Oakley launching passive 3D glasses for LG 3D TVs

The 3D glasses that come with 3D TVs were clearly designed by engineers for functionality instead of fashion. Fortunately for the style conscious, LG has partnered with Oakley, which has released passive glasses to work with LG’s 3DTVs.

For those who aren’t up to speed on the whole 3D glasses thing, LG has opted to release 3D TVs that use passive 3D technology – different polarisations on each of the glasses lets in a slightly different picture, allowing you to see in 3D. It’s the same technology used in cinemas, and is different from the “active” glasses in other 3DTVs which use a battery and actively open and close shutters on each eye hundreds of times a second to show different images to each eye.

The benefit of passive glasses over active versions are that they are lighter, not needing a battery and all, as well as significantly cheaper. Well, they were, before these Oakley glasses were announced.

The HDO 3D Oakleys sell for $160 a pair, which is right in active glasses territory. But they do offer certain advantages over the cheap glasses you get at the cinema – for a start, they wrap completely around the eye, so you don’t get any annoying reflections on the inside of the glass and you can see the whole picture on screen.. They also bring the natural comfort a pair of Oakleys offers.

Oakley and LG are setting up special 3D zones in Oakley stores around the country to show off the glasses, but it’s important to know that they’ll only work on current 3D LG TVs or at Real D 3D screenings at the cinema. But for $160 a pop, you’d want to be 100 per cent sure you’re buying them for the right TV, wouldn’t you? Especially given you can’t actually use them as sunglasses…

Price: $160
Web: Oakley