3D/2D Displays that support 3D & 2D & 24p at multiplies of the original frame rate

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Digital Projections Highlite Laser 3D projector has been added to the list

Digital Projection HIGHlite Laser WUXGA 3D (114-199) (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources, 48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources) (1920 x 1200P model)

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Digital Projections HIGHlite Laser 3-D projector

(20,000 hours of solid-state illumination)

Dual Projector setup info

** IMAX 3-D style picture quality occurs when two Highlite Laser projectors are stacked together. Each eye sees a full 1080P quality with 48Hz for each eye with no need to triple flash **

Single Projector setup info

** The 144Hz 3-D Highlite Laser projector can be configured for a REALD 3-D passive or XpanD 3-D active system **

** Both passive and active glasses on the Highlite Laser projector offer full 1080P quality for each eye at 96Hz and 1020P quality for each eye at 144Hz (144Hz flicker free Cinema quality mode). **

According to page 38 in the owners manual the flicker free 144Hz mode results in 30 lines being removed from the top and 30 lines being removed from the bottom of the frame (60 lines total removed, so each eye sees 1020P in the 144Hz mode)


Quote
“1080p24 3D Display — Sets the frame rate multiplication for Frame Packed 3D. If you set this to 144Hz, 30 lines are cropped from the top and bottom of the frame; 96 Hz displays the full frame.”

http://www.digitalprojection.co.uk/dpdownloads/User%20Guides/HIGHlite%20Laser%203D%20Series/HIGHlite%20Laser%203D%20Series%20User%20Manual.pdf

Other interesting quotes

“The projector is surprisingly affordable, expecting to retail for about $45,000 USD including the lens, Wadsworth stresses) when it ship in Q2 2014.”

“The WUXGA-resolution unit can go 20,000 hours before needing a phosphor wheel replacement. That compares to about 1,500 hours of lamp life for traditional -based projectors, according to Mark Wadsworth, international marketing manager for DP.”

“Since there are no lamps to cool in a laser projector, it can be mounted any which way, as DPI demonstrates at ISE with a series of units fanned out.”

http://www.cepro.com/article/dp_stuns_at_ise_2014_with_first_12k-lumen_laser_projector/

Configuring the HIGHlite Laser 3D projector as a dual IMAX 3-D type setup

(full 1080P for each eye)

The HIGHlite Laser 3D projector ideal setup is to stack two exact same projectors together. In this type of dual projector setup each eye sees 48Hz for Blu-ray 3-D frame packed material. A dual pipe processing source is needed to watch commercial movies. Then the commercial dual pipe movie server would provide the 3-D movie to both projectors (A separate left and right 1080p/24 frames). However to setup the HIGHlite Laser projectors to operate like IMAX 3-D with a consumer Blu-ray 3-D source then one needs to purchase the Airflex5D AF5D-60 processor for $4,999. Therefore, in a dual projector setup one would place a right eye polarizer in front of one projector and a left eye polarizer in front of the other projector. If one used a native 48Hz Blu-ray 3-D movie as the source material, then the Airflex5D AF5D-60 processor would unpack the 2205P Blu-ray 3-D frame packed movie (Once the Airflex5D processor unpacks the Blu-ray 3-D source material, then the right eye 1080P/24 frames are sent to the right projector and the left eye 1080P/24 frames are sent to the left projector). A RealD passive system requires a silver screen. A dual projector setup has a better 3-D quality when compared to a single projector setup. However, instead of paying around $45,000+ for a single 3-D projector setup you are now paying around $90,000+ in order to get quality similar to IMAX 3-D.

Configuring the HIGHlite Laser 3D for single projector 144Hz 3-D quality

The HIGHlite Laser 3D projector will display native 2-D 1080p/24 sources at 48Hz and native 48Hz 3-D Blu-ray frame packed material is displayed at either 96Hz or 144Hz (depending on the 3-D menu settings). So just like some of the 2K projectors located in the commercial movie theaters which triple flash 3-D movies, the HIGHlite Laser projector does the same. At the 96Hz setting the Highlite Laser projector offers full 1080P for each eye, however the 144Hz setting is recommended since it is the Cinema quality flicker free mode. Due to a hardware bandwidth limitation and the DMD loading sequence used, the HIGHlite Laser projector drops 60 lines of resolution at 144Hz, so each eye really only sees 1020P instead of the full 1080P resolution. Even on some of the 2K 144Hz 3-D projectors used in commercial movie theaters there is also a bandwidth limitation that results in a small amount of lines being dropped. With some of the newer commercial DMD chipsets and DMD loading sequences that are used in the 2K and 4K commercial movie theaters there is no bandwidth limitation at 144Hz and no lines are dropped at all.

How frame packed Blu-ray 3-D movie discs work on a 144Hz projector

The frame packed Blu-ray 3-D movies are native 1920 x 2205 at 24p on the Blu-ray disc (both the 1080P/24 left frame and 1080P/24 right frame are packed on the Blu-ray disc). Once the video processor inside the 144Hz projector unpacks the 3-D Blu-ray movie the native 1920x2205 3-D Blu-ray image is turned into two separate left and right frames. A 1080p/24 left frame and 1080p/24 right frame equals a total of 48 frames (48Hz). Then the projector orders the left eye 1080p/24 frame and right eye 1080p/24 frame into sequence to be triple flashed for a flicker free 144Hz active glasses or passive glasses Cinema quality movie experience.



Click the following link for a diagram on how the ideal consumer 3-D Front Projector or 3-D display should work when unpacking the frame packed 1920 X 2205 image.



http://cepro.com/images/uploads/frame_packed_3d_large.jpg

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Christie Previewing 4K Laser Projection Technology

The list at the beginning of this thread only contains consumer displays that have Cinema quality frame rates. However, it’s nice to see bright 60,000 lumens 60fps 4K 3-D projectors being made for the commercial movie theaters. Perhaps James Cameron could possible use this technology for his next 3-D movie. In an updated IMAX 3-D type setup with two laser projectors stacked, it would be 120,000 lumens with 120fps (Each eye would see a separate 4K 60fps image).

The following are select quotes from the article

“The ongoing issue of how to make digital cinema screens brighter for 3D has put a lot of attention on the potential of laser projection, and this week at CinemaCon, projector makers Barco and Christie will both be previewing models.”

“Barco will show a laser projection capable of reaching up to 60,000-lumens as well as a high frame rate of 60 frames per second and 3D in 4K.”

