Tweet 3-D projection difficulties

[Christopher Jacobs]

Just wondering if anybody here has a 3-D video projector (rather than a 3-D TV set) and has had problems getting the 3-D glasses to recognize / "register" / connect / synchronize with the projector to get an actual 3-D image instead of two superimposed images?

My 4-year-old HD projector died several days ago, and I decided about a year or so earlier than I'd expected to upgrade to a 3-D projector (the Panasonic AE7000U), as its current price is roughly what I paid for the 2-D AE2000U four years ago. It looks spectacular on the screen in 2-D, and the new zoom/focus memory feature is great for switching from flat to scope or 70mm aspect ratios painlessly. However, I cannot get either of the two pairs of 3-D active glasses to "register" with the 3-D output from the projector.

Might there be some special setting I'm missing (just about everything is set to "auto," the eyewear batteries are charged, the HDMI cable is plugged directly into the projector instead of going through the A/V amplifier, etc.)?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as I'd love to watch the upcoming CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON in the original 3-D when it's released in the next few weeks, and I'd kind of like to see my HUGO and TINTIN Blu-rays in 3-D, as well.

Are we using HDMI 1.4 cables (which are 3D capable)? Early HDMI (1.3 and before) cables will not pass the 3D signal along. You have a 3d Blu ray player. Right?

[Christopher Jacobs]

I'll check the cable, which I've had for some time so I don't know which version it is, but it seems to be passing 3-D information to the projector. I've got a Sony 3-D player set to "auto" and the projector 3D set to "auto" and quickly discovered that the cable had to be plugged directly into the projector to even play the disc, as running through the AV receiver made the projector display the warning that a 3-D player and display must be used instead of going to the menu. I see a double-image (or can set it to side-by-side or over-and-under or 2-D) on the screen but the glasses just don't seem to recognize any IR signal from the projector. When a 2-D disc is playing the projector menu grays out the various 3-D options that are active when a 3-D disc is in the machine, so at least some 3-D data is getting through.

There's "passive" and "active" glasses. I assume you have the right ones?

Here ends my knowledge of 3D technology.

Rick

[Christopher Jacobs]

They're active glasses (hence the need for a battery and connecting with a 3-D synchronizing signal broadcast from the projector). I would actually have preferred passive glasses, which are much cheaper and don't need batteries (and are compatible with theatrical passive 3-D glasses), but projectors with that ability are still way too pricey for home use and would also require a silver screen to preserve the polarization. Active glasses can work with any screen.

I bought a new HDMI cable that claimed to be 3-D compatible but there is no difference. As soon as the glasses are turned on (2 separate pairs), and even holding them only a few inches from the projector's transmitter, well within the 1.5 feet recommended for initializing them, the indicator lights flash red for two seconds when turned on (indicating a full battery charge), then immediately flash red and green for a minute (indicating that the glasses are trying to communicate with a 3-D Infrared signal) and than flash red three times and shut off (indicating that connection failed and the glasses are powering themselves off). The image on the screen is a double image with the right and left images superimposed unless I switch it to a 2-D display which shows just one-eye image, which rather defeats the whole purpose of getting a 3-D disc.

Unless there is some setting on the projector and/or the player that I've missed, I'm wondering if they could be two bad sets of glasses, or more likely something faulty in the infrared transmitter in the projector.

The 3D glasses are the ones that came with the projector? Glasses from different manufacturers are generally not comparable.

The "signal" from the projector to the glasses is via infrared, not radio, so the glasses may need to be line of site with the emitter on the projector depending upon the brightness of the emitter.

Of course, it is always possible the projector is defective. Have you talked to your retailer about this?

[Christopher Jacobs]

They're the latest Panasonic active glasses sold as accessories for the Panasonic 3-D systems (TVs or projectors), and a new Panasonic projector, so I'd expect they should be compatible. Since I bought it from B&H Photo Video just before Rosh Hashanna, I can't get back to them until they reopen after Yom Kippur next week, and then I'll be in Massillon for the weekend. I did get the extra 5-year warranty with it, however, so if it's the IR transmitter problem I should be able to have it fixed or replaced. The image is still fantastic in 2-D however. Don't know if I could do without an HD projector that long!

[Christopher Jacobs]

Quick update, and problem resolved --

The glasses that were sent with the projector were the newest model, which are radio-frequency activated rather than infrared activated. After checking through the complete projector manual (which nowadays comes only on a CD-ROM as a pdf file instead of a printed copy) I found the proper model code number and ordered a pair of the older model glasses. They just arrived in Saturday's mail, and Saturday night I was watching full-HD 3-D projected onto a big screen four feet tall.

I tested the new glasses first with the 3-D Blu-ray of THE ADVENTURES OF TIN-TIN, watching the opening credits and first few minutes. Since it looked so nice, I decided to wait to watch it until I could order a few more pairs of the proper glasses so I could have a few other people over to watch it at the same time, but I couldn't resist watching the 3-D version of the new Universal Blu-ray of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, which looks simply spectacular in 3-D!

I'll call B&H Photo on Monday, to let them know that the glasses they advertise as accessories are the wrong model, and see if they'll exchange the two pairs they sent for the proper models.

Now I'll need to watch for other 3-D Blu-rays to go on sale (many titles, including TIN-TIN and HUGO, can often be found in 3-D for $19.99 instead of the typical $29.99 to $39.99).