Where to buy 3d glasses
I know that a bunch of you are probably asking where to buy 3d glasses when you finally have your system setup so I thought I would write a quick little pro and con for you based on all the available options. When it comes down to it knowing where to buy 3d glasses is just like sourcing any other sort of deal so long as you know how and what to shop for it should not be too taxing for you to figure out. Overall I recommend option #3 when I advise people where to buy 3d glasses so read on to find out about all the options available to you.
Option 1 – Where to Buy 3d Glasses
Option 1 revolves around buying 3d glasses through the manufacturer. Now I can tell you immediately that this is probably the worse possible option for you just for the simple fact that the manufacturer is not in retail and therefore has a horrible probability of being the lowest priced. Furthermore there are tons of horror stories about manufacturers taking forever to deliver products. Leave the manufacturer to make the product but do not buy it directly from them. In fact the only company to really ever leverage the production and retail piece is Apple but even they source most of their parts elsewhere. Anyway I digress option 1 for where to buy 3d glasses is directly from the manufacturer and is a terrible idea.
Option 2 – Where to Buy 3d Glasses
Big box stores. There I said it. Once thought of as the holy grail of retail these big box stores while not as terrible as buying direct are still a pretty bad place if you are looking for where to buy 3d glasses. Now I only say this because of the sheer volume of salesmen these places hire who almost all work on commission. Most of these stores have no desire in finding you the best deal but rather focus on the highest margin item. Therefore when looking where to buy 3d glasses I generally recommend avoiding the big box retailer unless you are in a pinch for time. Like you invited everyone over to watch a movie and don't have enough 3d glasses.
Option 3 – Where to Buy 3d Glasses
My 3rd and final (also my favorite) option for where to buy 3d glasses is online through a major retailer. I listed a couple of my favorite retailers all over the site and generally find that buying online is a much more pleasant experience overall. Buying my 3d glasses online enables me to read independent reviews and almost assuredly gets me the lowest prices. Most of these online etailers have much lower overhead thus can cut into the prices. Also you can avoid sales tax sometimes (depending on where you live) which in turn lowers the final price tag. Buying 3d glasses online requires a little bit of knowledge before hand but is not anything you cannot get from the websites themselves.
All in all there 3 major options when it comes time to buy 3d glasses but I really recommend option 3 as the best so long as you have the time needed to ship them to you. That being said most shipping around the country is down to around 3 days now and most sites have very competitive shipping rates. Whichever road you go down during your quest for where to buy 3d glasses just make sure you do some comparison shopping to ensure you get the best deal. My favorite personal site to buy 3d glasses is [INSERT AFFILIATE LINK HERE] because they always have the best prices and lowest shipping!
Buy 3D TV Glasses
When it comes time for you to finally buy 3d TV glasses for your brand new home theater setup you will need to consider a few points. With the dawn of 3d TV there are a plethora of different manufacturers that have various products so you need to make sure you get the right glasses for your situation. I have written out a little guide for you to follow to make sure that you get the right ones for your setup. Each setup is just a little bit different although not vastly so make sure that when you buy 3d TV glasses you get the right ones.
Buy 3d TV Glasses for your projector
If you will be buying 3d TV glasses for your projector setup you will need to look for 3d TV glasses that are compatible with your home projector. Fortunately most of the glasses on the market right now will work with a projector. These glasses obviously need to be of the plastic variety and not the old school red and blue lenses. The glasses are just like the ones you may have used in the movie theaters.
Buy 3d TV Glasses for your TV
If you want to buy 3d glasses for your TV then I recommend consulting with the manufacturer of your TV to ensure that whatever brand you are thinking of buying will be compatible. I have not seen too many pairs that were not compatible however it never hurts to check specifically because you really don't want a unique pair that just happens to not work with your brand spanking new 3d TV. I know I would be bitterly disappointed to sit down and watch a 3d movie and have it not work!
Buy 3d TV Glasses for your PC
PC 3d TV glasses operate a little differently than your usual 3d glasses and often require a few components that are proprietary. Therefore when buying 3d glasses for your PC you will need to get ones direct from the manufacturer of the 3d components. Take for instance the nVidia Vision system which requires specialized glasses to operate on the monitor properly. (note if you are plugging into a projector from the PC then you will not necessarily need specialized glasses just refer to the projector section)
As you can see it can be a little daunting at first to make sure that everything is working correctly together. It is becoming more and more important with complicated technology that you buy the right components that are compatible with one another and often times it is the consumers responsibility to know. As long as you follow my simply guide to buy 3d TV glasses you should be okay and end up with a slew of great glasses for your awesome 3d content.
