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Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display
Stream TV has been touting its Ultra-D glasses-free 3D tech for quite some time now, but we've still yet to see anything resembling a marketable product. The company's already snagged one manufacturing deal, but in the latest announcement of a partnership with Hisense it's revealed the specs of an actual device -- a 42-inch 1080p display. If you think the details end there... well, you'd be right, although the numbers do suggest something tangible is indeed in the pipeline. We might find out more at IFA 2012 where Stream TV will be showing off its latest gear, so here's to hoping. And, if you'd like more info on the Stream TV / Hisense agreement, the full PR is available after the break.
Toshiba strains metaphors, carries its laptop range over the Ivy Bridge
Toshiba is announcing a slate of new machines that all sport Intel's Ivy Bridge internals. The more austere Dynabook Qosmio T752 sheds the color-changing shell of its predecessor in favor of brushed aluminum. The AV-centric machine sports a TV Tuner and Blu-Ray drive in addition to its 15.6-inch LED-backlit 1366 x 768 display, a 1TB HDD and 8GB of RAM -- all playing second fiddle to that 2.3GHz Core i7 CPU. You can also pick up the glasses-free 3D Qosmio T852 with an autostereoscopic display and a Dynabook T552, with all of those fun features stripped out, but promising a slightly (five hour) more longevous battery life. At the same time, the company is outing a Regaza home-entertainment PC that comes hitched to a 23-inch 1920 x 1080 display, the same 2.3GHz Ivy Bridge chip and a pair of TV tuners, one analog and one digital. We'll see these arrive in stores in Japan starting May 25th, with pricing and availability over here currently in the wind.
Stream TV finds a manufacturing partner in Pegatron for glasses-free 3D displays
We've been hearing about (and even seeing) Stream TV's Ultra-D autostereoscopic 3D chops for a while now, but so far there hasn't been any actual hardware to show for it. That could change soon, since the company is announcing OEM Pegatron as a manufacturing partner today. Ultra-D's claim to fame is the ability to bring clear 3D to displays of varying sizes, from portables to HDTVs with no loss of quality as well as SeeCube 2D-to-3D conversion technology. Pegatron builds devices for more recognizable names like Apple, Asus, Toshiba and others, and once they're ready to build products around the tech it should be able to put them together at more affordable prices than we've seen for glasses-free 3D hardware so far. CEO of Stream TV Mathu Rajan says this partnership will help it bring Ultra-D products to customers this year, so it might be time to clear out some space next to that 3DS and Evo 3D. We'll be convinced when we have Ultra-D hardware in our own hands, but until then you can check out the full press release after the break.
Is this an image of the LG Optimus 3D 2?
What you see before you is either the deranged rantings of a lunatic, or the second generation of LG's Optimus 3D, erm, 3D smartphone. Currently codenamed "CX2," the handset's packing a new NOVA autostereoscopic display for better brightness, an unnamed 1.2GHz dual-core TI CPU and an NFC module. What isn't changing is the dual five-megapixel cameras, the 8GB storage or the display's size or resolution. Our biggest gripe with the device was its heft, but if the rumors are true, it's slimmed down from 12mm to 10mm: making it significantly more pocket-friendly. Our palms are sweating in anticipation as Mobile World Congress inches ever closer to revealing the truth.
Sony demos 24- and 46-inch glasses-free 3DTVs, we go eyes-on (video)
Take a quick tour of the showroom floor here at CES and you'll certainly see, 3D days are here again -- at least, where flat panel manufacturers are concerned. And while the industry continues to pump out mass market iterations of the living room tech that hinge upon hideous eyewear, companies like Sony are hard at work behind-the-scenes refining displays that won't make you look a fool. The autostereoscopic panels, shown off at the company's booth in 24- and 46-inch models, employ a subtle 3D effect that isn't immediately noticeable. In fact, we found the visual pizzazz was best enjoyed when experienced from the side -- a feat possible due to the incorporation of multi-point viewing angles -- lending much needed depth to the onscreen image. Of the two, only the larger set can deliver full HD, owing to its beastly 4K resolution, whereas the 1080p panel on its lil' bro suffers when halved. Distance also plays a major role in the intensity of the 3D visuals, with effects holding up at a range of up to 2ft for the smaller screen and 10ft for the 46-incher. Normally, we'd recommend you skip on past the break to sample the in-development eye candy, but be warned -- you won't see much. These are truly TVs that need to be seen to be believed.
