The 2012 Panasonic 3D glasses
As we all know, Panasonic plasma TV continues to be in the "Active 3D" camp. Enough has been written and said about Active 3D technology and glasses, pros and cons of active 3D, etc., so that nothing needs to be repeated here. I am writing my own impressions about the Panasonic 3D glasses.
The good: As many know, Panasonic introduced the universal RF based 3D glasses in 2012 TV models. These work on bluetooth instead of infra red. This improves the connectivity issues virtually eliminating the need for being within 30 to 45 from center. Then they are very light at about 23g or so. This does not present much issue while wearing them, even over prescription glasses. And because they are universal, they are compatible with any TV that supports universal active 3D.
The Bad: They are not compatible with the 2011 TV models and earlier but who cares? It is unlikely that someone owns a 2011 or earlier 3D TV as well as this one. But if you do, then that's fate. Next, these are very expensive. There is no official mention of the price but dealers quote Rs. 3500 or so for a pair. Amazon quotes $50 or so. These are outrageous prices considering that Samsung 3D glasses are just Rs. 1300 or $18~20. But I expect sanity to prevail and if not, one can always buy 3rd party glasses.
Now about the glasses themselves.
I received 2 pairs of TY-ER3D4MA glasses free. I suppose that the last character 'A' stands for 'Asia'. It is 'E' in Europe and 'U' in USA.
These glasses do not have a rechargeable battery; instead they have a button cell inside. This is good and bad. Good because the rechargeable model will require electronics and Li-Ion battery that would have made the glasses heavier. Also Li-Ion battery would have started to deteriorate after 1000 charges or so and afterwards would have rendered the glasses useless. But 1000 charges is a pretty long time; about 3-4 years of life in my opinion. The bad about the non-rechargeable batteries is that every now and then it will mean an expense of Rs. 25 or so. The battery does not last long either. I used glasses to watch one movie for half the time and the battery indicator showed 75%. And also, the battery may just die during the middle of the movie. So a bit of advice - keep some spare ones handy.
They are quite flimsy. I suppose this was done to keep the weight low. But that does not inspire confidence. While hunting for the TV, I was looking at various TVs and the LG salesman showed the passive 3D glasses. He dropped them on purpose to show durability. Nothing happened. I will not dare to try this with the Panasonic glasses. And for heaven's sake, don't keep the glasses lying around on the sofa or bed, lest you sit on them accidentally.
While wearing them,
they are not very clumsy or cumbersome. They fit on my prescription glasses well and I felt more comfortable wearing them than the one that they give at the local cinema. Because they were worn over my own glasses, they is some slight interference because of narrower viewable area but should not worry people not wearing glasses.
When it comes to performance, I suppose that they do their job OK enough. I used 3D rips to view 3D. I do not own original 3D stuff or a 3D BDP (as yet). So unless I try original stuff, it may not be fair to compare using "copied 3D rips". I did get tired of the 3D with the slight headache or more of a dizzy kind of a feeling. I did observe crosstalk but I will reserve my opinion till I can test with some original content. My latest order containing Hugo-3D is on the way and I am thinking of selling my free HT and buy a 3D BDP after paying difference if required.
On the whole, I am not impressed with the Panasonic 3D glasses and would rate then
'2 out of 5' or maybe a '3'.
