3D Projectors, any info on them?

[farquea]

I've been tasked with researching 3d projectors and possibly seeing if we could arrange a trial.

 

I just wondered if anyone was using them in schools yet and if they could throw some vital statisitcs my way, ie price and how good (or bad) they are?

[Ric_]

I recently bought a BenQ MP777 (see BenQ Global - Consumer Electronics ) which supposedly supports 3D using passive glasses. I don't know how it works and I also don't know how what kind of 3D sources you can use.

[FN-GM]

We have a 3D setup. We have 2 projectors and use the polarized specs. It was abit of a novelty at first but nobody uses the thing now.

 

It works well and is pretty impressive. But more of a toy

[exim]

I recently bought a BenQ MP777 (see BenQ Global - Consumer Electronics ) which supposedly supports 3D using passive glasses. I don't know how it works and I also don't know how what kind of 3D sources you can use.

 

How does this DLP® Link technology work - does it provess any standard dimention video to 3D on the fly?

[Ric_]

Check out DLP Link - 3D Ready Projector - 3D DLP (I was wrong aboput the glasses... they are active ones)

[richardp]

We have been using a 3D stereoscopic dual projection system for approx 6 years now and we have just bought a portable version to loan out to schools. We have also just purchased a JVC 3D tv which uses the same system as Sky have started to role out to pubs and clubs, it uses a slightly different system to allow for greater viewing angles. Content is the biggest problem as there still isn't that much around really, have a look at Amazing Interactives: The 3D Experts who we have worked with a lot. You can also get into 3D filming by using two cameras on a mount that puts them a certain distance apart which created the 3D stereoscopic effect, this is something we are just getting into now. The projectors are really just bog standard DLPs so depending on how big you want the projection will dictate the cost. the TV alone cost approx £6,500 then of course you have to buy the 3D software and applications.

 

Richard

[srochford]

I think this is technology which not a lot of people can use yet but I wouldn't be surprised to see it change. Some of you will have done chemistry and used either ball and stick models or framework molecular models to try and represent molecules. These sort of work but it's not easy to make the models or to store them. Henry S. Rzepa has an example of JMol and Prof Rzepa uses a 3D projector for showing this kind of thing - it really is impressive and is a real use for 3D projectors.

 

What about using it for teaching biology? 3D film (or model?) of living organs? Engineering? I'm sure there are uses beyond showing 3D DVDs :-)

[richardp]

Hi, we have developed 2 major 3D applications, one is based around the human heart and circulatory system and the other which is just being finalised is based on the respiratory system. We also use 3D for history and english subjects using tudor and shakespeare based modules. It is expensive for both the hardware and software and I would definitely recommend trying it before you buy it.

 

Richard

[Ric_]

@richardp: What is the requirement from a source point of view? You see all these display devices boasting about being '3D-ready' but I've never seen a source device making the same claims.

 

For instance, is it necessary to use specific GPUs for displaying 3D output from a PC? To watch 3D 'videos' do you need to use blu-ray players that have a specific feature? Can a 'faux-3D' effect be added to regular software/videos that are not '3D-enabled'?

[richardp]

Hi Ric_,

 

Basically the way that stereoscopic 3D systems work is by displaying two images overlayed one on top of the other. The second image is slightly offset from the other which is created either digitally in the case of a software application or physically in the case of shooting video by having two cameras mounted 65mm apart from each other.

 

If using a PC as the source system, which is the most common way of doing it I believe, all you need is a bog standard system with a graphics card that has two outputs as most do these days. Of course the more powerful the PC and Graphics card the better, for example the two new systems we just purchased run from a shuttle PC with a Q9550 cpu and a nvidia geforce 9800gtx graphics card. Our old system is a P4 3Ghz with a 6800gtx, this system can't run the more complex applications fast enough so it results in very jerky playback. On the PC itself all you have to do is set the display adapter for "horizontal span" which expands the desktop across the two displays so you end up with one massive desktop spread across the displays. In the case of a projection system as the projectors are projecting onto the same single screen one image is behind the other in a sort of wrap around effect. This looks odd when running windows normally but when you run the 3D applications it looks correct. With the 3D TV it has a couple of different display modes so it looks normal in "line by line" mode and if you run a 3D app you see two versions of it displayed. When you turn on the 3D mode "side by side" it does the same as the projector and overlays the images, I believe it basically alternates columns of pixels or something like that. Both systems use passive glasses however the projection system is linear and the tv is circular which gives better viewing angles and less problems with moving around while watching it.

 

You can get software that can turn 2D applications such as google earth and kar2ouche etc... into 3D and it works quite well. The software we use is called "more3D" and it effectively creates the two images by duplicating the single image and shifting it slightly.

 

I hope some of that was useful !

 

Richard

[Ric_]

@richardp: Cheers for that! So how do the systems that utilise active glasses work and how does the DLP-Now technology work utilising a single projector?

[richardp]

Hi, I don't have any hands on experience of the "active glasses" 3D systems but from what I understand the projector alternately projects the two images one after the other very quickly. The glasses are synced with the projector so that they block each eye in time with the projector so the left eye sees the left projected image and then the right eye sees the right projected image. This system is supposed to reduce any ghosting effect which can happen with the other more common systems. What you will find however is that everyone is an individual and no matter what system you use some people either can't see the 3D effect at all or it is not as pronounced. For example people with colour blindness often don't get the full effect.

 

Richard

[powdarrmonkey]

Hi, I don't have any hands on experience of the "active glasses" 3D systems but from what I understand the projector alternately projects the two images one after the other very quickly. The glasses are synced with the projector so that they block each eye in time with the projector

 

Correct; then we have passive systems which have a polarization on each eye, at 90 degrees to each other, and alternately projected polarized images. Saves a shed load on batteries

[MbroTech]

We are getting the passive polarised system. The demo was very impressive and went down well with staff and students.

[DarrenC]

I have been involved with both passive and active formats and the honest answer is that there is very little difference in the quality of the 3D imaging.

 

The main differences are the pricing points on the software and hardware.

 

You will find that with the 2 projector versions that use passive glasses the projectors do a lot of the work and therefore the software is cheaper and the glasses cost a lot less (a quid a go or there abouts). With the single projector active glasses version the software is more costly as it is having to do a lot more work and so are the glasses (I believe around £50 a pair).

 

So some of this choice will come down to what type of usage you have in mind. If you want large audiences where there is potential for the glasses to go missing or be broken then the 2 projector system will probably be more suitable.

 

You also need to look at the content that is available for each type of system as this is where historically these systems have been let down in an educational context.

 

I have seen amazings and it is very good however I am aware that Gaia do there own version which is excellent. If you would like the details of the guys there PM me and I will be happy to put you in touch.