# HD, SD, 3D, HDR and 4K - question on 3D



## mikemyers (May 19, 2010)

It's a long story, and I thought I did my "homework", but apparently I didn't ask enough questions.

I wanted a new TV to replace my 40" Sony XBR that was moving into another room. After a lot of questions, searching, reading, and phone calls, I picked a Sony XBR-55X850C. I was under the impression that it had everything I might ever want, except the larger audio amplifier in the "next better" set, which I wouldn't be able to use anyway as I live in a condo and can't make too much noise. I thought XBR was Sony's best, and I've owned them for as long as I can remember.

On the positive side, I am thrilled by the picture quality. The sound is much better now that I plugged the audio output into my old Sony sub-woofer. I finally got an "OmniMount" so the set is wall mounted but can pivot as needed - should have done that ages ago. SD looks better than what I expected, HD looks fantastic, OTA looks even better, and the one HDR show I could find on Netflix looks great.

(I use the TV with an OTA Terk antenna, DirecTV, inputs for BETA and VHS, and for the past few weeks with an Element Ti5 set top box.)

I wanted to try out 3D, so I ordered a pair of the specified TDG-BT500A 3D glasses, which I registered with the TV.

After three calls to Sony Tech Support, and then Netflix, I still haven't been able to watch anything in 3D. I'll summarize what I think is going on, but I'm note sure these things are correct...


The XBR Sony that I have uses an Android app to view Netflix, and the app hasn't yet been updated to work with Netflix 3D. Apparently the tv expects to find an SBS (side-by-side) encoding, and Netflix maybe uses something different???? The "KDL" series Sony televisions supposedly have the new app, and work with Netflix 3D, but not the XBR. I think the problem is the app, not the 3D encoding.
The Sony XBR is compatible with 3D in either "side-by-side" or "over-and-under" (H-OU or H-SBS). I learned more about that by reading up on http://www.spirton.com/why-you-should-choose-h-sbs-over-h-ou/ I think I've learned that Neflix uses the SBS format, which should be good for me.
On my TV, to watch Netflix, I need some kind of Android "app" to log into Netflix and play 3D movies. The app that is provided on the XBR series televisions apparently has not yet been updated to work properly for 3D.

From what I've read, anyone who, like me, has bought an XBR Sony TV to watch 3D movies on Netflix is still frustrated and stuck. Netflix can't fix it. The ISP can't fix it. Sony can't fix it. Apparently, until the app is fixed, the only way to resolve this is to use the following work-around - the Blu-Ray Sony (and others?) DVD players come with a similar app, but their app has already been updated. If I buy one of those players, I can use the built-in app to watch perfect 3D movies from a DVD, or watch Netflix being "played" from the DVD player after being properly decoded with this updated app. If true, I can "fix" my problem by purchasing a new Blu-ray DVD player.

First question - is what I've written so far an accurate description of what's going on, and if so,
Second question - would I "fix" things by buying a new Blu-Ray DVD player.

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I'm wondering if any of the following would also work?

Would a *Roku box* properly decode a 3D Netflix video, to play on my Sony XBR, connected via HDMI?
Would an *Element Ti5* do this?
Can the required Android Netflix app be installed on my *phone*?
Can the required Android Netflix app by manually installed on my XBR *television*?
Is there a suitable Netflix 3D app for my *computer *that can do this, so I can play the 3D Netflix movies on my TV?
Is there a better solution?
Anyone know how/when I can *update *the app on my XBR TV to do this from within the TV?

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Also, I would appreciate it if someone can suggest a better way to access 3D movies. Netflix has about a dozen so far, most of which are cartoons. They had a single (1) HDR program, no more. They have very few 4K movies. DirecTV doesn't seem to have anything yet in 3D, 4K, or HDR. Is there a better way to get to these things?

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Just for the record, the tech support person at Sony told me the ONLY way I'm going to get to watch 3D movies on my XBR is by purchasing the DVDs, and playing them on a Blu-Ray player. I know she was wrong, as I have a friend in India who just downloads them from a torrent site, and plays them on his new 40" Sony direct from a memory stick.


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

I've yet to access any 3D movies from Netflix. Up to now, it's been strictly 3D DVD's on both my family room Samsung and bedroom Vizio TV's. I'll give it a try, via Roku, DVD player and internal TV access.