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/cinemacon-barco-christie-previewing-4k-690620

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Sony 4K VPL-VW600ES 3D SXRD PROJECTOR

(Not qualified to be added to the list)

The new Sony VPL-VW600ES supports a native resolution of 4096 x 2160 which is true Cinema 4K resolution quality for a low price of only $14,99.99. Also SD and HD material is upscaled to QUAD HD resolution of 3840 x 2160. The Sony also has HDMI 2.0 with version 2.2 HDCP copy protection so in theory it might offer full support for a future 2-D 4096 x 2160 optical format or future 2-D 3840 x 2160 optical format. Active glasses are used on the Sony 4K projector for possible 4K 3-D content in the far future (That is if the current HDMI inputs can support 4K 3-D). The big frame rate negative regarding all the Sony 4K projectors on the consumer market is that they use Motionflow technology with Dark frame insertion at 120Hz. So all the Sony 4K projectors appear to offer 60Hz for each eye in 3-D mode. 60Hz 3:2 pulldown is not used in the commercial movie theaters.

120Hz reference link "Motionflow™ Technology : Yes (120 Hz with Dark Frame Insertion)"

The ideal Sony SXRD projector should use 144Hz (72Hz each eye) triple flash technology or 192Hz (96Hz each eye) quad flash technology when playing a 3-D frame packed Blu-ray movie (also repeating frame method with no frame interpolation and no dark frame insertion is required to match the Cinema quality frame rates).

In the commercial movie theaters Sony uses a high-end 4K SXRD projector with a special RealD dual lens adapter to offer 3-D movies at 2K quality at 48Hz (each eye sees a separate left and right 2K 3-D image at 24Hz without the need to triple flash, similar to a IMAX dual light source setup). Hopefully one day these top of the line Sony SXRD 4K projectors with RealD passive glasses technology will be made availble to the consumer market. Currently Sony has not announced any plans to offer this Cinema quality technology to consumers.

(Sound and Vision magazine review)

The following are select word for word quotes from the Sound and Vision magazine review

“Each of the Sony’s three LCOSbased, 0.74-inch SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) imaging chips has a resolution of 4096 x 2160, with an aspect ratio of 1.89:1. That resolution is the full professional 4K resolution used for digital cinema. All current flat-panel Ultra HDTVs have a resolution of 3840 x 2160.”

“The VPL-VW600ES does have a version of HDMI 2.0 with the ability to pass 4K at up to 60 frames per second and HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection) 2.2.”

** Click here to read the complete Sound and Vision magazine review **

[HDTV1080P]

Digital Projections HIGHlite Laser 3-D projector updated info

(Also updated info on the 144Hz Highlite series bandwidth limitation issue)

Since all the Highlite series 3-D projector models use the same light engine, this means they all drop 60 lines of resolution when in the flicker free 144Hz Cinema quality mode. Therefore, each eye sees 1020P.

Just like some of the 2K projectors located in the commercial movie theaters which triple flash 3-D movies, the HIGHlite Laser projector does the same. At the 96Hz setting the Highlite Laser projector offers full 1080P for each eye, however the 144Hz setting is recommended since it is the Cinema quality flicker free mode. Due to a hardware bandwidth limitation and the DMD loading sequence used, the HIGHlite Laser projector drops 60 lines of resolution at 144Hz, so each eye really only sees 1020P instead of the full 1080P resolution. Even on some of the 2K 144Hz 3-D projectors used in commercial movie theaters there is also a bandwidth limitation that results in a small amount of lines being dropped. With some of the newer commercial DMD chipsets and DMD loading sequences that are used in the 2K and 4K commercial movie theaters there is no bandwidth limitation at 144Hz and no lines are dropped at all.

The Highlite Laser 3-D projector uses the same 0.67 (or 0.65) inch three chip DLP light engine as the Highlite Cine 260/330/660/730 and 740. (1200P models use 0.67 inch DLP light engine chips and 1080P models use 0.65 inch DLP light engine chips). Click here for more information on the frame rate information for the Highlite series of projectors.

According to Digital Projection INC the new Highlite Laser 3-D projector will display native 2-D 1080p/24 material at 48Hz instead of 24Hz. The reason for this is that the Highlite Laser uses a very similar electronics and processing method that one finds on the lower cost HIGHlite Cine 330 3D (the higher quality Highlite 660/730 displays native 2-D 1080p/24 material at 24Hz). Perhaps the reason the Highlite Laser uses 48Hz instead of 24Hz for 2-D 1080p/24 material is to keep the projector below $50,000. The list price on the Highlite Laser projector is now around $49,995.

Some select quotes from Digital Projection INC email conversations:

“The DLP light engine is practically the same for the Highlite Cine 260/330/660 and 740.”

“At this time we understand that the electronics and processing will be very similar to the Highlite Cine 330 3D. This would lead us to believe that the displayed output of a 24Hz 2D signal would be at a 48Hz rate.”

“This projector should be able to be used with a polarizing modulator and a “silver screen” to work with passive glasses.”

“The lost lines is due to a bandwidth limitation of the “light engine”.

“In the cases where one of these is 3D, you can currently expect similar, if not identical, bandwidth limitations.”

[HDTV1080P]

One day the 144Hz bandwidth limitation issue in theory will no longer be an issue

Digital Projections Lightning series and Titan series of 3-D projectors have the best light engines with 3 x 0.95 inch Darkchip DMD’s which results in only 24 lines dropped at 144Hz (each eye sees 1056P). Digital Projections Highlite series of 3-D projectors use 3 x 0.65 inch Darkchip DMD’s in their light engine which results in 60 lines dropped at 144Hz (each eye sees 1020P). Digital Projections M-Vision series of 3-D projectors use a single 0.95 inch Darkchip DMD which also results in 60 lines dropped at 144Hz (each eye sees 1020P). The Runco X-200i 3-D projector drops 76 lines of resolution at 144Hz (each eye sees 1004P).

Most likely according to industry experts all consumer 144Hz 3-D projectors on the market currently have a bandwidth limitation with the light engine and the DMD loading sequence that results in a small amount of lines being dropped in the Cinema quality flicker free 144Hz mode. However only Digital Projection INC and Runco disclose this information in their owners manuals, where as other manufactures have decided not to mention the 144Hz bandwidth limitation issue in their owner’s manuals.

Even some of the 2K commercial 144Hz projectors used in movie theaters have this bandwidth limitation at 144Hz. The latest 3 chip 144Hz DLP projectors in the commercial movie theaters have no bandwidth limitation and they are able to display a full 2K or 4K 3-D image with no resolution lost at all. The good news is that what I am hearing is that the consumer electronics manufactories are working to improve on this issue so that one day all future 144Hz projectors will most likely have no bandwidth limitation. It could be a year or two years or perhaps longer until this issue is resolved on newer models. It’s my understanding that the high-end consumer DLP projector manufactories are working to try and make this 144Hz bandwidth issue a thing of the past. Then there would be no negatives with 144Hz projectors, one would be able to experience Blu-ray 3-D movies at the 144Hz flicker free Cinema quality mode with full 1080P quality for each eye.

[HDTV1080P]

The JVC DLA-X700R 3D D-ILA FRONT PROJECTOR will not be added to the list since there is no cinema quality 144Hz setting for 3-D

This JVC DLA-X700R projector is a native 1080P model that uses 96Hz (48Hz for each eye) when watching a frame packed Blu-ray 3-D movie. There is no 144Hz or 192Hz Cinema quality 3-D mode on any JVC LCOS projectors yet.

