Having to wear glasses to view 3D video has been a major drawback for 3D technology’s attempt to break into the mainstream consumer TV market. After all, what if you have a 3D TV with two pairs of compatible glasses, and three friends come over to watch a movie? To solve the possibility of a social faux pas (or possibly to amplify it, depending on your perspective) companies like Sharp, Nintendo, Panasonic and others are coming out with scaled-down devices that will feature three-dimensional graphics, sans-specs.
Sharp Corporation announced on Wednesday its plans to release a smartphone featuring a 3D display that won’t require wearing special glasses by the end of the year. Reportedly, the phone will also feature a 3D-functional camera.
The possibility of a 3D camera begs the question: where will depth-happy photographers be able to display their multidimensional pics (aside from just on their phone)? Tokyo-based gadget maker Thanko partially answers that question with it’s 3D picture frame product. Hewlett Packard’s upcoming 3D printer will fill in the rest of that answer.
The 7-inch digital picture frame device will also feature 3D video playback, along with support for most image file formats. That will likely be a welcome feature for those planning to purchase the new 3D-capable camcorder from Panasonic.
Video game enthusiasts should also have cause for excitement over the possibility of a 3D version of the Nintendo DS hand-held game console. The Japanese entertainment giant announced it has been working on the new device, (un)cleverly called the “3DS”, since March. It should hit shelves in Japan by the end of 2011, likely arriving in North America soon after.
It is easier to display 3D graphics on a small, hand held screen because the user generally views the image from a finite distance at a head-on angle. The living room television set presents a challenge because viewers generally sit at varying angles and distances from the set.
Still, some major television manufacturers are trying to make it possible to drop the lens-requirement for their 3D sets. Toshiba is developing a special screen that will go over regular screen, using parallax barrier technology, effectively performing the function of 3D glasses directly in front of the screen. Hitachi also recently announced plans to make a glasses-free 3D TV based on Sharp’s technology. Whether or not those efforts will result in mass-producible 3D televisions remains to be seen. What is certain is the astronomical potential of this fun and futuristic technology.
source: business.financialpost.com
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