If you do not have a 3d TV yet or a 3d Blu Ray player then those components of your home theater setup come before the 3d glasses and I could write an entire new site on what to buy and where to buy it from. So I won't cause you anymore pain since this post is dedicated to how to buy 3d glasses and not how to buy 3d TV’s or 3d Blu Ray players.
3D TV Glasses
3D TV glasses are all the rage right now thanks to some amazing advances in home theater technology including the advent of Blu Ray 3d and 3d ready Tv sets. What used to be the absolute pinnacle of real world emulation has finally come home literally to the masses. It is tough right now to walk into any electronics store without seeing a HD 3d TV glasses demo designed to woo you into dropping a couple of thousand dollars. But does it live up to the hype? You bet it does.
3D TV Glasses – The Hype
So 3d has basically been hyped for years now as the new way to experience your media and to be honest it was not until just recently that the reality finally caught up with the hoopla. 3D TV glasses are the main component by which you can watch 3d content with your TV. Now admittedly you will need to have a 3d TV and also 3d media to go along with that but I assume by this point you already know. Anyway as more and more films are filmed and broadcast in high definition 3d you will begin to see the sea of change toward the format. I think that really film pioneers like James Cameron are the ones who inevitably drive most of the growth.
3D TV Glasses – Are they Comfortable?
I get a ton of mail from people asking me if these new 3d TV glasses are at least more comfortable than previous generations and I can attest (after owning four or five different pairs) they are a vast improvement. The 3d TV glasses you get now are not at all like those cheesy red and blue glasses you got yesteryear these are truly designed to give the most awesome 3d experience around. People also ask if they are comparable to what they see in the movie theaters and this one, while more than a little subjective, in my opinion is in the eyes of the beholder. Personally I get a much better 3d experience at home where I am able to truly relax and let my mind wander. Part of becoming involved in these new 3d worlds is the ability to detach a little from reality which is something I cannot say I can do in the theaters.
3D TV Glasses – Dorky or not?
So I get why some people do not want to wear the 3d TV glasses while they watch their movies and for some it mainly rests on wanting to be cool at home. For others though it has more to do with having enough pairs around for everyone to watch. You see when you watch 3d content on your TV anyone else in the room will need to be wearing a pair of 3d TV glasses otherwise the content becomes unwatchable. Or headache inducing at best. Obviously this has been for a while a large reason why 3d TV has not taken off as much as it should have. However now 3d TV glasses have come down considerably in price making them much more attainable for most people.
When you are ready to get your 3d TV glasses make sure you check the compatibility with your TV (most are interchangeable but I still recommend checking). Also make sure that you have enough pairs so that everyone can enjoy the movie. You can shop for some affordable 3D TV Glasses at Amazon.com
Plastic 3d Glasses
I literally could not believe it a couple of years ago when I placed those plastic 3d glasses over my eyes just how much the overall process of 3d movie watching had improved. Oh sure I mean I had read about it but actually getting to experience those plastic 3d glasses sit over my nose and ears was truly a day I had been waiting for. Soon after learning about how we would all soon be getting access to 3d TV's in our homes (for a price of course!) I knew that these little plastic 3d glasses would be the end result. Convincing my wife was a whole other matter however because after just shelling out for a HDTV LCD and Blu Ray player how could I convince her that I now needed a 3D tv and the plastic 3d glasses to go with it?
Plastic 3d Glasses – Getting the wife on board
As luck would have it getting my wife on board for the 3d experience was actually much easier than I had anticipated and only really required forcing her to go to every single 3d movie release out there – including the cheesy awful ones. Even with such awesome improvements in the world of 3d there are still going to be junk films piercing those amazing plastic 3d glasses. I love the next wave of consumer entertainment because what it is doing is really allowing you to become fully immersed into the entertainment. I know many of you think that wearing those little plastic 3d glasses is somewhat silly just to watch a movie but once you have experienced it I know you will change your mind.