In the commercial movie theaters single light source DLP projectors use 144Hz triple flash technology to offer both flicker free 3-D performance and no crosstalk.

The following are select word for word quotes from the Sound and Vision magazine review

“I still detected slight to noticeable levels of ghosting with 3D images, but it was improved over JVC’s earlier generations of 3D playback.”

“Still, if you want a reference-grade 3D display with absolutely no crosstalk, you’d probably be better off looking at DLP models. They are the only projectors I’ve seen with perfect 3D crosstalk performance.”

“The HDMI inputs on JVC’s new 4K-rated projectors now accept native 4K video signals, albeit with some caveats. First, this isn’t a native 4K-resolution projector; the new generation of JVCs only implements the company’s e-shift technology to increase the number of apparent pixels while still using native 1080p D-ILA display chips.”

“Second, given the timing of the projector’s release late last year, JVC (along with most other manufacturers) had no choice but to use the HDMI 1.4b standard for the HDMI inputs. The full HDMI 2.0 standard that will be starting to appear this year in some products allows for higher resolutions than 1080p, along with more color resolution and bit depth.”

“Furthermore, for the same reason of product timing, these new JVCs (and most competitors’products) have limitations in their implementation of High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection. Producers will likely insist on the latest variant for HDMI content protection, HDCP 2.2, for any future 4K content.”

Click here to read the complete Sound and Vision magazine review

[HDTV1080P]

LG 55EA9800 3D OLED HDTV

(Sound and Vision magazine review)

Since each eye sees 540P in 3-D mode, this LG display does not qualify to be added to the list. Also 3:2 pulldown might be used for each eye when in 3-D mode.

The LG 55EA9800 launched with a $15,000 list price, however currently Best Buy is offering the LG 55EA9800 for only $5,999.98 (price subject to change over time).

The first generation OLED displays like the LG 55EA9800 has some issues that hopefully will be cleared up with the second generation models (Poor dark-gray uniformity and some motion lag according to the Sound and Vision magazine review). I saw this LG 55EA9800 at a local Best Buy Magnolia center in my area, and the picture quality was outstanding with the deepest blacks I have ever seen. The 2008 Pioneer plasmas and the 2013 reference Panasonic ZT60 series plasmas still has less motion lag when compared to the first generation OLED displays. However, the LG OLED black levels are noticeable better when compared to the best plasma displays released to the public.

Hopefully future LG OLED displays will have a larger screen with 4K QUAD HD technology (72Hz for each eye when using passive glasses would be ideal for full 3-D 1080P). Or a native 1080P OLED that uses active glasses with 144Hz triple flash technology or 192Hz Quad flash technology would be ideal.

The following are select word for word quotes from the Sound and Vision magazine review

“Passive 3D glasses reduce the vertical resolution you see with each eye to 540p—since the vertical lines are split between the left- and right-eye images before they’re separated by the polarized glasses.”

“In 2008, Pioneer produced a demo disc that highlighted people and objects against a completely black background. A prototype of Pioneer’s Infinite Black panel, which was to be featured in the company’s Gen 10 plasma, was demonstrated at the 2008 CEDIA Expo and rendered the backgrounds on that disc totally black. But Pioneer never went beyond Gen 9 because they unexpectedly exited the HDTV business. Now I’ve finally seen that total black background once again—in an OLED. To experience a bright object floating in air with nothing visible around it is a jaw-dropping experience.”

“It costs a bundle, has a relatively small screen, and isn’t perfect. But buyers will be rewarded with a picture that, in the ways most important to enthusiasts, is unequaled by any other type of consumer display.”

“OLED offers a number of major advantages over LCD, and even plasma, for video. Because OLEDs can be more rapidly dimmed or even shut off completely at the individual pixel level, they can produce blacks that are effectively absolute, together with exceptional shadow detail.”

“While OLED sets potentially can be even cheaper to make than LCD designs, their biggest downside to date has been low yield during production of the panels.”

“For the record, when we first received the 55EA9800, our set was unresponsive and wouldn’t move beyond the opening setup screen. LG sent us a second sample, which worked just fine.”

“Where as the instant response of OLEDs should result in less motion lag than that of other designs, my reference Panasonic TC-65ZT60 plasma was superior to the LG in this regard (with the latter’s TruMotion turned off).”

“And as good as the Panasonic’s blacks are—and they’re the best I’ve ever experienced in a commercial display up to now—the OLED’s are noticeably better.”

“That said, the blacks on the OLED—or, more precisely, its dark grays—weren’t perfect. The gray-level uniformity, visible even marginally above black on a full-screen gray test pattern, was poor, marred by significant streaking.”

“As for me, if the set were 4K, measured at least 65 inches diagonal, sold for half the current asking price or less, and didn’t make my checkbook hand me a guilt trip, I’d own one in a heartbeat.”

“The LG OLED drew considerably less power than my reference 65-inch Panasonic does, depending on the source.”

Click here to read a complete review at the Sound and Vision magazine website

[HDTV1080P]

Imax Debuts 4K 3D Digital Camera on Transformers: Age of Extinction

(3-D 4K movies are now a reality)

Commercial IMAX 3-D movie theaters use to be all 2K quality, however many IMAX 3-D theaters have been upgraded with two Christine 4K projectors so that when 4K 3-D movies are produced consumers can experience 3-D movies in true 4K quality for each eye.

According to the following recent article the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction is being recorded using a new 4K digital IMAX camera system. When Transformers: Age of Extinction is played back in a 4K IMAX 3-D theater consumers will experience the movie in true 4K 3-D quality since each eye will see a slightly separate 4K image.

In the future there will most likely be more consumer 4K DLP projectors added to the list, since an article I was reading a while ago mentioned that the DLP projector industry is working on developing more consumer 4K DLP projectors. Hopefully in 2016+ a 4K QUAD HD optical disc format for the consumer market will launch.

The following are select word for word quotes from the article

“Imax today said that it has developed a new 4K 3D digital camera system that was used by director Michael Bay and cinematographer Amir Mokri on Transformers: Age of Extinction, the first feature film to employ the camera.”

“The company didn't release a lot of information about the new camera beyond asserting that both left- and right-eye images are captured at a full 4K resolution with an Imax presentation aspect ratio of 1.9:1. (Standard theatrical releases will presumably be cropped top and bottom to reach 1.85:1or 2.40:1.) “

Imax Debuts 4K 3D Digital Camera on Transformers: Age of Extinction

[HDTV1080P]

Samsung will stop making plasma displays by November 30th 2014

QUOTE

"The firm plans to end all plasma display operations by November 30."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0F62W620140701



Now Samsung will officially stop manufacturing plasma screens on November 30th 2014. This means only LG is still making plasma screens. The best Samsung plasma screens every made was the 2013 F8500 series that comes in 64 inch, 60 inch, and 51 inch sizes.

