Is this 3D HD or 3D DVD?

I just read the following on CNET “How 3D Content Works: Blu-ray vs Broadcast” written by Geoffrey Morrison

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20063310-1/how-3d-content-works-blu-ray-vs-broadcast/?tag=mncol ;txt

(extract) “... All current passive 3D displays supply each eye with half the vertical resolution. In other words, each eye is seeing 1,920x540 pixels. All the odd numbered lines go to one eye, all the even lines to the other.

But what if you're watching Side by Side from cable/satellite? Now you're getting 960x540 per eye, and that's not really HD at all. And that's with a 1080i feed. If you're watching 720p 3D you could potentially be getting 640x360 per eye, barely better than VHS...”

So, someone buy a 3D HDTV (passive) set and pay for a 3D HD package from its cable or satellite provider... but could in fact only be getting barely better than DVD if not VHS quality!

Wouldn't that also be the case if a 3D video is edited and render in side by side 1080p 3D or side by side 720p 3D and displayed on a passive 3D TV or 3D PC monitor?

If you look 1920x1080-side-by-side on each passive tv, your eye ALWAYS get 960x540 ... with some meters distance to tv you never will see a difference to "3D fullHD 1920x1080" = shutter-pictures left/right

yep -- for now I think I prefure active systems...

They keep the res and although dim the image, most monitors can compensate that with an overbright mode - where as upping the resolution is a bit more demanding of the monitor!

Here is an interesting artical comparing "passive" and "active" 3D TVs.

http://www.digitalversus.com/tv-television/investigation-active-3d-tvs-full-hd-3d-guaranteed-a1467.html

Passive should give 1920x540 right? I mean, its every other line, not other other row and every other column. When you see the passive displays at the tv store, you can clearly see the entire line is one eye and the next line down is for the other eye.

Yes, but 3D videos most are coded side-by-side (2x 960x1080) or up-down (2x 1920x540) into ONE picture.