Plastic 3d Glasses – Dump the Theater
It used to be that having a proper 3d experience meant leaving the theater with a small headache and the inability to properly distinguish colors thanks to those amazing anaglyph 3d glasses I mention elsewhere on the site. Nowadays however the process of watching a 3d movie can be had at home in the comfort of your favorite recliner. Not only do you get the comfy recliner but also the cheaper drinks and sometimes better popcorn! I have always been of the mindset that over time the theater going extravaganza has somewhat declined and with 3d TV sets offering the same or even higher quality I find even less of a reason to go.
It is sad to think that someone like me a movie aficianado with a penchant for 3d would avoid going to the movies but I can get the same plastic 3d glasses and get higher quality so why bother? Why would you not just curl up and get to watch the movie YOUR way on YOUR dime? Okay so if the movie is new in the theater and you want to see it I can see not wanting to wait 6 months or so but how many movies have been released recently you can call earth shattering? Not many I suspect. When a good movie comes around I certainly take the time to go out and watch it but those times are few and far between now.
So kick back and enjoy so awesome 3d at home with your brand spanking new plastic 3d glasses. Maybe grab a frosty beverage and some microwave popcorn to complete the experience. Just remember that everyone needs their own pair of plastic 3d glasses or they might get that sidesplitting headache. Plus you get the wife nagging you to feed the dog and who wouldn't want that?
Anaglyph 3d Glasses
Quite possibly the bane of ancient 3d technology has to be the anaglyph 3d glasses. Created many hundreds of years ago (okay so maybe not that long ago) the anaglyph 3d glasses is most commonly recognized by the red and blue lenses and cheap awful cardboard they are attached too. I'm sure that many of you remember even as a child getting a comic book or book that had these cheap glasses attached. As a child you got so excited at the prospect of seeing Superman in those anaglyph 3d glasses. Yet how many of you were so underwhelmed? I know I was.
Anaglyph 3d Glasses – Underwhelmed
I remember being underwhelmed by those anaglyph 3d glasses that is for sure but they have stuck around for so long it has been an utter mystery to me. You would think that a technology like 3d TV glasses would have been improved much sooner than they were. Unfortunately it has taken much more time to create a new 3d technology than I think anyone could have ever imagined. It was not until just recently that these glasses were finally phased out for newer gear.
The thing with 3d is that it has to look real and convincing if you want to take the viewer to another place entirely and that is something that has been completely missing from anaglyph 3d glasses compared to the newer polarized 3d TV glasses. With the traditional anaglyph 3d glasses the mind and eyes are tricked using red and blue lenses in the correct order which make the visuals appear to be 3d. However this approach completely loses any sort of realistic color definition thus taking the watcher only partially into the world.
Anaglyph 3d Glasses – Technology
Even though 3D technology has some what been a newer advent of advancement the actual process of using anaglyph 3d glasses is very old. In fact the very first use of this was way back in 1853 by a guy named Wilhelm Rollmann in Germany. It seems so odd that this has been available for so long. One thing that anaglyph 3d glasses have done is provided a working base for film makers to start from and thus inevitably improve upon. Taking a technology like this and improving upon it or, in James Cameron's case, creating entirely new technology is what makes the world of film so exciting for guys like me. And by guys like me I mean geeks who love film and entertainment mediums in general!
Even with the advent of some of the newer 3d tech there are some things that will forever need those old school anaglyph 3d glasses such as old comics or old films. Therefore it is important that we preserve them so that we may look back on them to see their effectiveness. I know that personally I have a ton of old 3d movies that will always rely on the old glasses so keeping a good pair lying around will be quite important as time moves on. If you need some anaglyph 3d glasses check out [INSERT AFFILIATE LINK] for a good supply of them.
Polarized 3D Glasses
I remember my first 3D movie like it was yesterday. As I have previosuly talked about my first ever 3D movie was an obscure little movie called Captain Eo. Captain Eo was this 3D movie created by Michael Jackson and shown exclusively through the Epcot Center in Florida. Back then of course we had to wear these terrible blue and red cardboard glasses that literally fell right off. I never understood even to this day why they simply did not make something much more sturdier but that is probably a discussion for another post.
Anyway it was not until just recently, and I mean really recently, that polarized 3D glasses have begun to really take off. Polarized 3D glasses take the place of the normal flimsy red and blue ones we have and really open up a whole new world of 3D experience for us during the film. Honestly if you have not seen a 3d movie recently then you will not even really know what I am talking about. The new 3D polarized glasses are a completely new way to experience 3d content and have finally made it into the home.
Polarized 3D Glasses – How do they work?