The 2013 Samsung F8500 series will properly display 2-D 1080p/24 program material at 96Hz by using a Cinema quality 4:4 pulldown repeating frame method when Cinema Smooth Plus is turned on. There is no frame interpolation involved and it repeats each frame 4 times.

The Samsung F8500 series was never added to the Cinema quality frame rate list since it displays native 48Hz frame packed Blu-ray 3-D movies at 120Hz (each eye sees 60Hz using 3:2 pulldown). Most people do not see any flicker at 120Hz, however 120Hz is not used in the commercial movie theaters for 48Hz 3-D sources since each eye sees 60Hz 3:2 pulldown judder. I was hoping that one day Samsung would design a 1080P plasma display that would use Cinema quality 144Hz triple flash technology (each eye sees 72Hz).

Panasonic before leaving the plasma business developed a 4K Quad HD plasma prototype with a native resolution of 3840 x 2160. I was hoping that Samsung would one day develop a 4K Quad HD plasma display for the consumer market. If Samsung would have developed a 3-D 4K Quad HD plasma screen that used passive glasses at 96Hz, then it would have qualified to be added to the Cinema quality frame rate list. 4K Quad HD displays that use passive glasses work like a dual projector IMAX 3-D system since each eye sees a slightly separate 1080P image without the need to triple flash. Currently all the 4K Quad HD LCD flat panel screens on the market are using 60Hz for each eye with frame interpolation when it comes to 3-D. If Samsung would have made a passive glasses 4K Quad HD plasma at 96Hz, then each eye would see a constant 96Hz without the need to perform a 144Hz triple flash, or 192Hz Quad flash. My point is plasma technology would be ideal for 3-D 4K QUAD HD technology since plasmas use a repeating frame method without frame interpolation (Instead of 60Hz for each eye the true multiplies of 24Hz for each eye would have been ideal). Plasmas have excellent motion and excellent picture quality when viewing off angles.

Since there is a lack of demand for high-end plasma screens, consumers will never see a 144Hz 1080P plasma from Samsung or a 96Hz repeating frame 4K Quad HD plasma from Samsung.

Only LG is still making plasma screens with 72Hz for 2-D 1080p/24 material and 120Hz for frame packed 3-D. Plasma technology would have been the ideal flat panel technology for 144Hz triple flash technology and passive glasses 4K QUAD HD technology.



Due to energy legislation, there are now strict power consumption laws and plasma screens are being discontinued since they are considered a power hog by some. A 4K QUAD HD plasma would take too much power under the current power consumption laws. New technology would have needed to be developed in order for low power consumption 4K QUAD HD plasmas to become a reality.

Samsung PDF spec sheet and PDF manual links

Samsung’s top of the line 2013 64 inch plasma is the PN64F8500AFXZA with a suggested retail price of $4,399.99. At the time of this posting the cheapest factory new online price I found while doing a quick search is $2,599 plus free shipping.

Download Spec Sheet

Download Product Manual

[HDTV1080P]

Quote

“Still, most industry picture analysts still agree that Plasma offers the best picture on the market, better than the new 4K sets and arguably even better than OLED TVs.”

http://www.tvpredictions.com/tv070214.htm

[HDTV1080P]

The Sharp LC-60UQ17U 3D LCD flat panel wil not be added to the Cinema quality 3-D frame rate list

(also native 1080P quality instead of 4K)

It is my understanding that all 3-D LCD flat panels including the Sharp LC-60UQ17U will display native 48Hz 3-D content at 120HZ (60Hz for each eye with 3:2 pulldown) after the frame interpolation and black frame insertion is applied. The ideal consumer flat panel display should bypass frame interpolation and black frame insertion and offer triple flash 144Hz (72Hz each eye) or quad flash 192Hz (96Hz each eye) in order to maintain the original Cinema quality 3-D frame rate. The Sharp LC-60UQ17U is 240Hz, however as soon as the active 3-D glasses are used it is my understanding that each eye only sees 60Hz with 3:2 pulldown.

Another issue is that this Sharp LC-60UQ17U will accept a native 4K Ultra HD signal at 3840 x 2160, however the pixel structure is only 1920 x 1080P. Therefore, 4K signals get downcoverted to 1080P quality. Also according to the Sound and Vision magazine review the black level quality was disappointing.

The following are select quotes from the Sound and Vision magazine review

“It can’t deliver the deep blacks found on today’s best flat panels, but the Sharp LC-60UQ17U offers top-notch detail and color, along with the ability to display 4K source material with excellent, though not full 4K, resolution.”


“TV manufacturers continue to search for ways to keep prices down and sales up. But with 4K Ultra HD the hot ticket these days, it’s not an easy task. While Sharp already has a 4K model in the market and others planned for the fall, the company also offers a less expensive alternative: Quattron+, or Q+. These aren’t full Ultra HD sets, as their basic pixel structure is still 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), not the 3840 x 2160 required for Ultra HD. But Sharp’s Q+ sets will accept a 4K input, and with a bit of technical hocus-pocus, the company says they’ll deliver something between Full HD and true 4K.”

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/sharp-lc-60uq17u-3d-lcd-hdtv

[HDTV1080P]

New entry price is now $24,995 for 144Hz 3-chip DLP 3-D projectors

In the commercial movie theaters that choose to use DLP projectors, they are 100% of the time 3-chip DLP projector models for the best quality 3-D experience. Some people see rainbow effects on single chip DLP projectors. In 2014 Digital Projection INC lowered its list price on their Highlite Cine 330 3-D series by $5,000. So now, one can purchase a 3-chip DLP projector with the 144Hz triple flash technology for only $24,995. The Highlite Cine 330 3D series will properly display a 2-D 1080P/24 signal at full 1080P 48Hz flicker free (The Highlite 660 series displays 2-D 1080P signals at true cinema quality 24Hz) . When a frame packed Blu-ray 3-D movie is received by the Highlite Cine 330 3D series each eye sees 1020P at 72Hz since the flicker free 144Hz triple flash technology is used (works with both passive and active glasses). Since all the Highlite series 3-D projector models use the same light engine, this means they all drop 60 lines of resolution when in the flicker free 144Hz Cinema quality mode. Therefore, each eye sees 1020P. Some DLP projectors used in the commercial movie theaters also have a bandwidth limitation at 144Hz that results in a small amount of lines being dropped.

The advantage of Digital Projections top of the line Lightning series and Titan series of projectors is that they display 2-D 1080p/24 signals at 24Hz just like the commercial movie theater DLP projectors. In addition, when a frame packed Blu-ray 3-D signal is received each eye sees 1056P at 72Hz while in the 144Hz flicker free triple flash mode (works with both passive and active glasses). The reason why the bandwidth limitation is only 24 lines dropped at 144Hz on the Lightning and Titan series is because they use a better quality light engine and improved DMD loading sequence. The starting price for a Digital Projection INC Titan series 3-D projector is $49,995.

