The Future of TV: 3D, WindowWalls, Visible Light Communication, and More What will home entertainment look like in a few years? Have a peek at some of the technologies that could change the way you watch TV.

Television has changed a lot over the years--from black-and-white tube
sets to Technicolor consoles to plasma and LCD
high-definition TVs. But the medium is still evolving. Tech companies
are producing bigger (yet thinner) TV screens
and immersive, customizable viewing
experiences with Internet connectivity, widgets,
and apps; and broadcasters are looking at ways
to move beyond high-definition. We still have a long way to go before our home
entertainment systems look like something out of
Minority Report, but some of the new
technologies are pretty impressive: 3D TV that
approximates what you'd get in a movie theater,
multiple monitors designed to present a wall-size picture, and ultra-definition resolution are just
some of the innovations you can look forward to. We spoke with representatives of Samsung, one
of the leaders in the television industry, about
what TVs of the future might have in store for
consumers. Here's what they told us. 3D Television When tech companies tried to make "3D TV" the
catch-phrase of CES 2010, many reviewers were
skeptical. What's the demand for 3D TV? How
many people want to don a pair of expensive
and dorky-looking glasses just to watch TV? Is
there enough 3D content out there for 3D TV to be more than an expensive curiosity? Scott Birnbaum, vice president of Samsung's LCD
business, says that the demand for 3D TV will
skyrocket in the next couple of years, fueled by
televised sports. ESPN plans to broadcast this
year's soccer World Cup (which is being held in
South Africa) in 3D. If you're unsure whether a 3D TV is a good
investment, you may be reassured to learn that
3D TVs can handle 2D video just fine; also,
Samsung's 3D TV can convert 2D content into
"3D" content (that is, content with simulated
depth, but not "real" 3D content). In addition, Samsung has formed a "global strategic
partnership" with DreamWorks Animation, the
studio that produced such 3D features as
Monsters vs Aliens and How to Train Your
Dragon, to make 3D television more feasible, with
Samsung producing the hardware and DreamWorks producing the content. Sony plans to introduce its 3D TVs in Japan on June 10, and will start selling 3D TVs worldwide at around the same time. Leaked reports indicate
that LG Electronics will begin delivering full-array LED-backlit LCD 3D TVs in the near future. For its part, Panasonic has promised 3D Plasma TVs by this summer, and it launched one model in March at Best Buy. Though a number of companies are launching 3D
TVs this year, the industry faces quite a few
unresolved issues. 3D shutter glasses, which
usually come bundled with 3D Blu-ray disc
players and 3D TVs, can be quite expensive on
their own (around $100 for a low-end pair). In addition, some people may experience bad effects from watching 3D TV--the list includes teens, children, the elderly, pregnant women, sufferers
of serious medical conditions, and individuals
who are sleep-deprived or inebriated, according to Samsung's 3D TV Warning . And finally, 4 to 10 percent of the population can't even see 3D TV because they're unable to process stereoscopic
imagery (optometrists say that the condition is
treatable, however). Samsung has produced a 3D display that lets you see the 3D effect without glasses, for the "Digital Out of Home" market (for example, for screens
used on digital billboards and signage). The
technology uses a lenticular lens to produce 3D
effects that are visible without special glasses;
initially advertisers will employ it to display ads in
places like airports, as a novel way of catching the attention of passersby. Though this
nonglasses technology is not as yet suited for
home entertainment, it could be someday. And if
3D TV ever manages to ditch the glasses, it may
really take off.