PlayStation 3 3D Glasses

These glasses are rechargeable and work with the Epson 3010 projector, for those of you looking for a half-price alternative to Epson's $100 glasses.

I recently bought a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which is 3d capable but comes without glasses. The 3d factor was of interest to me and being a bit of an electronics geek. I had to get 3d glasses and check it out. Rather than getting just one type of 3D glasses I decided to get 3 different compatible glasses and check them out. The three glasses I got are:

Xpand X103

Sony TDG-BR250

PlayStation 3 3D Glasses

I wear rimless bifocal lenses that are 32 mm tall. For comfort I would rank the glasses as follows:

1. Sony TDG-BR250

3. PlayStation 3D glasses

3. Xpand X103

All of the glasses worked over my prescription glasses but I found the Sony TDG-BR250 to fit over my glasses best and to be the most comfortable. I found the Xpand X103 the least comfortable though they are OK and I don't really have an issue sitting through a movie. Based on other reviews, the comfort level varies quite a lot from viewer to viewer. Both the PlayStation glasses and the Xpand were a little more awkward to get adjusted over the glasses. So for me, that was probably the biggest comfort factor. None of the nose pieces that came with the Xpand gave me a great fit. The PlayStation glasses had an adjustable nose piece that worked better for me.

For 3d performance I would rank them in the following order:

1. PlayStation 3D glasses

2. Xpand X103

3. Sony TDG-BR250

The PlayStation 3D and the Sony TDG-BR250 resulted is similar colors and brightness. I think I got the most flickering with the BR250s but hard to say on that count, none were bad. The TDG-BR250 looked good as long as you kept your head level, if you tilted it even slightly to the left or right, the picture got lighter and there was abundant crosstalk. The PlayStation glasses have a polarization filter that reduces the crosstalk and it definitely works. The Xpand 103 glasses were similar to the PlayStation glasses with crosstalk performance. You could tilt your head left or right and the picture didn't change much. However; the picture was a touch darker with the Xpand glasses and the colors were a touch different. I liked the brighter picture and the color rendition of the Sony glasses better. You could probably adjust your picture so that the Xpand glasses would give you a similar color/brightness profile if you were just using Xpand glasses. The color and brightness wasn't so different that watching programing with the different brands would be a big deal.

I know the Xpand 103 glasses work for brands other than Sony. They were easy to synch with my Sony Bravia TV. I believe the SonyPlaystion glass are also universal for infrared (but not the newer Bluetooth) systems. They are listed as compatible with Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, and Sharp Active Shutter 3D. At least for the Sony system, they synced automatically. The TDG-BR250 are meant for Sony systems.

Both sets of Sony glasses are rechargeable. The Xpand uses an easy to get inexpensive battery. I haven't had the the system long enough to know which I prefer. It is really going to depend on how long the battery lasts on the Xpands versus how often the Sony's need to be charged and how well they hold their charge if unused for a period of time. Since I use the Xpand battery type for a locator system I use to find my cats when they go outside, I always have a ready supply of the batteries. I'm guessing I would actually prefer the battery system, which I assume will not need batteries very often, to recharging. The Sony's are supposed to only need 3 minutes of charging for an hour of viewing so they charge fast. Still, stuff that recharges tends to not stay charged if it sits around unused for a period of time. I can see it being a pain if someone comes over and wants to check out the 3d but the glasses need charging. Same goes if we get more content on TV. Batteries tend to not run down for a long time when idle and can be changed immediately (IF you have the batteries on hand) if they are dead.

Here's my final rank

1. SonyPlaystation 3D glasses

2. Xpand 103 3d glasses

3. Sony TDG-BR250

There are polarizing filters available from Sony for the TDG-BR250 that are supposed to correct the crosstalk issue. I ordered a pair from Sony a couple of weeks ago but still haven't received them. If they work, I might raise the Sony TDG-BR250 to the top of the list since, for me, they are the most comfortable. Without the filters, the Playstion glasses definitely outperform the other sets. I gave them 4 star rating because they don't really fit perfectly. Also, if you have lights on behind the viewing area you get a fair amount of reflection in the glasses.