Here are some updated list prices



HIGHlite Cine 330 3D HB 1080p (113-411) (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources, 48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources) $26,995

HIGHlite Cine 330 3D HC 1080p (113-123) (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources, 48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources) $24,995

[HDTV1080P]

New Digital Projection Insight Laser 4K 3-D 144Hz projector to launch in late 2014

The Digital Projection Insight Laser 4K projector offers true 4K quality 3-D performance when feed native 4K 3-D source material. This amazing projector has true 4096 x 2160 native pixel count using a 3 x 1.38 inch DarkChip DMD. The Insight Laser 4K projector with part number 114-812 has 12,000 ANSI Lumens with no lamps to replace.The projector offers 20,000 hours of illumination from its solid-state laser. Final specs have not been released yet, however this might be one of the new 4K 144Hz projectors that uses a light engine and DMD loading sequence that offers full 4096 x 2160 native pixels at 144Hz with no bandwidth limitation, which would result in no dropped lines. One will need to wait to see if this 4K Insight Laser projector has overcome the 144Hz bandwidth limitation. In theory the Insight Laser 4K projector will display 2-D 1080p/24 material and 2-D 4K material at either 24Hz or 48Hz (information has not been released yet). According to the spec sheet the Insight Laser will scale video sources to simulated 4K quality if true 4K content is not available. This new projector also works with both passive and active glasses.

A dual pipe processing source is needed to watch 4K commercial movies at both 4K 3-D quality and 4K 2-D quality (dual pipe source can be configured as a dual projector setup or single projector setup using two Display Port 1.2 connections). Up to 4K at 60fps is supported over one Display Port 1.2 connection. In the future a consumer 4K QUAD HD optical disc format might launch in 2016+ with native 3840 x 2160 resolution. According to the spec sheet this first generation Insight Laser 4K projector does not support HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 copy protection. In the future a secure encrypted HDCP 2.2 connection will be required for consumer 4K QUAD HD content according to the current plans by the studios that will be releasing 4K movies. So hopefully future generations of the Insight Laser 4K will offer HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 copy protection. For now consumers interested in this Insight Laser projector will need to watch 2-D and 3-D 1080P Blu-ray discs that are scaled to simulated 4K quality. Also as mentioned before true 4K 3-D content and 4K 2-D content will require Display Port 1.2 connections from a secure 4K commercial movie server (one Display port 1.2 connection for 2-D and two Display Port 1.2 connections for 3-D). The list price of this Insight Laser 4K projector has not been released yet.

The following are select word for word quotes from the article

“Digital Projection International has unveiled a combination of solid-state laser illumination and 4K native resolution. The INSIGHT LASER 4K projector offers 20,000 hours of illumination life and no lamp replacements are required. It is approximately 40 percent of the size and weight of existing 4K projectors.”

“The 12,000 lumen INSIGHT LASER 4K will begin shipping in late 2014. DPI will showcase the INSIGHT LASER 4K projector at InfoComm 2014 in booth #N647.”

http://www.commercialintegrator.com/article/digital_projection_insight_laser_4k_offers_4k_reso lution_laser_illumination

Click the following link to view Digital Projection INC official spec sheet on the Insight Laser 4K 144Hz projector

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Optoma HD91 single chip DLP 1080P 3-D LED 144Hz projector

(July/August 2014 Widescreen magazine review)

** The Optoma 144Hz 3-D projectors will not be added to the list since the 2-D 1080P/24 refresh rate method is unknown at this time **

Last year in early August of 2013 I made a post on why the Optoma projectors will not be added to the Cinema quality frame rate list. To make a long story short the Texas Instrument Dark Chip 3 and Dark Chip 4 DLP technology is capable of 24Hz, 48Hz, and even 144Hz. However, each consumer electronics manufactory when designing a projector firmware can tell the DC3 or DC4 to display 2-D 1080p/24 material at 60Hz or display 3-D 1080P frame packed material at 120Hz. The problem with the Optoma PDF spec sheet, Optoma instruction manual, Optoma customer service, and even the on screen menu of the Optoma projectors is that they do not mention what frame rate they are using. Without that information, Optoma projectors will remain off the list. Historically according to old Home Theater magazine reviews, the Optoma 2-D projectors would display 2-D 1080p/24 material at 48Hz (However do to a lack of information we still do not have any documentation regarding how the 2014 Optoma series of projectors handles a 2-D 1080P signal. Most likely its either 60Hz or 48Hz).

The good news is that the 2013 and 2014 Optoma projectors that use the Dark Chip 3 technology offer 144Hz triple flash technology

The Optoma projectors are frame locked at the factory and there is no menu settings to change the frame rate. When a video based 720P 60Hz frame packed signal is received the Optoma projectors will properly scale the 720P source to 1080P and display the image on the screen at the flicker free 120Hz mode without using 3:2 pulldown. In addition the 2013 and 2014 Optoma projectors that use the DarkChip 3 technology will unpack the 1080P 48Hz Blu-ray 3-D source material and use Cinema quality triple flash technology to display the image on the screen at 144Hz. The 144Hz information was verified from a recent Widescreen magazine review and a Projector Central review. However, one problem that is still unknown is what is the bandwidth limitation lost at 144Hz on the Optoma projectors. As far as I am aware all consumer 1080P 144Hz projectors has a small amount of dropped lines in the Cinema Quality flicker free 144Hz mode do to a bandwidth limitation issue with the light engine and DMD loading sequence. Unless Optoma is using some breakthrough technology there most likely is resolution lost in the 144Hz mode, but again no mention of this in the Optoma documentation.



The very in depth 6 page July/August Widescreen review magazine mentions that the Optoma HD91 locked 144Hz mode has no eye strain after 4 hours, no ghosting, etc. However, the triple flash 144Hz feature is not the only thing that is needed to produce high quality 3-D images on the screen. According to the Widescreen magazine review the Optoma HD91 does not produce enough light on the screen in the 3-D mode. This Optoma HD91 only has 1,000 lumens output. When it comes to 3-D image quality the higher the ANSI lumens output the better the 3-D quality is. Therefore, even though Optoma got the projector to produce a flicker free 144Hz Cinema quality frame rate, this projector is very dim in 3-D mode since its only 1,000 lumens. Consumers would be better off purchasing the $11,995 Digital Projection M-Vision Cine 320 3D single chip DLP 144Hz projector which has a 4,000 ANSI lumens output (works with both passive and active glasses). Also high-end 3 chip DLP 144Hz projectors start at $24,995 and are for those consumers looking for top of the line 3-D quality with passive and active glasses. If Optoma would make a 144Hz projector with a minimum of 3,000 ANSI lumens output then they would solve the light output issue. However, the projector might cost $10,000 or more (The Optoma HD91 is priced at a low $4,000, which is a good price for a 20,000 hour LED technology). The two key things needed for good quality 3-D from a projector is to have a minimum of 144Hz output for 48Hz 3-D sources and the highest lumens output one can afford. Increasing the lumens output most the time also decreases the contrast ratio. If Optoma started using the more expensive Dark Chip 4 technology, the black levels are better when compared to Dark Chip 3 technology.



