Video Asylum

3D Rocks: The Atomic World of 3D HDTV

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A few weeks ago I bought a Samsung UN55D7000 HDTV and Samsung BD-D6500 3D blu-ray player. This combo replaced a three year old Sony Bravia 52 inch HDTV and Panasonic blu-ray player. Wow, what an amazing upgrade. The Samsung produces rich, satisfying high definition images with beautifully saturated colors and jaw-dropping amounts of detail. I have been a committed videophile since the early 90’s and even took an ISF training course “back in the day” and can tell you that Blu-rays look and sound fantastic on this system.

Initially I was only interested in 2D content but have been very surprised at how immersive true 3D can be. The best native 3D blu-rays have a reach-out-and-touch-it quality that must be seen to be believed. And it’s not just “stuff sticking out of the screen” effects but photograph quality moving images that are fully mapped in three dimensions to the point where you actually believe you are seeing the real thing. The IMAX documentary “Under the Sea” is one of the best 3D discs available and really shows off the capabilities of true 3D – you actually feel like there are fish swimming around you. I hope more nature and travel programs are produced in 3D, it is a marriage made in heaven if you like this sort of thing.

Another big surprise was Samsung’s 2D to 3D conversion. It works extremely well and in some cases is almost as good as native 3D. The blu-ray of Star Wars: A New Hope is a good example. The opening scenes of the Stormtrooper shootout in the ship’s corridor are simply amazing. You feel like you are there instead of just looking at pictures on a screen. Another surprise is Samsung’s media hub with web surfing capability. The HD quality videos on YouTube, and especially the 4K demo material looks nearly as good as blu-ray. It’s great having access to virtually unlimited online content and another unexpected benefit of the upgrade.
I viewed just every HDTV currently available in the 55 inch range and have absolutely no regrets about choosing Samsung. The only thing I might have done differently is bought a 60 inch screen to increase the “immersion” factor when viewing 3D. But as the majority of my viewing remains 2D the 55 inch model is just fine for me. It’s true that there’s not much 3D content available – and most of what is available is of no interest to me - but that will change in time. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about 3D I strongly recommend you take the plunge, you won’t regret it.

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