How do Passive 3D Televisions Work?

by Phil Conner

First a simple definition of passive 3D televisions is that they do not work with active shutter 3D glasses. Rather than work with battery powered glasses, passive 3D glasses are polarized to separate the images you see with the left and right eye. The televisions employs circular polarization techniques to deliver the images through the polarized filter to each eye.

Each lense in the polarized passive 3D glasses works with the TV to filter the signal to one eye or the other - creating the 3-dimensional depth effect. One simple way to remember all this is that 3D programming is filmed from two separate angles to create the 3D movies or content. The glasses and television then emulate this process to each eye.