The following is a quote from Projector Central regarding the Optoma HD91



“When it comes to 3D, image quality was quite good. The HD91 uses either radio-frequency or DLP Link synchronization at a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which means little crosstalk or ghosting. However, given the light output limitations of the projector, we would not push screen size over 100" diagonal for 3D viewing.”



http://www.projectorcentral.com/optoma_hd91_led_projector_review.htm

The following are select quotes from the July/August Widescreen magazine review (located on pages 10,12,14,16,18, and 20)

“The HD91 supports frame rates of 24 to 85 Hz and 120 to144 Hz. There is no user control for frame rate and there’s no information screen. If you send 24p to the projector, you have no way of knowing whether the projector is using 24, 48, 72, 120, or 144 Hz. One thing you can tell, however, in 3D mode, there is no eyestrain after a two-hour movie or even after four hours of 3D. For that to happen, it’s my experience that the projector must be operating at 144 Hz (24 x 6). The only other projector I’ve experienced no 3D eyestrain with was a $55,000 three-DLP model a few years ago, and it operated in 144 Hz mode for 3D. It’s great to see this feature in a far-less-expensive DLP projector.”


“…no ghosting at any time, no eyestrain even after four straight hours of 3D viewing…”


“3D is 100 percent ghost-free and 100 percent eyestrain-free. But it is difficult to get enough light on the screen to make 3D satisfying while not clipping the highlights at the same time.”

For a limited time a PDF sample of the Widescreen magazine review is available for download

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A total of 13 Optoma projectors have been added to the list

Optoma DH1011 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma EH200ST 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma EH415 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma EH501 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma EH503 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma EH505 WUXGA 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)(1920 x 1200P model)

Optoma GT1080 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD25e 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD25-LV 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD26 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD91 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD131Xe 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

Optoma HD131Xw 1080P 3-D (144Hz for 3-D 48Hz sources,48Hz for 2-D 24Hz sources)

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More information about the Optoma 144Hz 3-D projectors

** Both the 2-D 48Hz output and 3-D 144Hz output is flicker free on the Optoma projectors **

** Street prices on some Optoma 1080P 144Hz DLP projectors are under $700 **

When Blu-ray 3-D frame packed 48Hz source material is sent to all the old 2012 Optoma 3-D projectors, they all use 120Hz output (each eye sees 60Hz with 3:2 pulldown judder). However, the good news is that starting in 2013 Optoma projectors started using 144Hz triple flash technology. Even some of the 2013-2014 Optoma projectors with standard definition output and 720P output will output at 144Hz when a 48Hz frame packed Blu-ray signal is sent to the projector. Of course standard definition and 720P Optoma projectors do not qualify to be added to the list.

There are currently 13 Optoma projectors that have been added to the Cinema quality frame rate list. The Optoma projectors are frame locked at the factory and there is no menu settings to change the frame rate. When 2-D 720P 60Hz video based material is received by the Optoma projectors, they will properly upscale the image to 1080P at 60Hz without using any 3:2 pulldown. When a video based 720P 60Hz 3-D frame packed signal is received by the Optoma projectors, the video processor will properly scale the 720P source to 1080P and display the image on the screen at the flicker free 120Hz mode without using 3:2 pulldown. There is no bandwidth limitation at 120Hz and the Optoma projectors offer full 1080P for each eye with no resolution lost. In addition the 2013 and 2014 Optoma projectors that use the DarkChip 3 technology will unpack the 1080P 48Hz Blu-ray 3-D source material and use Cinema quality triple flash technology to display the image on the screen at 144Hz (also the Optoma EH500 model offers 144Hz using older DarkChip 2 technology, but no 48Hz mode for 2-D). In theory there might be some resolution lost when the modern 2013 and 2014 Optoma projectors engage the 144Hz triple flash feature. Sometimes even in the commercial movie theaters on 2K projectors there is a small amount of resolution lost at 144Hz. Optoma technical support and the product manager did not have spec sheets that mention what the resolution lost is at 144Hz. Most consumer DLP projectors have a resolution loss of between 24 lines to 76 lines when they are in the 144Hz Cinema quality triple flash mode. So worse case scenario low end DLP projectors might drop 200 to 300 lines of resolution at 144Hz (If the lost was 360 lines then the projectors would be 720P quality, so I doubt the resolution lost would be that much). 720P projectors are not qualified to be on the list. Then again since the Optoma 144Hz resolution information is unknown, it’s always possible that Optoma is using some new DMD loading sequence and improved light engine that results in no resolution lost at 144Hz. Even some top of the line $120,000+ consumer 144Hz DLP projectors drop 24 lines of resolution at 144Hz (each eye sees 1056P).

When reading the Optoma spec sheets online from 2013 and 2014. It’s important to look at the native resolution to make sure it says 1920 x 1080 or 1920 x 1200. There are some lower end Optoma projectors that were not added to the list, since they say 1280 x 720 or 1280 x 800, and even some standard definition models. Optoma never mentions the 48Hz feature in their owners manual or on the onscreen projector menu. The locked 48Hz feature is used for native 1080p/24 and 720p/24 2-D source material. When looking in the Optoma spec sheets, if the projector says it has a 2-D “Vertical Scan Rate” of 24-85Hz, this means the projector has a locked 48Hz output when it receives a 2-D 1080p/24 signal. For example the Optoma EH500 that uses the older DC2 DMD does not qualify to be added to the Cinema quality frame rate list since its “Vertical Scan Rate” for 2-D is 50-85Hz which most likely means the projector uses 60Hz since its not capable of 48Hz. Optoma never mentions the 144Hz feature in the owner’s manual or the on screen projector menu. The 144Hz feature is a locked feature that only is activated automatically when a frame packed 1080P signal is received from a 48Hz Blu-ray 3-D movie (99.9% of all Blu-ray 3-D movies are 1080P at 48Hz once the frames are unpacked). When reading the Optoma spec sheets online, if the projector has the 144Hz feature, the spec sheet will mention “144Hz” in either the “Vertical Scan Rate” section or the “3D Compatibility” section. If the 144Hz feature does not appear in one of those sections of the spec sheet then the projector is frame locked for 120Hz for all 3-D sources including 48Hz sources.

There are some awesome prices on Optoma projectors

Entry-level single chip DLP 144Hz projectors from Digital Projection INC starts at $11,995, which is more then what the average consumer wants to pay for a projector. A few years ago entry level on 144Hz DLP projectors was around $80,000. Now in 2014 an Optoma DH1011 144Hz DLP projector can be purchased from Amazon for around $682.99 plus free shipping. The Optoma DH1011 also has a 3,000 lumens output which is a decent output for 3-D viewing. For even a brighter 3-D experience, the Optoma EH415 which has 4,200 lumens, is available from Amazon for around $1,219 with free shipping. Those that want 5200 lumens output can purchase the Optoma EH503.