Polarized 3D glasses work by a technology called stereoscopy. Without getting all mumbo jumbo on you stereoscopic film is essentially the process of putting two copies of the film together at the same time. Now for most of you that is all the explanation you will ever need but for the true techies here is a good way to explain it:
Stereoscopy is a technique used to create a three-dimensional illusion by narrowing the margin of light that enters the eye using Polarized 3D glasses for the effect. A stereoscopic film actually consists of two images projected at the same time onto the same area through polarizing filters oriented at right angles to each other. All the viewer has to wear is a cheap pair of spectacles which contain a similar filters. The effect is managed due to the fact that light is only passed through each filter when it has been similarly polarized and has blocked the orthogonally polarized light.
Okay so if you understand that then you are a smarter man than I! The above quote was taken from a respectable Wiki site that helps explain technology. So basically what has happened now is that the process to manufacture polarized 3D glasses to view these stereoscopic films has come down in such a way that consumer grade equipment is now available to the masses. Furthermore with companies like Disney making so many more 3D movies it is creating such a massive drive it is almost unavoidable.
Polarized 3D Glasses and Hollywood
As Hollywood continues to push 3D movies as the next forefront of entertainment it was natural that a technological breakthrough like polarized 3D glasses would be needed. I have been researching this technology for some time and was surprised to find that it has really been around since the late 1930's just not applied in the same manner. What this means is that the quality of 3D nowadays is so much greater than my experience with Captain Eo it is unreal.
If you already have a 3d TV at home with 3D content you will need to make sure that you have sufficient pairs of polarized 3D glasses because it is very uncomfortable to watch a stereoscopic 3D movie without them. I have a couple of different links available where you can pickup cheap polarized 3D TV glasses without having to be gouged by the local big box retailer:
[Link1]
[Link2]
So I ask my readers – what was your first experience with 3D glasses?
Computer 3d Glasses
While many people think that computer 3d glasses are a new technological advancement it actually turns out that they have been around in various forms for a number of years. When 3d computer glasses initially came out there were some amazingly high technical specifications needed to get them to run properly and they were generally cost prohibitive to the average gamer. However, as technology has progressed the barriers of entry into true 3d gaming have dropped making it easy for almost anyone to get involved. It really only takes a few components now to setup your very own 3d computing experience.
Computer 3d Glasses – What do I need?
In order to properly utilize computer 3d glasses you will need a couple of components that are very specific. First and foremost you will need to have a graphics card capable of rendering the 3d computer glasses and the most popular manufacturer right now is nVidia. Nvidia has created most of their newer range of graphics cards with 3d processor chips so anything you have bought in the past few months will work fine. If you don't have a newer graphics card by nVidia you can check them out here: [INSERT AFFILIATE LINK HERE]. The newer nVidia graphics cards will also allow you to play the 3d compatible games with enough resolution and frame rate.
Next on the list you will need to make sure that you have the right sort of monitor which can display the 3d properly on the glasses. There are quite a few models available on the market including ones by Samsung, ACER and Viewsonic (again you can see some of them here:[INSERT AFFILIATE LINK HERE]. If you do not have the required monitor for 3d computer glasses you won't unfortunately be able to use them. The monitor is one of the key critical components of your computer 3d glasses so make sure you get one that will certainly work. One of the really cool ways to get a 3d display is to grab one of the new 3d ready projectors which are starting to flood the market. These 3d projectors are awesome and allow even more flexibility and use (not to mention much larger screen!)
After you are completely sure that you have the required graphics cards and monitor you will next need to grab the nVidia 3d Vision Kit which includes the computer 3d glasses, software and accessories needed to power your 3d experience. As a quick side note you will in general need a fairly recent computer including at least dual core processors and Windows Vista at a bare minimum. Once you have your computer 3d glasses completely setup the only thing left to do is grab some 3d content! Right now there is a veritable treasure trove of 3d content coming out of both movie studios and also game studios. Furthermore as 3d becomes even more widely accepted into the consumer world you will be already ready to go!
Computer 3d Glasses – The Future
The good news right now is that 3d computer glasses are no longer a fad or silly little novelty. Thanks to the progression of technology they are being used around the world for various modeling applications and design work. This means that over time the growth of 3d computing will only grow stronger with even more content not just 3d compatible but actually designed with 3d in mind. 3d computer gaming, content and movies is just the start in this virtual revolution which I think is akin to what we saw with DVD to VHS.
