What is the difference between 3D glasses?
3D glasses fall into one of two groups: passive 3D glasses and active 3D glasses.
Passive 3D glasses are most often used in theatres. Unlike active 3D glasses they don't require a power source. The most commonly known passive 3D glasses are anaglyphs, which usually come equipped with one red lens and one cyan lens. While typically inexpensive, passive 3D glasses often sacrifice image quality. Feeling a flash from the past? The world's first 3D comic book to make an appearance was the Three Stooges in 1953.
Active 3D glasses require a power source for the lenses. Most glasses were previously powered by a thin wire that provided both the power and the synchronization. But most active 3D glasses are now battery powered, receiving signals similar to a TV remote. Shutter glasses are the most common active 3D glasses used today. Their LCD lenses alternately open and shut, allowing only one eye at a time to view an image. Because of the technology involved, Active 3D glasses tend to cost more but also allow for higher picture quality and color.