Despite the official demise of the CRT TV in 2009 - by which time all major manufacturers had stopped producing models for general sale
(prHWY.com) November 19, 2012 - Charleston, AR -- the industry hasn't adopted a standard format to replace it. The first flat screen televisions featured plasma and LCD displays, and the technology has developed rapidly ever since. LCD led the way, with worldwide sales figures overtaking plasma for the first time in late 2006, before finally exceeding CRT TV sales in 2007. More recently in 2009, LED-backlit LCD models appeared in shops and were hyped as the next big thing on the market. However, the limelight was quickly stolen in early 2010 by a new development that could completely revolutionise the way we watch TV - the 3D display.
3D technology has been used in movies since the 1950s, and has recently made a comeback, mostly in special IMAX cinema screenings and specific DVD releases. These films require the viewer to wear cardboard glasses with different coloured lenses, which filter out different parts of the picture. This creates a slightly different image for each eye, giving the illusion of a 3D object on screen. 3D televisions pioneer a new form of technology called Alternate Frame Sequencing - AFS - which displays the two different perspectives in alternate frames of film. The film runs at double speed, and is viewed through a pair of glasses that alternately open and shut each lens in time with the frames.
Manufacturers are usually quick to adopt promising new technology, and the recent Avatar-lead resurgence
https://vimeo.com/53906979 of 3D movies indicates that 3D entertainment is going to be very popular indeed. As the TV manufacturing industry has a large number of players, all of whom target specific market sectors, 2010 has seen a mad scramble to grab a chunk of the 3D pie. Samsung were first on the scene, and launched the world's first 3D-Ready LED television in March 2010. Other big companies like Sony and LG quickly followed suit. Panasonic entered the fray in June 2010 with the world's first 3D plasma model, the VT20, available in screen sizes of 50 or 65 inches. The manufacturer had been an early advocate of the technology, and offered strong support to James Cameron when some in the movie industry were questioning the wisdom of his Avatar project. With the company launching the world's first 152-inch 3D-Ready model in autumn 2010, it looks like Panasonic will be a major player in the 3D TV market.
Of course, technological development won't end with AFS 3D screens. Some manufacturers have Auto Stereoscopic models in development, which create depth on screen without the need for glasses. Also, if the reality of OLED technology can live up to its potential, TVs under a centimetre thick could hit the market before too long. Only one thing is certain - as long as there's a demand for new technology, manufacturers will continue to push the boundaries of possibility as far as they can.
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