ShutterGlasses
Latest
Playstation 3D Display hits shelves November 13, Sony answers your burning questions
We'd imagine come November 13th, the above will be the scene inside many a PS3 owner's house. That's when Sony's hot little 24-inch PlayStation 3D display will officially be available in the US, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia. Sony took to its US PlayStation Blog today with the news, along with a lengthy FAQ to keep your GAS at bay in the meantime. If you'll recall, the 240Hz 1080p display packs a single set of component inputs, two HDMI 1.4 ports, stereo RCA outputs, a headphone jack, an integrated subwoofer, and of course, 3D-capability with supported titles. For five hundred bucks you'll get the PS 3D Display, one pair of USB-rechargeable 3D Glasses ($70 for each additional pair), a copy of Motorstorm: Apocalypse and even an HDMI cable. Notably, its fancy (and exclusive) SimulView feature will let two sets of 3D shades grab either the left or right side feed in supported 3D games for a private 2D view. Disappointingly, this puppy isn't wall-mountable, but hey, that 24-inch panel surely makes it ideal for a desktop setup, no? Full details at the links below, along with a refresher shot of those 3D specs just past the break.
Sony's 24-inch PlayStation 3D 'dual-view' monitor: here's how it works
Sony's got some wonderful ideas here at E3 2011, but the company's left quite a few threads for journalists to sew up -- what's the battery life like? How much will continuous client gameplay cost? Just how does that split-screen 3D monitor work? Sony's 3D gaming czar Mick Hocking flew in from Liverpool to talk stereoscopy with the press, and we've got some answers for that last one. What you see above is an LCD panel that refreshes at 240Hz, and delivering 3D at 60 frames per second to each eye, by using the typical active shutter glasses technique of blocking light to your left eye when the "right" image is displayed, and vice versa for the right eye. However, the glasses have a special button that makes both lenses of one player's glasses display images for the left eye, and both lenses of another player display images for the right, allowing each to have their own 60fps feed all the time for private split-screen gaming. While that potentially means you could use these glasses on non-Sony 3DTVs too and get the same effect (or, you know, just pick up a Sharp Quattron 3D or Vizio Versus, which do much the same thing). Hocking told us that this particular unit also does additional software processing to reduce ghosting. But what of games? The 3D guru said there'll be a number of titles supporting the feature when the monitor hits this fall, and that other 3D titles could potentially (and easily) be patched if they also support split-screen to begin with. Hocking says developer enthusiasm's been particularly intense for split-screen, even more so than the holographic and head-mounted display technologies that Sony's working on, and we may see the feature integrated in Bravia televisions should the idea take off.
Samsung crafts 'world's lightest' 3D glasses in partnership with Silhouette
You had to know that once LG sought a designer's inspiration for improving its 3D eyewear, Samsung too would be recruiting outside help with its three-dee goggles. Sure enough, Sammy has partnered up with Austrian design firm Silhouette to deliver what it claims are the world's lightest 3D glasses, weighing a measly 28g. The design is such that all the electronics are housed in two compartments at the rear of the specs, permitting for a perfect weight balance between the front and back. They'll supposedly fit on adults and children alike, will recharge wirelessly, and will also detect when 3D content is being beamed at them and automatically switch on and off. Their ability to deliver compelling content to make 3D TVs worth it, however, remains a mystery. We should be seeing plenty more of these active shutter lightweights at CES this week.
Sony's active shutter glasses now on sale, $150 buys your eyes a third dimension
Sony may have an impressive lineup of 3D HDTVs, but only the LX900 series comes with the requisite glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment. Thankfully, the company sells active shutter specs separately, and they're now on sale -- you'll find pairs shipping now for $150 a pop at the Sony Store and several small e-tailers via Amazon. Keep in mind you'll still need an IR emitter to sync those shades -- also available, for a $50 extra charge -- and likely a 3D Blu-ray player (or a PlayStation 3) if you want to have anything to watch. Isn't the future grand?
