This article was originally published on www.display-central.com.
In the active vs passive 3D debate, Epson has taken a middle road and introduced the PowerLite W16 projector for education applications that need active 3D glasses, and the W16SK system for those applications better served with passive glasses systems.
These systems are specifically targeted at the education market and are priced for cost-sensitive school districts. The W16 projector is a 3000 lumen WXGA 3LCD projector priced at $849 with all the bells and whistles needed in schools. It can be installed or used as a portable projector. The lamp can last up to 5,000 hours in Eco mode, which is important for a cost-sensitive school district. As a 3LCD projector, the 3000 ANSI Lumen output also represents 3000 lumens of Color Light Output. Single panel DLP projectors typically have lower Color Light Output than ANSI Lumen output. This discrepancy between ANSI and Color Lumens makes only a modest difference when graphics such as PowerPoint presentations are shown, but it can make a big difference when photographic or motion images with natural colors in them are shown, especially in images with highly saturated colors. According to Epson, 3LCD projectors also use about 25% less power per lumen than single panel DLP projectors.
The Epson W16SK is actually a dual-projector stacked system with two PowerLite W16 projectors. The system price at $1,899 includes both W16 projectors, the stacking system, the two required polarizing filters, a USB cable to connect the two projectors, a single remote control and one pair of passive polarizing glasses. Additional Epson-branded passive glasses are about $3.00 each. Not included is the silver screen needed for passive 3D, which Epson estimates will cost $434 per classroom, compared to $366 for a conventional screen. According to Epson, the big savings for a school district is in the glasses, since equipping a class of 30 with Epson passive glasses will cost $90 while equipping the same class with $99 NEC-branded active glasses will cost $2,970, plus lead to ongoing issues like making sure the glasses are always charged when needed. (Note: the Epson-branded RF active glasses used by the W16 are also $99 MSRP). According to an Epson estimate, equipping a classroom for 3D with the W16SK and passive glasses will cost $2629 while equipping it with a NEC NP-V300X DLP projector will cost $4,195. In addition, the NEC NP-V300X is a single 3000 lumen projector while the W16SK can put up to 6000 lumens on the screen. This plus the high gain silver screen lead to much brighter 3D images.
One problem with Epson’s estimate of passive vs active is in the cost of active glasses. At CES HB Opto showed DisplayLink active glasses (See Display Central Article) for $25 each. To HB Opto’s distress, CES attendees paid more attention to their glasses than to their projector models that used the glasses. If this $25 number is used instead of $99, equipping a single classroom will cost $1,975, not $4,195. Another issue with the Epson system is the use of a high-gain polarization preserving screen. This leads to a relatively narrow viewing angle and classrooms are often relatively wide and shallow. This may not allow the students at the sides of the classroom to properly see the 3D image.
If you look at auditoriums seating a couple hundred students, the picture changes radically and even $25 is too much to pay for glasses, especially compared to low-cost passive glasses that can cost under $1 apiece. Auditoriums are often narrower and deeper, reducing the viewing angle issue. Besides, 6000 lumens and a relatively high gain screen will give brighter 2D images in the larger space.
So there you have it. The passive vs active 3D debate has not gone away. By offering both active and passive systems, Epson is admitting it won’t go away in the near future, either. Different applications have different needs and different solutions or, as they would have said in the ‘60s, “different strokes for different folks.” -Matthew Brennesholtz
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