Low cost single chip DLP projectors can sometimes have rainbow issues that some people see. In the commercial movie theaters, 3 chip DLP 3-D projectors are used. However the cheapest 3 chip DLP 144Hz 3-D projector for the consumer market costs $24,995.

References

In 2014, Optoma has improved its customer service in the Untied States. The Optoma company now offers an online live chat with technical support. While communicating with Optoma technical support in a live chat regarding the 2-D 1080P/24 refresh rate issue and 3-D frame rate issue, Optoma technical support informed me that they thought their projectors used 60Hz, however since technical support was not sure they gave me an email address to contact one of the Optoma regional managers. After emailing one of the regional managers for Optoma. The regional manager ended up contacting their product team about my technical questions and then emailed back a reply. In summary all the modern Optoma 3-D projectors starting in 2013 that mention the 144Hz feature in their specs sheets will unpack a 3-D frame packed signal and repeat the native 48Hz three times using a Cinema quality process called 144Hz triple flash. In addition, I was informed that Optoma did not have any specs available regarding my question of the hardware bandwidth limitation in the 144Hz mode, do to a limitation in the light engine and DMD loading sequence. They suggested Texas Instruments might be a better source for that answer. Per the product management at Optoma I was informed that all current Optoma projectors will output 24Hz when a 2-D 1080p/24 signal is received (I ended up questioning the 24Hz answer since flicker free 24Hz output only exists on high-end 3-chip DLP projectors starting at $35,000-$50,000+. Then the Senior Product Manager revised the information saying all their current Optoma projectors double the output to 48fps when a 2-D 1080p/24 signal is received

The following are select word for word quotes from some of my email conversations with Optoma

“Thank you for your interest in Optoma projectors. Since your questions were highly technical beyond normal enduser specs, I referred your email to our product team. They answered the best they could in red. As for Question 3, they did not have the specs available for an answer. Texas Instruments might be a better source.”

(First question) When a 2-D 1080p/24 signal is sent to the Optoma projectors, is the output 60Hz or 48Hz? Revised answer from Senior Product Manager regarding all current Optoma projector models: “ I just received an update from our Sr Product Manager who received verification that we do double the output to 48 fps”

(Second question) When a 3-D frame packed Blu-ray movie is sent to an Optoma Full 3D projector, is the output 120Hz or 144Hz? ”Content is received at 48 fps – the projector uses triple flash technology to output 144 fps – 72 fps / eye”

(Third question) In my experience, all consumer 144Hz projectors have a hardware bandwidth limitation in the 144Hz mode do to limitations in the light engine and DMD loading sequence. What is the bandwidth limitation on the Optoma projectors that have 144Hz output? In the 144Hz mode how many resolution lines are dropped on the Optoma projectors? “No answer”

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More information about Optoma projector frame rates and Optoma 3-D glasses

Blu-ray 3-D discs uses frame packed technology at both 1080p/24 (48 frames packed with 24 left eye and 24 right eye frames) and 720P at 60Hz frame packed technology. On Blu-ray 3-D discs the codec used is always MPEG-4/MVC. When a video based 720P 60Hz 3-D frame packed signal is received by the Optoma projectors, the video processor will properly scale the 720P source to 1080P and display the image on the screen at the flicker free 120Hz mode without using 3:2 pulldown. 99.9% of Blu-ray 3-D movies become 1080P at 48Hz when the Optoma video processor unpacks the frame packed Blu-ray 1080P movie, and then Optoma uses the Cinema quality triple flash technology at 144Hz to offer a high quality flicker free 3-D experience using active shutter glasses. Some commercial movie theaters in the world use active shutter glasses at 144Hz instead of passive glasses. The advantage of 144Hz passive glasses single chip DLP projectors is that the glasses are very cheap, no on/off switch, and no batteries to keep charged. However, 144Hz passive glasses single chip DLP projectors start at $11,995 plus accessories. A standard projector screen is all that is needed for active glasses 3-D and the 144Hz 3-D performance of active glasses many times matches the 3-D performance of passive glasses. With Optoma 144Hz projectors starting at under $700 for 3,000 lumens models, that is a price that almost everyone can afford.

Some Optoma projectors like the HD91 have a Pure motion frame interpolation feature that inserts frames in the video stream to give the image a smooth video look (can be turned off). When Pure motion is turned off the frame interpolation feature is disabled and the Optoma projectors will use a natural Cinema quality frame repeating at 48Hz for 2-D 1080p/24 sources and 144Hz for 1080P frame packed Blu-ray discs. Therefore, for those consumers that want their projector to perform like the DLP projectors in the commercial movie theaters, the Pure motion feature should be turned off.

Optoma 3-D glasses information

There are two types of Optoma active shutter glasses that are available (DLP link active shutter glasses and RF active shutter glasses). All the Optoma 2013 and 2014 single chip DLP projectors on the list are 100% compatible with the Optoma BG-ZD301 DLP link glasses. The Optoma BG-ZD301 DLP link glasses, are active shutter glasses that will only work with single chip DLP projectors that support frame rates of 96Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz. Some other brands of single chip DLP projectors operate at 96Hz and 100Hz. 100% of all Optoma projectors currently on the list operate at either 120Hz or 144Hz when a 3-D source is applied to the Optoma projectors. Amazon currently sells the Optoma BG-ZD301 DLP Link glasses for $43 plus free shipping (list price $59.99). No emitters are needed since DLP link technology syncs the active shutter glasses within a 10 to 15 feet range of the screen. The DLP link glasses battery last 60 hours on a charge and the battery lasts up to 1,000 charges (recharge time 2 hours). Most consumers prefer to use DLP link active shutter glasses instead of RF active shutter glasses.

Some consumers prefer active shutter glasses that use the RF transmission technology since the glasses operate up to 150 feet away from the emitter. Most of the Optoma projectors will work with RF active shutter glasses. However, Optoma projectors like the EH415 and EH501 models will only work with DLP link glasses since those two projectors lack the 3D sync out connection that is used to plug in an optional emitter. If one has a 3D sync out connection on their Optoma projector and they want RF glasses, then they will need to purchase both an external RF 3D emitter and RF 3D active shutter glasses. In the spec sheets for the Optoma projectors, certain Optoma models mention that they work with the Optoma BG-BC100B emitter (Amazon price $34.36 with free shipping), while other Optoma projectors recommend the newer Optoma BC300 emitter (Amazon price of $63.01 plus free shipping). Those consumers that choose to purchase the older Optoma BG-BC100B emitter are required to use the Optoma BG-ZF2100GLS active shutter RF glasses (up to 150 foot range). The Optoma BG-ZF2100GLS RF glasses has a $99 list price and even though the spec sheet does not mention 144Hz, they work at 144Hz. Optoma designed all their RF active shutter glasses to work with any freqenzy between 50Hz to 240Hz. Now the Optoma DLP link glasses are locked at 96Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz (no frequency in between will work). DLP link glasses can offer the same 3-D quality as RF glasses, however if one prefers RF glasses then it is recommended that consumers use the latest 2014 Optoma BC300 RF emitter that will only work with the latest Optoma ZF2300Glasses (up to 50 feet range). One error in the spec sheet for the ZF2300Glasses is that it mentions 96Hz equals 44Hz per eye when in reality it should say 48Hz per eye. Some other brands of 3-D DLP projectors on the market operate at 96Hz which results in around 50% of the population seeing a flicker on the screen. All the modern Optoma projectors use both 120Hz and 144Hz to offer flicker free 3-D performance. The Optoma ZF2300Glasses cost around $81.99 plus free shipping from Amazon.

