ATV3 3D options

it should work.
the adapter doesn't do much work, your TV will still handle the image processing and the changing the image back and forth between the 2 sides, the adapter just talks to the glasses to get them in sync with the display

I've got a panasonic plasma, In my experience with the SBS videos, the 3D tends to be lacking*, not sure why.
Blu-rays tend to be better, but not always.

*the blacks seem to be washed out (the image is kindof hollow, it's hard to describe) and the distinction between the eyes is not as good. On some blu-rays i can hold the glasses up to the TV, and the left/right separation is almost total, (the left image is barely visible through the right lens) on some blu-rays and pretty much all SBS video, the opposite eye video can still be seen.

tron, toy story 3, and star trek into darkness blu-rays are all good
gravity is not as good.

here's a good source of test files
I've been playing them using xbmc, tried converting with handbrake and played back on the aTV, the output looks the same on both.

another thing, the onscreen displays will be messed up, since things like the progress bar at the bottom goes all the way across, not normally a problem, but something to think about.

In my experience the IR remote of AppleTV also struggles to get command once the IR sync of active 3D-glasses is active.
I really don't see any need for adapters when watching SBS or OU 3D-movies.
There is no 3D support on HDMI level neither in iOS nor OS X anyway, so native 3D movies are out of question at the current state of Apple's art.

I can't speak for the adapter stuff... I have an LG 3d TV that uses Passive 3D.

I have 0 problems with sending SBS, HSBS, OU, or HOU files to the Apple TV.

Send them (usually using Beamer) and switch the TV to 3d mode, and sit back with some popcorn.

nicholasd said:

Why do you use Beamer? You just stream the .mkv file? I don't really see anything other than HSBS and full blu ray rips that are AVC, both seem to be in a .mkv container. Would beamer "stream" this to my appleTV?


Is passive where you can use the glasses in the theatre (and therefor much less expensive to have multiple)?




I have to have it to "enable" 3D. Like waw74 said, it is to sync the glasses I guess.

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Yes, Beamer streams all formats straight to the Apple TV in real time. I love it. Best little Mac Application I've ever used. Works exactly as advertised, and FAR exceeded my expectations.

nicholasd said:

Can you say "who" encoded those files? (i.e. "Value" , "Glasses" , "Rovers" , "Loung" , "CultHD") I am wondering if it is a "source" --> "mkv" issue

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it was mostly the demo files on that site, some are better than others.

also had a 1080 3D version of the doctor who 50th anniversary, it had the same problem.

- yes passive is the glasses like most movie theatres, both images are projected at the same time.
active projects only 1 image at a time, back and forth, left and right very fast. and the glasses alternate which eye can see the screen. which is why you want to be in a dark-ish room with the active glasses or you'll notice strobing

nicholasd said:

I have to have it to "enable" 3D. Like waw74 said, it is to sync the glasses I guess.

Click to expand...

On my TV set, I can just enable the 2D-to-3D mode on it if the source is a SBS or OU 3D movie, it will handle all the picture decoding and glass syncing. No adapters are required for that.
I don't know about your TV, but that is a pretty standard feature on 3D TV sets.

Do you need an adapter? I had 3D SBS videos in iTunes on my Mac and streamed them to the AppleTV via Home Sharing, worked fine. I guess it depends on if iTunes can handle the given video format/container and if any DRM is involved.

There is the issue (mentioned above) that the AppleTV overlays aren't in SBS format so appear a bit messed up if/when you bring them up. When I exit the video, the TV auto-detects it and exits 3D mode after a second or two.