3D and Vizio - It doesn't work

Whenever an incompatibility comes up, it's typical for each company to blame the other. In reality, both are equally responsible. DirecTV publishes a compatibility list. Visio is not on it. Either get a TV on the list or check with Visio for a provider that supports their TVs and switch to it. With many standards available on new technology, compatibility must be checked. BetaMax/VHS and HD-DVD/Blu-Ray are well known examples. A simple HDMI connection can cause problems with different equipment though that is improving.

That's an exceedingly poor answer when we are not talking about different standards, but devices that are all supposedly using the SAME standard.

If I can hook up a Sony PS3 to my Vizio set, and the PS3 detects the correct 3D modes, and I can hook up a Samsung Blu-Ray player to my set, and the blu-ray player detects the correct 3D modes, and then I hook up a DirecTV reciever to my set and it DOESN'T detect the correct 3D modes, I begin to suspect that the problem isn't with my set, it's with DirecTV's box.

Right now I can ask any other device what modes it thinks my TV supports and it shows 720p just fine. But every time I try to connect to DirecTV, I get the "doesn't support 720p resolution message."  It looks very much as if there is one standard that everyone is holding to, except DirecTV is implementing it poorly.

The trouble is HDMI is a poorly set up standard with practically no compliance certification. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=883444 has three pages of incompatibilities with different devices for example.

I was able to view 720p 3D program on Vizio by setting "Native" options under HDTV Setting/Video to Off. Still having problems with 1080p24 resolution though.

I was wondering if turning Native off and trying different resolutions might work.

GreyWolf,

The HDMI protocol has nothing to do with this issue.  The issue is with the DirectTV receiver.  As "DevilsTower" pointed out, all other 3D hardware source putting out 720p 3D content works just fine (through the same HDMI cable)... except for the DirectTV equipment. 

Therefore, the problem is with the DirectTV equipment.  This is simple logic and diverting the discussion by bringing up the HDMI is not in the scope of this problem.

I'm using very expensive 480Hz HDMI cables with all of my equipment and the only equipment that doesn't do what it is supposed to do is the Direct TV receiver.

Customer service's knowledge in the 3D area is horrific. They directly say, "I'm sorry sir, you just need to buy a new TV".  That's just moronic.  The fact that the direct tv box is saying, "Your TV doesn't support 3D content in 720p"... while the direct tv box automatically switches to 1080i when set to a 3D channel indicates there is a major problem with the direct tv box.  

Even when I switch to a 3D channel, the Vizio TV immediately recognizes the 3D content and asks if I would like to switch to 3D mode.  Once you say "yes", you can view the DirectTV 3D cube in 3D using the glasses. So, yes, the Vizio is seeing 3D content coming from the direct tv box and it displays it correctly.  It's only when the direct tv receiver tries to display the actual feed that it chokes.

This is 100% a DirectTV problem!

alex150, can you tell us what vizio 3d model you have and what your picture settings are?  I am having the same problem tghosh is having.  My TV model number is XVT3D474SV.  I could watch one of the African safari shows and it played.  I think it was in 1080i.  The 3d quality was filled with double images.  At first I thought it was my TV.  Then I read on another web site that the 3d quality is just poor.  I watched a hockey game on 3Dn and it worked fine with no double images I could see.  I could not watch ESPN3D.

I also have the XVT3D554SV and have intermittently had channels 103 (n3D) and 106 (ESPN 3D) working, but not consistently enough to be able to confidently reproduce.  More often than not, I receive the "This 3D program is broadcast in 720p.  Your 3D TV does not support this resolution. (797)".  That being said, I have had some luck in changing from channel 501 (HBO) to 103 (n3D).  Unfortunately, once there, I cannot get to 106.

I'm running directly from the HR21-200 HD DVR to the TV and have NATIVE set to off.

The new 65" Vizio XVT3D650SV works fine with DirecTV programming.

I was getting the same indication, "your TV does not support 1080P/24" with my new XVT3D554SV, but only on channel 104. I too talked to Vizio and DirecTV. The Vizio guy assured me that it was a receiver issue and that it should automatically update. So I went into my DirecTV profile and "reactivated" my receiver, then did a reset on it. Now on channel 104 I am getting the note that I am not paying for the PPV movie that was showing. I guess that is an improvement. But it looks like the 3D is working fine on 103 and 105 - when there is something on to watch. - h

So I'm considering buying the Model XVT3D424SV.  Am I going to have the same problems?

Here's a way to be sure of whatever TV you want to purchase:

The one thing to remember is that there are standard (required) 3D formats that all 3D TV manufacturers have to include. Then there are optional (or non-mandatory) formats that TV manufacturers may elect to include. In the resolutions shown below the acronyms mean:

SbS = Side by Side

TaB = Top and Bottom

FP = Frame Packed

Mandatory include 1080i SbS, 720p TaB, 1080p/24 FP (Blu Ray Disc)

Optional include 720p SbS and 1080p/24 SbS, among others

DirecTV can only send out SbS 3D programming (for reasons that haven't been really explained yet but may be receiver/DVR limitations).

All DirecTV 3D programming is 1080i SbS except for PPV and ESPN 3D. PPV is 1080p/24 SbS and ESPN 3D is 720p SbS.

So, all 3D TVs should be able to get channels 103 and 107 (except when 103 is showing ESPN 3D repeats). The same is true with channel 105 which is On-Demand 3D. If you download an ESPN 3D repeat, then your TV must be 720p SbS compatible to view.

If Channel 106 ever becomes ESPN 3D, it is believed that this will be 720p SbS. However, (right now) a vast majority of 3D TV programming is 1080i SbS (thanks to 3Net) and therefore all 3D TVs should pick that up. It's just the ESPN 3D and PPV broadcasts that are a non-standard format.

So for full 100% 3D coverage, you should ask your TV manufacturer if they support 720p SbS. If not, you are limited to non-ESPN 3D broadcasts. If they do, then you might also check if 1080p/24 SbS is supported for PPV. If both 720p SbS and 1080p/24 SbS are suppored then you are 100% compatible (assuming the EDID is working correctly).

One final comment - if DirecTV would allow resolutions to be changed inside the DVR or receiver for 3D (like they do for all other HD programming) then we wouldn't have all of these incompatibility questions.  The user could simply say to only show 1080i for all DirecTV 3D programming.  But, they haven't enabled that ability yet and I don't know if they ever will.