WARNING

* Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images.

PHOTOSENSITVE SEIZURE WARNING AND OTHER HEALTH RISKS

* Some viewers may experience an epileptic seizure or stroke when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain television pictures or video games. If you suffer from, or have a family history of epilepsy or strokes, please consult with a medical specialist before using the 3D function.
* Even those without a personal or family history of epilepsy or stroke may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause photosensitive epileptic seizures.
* Pregnant women, the elderly, sufferers of serious medical conditions, those who are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol should avoid utilising the unit’s 3D functionality.
* If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop viewing 3D pictures immediately and consult a medical specialist:

1. altered vision;
2. lightheadedness;
3. dizziness;
4. involuntary movements such as eye or muscle twitching;
5. confusion;
6. nausea;
7. convulsions;
8. cramps; and/ or
9. disorientation.
10. Children and teenagers may be more likely than adults to experience these symptoms. Parents should monitor their children and ask whether they are experiencing these symptoms.

* Viewing 3D television may also cause motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain and decreased postural stability. It is recommended that users take frequent breaks to lessen the potential of these effects. If your eyes show signs of fatigue or dryness or if you have any of the above symptoms, immediately discontinue use of this device and do not resume using it for at least thirty minutes after the symptoms have subsided.
* Watching TV while sitting too close to the screen for an extended period of time may damage your eyesight. The ideal viewing distance should be at least three times the screen height. It is recommended that the viewer's eyes are level with the screen.
* Watching TV while wearing 3D glasses for an extended period of time may cause a headache or fatigue. If you experience a headache, fatigue or dizziness, stop viewing TV and rest.
* Do not use the 3D glasses for any other purpose than for viewing 3D television. Wearing the 3D glasses for any other purpose (as general spectacles, sunglasses, protective goggles, etc.) may be physically harmful to you and may weaken your eyesight.
* Viewing in 3D may cause disorientation for some viewers. Accordingly, DO NOT place your TV television near open stairwells, cables, balconies, or other objects that can be tripped over, run into, knocked down, broken or fallen over.

GUIDELINES FOR IN-HOME VIEWING

* To watch in 3D mode you need to put the 3D glasses on and press the power button on top of the glasses.
* Turn off all fluorescent lighting and block sources of direct sunlight before watching in 3D mode. Fluorescent lighting may cause a flickering effect and direct sunlight may affect the operation of the 3D glasses.

Print ShareThisIf conventional wisdom says that watching TV is bad for your eyes, watching 3D TV may be three times worse, we're beginning to discover.

Doctors and researchers are starting to warn viewers about the potential dangers of spending too much time in front of a 3D boob tube.

Guidelines for Samsung's new line of 3D TVs warn against prolonged exposure to 3D TVs for kids (kids under 6 shouldn't watch at all), teens, pregnant women, the elderly, sleep-deprived people and anyone buzzed on alcohol.

They also point out that watching 3D programming might cause motion sickness, lingering depth perception problems, disorientation and "decreased postural stability."

The guidelines suggest taking frequent 30 minute breaks from TV watching.

"WARNING," says the Samsung site that promotes its new line of 3D sets, "children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images.

"Pregnant women, the elderly, sufferers of serious medical conditions, those who are sleep deprived or under the influence of alcohol should avoid utilizing the unit's 3D functionality," it reads.

While most of the warnings may be the work of overzealous lawyers, there's "a small method to the madness," says Dr. Norman Saffra, director of ophthalmology at Maimonides Medical Center.

This is especially true if you happen to have an ocular condition — such as weak eye muscles, lazy eye or the inability to see 3D. In those cases, "you're stressing the [eye] muscle system so that everything can stay in focus all the time," Saffra says.

"That's why some people, after taking off the 3D glasses, have horrible headaches and can be disorientated, because things are off balance because their eye muscles have been strained watching the movie or TV show."

Unless you've got a pre-existing vision or eye problem though, Saffra says that the symptoms listed in 3D TV guidelines really only affect people who have been drinking.

"People under the influence of alcohol lose some of their control over their eye muscles, so watching a 3D movie or TV show becomes more challenging for them," he says.

This could cause major problems — especially after a long afternoon watching, for instance, the planned ESPN 3D channel.

"At the end of the day, taking off those 3D glasses and walking down the steps while you're inebriated could be a problem," he says.