Why there's no such thing as universal 3D glasses
Some consumers hate everything about 3D and probably spend ridiculous amounts of time collecting facts to enforce their argument that 3D is a gimmick and will end up a passing fad. One of the more recent observations of evidence was the fact that a pair of 3D glasses from one 3DTV aren't compatible with other 3DTVs. We agree that this is less than ideal, but then again we've always thought the same thing about the remotes that come with all our home theater components. XpanD intends to release its X103 universal shutter glasses, but do they really work as good as the ones that ship with your 3DTV? Evidently just being compatible with the IR sync signal isn't enough, and in fact 3D glasses are often tinted to optimize the picture quality -- like including an amber tint to correct the colors on a 3DTV. In addition, the glasses do block light and one pair of glasses for a 3D LCD might block too much light to be used with a plasma -- since it can't get bright enough to let you skip the tanning bed. This seems like a valid concern, but it also seems like a problem that could be overcome with appropriate calibration techniques. But then again, everyone would still have to have the same pair of glasses, so it kind of defeats the purpose.
Toshiba Dynabook TX/98MBL is first to play Blu-ray 3D content
Ah industry firsts, a chance to grab the spotlight before the world grabs hold of your coattails. Toshiba's Dynabook TX/98MBL claims to be the industry's first laptop to play back 3D content in Blu-ray format when it ships at the end of July in Japan. The 15.6-inch laptop with LED backlit 120Hz panel (60Hz to each eye when viewed through active shutter glasses) pushing 1,366 x 768 pixels utilizes WinDVD BD to playback the Blu-ray 3D format with some help from NVIDIA's 3D Vision software and GeForce GTS 350M hardware with 1GB of dedicate video RAM. Inside you'll find a Core i7-740QM processor, 640GB of hard disk, up to 4GB of memory, a Blu-ray disc drive of course, and harman/kardon stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio to help make the most out of 3D gaming. Price is not listed but it's expected to list for about ¥250,000 (about $2,700). What, you do want 3D on your 15-inch laptops don't you? Update: Toshiba wants you to know that it'll be called the Toshiba Satellite A665 in Europe, presumably because "TX/98MBL" can only be pronounced by the Japanese.
Sharp plunges headfirst into 3D market with LV-series Quattron TVs, Blu-ray DVRs
Looks like Sharp's keeping its word -- next month, the fourth-largest LCD TV maker will launch a slate of new 3D TVs in Japan, just as planned. Based on the same Sharp Quattron quad-pixel technology that made George Takei's jaw drop, the new LV-series of AQUOS panels will come in 40-, 46-, 52- and 60-inch sizes when they debut July 30th, and feature 1080p resolution, UV²A panels and a high-speed signaling technology named FRED that Sharp says increases brightness and reduces crosstalk. More interesting are the AN-3DG10 glasses that come with them, which reportedly allow each individual viewer decide whether to view content in 2D or 3D -- we're guessing by tweaking the glasses to show either the left or right image to both eyes simultaneously, instead of flipping back and forth. Of course, you'll also need something to watch, and thus Sharp will also release a pair of Blu-ray DVR units, the BD-HDW700 and BD-HDW70, which record two simultaneous Japanese television programs onto terabyte-sized hard drives when they're not sending Blu-ray 3D content to the aforementioned displays. While mum's the word on pricing, Impress Watch believes the TVs will start around ¥280,000 (around $3,067) and top out at a cool ¥600,000 ($6,581) for that 60-incher, and says that US and European variants are expected later this year. While you wait, why not take a deep dive into the details -- you'll find an entire brochure's worth at our source links.
Samsung's fancy 3D glasses up for Amazon pre-order
If you're into looking like Dog the Bounty Hunter, Lisa Loeb, or a child required to wear a crash helmet by his insurance company then Samsung's got the 3D specs to suit your style. Moving around the clock starting at the lower lower-left in the image above, we've got the $149.99 SSG-2100AB, $199.99 SSG-2200AR, and pink and blue $179.99 SSG-2200KR for kids or hipsters with tiny tiny heads. The latter two models feature rechargeable batteries unlike the battery-powered SSG-2100AB. All are up for pre-order on Amazon, and will have you puttering about the third dimension in no time... just as soon as a release date is announced.