Hands-on Toshiba's 55-inch 4K glasses-free 3DTV
You remember that Toshiba glassess free 4K 3DTV we told you about? Well, we got a chance to catch up with it at a Toshiba CES event and we're happy to say it doesn't suck. Not only is the 4k mode down right breathtaking, but the autostereoscopic 3D technology has come a long, long way since we saw a demo of a prototype last year. Up to nine people can enjoy 3D on the local dimming 55-inch LED 3DTV, but the optimal number is four or less. There is an almost invisible camera in the base of the set that tracks your face and there can be circles and arrows displayed on screen that help you move to the absolute best spot -- wish all TVs made it so easy to find the sweet spot. On display was a production model for outside the US, but our slightly different version is expected in Q1 2012 for more than most have ever paid for a TV (~$10k).
Toshiba's 55-inch 4K glasses-free 3DTV ships in the US early this year, can we borrow $10k?
It's not a big surprise after launching in Germany and Japan, but Toshiba PR has confirmed to us and CNET that the company's 3,840x2,160 resolution autostereoscopic 3DTV will make its US debut in the first quarter of 2012, matching the "end of fiscal year" prediction we'd heard previously. There's no details on pricetag or model #, but given its $10,000~ sticker price overseas, we'd start shaking out those couch cushions now. The LCD maintains its QuadHD resolution when displaying 2D content, however switching into 3D mode drops the resolution to 720p. Other than removing the need for viewers to wear glasses to see the effect, it also uses face tracking to fine tune the experience for up to nine people. We'll have more info once it's officially unveiled in a few days, until then feel free to drool over the prototype it showed off last year.
Toshiba 55X3 4K 3DTV launches December 10th in Japan, no glasses necessary
Toshiba is finally ready to bring its 55-inch, 4K res 3DTV home in Japan, and buyers will have their first chance to part with 900,000 yen ($11,578 US) on December 10th. The 55X3 (ZL2 in Europe) still doesn't have a North American ship date, but we can still drool over its high res display and autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3D screen that adjusts for its viewers' location based on face tracking technology, although that results in a resolution drop down to 720p. Our last time getting eyes-on with a prototype panel was at CES and we probably won't see it again until we're back in Las Vegas in a few weeks, let's hope all that CEVO Engine technology Toshiba's plugged in for image processing makes it worth the wait... and the price.
Toshiba's 4K, glasses-free 3DTV announced in Japan with more specs this time
We first saw the retail edition of Toshiba's 3840x2160 resolution autostereoscopic (no glasses) 3DTV when it was announced in Europe at IFA last month, and now it has debuted in Japan during CEATEC. This time the company dropped a few more details, revealing that in lenticular 3D mode it's limited to an effective resolution of 1280x720, and showed off the face tracking that automatically optimizes the experience for up to nine simultaneous viewers depending on where they're sitting. Also mentioned were an optional THD-MBA1 input adapter due in 2012 and that 4K-res streaming IPTV is currently being tested. The Regza 55X3 will be priced comparably to its $10K~ Euro-spec counterpart when it arrives in December, but there's still no word on when it will ship in the US. Check out a few pictures of the presentation in the gallery below. %Gallery-135528%
Hitachi glasses-free 3D technology lets you view weird chicken things from multiple angles
We might not have chosen the above weird baby chick to pitch our autostereoscopic technology to the world, but at least it makes for some memorable imagery. The hatchling is a 3D image generated by projectors, overlayed on top of a real world object, which can be viewed by multiple people at multiple angles without the need for 3D glasses. Built-in sensors detect the viewer's positions and adjust the viewing angle accordingly. Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen this sort of technology -- heck, this isn't even the first time we've seen this sort of thing from Hitachi, but the company says it's continually getting better, with a marked depth resolution improvement over a technology shown off this time last year at CEATEC. The company is looking to implement the technology for both digital signage and entertainment purposes, eventually revolutionizing the way the world looks at 3D baby chickens.
Fraunhofer's STAN: four cameras, three dimensions, no glasses
There are some glasses-free 3D TVs around, but their limited viewing angles and poor picture quality aren't very inspiring -- so Fraunhofer's latest project is a welcome endeavor. It's developed STAN (STereoscopic ANalyzer), a system that lets broadcasters easily use four cameras instead of the usual two, for 3D recording. 3D needs a minimum of two lenses to register depth and keeping multiple shooters in sync is tough and expensive. That's led to the industry relying on two, which is why glasses-free (autostereoscopic) 3D TVs get such a poor picture; more cameras means more viewing angles. STAN co-ordinates the setup of the four cameras and then uses a feature detector to identify common elements in the pictures and merges them into a 3D image. Four cameras provide much more depth, which means more viewing angles, which means that if STAN gets picked up, these guys can throw away the sunglasses, even for live broadcasts.
