3D Vision hack uses active shutter glasses to display 3D content in 2D (video)
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted August 2nd 2010 3:18PM
posted August 2nd 2010 3:18PM
Stereoscopic display sharing -- or using one monitor to show two separate programs simultaneously -- has piqued quite a few people's interest lately. Both Microsoft and Sony have been developing ways to do this, and now there is a post on the 3D Vision Blog outlining how to modify your NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses to accept either the left or right image from a 3D display. You'll be opening the glasses up (careful!), soldering things like shutters and IR receivers, bridging this and that, but by the time you're done you'll be able to watch TV in the way that nature intended, beautiful, glorious 2D! (You can see it in action after the break.) Now, if only we could figure out how to watch color TV programs in black and white...
2D... the way of the future!
@rekit Because the way to future is one step back, then two steps forward.
When those two steps forward are, I have no idea. Doesn't seem like anytime soon...
@rekit
this has been done on DLP tv for years
I bought a DLP tv spring of 2008 that does 3d, it only cost $1,400 brand new (56 inches).
The 3d glasses do this full-screen display sharing so you can have 2 consoles hooked up at the same time.
@cavillis
Nice, I have a 3D Projector that was $400 new (Viewsonic). 88"! Works awesome with 3D Vision.
@rekit : you can get the same effect by closing one eye, while wearing the 3d glasses. :)
@cavillis
We got the Samsung LED DLP right before they stopped manufacturing them, in the hopes that it would be 3D compatible. Apparently Samsung decided not to support it, so we're SOL...that display sharing would be cool...
Imagine, playing a 2 player game of Starcraft 2 on the same computer on the same monitor! You'd better have an i7...
@cavillis
What make/model is that?
I've been looking for a decent DLP set that does 3D, and that double display feature sounds awesome.
@rekit
Everyone seems to forget Sony has applied for a patent on this.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/20/sony-stereoscopic-screen-sharing-patent-puts-two-players-on-one/
@rekit
I see a reason for like 960Hz teevees and upgrading our game consoles and getting like GTXs in them to support the high refresh rate in order to get 4 people playing on one console.
Why?
@BraydenJames
To show off that they can.
Easier way: tell your TV to convert 3D to 2D with a press of a button
@BraydenJames
so instead of split screen on a video game it is full screen and you cant see your partners screen. so this would be great for 1v1 on the say console.
@MichaelB
Well I understand wanting to make it so you can see different things on the screen with different glasses. But just to put it back to 2D... Lol...
@BraydenJames
Obviously it's to be able to play two player License to Kill Goldeneye matches in the complex without having a split screen.
No Oddjob.
@MichaelB You, sir, just made this technology viable!
@BraydenJames
If you RTA its for the one guy at the 3d movie party who can't see 3d through the glasses, you mod his glasses to only show 2d so he can still enjoy the movie.
I could see this as useful for situations where security is a must. You've all see those awesome screen protectors that chop the field of view. Make the screen a mess when not using glasses, so for industries like the medical field where you can't have patients viewing other information. (Or if you don't want your patient knowing what's REALLY killing them)
@BraydenJames
In addition to MichaelB's example, two people could watch a different show on the same TV. Obviously each person would be wearing headphones as well. The wife could watch Noting Hill and I could watch 300; this would add to brownie points from the wife as I am "spending time with her".
@MichaelB
+1
now that Sir is a good idea!
@BraydenJames
Even better, with 240Hz screen, you can get 2 people looking at different screen in 3D, each refreshing at 60Hz. Or, 480Hz supporting 4 people in 3D. Awesome!
Just buy a regular 2d tv in the first place?
@WoodyHD
Its for the one guy at the 3d movie party who can't see 3d through the glasses, you mod his glasses to only show 2d so he can still enjoy the movie with everyone else.
@Grizz
If you can't see 3D using these glasses, what do you see when you put these glasses on? Regular 2D anyway?
If you got headaches from it, wouldn't you get them anyway?
So two people can see two different things on one television.
@plyx
Imagine halo multi-player with no split screen.
@plyx
Now that is a great idea. No more fighting for the remote.
@plyx Doesn't sound like it would work right, I think it would only work in black and white!
@Vincent180 Did Avatar only work in black and white?
@plyx
it's called "XBox Live"
Add 2 sets of super directional speakers and the ability to use two video sources and kiss TV arguments good bye.
You mean those things called "headphones"?
Now you can do 2 player games without needing to split the screen. That would be a very nice application.
@rolanddd
that's insane, i had to re-read the article to grasp the concept haha
What's the point of this, really?
@JP3009
Its for the one guy at the 3d movie party who can't see 3d through the glasses, you mod his glasses to only show 2d so he can still enjoy the movie.
@JP3009
What's the point of posting before reading the other comments?
And the point of this is....
@DoctarPeppar two screens in one
you could even do 4 screens in one with the right glasses
They need to make these for going to the movies I want to see in 2D, but are only being shown in 3D. I smell profit!
Didn't Mark Kermode do this with his "3D Rectifying Glasses"?
Re black and white into colour - reminds my of a snooker commentary gaff:
"For those viewers watching in black and white, the pink ball is just behind the green."
@thespacecowboy WTF is snooker?
Must be a British thing.
@crawcraw Like politeness, apparently.
@crawcraw It's Pool for people with an attention span of great than 4 minutes.
Can you imagine this being implemented in movie theaters? You simply go up to the counter and buy the glasses for the movie you want to see. Everyone would be in the same theater but each person sees a different movie. This has some potential...
@Alvarez
Are they wearing headphones for sound? Or will they have things you put in your ears that block out the other movies depending on the frequency?
@Alvarez
I can foresee a problem when I start laughing at the very moment the other movie I'm not watching becomes serious and vice versa.
Actually, both the audio and story line differences crossed my mind too but was too caught up by the awesome possibility of it. Either way, I still think this is awesome and love how technology is advancing this way
@Alvarez
It would be hilarious to see one person crying from a drama, to some guy laughing his ass off to a comedy, to another jumping out of his seat from a horror/thriller, all right next to each other.
@Alvarez
You'd need a damn high framerate display though.