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Stacking two Optoma DLP projectors together to create a passive glasses IMAX style 3-D experience

** This Airflex5D system is one of the best products on the market for those looking to install a Cinema quality passive glasses 3-D projection system **

** Dual projector setups at 24Hz each eye and 48Hz each eye are better quality when compared to single projector 144Hz triple flash technology **

** Dual projector setups offer IMAX style picture quality with full 1080P resolution for each eye **

** Supports Circular passive 3-D technology when used with a DLP projector (requires special silver screen) **

** Supports Panaavision 3D and Infitec Dolby 3D system. (No special silver screen needed, uses standard screens) **

In a prior post I mentioned that the Airflex5D processor allows consumers to stack two exact same model projectors for those consumers that want to experience 3-D passive glasses IMAX style picture quality (the projectors can be standard 2-D models since projector one is the right eye and projector two is the left eye image). In that prior post I recommended using 72Hz or 96Hz 2-D 1080P projectors which are flicker free. The Airflex5D system maintains the same contrast levels even when stacking 2x identical projectors because it will increase both full white and full black-level lumens resulting in an unchanged contrast ratio (For example if one stacks two 3,000 lumens projectors they will have a 6,000 lumens output while maintaining the exact same contrast ratio).

Low end single chip DLP projectors are flicker free at 48Hz, however if one stacks two low end 48Hz DLP projectors together to double the brightness output, a possible image flicker might result depending on the quality of the projector being used. One might want to experiment with stacking two low end DLP projectors to see if a flicker free IMAX style projector setup can be created using passive glasses.

Warning the AF5D-20 and AF5D-30 are 8-bit systems that only offer 1920 x 540 resolution for each eye before upscaling the image to 1080P.The AF5D-21, AF5D-5, and the top of the line AF5D-60 all use 10-bit processors for true 1920 x 1080P resolution signal processing for each eye.

One possible dual projector setup that one might want to experiment with

1. The Optoma EH415 144Hz DLP projector list price is $2,499. However, Amazon sells the projector for $1,219 plus free shipping. If one purchases two Optoma EH415 projectors and stacks the projectors, they will have a total lumens output of 8400, which would be very good for passive 3-D glasses as long as there is no flicker when each eye sees 48Hz (It all depends on if the increased brightness will expose any flaws in the lower-end light engine of the projectors being used. High-end 3 chip DLP projectors have no problems running flicker free at 24Hz each eye or 48Hz each eye when being stacked in a IMAX style setup).

2. Passive 3-D DLP projectors require circular polarized filters over each projector. The cheapest full 1080P each eye 10 bit processor is the Aflex5D AF5D-21 which sells for $999. This model uses DVI connections so a DVI to HDMI adapters will need to be used. The top of the line Aireflex5D-60 costs $4,750 and has two HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. One can purchase the Aflex5D AF5D-21SC kit that includes 10 passive glasses, 2 Circular polarize filters, and the AF5D-21 two projector stacking processor for only $1,299.


3. So total price for this dual projector IMAX style passive glasses experiment would only cost around $3,737 if one already owns a polarized silver screen. A polarized silver screen is required for circular passive glasses setup.

Frequently asked questions regarding the Airflex 5D system

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In late 2014 or 2015 LG might release a high-end 4K OLED Ultra HD in screen sizes of 77 inches and 65 inches

(Where are the Cinema quality frame rate 3-D flat panels?)

There has never been a 1080P 144Hz triple flash flat panel screen made (except for some small desktop computer monitors). Consumers might never see a 1080P 144Hz OLED, plasma, or LCD flat panel.

However as early as September of 2014, LG might make available in limited supplies high-end 4K OLED flat panel screens that use passive 3-D glasses. The 65 inch LG EC9700 4K model will have a sale price of $6,999 if it does launch in September 2014 in the USA. A 77 inch LG EC9800 4K model might launch in October 2014. As far as I am aware all 4K QUAD HD’s use 60Hz with 3:2 pulldown for each eye when they are in the 3-D mode (and sometimes frame interpolation). Hopefully that will change.

4K QUAD HD flat panels have the potential to offer IMAX style picture quality without the need to use 144Hz triples flash or 192Hz quad flash technology. 4K QUAD HD flat panels work very similar to the commercial Sony 4K projectors that have a RealD dual 3-D lens adapter.The Sony 4K SXRD projectors display 4K 2-D images at 4K but 3-D images are displayed at 2K quality. Sony combines a single 4K projector and a 3D dual lens adapter with RealD technology. The dual 3-D lens adapter turns the single Sony SXRD 4K projector into a 3-D polarized system that will project two different 2K images for the left and right eye at the exact same time. The amazing thing about the Sony 4K single projector system configured with the RealD technology is that they can display 24fps source material at 24 Hz.

The 4K QUAD HD flat panels offer full 1080P passive glasses technology for each eye by displaying the 1080P left image and 1080P right image on the screen at the exact same time (Constant video image for both left and right eye). However all flat panel screen technologies including OLED, Plasma, and LCD have motion issues that would result in a unwatchable flicker at 24Hz (High-end commercial projectors are flicker free at 24Hz). So 24Hz is never used on a flat panel screen since there would be an unwatchable flicker on the screen (even 48Hz produces some flicker on flat panel screens).So a minimum of 60Hz is needed on all flat panels to avoid flicker issues. However when a 2-D 1080p/24 signal is received, native 60Hz would add 3:2 pulldown judder to the image. The ideal 4K QUAD HD flat panel should have a mode that disables all frame interpolation and dark frame insertion, and then the flat panel should offer multiplies of 24Hz like 72Hz, 96Hz, etc.

If LG or any other flat panel company makes a 4K QUAD HD passive glasses 3-D display that bypasses 3:2 pulldown and offers a repeating frame method then it will be added to the Cinema quality frame rate list.

Some consumers are not able to use a projector in their home for various reasons and it would be nice if the 4K QUAD HD manufactories would start getting the 3-D frame rate correctly so that each eye would see multiplies of 24Hz without frame interpolation, dark frame insertion, and 3:2 pulldown judder.