As 3D televisions become even more prevalent, you may be wondering why some 3D glasses are cheaper and others more expensive. Is this just an example of some brands being more expensive and others less? Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, the different prices in 3D glasses correspond to the two different kinds of glasses, either active or passive. Now we must examine the differences between the two types and what that can mean for your overall home entertainment experience.
Active 3D glasses are the more expensive type, though many say that they are well worth the higher price tag. These 3D glasses require their own power source, which makes them somewhat heavier than their passive cousins. The active 3D glasses constantly receive an infrared signal from the television that controls their LCD lenses to either open or close, giving the appearance of a three dimensional picture. If you are planning on getting a 3D television that uses active 3D technology, make sure you get the appropriate glasses, since they are often proprietary in nature and won’t work with another brand’s glasses.
Passive 3D glasses use one of two different methods to produce a 3D image. The older technology is to have glasses with two different colored lenses, often red and blue. These passive 3D lenses are known as anaglyph lenses. More modern passive 3D glasses use polarized lenses to achieve the same effect. Paired with these glasses is a television picture which is highly distorted. These two things combine to make a picture which appears to be three dimensional. Most users say that though the polarized lenses are an improvement over anaglyph technology, they still can’t rival the crisp 3D picture seen with active 3D glasses.
As for which is better, users say almost universally that active 3D glasses yield a better quality picture and that the higher price tag and glasses’ weight are worth the sacrifice.