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## mikemyers (May 19, 2010)

A bit more information - Sony sent me this link:
https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43644

Here's the information:


Some Sony® 3D TVs do not support streaming videos from the installed Netflix app in 3D. This is because Netflix 3D videos use the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) format that is not supported on some of the models. 3D videos available from other 3D streaming content providers using Side by Side (SbS) or Top and Bottom (TaB) formats are supported.
The KDL-50R550A, KDL-60R550A, KDL-60R551A, KDL-70R550A, and KDL-70R551A TV models support 3D streaming from Netflix.

So, SbS and TaB are supported by the XBR television, but not MVC.

I think this means I either need to get a set top box that supports MVC, if I want to watch 3D from Netflix, or find another source of 3D Material and skip Netflix.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

If you really want to watch 3D movies, then I would recommend you buy a new Blu-Ray player that supports it. They can be found for under $100 now days, sometimes as low as $50. You didn't mention already having a Blu-Ray player, so to me this would be a no-brainer. As far as using 3D from streaming apps I have never done that, so I can't help much there. It does sound like you should be able to do so if you find a 3D Blu-Ray player that has the streaming apps that support it.

Personally I find you are normally better off relying on a Blu-Ray player, or streaming box like AppleTV, Roku, etc. for your streaming movies. They tend to get updated more often, and they are much cheaper/easier to replace down the road to get new apps, rather than buying a new TV.

I have a Panasonic 65VT60 3D plasma, and a Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray player, and I personally find watching 3D Blu-Rays at home on it terrific. I would even go so far as to say a lot of the time I think it is better than 3D in the theater.


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## mikemyers (May 19, 2010)

Thanks, Beerstalker; I am simultaneously looking for a Blu-Ray 3D player, as my existing one is not 3D compatible. Choices seem to be 
Sony - BDPS7200 - Streaming 4K Upscaling 3D Wi-Fi Built-In Blu-ray Player - Black for $180, or
the upcoming (two weeks) 
Sony - UHP-H1 - Streaming 4K Upscaling 3D Wi-Fi Built-In Blu-ray Player - Black for $350.

I suspect I can do everything I want with the $80 version, as long as it has an Ethernet port.

I have no desire to start collecting DVDs. I did that with Beta, VHS, and all the rest, and they always become obsolete. Never again.

Streaming seems to be the way to go, either with the Blu-Ray player, a Roku box (if it's 3D compatible) or the Element Ti5 box (same concern).

I got frustrated today, as I wasn't even sure my TV was working correctly. I called DirecTV, and as a test, they turned on one of the movies on channel 103. My TV showed it the way I expected it to look (double), and with my glasses, for the first time ever, bingo, it was playing in 3D !! In the settings, it said 3D had automatically been turned on, and the glasses registered and played perfectly. That's a good start.

Apparently the 3D encoding is one of these:

Side-by-side (DirecTV)
Over-and-under (PlayStation_
Blu-Ray 3D (best, from the better DVD players), and 
MVC (MultiView Coding) (Netflix)

I guess i either wait forever for Sony to update the Netflix app on my Smart TV, or Netflix to change the encoding to SbS, or I buy another Set Top Box (unless the Roku works).

....added later - note - a week ago, I knew NONE of this. I thought 3D was 3D, and they all work the same. Not so. It's just now starting to make a little sense to me.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I definitely wouldn't get the UHP-H1 myself. It may be a nice player, but for that kind of money you should be looking at an actual 4K Blu-Ray player, not just a regular Blu-Ray player that upscales to 4K.

This player should be good enough for now, until the 4K Blu-Ray players come down in price.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-bdps5500-streaming-3d-wi-fi-built-in-blu-ray-player-black/2548084.p?id=1219549327479&skuId=2548084

That's assuming it supports 3D from the apps that you are talking about wanting to use. I'm not 100% sure about that, you may want to look into it yourself. If it doesn't maybe the 6700 model does since it is a year newer.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-bdp-s6700-streaming-4k-upscaling-wi-fi-built-in-blu-ray-player-black/4919700.p?id=bb4919700&skuId=4919700

If you are Ok with spending more I have read very good things about the Samsung 4K Blu-Ray player.
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UBD-K8500-Wi-Fi-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B01A9V6OI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463407603&sr=8-1&keywords=ultra+hd+blu+ray+player

I believe it is still the only 4K Blu-Ray player available in the US. There are supposed to be more available later this year.


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