Optoma adds HW536 and EX762 DLP projectors to the 3D party
If 3D monitors aren't doing it for you, here are a couple of larger display options -- our lucky pals over at Engadget Chinese witnessed the birth of Optoma's two new 3D projectors in Taiwan yesterday. Pictured on the left is the HW536 cinema DLP projector (NT$36,900 or about US$1,150), which has HDMI input and projects a 1,280 x 800 image at 2,800 lumens with a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. Next up is the EX762 business DLP projector (NT$79,900 or US$2,490) that also sports HDMI input and a network jack, while delivering a 1,024 x 768 resolution at 4,000 lumens and a 3,000:1 contrast ratio. Just to add a tad more burden to your overdraft, each pair of ZD101 shutter glasses -- not bundled with either projectors -- will cost you a further NT$4,000 (US$125), in return offering a wireless range of up to eight meters courtesy of Texas Instruments' non-directional DLP Link technology (so no need to position any external emitters). A couple of close-up photos after the break.
Acer's GD235HZ 23.6-inch 3D display is ready for your glasses-equipped exploits
You could say 3D has hit the mainstream computer today (or something similarly bombastic and partially untrue), as Acer has just released its GD235HZ 120Hz LCD, specially prepped for working with NVIDIA's 3D Vision active-shutter glasses system. The 23.6-inch, 16:9 display retails for $399, and while it's going to be great for 3D gaming for the next few months until you grow bored of Avatar and frustrated by Left 4 Dead 2, the 1920 x 1080 resolution is going to really come in handy once the first crop of 3D Blu-ray movies starts hitting. Of course, the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit is sold separately for $199, and requires a compatible NVIDIA card, but that's a small price to pay for total spatial immersion, right? PR is after the break.
AMD readying a demo of the Blu-ray 3D standard, might not wait for it to exist first
AMD and CyberLink, which recently integrated SENSIO 3D technology into its PowerDVD player, are already touting a 2010 CES demo promising to show off their implementation of "the forthcoming Blu-ray stereoscopic 3D standard." While the world continues to wait for an announcement on what the 3D Blu-ray standard will actually entail (backwards compatible 2D combo discs, and Full HD stereoscopic technology are definitely on the list) AMD is ready to leverage its position as a contributing member of the Blu-ray Disc Association and make sure that when discs hit the market -- likely around the time Avatar is released at home -- it has compatible software and hardware available. We've prepped and ready for the glasses-required trials that promise to be featured at many booths during next months Las Vegas experience, so a note to potential exhibitors: sports and videogames are the best bet for an impressive 3D showing, bring Space Harrier 3D for extra bonus points.
LG first to hit mass production with Full HD 3D LCD monitors
The 3D revolution, whether you like it or not, is gathering steam. LG has just announced the world's first mass produced Full HD 3D-capable monitor, which spans 23 inches diagonally and looks to sport a pleasingly minimal bezel. The company hasn't spilled much in the way of further info yet, though the PR blurb (after the break) makes mention of Korea's plans to introduce Full HD 3D broadcasts, as well as satellite 3D broadcasting trials set to take place in the UK and Japan. Based on shutter glasses tech -- which seems likely to be the way forward -- this panel benefits from such great buzzwords as a "copper bus line" and a "high performance 3D exclusive controller," the benefits of which we'll have to wait a little while longer to discover. CES 2010, here we come.
Ready or not, the latest 3D technology is coming home
Avid readers of Engadget HD are up on the latest 3D display and display technologies, but the same can not be said for the general masses. And before you start on the whole "I'm not wearing any stupid looking glasses," because no matter what you say, there are more people paying extra to go 3D movies than ever and the reason is simple; it's because this isn't like the crappy 3D you saw during the Super Bowl last year -- or that our parents grew up with. No, the 3D that Sony, Panasonic, and others are promising next year is like nothing you've seen. We've come a long way since the old anaglyph red and blue glasses that come in cereal boxes. So if like most, you could use a refresher on the 3D technologies and when you might get to use them, you should head on over and check it out.
