HQFS was probably one of the best 3D home theater viewing technologies until the introduction of Blu-ray 3D technology in 2010. The 3D quality of HQFS is pretty good and unlike the new technology, it works with most older televisions.
HQFS stands for High Quality Field Sequential. HQFS is the forerunner to the current liquid crystal shutter glasses technology that is currently the viewing technology of choice for the new Blu-ray 3D home theater gear. HQFS is an active 3D technology, which requires special electronic equipment in order to create the illusion of 3D depth.
Shutter glasses work by alternately applying a small voltage to a liquid crystal lens in each eye of a pair of LC glasses. When the voltage is applied, the lens turns dark. This happens so rapidly that the “shuttering” effect is not perceived by the user. When one lens of the glasses is transparent, the other is opaque and vice-versa. This shuttering is synchronized with alternating left-eye and right-eye views displayed on a television screen using a video synchronization box.
With HQFS, there are two methods for connecting the video synchronization box to the shutter glasses. Most configurations use a wire to connect the devices. Some alternatives use a wireless version. Nonetheless, you will need to purchase this additional hardware in order to view HQFS movies.
Perhaps the most sought-after high quality field sequential 3D movie set is called The Ultimate 3-D Collection with H3D Viewing System. This set includes three HQFS movies: Haunted Castle, Alien Adventure and Encounter in the Third Dimension. It also includes the H3D Viewing System, which is a brand name for an HQFS configuration that includes a video synchronization box and two pairs of wired shutter glasses. This set is becoming a collectors’ item and is getting to be harder to find.
A few years ago it was easy to find a few dozen HQFS movies, but even that is beginning to dwindle as 3D enthusiasts prepare to upgrade their home theater systems to use the new Blu-ray 3D technology. Amazon.com still carries a range of HQFS movies, but current movies are no longer being released for HQFS. Most of the movies that you will find are specialty flicks intended to show off 3-D effects, such as Spy Kids 3-D. If you plan to purchase an HQFS 3-D movie, make sure that is states that it works with HQFS or the H3D Viewing System.
If you are interested in HQFS 3D movies, the video synchronization boxes and shutter glasses will work with most televisions. The exception is probably limited to some older LCD televisions with slow response rates that cannot keep up with the alternating left-eye, right-eye views being flashed on the screen. With slow response times a ghosting of the images can be a problem. The type of shutter glasses used for HQFS are not compatible with the shutter glasses required for Blu-ray 3D.