Nissho starts selling 52-inch, glasses-free 3D TV with Full HD resolution in Japan
Remember Dimenco? A four-man splinter group of former Philips employees, the company has been hard at work refining its glasses-free 3D display tech and today some of the earliest fruit of its labor is going on sale. Nissho Electronics in Japan is beginning sales of a 52-inch LCD panel that can pump out full 1080p of 3D vision without requiring any headgear from the viewer. Initially, this big lenticular display will target businesses, who'll be among the few to be able to afford the ¥1.7 million ($20,820) asking price. Other specs include a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, 8ms response time, 700 nits of brightness, and a 60Hz refresh rate. The 3D on this TV is actually described as a unique "2D + depth" implementation, which can also be used to convert 2D images in real time. Great, now take a zero out of that price, ship it westwards, and watch the sales really take off.
Nintendo teases next gaming console, says it probably won't be 3D
Nintendo's been denying rumors of a new home console for nearly as long as we can remember, but every so often those crafty execs slip -- accidentally or intentionally letting us know that exciting things are in the works. Well, last we heard from Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, a stereoscopic 3D console was on the table, but Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime just swept that notion under the rug. "We've not said publicly what the next thing for us will be in the home console space, but based on what we've learned on 3-D, likely, that won't be it," he told CNN, prompting a legion of 3DTV owners to imagine that their favorite Nintendo characters cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. Why would Nintendo dismiss 3D for home gaming on the very same day that its 3D handheld set a sales record? Simply put, the company doesn't think the glasses-free 3DTV market is ready for such applications. Ah well -- guess we'll just have to settle for a Wii HD, then.
Kinect keeps surgeons on task, Nintendo 3DS might assist optometrists with diagnoses
The latest generation of gaming gadgets do some nifty tricks, and one of the niftiest they might perform is assisting the realm of medicine. Microsoft's Kinect sounded like a candidate for surgery, and this month real-life surgeons have actually put it to use -- Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, Canada rigged the Xbox 360 depth camera to its medical imaging computer. Now, doctors don't have to scrub out to manipulate an MRI scan, or even appoint a peon to the task -- rather, they simply raise their bloodied glove, and dive into the digital imagery with a wave of a dextrous hand. Meanwhile, the American Optometric Association has expanded upon its initial praise of Nintendo's 3DS, saying the autostereoscopic 3D handheld "could be a godsend for identifying kids under 6 who need vision therapy." Though Nintendo's warning labels had originally incited a bit of fear among parents, the organization says that kids who can't experience the 3DS to its full potential may have amblyopia (or other vision disorders) that can be more easily treated the earlier it's caught, though one doctor interviewed by the Associated Press contends that kids with amblyopia may not know what they're missing to begin with -- so don't necessarily expect a panacea, folks.
3DTV shocker! Toshiba's first glasses-free TVs selling slowly in Japan
In truly surprising news, it appears that a combination of high prices, small sizes and a somewhat questionable viewing experience have caused Toshiba's new GL1 line of glasses-free 3DTVs to sell more slowly than the company expected. In their first month of availability the 20-inch set, priced at 240,000 yen ($2,940), sold around 500 units while its 12-inch cousin sold even less than that, despite projections both would sell at least 1,000 units. Don't think Toshiba's letting its hard work go the way of the old Sony XEL-1 OLED TVs just yet, as we saw at CES, it's still committed to bringing autostereoscopic 3D in larger screen sizes to the masses despite the potential technological hurdles like providing more viewing angles for the 3D effect.
