It may be small, but this HDTV packs big features
In the realm of HDTVs conventional wisdom says that bigger is better – large screen sizes provide superior experiences and astronomical price tags are equated to quality. But in the case of the Sony PlayStation 3D Display, nothing could be further from the truth.
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While certainly not without its issues, the first PlayStation-branded HDTV packs in many high-end specs at a low-end price, focusing on the features gamers value most – refresh rate and low input lag, image quality, and full 1080p resolution.
Oh, and if you’re into it: 3D.
But lets start with the basics. The PlayStation 3D Display is a 24-inch LED-backlit HDTV, which sports a slim rounded build, a glass screen and sharp rounded edges on its left and right sides. The design is sleek and minimalist, but has a unique look that distinguishes it from most other displays available.
The outward facing view is streamlined, with only the display, a single indicator light and left and right speakers presented to the user. On the rear panel, you will find a single component input, two HDMI ports, a headphone jack and the power, volume, channel, 3D, and menu buttons.
In a way, it’s like a reversed mullet – party in the front, business in the back.
While it doesn’t offer as many inputs as some other products, it’s more than sufficient for two game consoles and a cable box. If you require more, however, you can always use a receiver.
The controls are arranged in a row just behind the right speaker, which makes it difficult to locate the button you’re looking for. Fortunately, Sony has raised the power button to make it clearly discernible from the rest, and when you tap the other corresponding buttons, an overlay appears on the screen to give you visual reference.
Simple volume and channel adjustments are simple, as is toggling the various 3D modes, but attempting to adjust any other settings within the menus can be cumbersome.
Of course, the issue could have been avoided if the 3D Display came with a remote. That’s right, the bundle, which includes an HDMI cable, a copy of MotorStorm Apocalypse and a pair of 3D glasses, doesn’t include a remote.
Even the most basic, inexpensive wireless remote would have been preferable to no remote at all. Of course, a third-party universal remote can likely fill the gap, but it is still an odd omission and an annoying inconvenience for the consumer.
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Confounding lack of a remote aside, the 3D Display is fantastic in terms of picture quality – colors are rich and vibrant, but not over-saturated, and blacks are deep. It also has 1080p resolution, but at 24-inches, the difference between it and 720p would have been negligible.
All the same, it, along 240Hz refresh rate, put the 3D Display on par or ahead of the competition.
Beyond its virtues as a great standalone HDTV, it’s the display’s 3D capabilities and SimulView mode that Sony is banking on as a key selling point.
Though the cost of 3D-enabled HDTVs has dropped considerably recently, the PlayStation 3D Display is definitely one of the cheapest available. While the inclusion of 3D may be more valuable to some and meaningless to others, it is the foundation for SimulView, a mode that allows two players to get a fullscreen view simultaneously on one display.
In order to work, 3D technology layers two images on the display – one for you left eye and one for the right – which gives the user a perceived sense of depth. SimulView leverages stereoscopic layering to filter out what each user sees. One pair of glasses is configured to see only the left image, while the other only the right.
Long story short, SimulView invalidates the age-old adage of split-screen gameplay: “Quit looking at my screen!”
But SimulView isn’t without its caveats. While the system works as advertised on 3D-enabled PlayStation 3 games like Gran Turismo 5 and Killzone 3, other platforms and games aren’t necessarily supported. I attempted to run Gears of War 3 splitscreen using SimulView, but the image wasn’t properly separated and appeared as a jumbled mess.
More importantly, SimulView requires users to wear 3D glasses, but it doesn’t actually present a 3D image. What’s worse, the image resolution is scaled down to compensate for the fact that images are split, presenting a lackluster picture. Finally, the system only comes with one pair of glasses, and if you want to use SimulView, you need to drop an extra $70 for an extra set of glasses.
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For most, SimulView isn’t worth the effort and cost, but for those in cramped living spaces who play splitscreen games frequently, it could be a worthwhile solution.
With or without SimulView, at $499 the PlayStation 3D Display is still a value. It’s small, but it has great picture quality and features, as well as plenty of bonuses packed in. If you’re on a budget and need a compact HDTV, check it out.
