Matching 3D Blu-ray Player with TV?

Question:
I’m looking at getting an LG 47LM7600 because I like the passive glasses. Also, I really like the Vizio XVT3D474SV, but it’s hard to find a new one, not a refurb. I’ve heard you say that you don’t think LG Blu-ray players are that good. So my first question is, will an LG TV work with, say, a Samsung Blu-ray player, since they are different 3D systems? Also, should I spend $200 more and get the Vizio XVT3D474SV? I don’t have $499 to spend on an Oppo Blu-ray player, but I’d like a nice one.

– James Isom
Frankfort, IL

Answer:
Any 3D TV will work with any 3D Blu-ray player. All players output a standardized 3D signal, which all 3D TVs decode and display according to the technology they use, be it active or passive (or glasses-free, which we will see in the near future). The same is true for 3D broadcasts and streaming—the TV receives a standardized signal and displays it in whatever way it’s designed to.

If you can’t afford an Oppo Blu-ray player, I generally recommend Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony players (though I don’t like the Sony user interface). From what I’ve seen and read, LG players tend to have more operational and reliability problems, which is why I don’t recommend them.

If you don’t have an AV receiver that can pass 3D signals through to the TV, it’s best to get a player with two HDMI outputs—one is connected to the receiver for audio, and the other is connected directly to the TV. Such players are offered by Oppo, Panasonic, and Pioneer, along with some older Samsung models, and they tend to be more expensive than single-output models. Otherwise, you’ll need to get a 3D-compatible 1-in/2-out HDMI splitter, and send the player’s output to the splitter, then connect the two outputs to the receiver and TV.

As for the TV itself, the Vizio XVT3D474SV is an older, discontinued model, which is probably why you find it more often as a refurb rather than new. Also, it’s the only Vizio that uses active-shutter glasses, so I’m surprised that you like it if you prefer passive glasses (which I do as well). On the other hand, it does use full-array LED backlighting with local dimming, which is much preferable to edge-lighting. Cnet gave the LG LM7600 quite a good review overall, so that’s a good choice. Vizio also makes generally excellent sets; you might consider the M3D470KDE; the previous generation M3D550KD also got a good review on Cnet.