Hands-on with Toshiba's 4K glasses-free 3DTV prototype
We normally skip parties at CES, but occasionally there is a hidden gem or two like the prototype 4k glassesless 3DTV at Toshiba's event this evening. The LCD panel looks about as far away from production as any we've seen with its billet aluminum enclosure and red rope restricting access. The set can only display 4K in 2D mode, which is a-ok with us, and the only demo content was a 3D render of Final Fantasy that was impressive from its three viewing positions. Of course three viewing positions isn't exactly what we'd call practical for our home theater, and the 3D quality wasn't on par with what we've seen from active shutter 3D but it does show solid evidence that Toshiba is making some advancements towards the inevitable. Now, we sit back and wait to find out if we can afford it. %Gallery-112606%
Toshiba's Regza GL1 3DTVs going on sale in Japan tomorrow, no glasses required
The panacea of glasses-free 3D displays (or content) might not yet be upon us, but Toshiba's doing its best by putting the two models in its Regza GL1 family up for sale in Japan. Tomorrow marks the debut of the smaller 12GL1, spanning a 12-inch diagonal and offering the unconventional resolution of 466 x 350. That's expected to be priced at ¥120,000 ($1,431), exactly half of the ¥240,000 ($2,863) asking price of the 20GL1, which will follow it swiftly with retail availability on December 25th. The latter display has the decency to come equipped with a more civilized 720p resolution and 550:1 contrast ratio, although, as you can see above, neither panel can be accused of being unnecessarily thin or space-efficient. Still, this parallax barrier stuff is the best we've got for the moment -- and as usual the best we've got resides in Japan only. Update: The Wall Street Journal reports that Toshiba is planning larger members of this glasses-free 3D family with a panel of over 40 inches in the cards for the company's next fiscal year, which begins in April 2011. More to come at CES in January.
Apple granted patents for glasses-free, multi-viewer 3D system, colorful keyboard backlighting
We've seen a few Apple 3D patents before, but this latest IP portfolio addition shows Cupertino has clearly been thinking differently. At its core the system involves a screen, projector, sensor, and a 3D imager, which work together to allow multiple viewers to perceive 3D images from nearly any position in a room without glasses. This flexible autostereoscopic 3D effect is achieved by tracking user's positions and projecting pixels onto a reflective, textured surface that then bounces separate images into the left and right eye. Virtual interaction methods with the 3D projections are also described in the document, implying the technology has aspirations beyond passive viewing. Speaking of aspirations, Apple's approach clearly seeks to fix many common 3D issues at once. The most obvious is literally taking 3D glasses of the picture -- which we firmly support. On the flip side, the design addresses common faults with current glasses-free options too such as: ghosting and narrow viewing angles, while still keeping commercial viability in mind. That sounds magical to us, but considering the patent was filed back in 2006, we still expect 3D to be handled the old fashion way for quite a while to come. While we're on the subject of patents, a handful more popped in by way of Apple related to keyboard backlighting. Think multiple colors, individually lit, customizable by the user or automated based on environmental conditions and you get the gist. Hey, if it means a return for the Bondi Blue late 90's iMac design (with bright, matching keyboards), then we're excited. But it doesn't.
Sharp plans 3D smartphones for US, China and India in 2011
It might be all Japanese to you now, but Sharp's autostereoscopic 3D is coming to a smartphone near you next year. The tech will debut next month on the Softbank-bound Galapagos 003SH and 005SH Android handsets, but now Sharp has confirmed its intention to also bring it Stateside as well as to two of the world's most populous nations in China and India. It's not yet exactly clear what handsets those markets will be getting, but if you're looking for further signs of Sharp's expanding international ambition, the company's reported to also be contemplating extending its e-reading tablet platform out to the US and China. Taken alongside Panasonic's recently announced plans to start selling Android smartphones globally in 2012, this does suggest we might soon be watching a neat little resurgence from our buddies from the land of the rising sun.
Planar preps 23-inch SA2311W 1080p 3D monitor, backlit ProGlow keyboard
Oh, you know the bandwagon's in full-on rampage mode now. How so? Because Planar -- a company that generally strays far, far away from mere mortals in the consumer market -- has just announced a new 23-inch 3D monitor. It represents a stark break from the company's typical high-end-only approach, and it likely speaks volumes to just how quickly 3D is gaining steam in the PC gaming universe. The SA2311W display will boast a 120Hz refresh rate, 1920 x 1080 resolution, two millisecond response time, a height adjustable stand, VGA / dual-link DVI / HDMI inputs and support for NVIDIA's 3D Vision system. Naturally, you'll need a set of active shutter glasses to enjoy the eye-popping mayhem, and for those who've never tried 'em, they're a step below a welder's mask in terms of exterior visibility. To that end, Planar is also introducing the first keyboard designed specifically for users rocking 3D active shutter glasses -- the ProGlow (shown after the break) boasts seven adjustable light levels (plus off), enabling immersed gamers to still recognize which keys are which. Both devices are expected to ship in the US of A next month for $449 and $185, respectively, though we get the feeling those vicious 3D dinosaurs aren't included. Which is a bummer of epic proportions, if we should say so ourselves.