing experience possible."

So will we ever see apps on TVs as commonly used as those now seen on mobile platforms?

"Connected TV apps I think will grow incredibly but will be a different experience entirely to mobile apps; the TV doesn't move, it is a shared experience and you don't want to be inputting too much text on your TV as the handset makes this difficult," said Craig Chuter Head of Business Development at app developers Capablue, winners of the Samsung App Developer Challenge.

"I think the TV apps will become an integral part of our TV viewing experience especially for TV catch-up and film services. "

Samsung's relationship with app developers, as highlighted by their partnership with Capablue, also bodes well for the future. Compared to other connected TV platforms, you get the sense that Samsung are in for the long haul with the Smart TV's, with a constantly updated stream of apps from a variety of developers and content that looks set to be as well served and relevant in five years time as it is now.

"Samsung will be continually building on the current Samsung Apps store to ensure viewers have the widest range of content to enjoy on their TV" said Kinnell.

"Gaming, 3D videos and social networking; whether they still have a 2011 model in two years or five years time, these Apps will still provide as an important viewer experience as ever before."

Cello, the British TV manufacturers best known for bringing the BBC iPlayer to their iViewer TVs before anyone else (as reviewed here) are preparing to launch their first 3D-enabled TV models this summer.

Two models will be available, with a 42 incher costing £499 and a 47 inch TV for £699. Using passive 3D screen tech similar to that used in cinema showings, each screen comes with four sets of passive glasses to go along with the LG-built panels.

Full specs for the 47 inch model can be found here, and specs for the 42 inch model here.

"Initially I was unsure about the future of 3D, but the quality of 3D vision now available and the number of new 3D films coming onto the market this year guarantees success for this new technology, " said Brian Palmer, director of Cello.

"Sky now has one 3D channel and existing subscribers who already have Sky's full package can get it free of charge.

"I'm sure many other 3D channels will also launch in the near future, making ownership of a 3D TV even more appealing."

The sets will be onsale later this month.

Via: TechRadar

Sony have thrown out some details today on their latest 3D projector, the relatively affordable VPL-HW30. We say relatively affordable as it's still set to retail at under a pocket-pinching £2,000, but that's a far sight cheaper than the £6,000 its predecessor cost.

So what does two grand bag you then?

A full HD 1080p projector, the VPL-HW30 features a High Frame Rate SXRD Panel that when coupled with Sony's MotionFlow tech, should work well to reduce the amount of blur in fast moving images.

A 70,000:1 contrast ratio and a brightness of 1,300 ANSI Lumens should result in a deep, detailed picture too. Also, a 240Hz panel drive system will reduce the tricky problem of crosstalk in 3D images, while 2D to 3D conversion is also possible for what its worth, considering how poorly these conversion systems usually work.

However, to access the 3D features of the projector you'll have to shell out for a pair of TDG-PJ1 active shutter specs or two, as well as a TMR-PJ1 transmitter, both sold separately.

Keep an out for the Sony VPL-HW30 projector at your local AV retailer from July.