Buy PlayStation 3 3D Glasses Now

I was one of the first to join the 3D 'party' back in late 2010, and refused to be upset by all the issues that came with it. Being a techno-geek I pretty much sucked-it-up when I found annoyances like ghosting/crosstalk of images when I moved my head watching the TV, and was just grateful that it worked at all.

Who knew the glasses should be such a big differentiator between 'ok' technology and 'amazing'.

I originally purchased my Sony Bravia with the external 3D transmitter, and 2 pairs of the Sony TDG-BR100 Adult Size 3D Active Glasses, Black As I described in my review for those glasses, they're pretty good but unless you go to the trouble of getting additional filters from Sony , you do get some pretty bad image crosstalk if you so slightly move your head.

Enter the new Playstation 3D glasses with a feature to 'reduce crosstalk'. Well, who am I to turn down an apparent technology step-up. I purchased these during the black friday sale, and quite frankly have been blown away by them.

To be honest the build quality is 'average' at best sort of like a pair of plastic sunglasses, but what they lack in tactile quality they make up for by being so lightweight you can wear them for extended periods. The nose piece does rub slightly at first, but that wears off as the rubber softens with time. Some other reviewers comment they were tight on the head but these fit me comfortably.

More importantly , the 3D image is unsurpassed. Whatever Sony did with the polarization filters in these glasses, they got it 110% correct. With no change to my other equipment, these glasses allow me to fully enjoy the 3D picture, without the frequent need to adjust my head position (honestly they even work at extreme angles).

If you're looking for any replacement or 3D glasses, dont be put off by the Playstation logo these truly are the glasses to beat above any other that Sony produces at the moment.

[Additional] Only one small annoyance is that all the PS3 peripherals use a mini-usb connector, yet randomly these glasses have now moved to the micro-usb interface. Granted the glasses ship with a USB->micro USB adapter for charging, but its just another connection to keep track of and another USB port that gets used up they are in short supply on most TV's and PS3's. My next Amazon purchase will be for one of these cables which lets me do mini & micro USB from a single cable StarTech.com USBHAUBMB3 3 Feet USB to Micro USB and Mini USB Combo Cable A to B

Read Best Reviews of PlayStation 3 3D Glasses Here

This glasses is also marketed as a "universal active shutter 3D glasses" that works with Panasonic TVs. However it uses IR receiver with sync up with the TV. All Panasonic TV that produced after 2012 has switched from IR emitter to RF (Bluetooth) emitter for their 3D glasses. In other words, it will NOT WORK with your Panasonic TV if it's a newer model. There are very little information about this. I spend an entire night searching on the web to find out why it wouldn't work with my TV (TC-P55UT50). Many vendors even market this glasses along side with my TV even though they don't work together.

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I discovered two simple adjustments to make these glasses 100% more comfortable. First of all the nose pad is bendable so that you can form it to fit your nose. Secondly, you can loosen the temples (arms) of the glasses by bringing some water to a near boil, pouring it into a glass, and then sticking each temple into the hot water for 20-30 seconds. After that, you need to apply pressure to the plastic for 20-30 seconds in order to bend it, then immediately stick it into a glass of cold water to flash cool it, before it goes back. You need to use a fair amount of force when bending it so that the temple is straightened out because it will automatically spring most of the way back into a curve shape. It's easiest to do them one at a time. Also, it helps to use a ruler to measure the distance between the temples before and after the adjustment is made so you can determine a good size. If the glasses are still too tight, you can repeat the process using more bending pressure. If they become too loose then just use the hot water with little to no bending and then flash cool them and they will tighten up. For me this was the end-all to the issues that I had with these glasses and I hope that other people can benefit from it as well.

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