New models of televisions are certainly plentiful at IFA 2011, but one of the stand-outs so far has been the German-made Metz Primus 55 3D Media twin R ... evidently, they couldn't just call it something like the Trinitron. The long-named TV is able not only to show 3D content, but can also convert 2D content into 3D. Additionally, it has a built-in digital recorder, it can record to USB drives, and it can display film, photo and music files from an unlimited number of other digital devices in its users' home.
The stainless steel and wood-bodied Primus 55 utilizes a thin polarization film applied to its 55-inch LCD panel, to create the 3D effect. The film polarizes the light from the picture into a clockwise rotation for one eye, and an anti-clockwise rotation for the other. When that light reaches the viewer, a corresponding film on their Metz 3D glasses ensures that each eye gets its own image. This system apparently eliminates the flickering and horizontal view restriction that occurs with other glasses, when the user turns their head.
Regular 2D content can also be converted into simulated 3D with the press of a button - whether or not it's of the layered pop-up book quality remains to be seen.
Up to 150 hours of HD content, or 750 hours of SD content, can be recorded on the set's integrated digital recorder. The USB recording function allows users to also record programs directly to an external hard disk, while other content that is already saved onto USB devices can likewise be viewed on the Primus 55. Four HDMI sockets facilitate digital picture transmission, a DVI-I interface allows for analogue or digital connection to a computer, and an assortment of other outlets cater to connectivity with a variety of analogue and digital playback devices.
An optical digital audio output makes multi-channel sound systems such as Dolby Digital doable, too.
All of the company's LCD devices now come with the Metz media system, which allows the TV to access video, audio and photo files on an unlimited number of digital devices in the user's home network, via an ethernet connection. The system is also optimized for the new European television standard, hybrid broadcast broadband TV, or HbbTV. By pressing a button on the remote, users can access the special features of HbbTV, including additional information on programs and schedules, and the ability to watch programs that have already aired.
Prices for the Metz Primus 55 3D Media twin R range from EUR5,799 (US$8,270) for the basic wall mount version, to EUR 6,799 (US$9,696) for the floor stand model.