[By Natalie Shoemake, PC Magazine]

While monitor manufacturers have been more reluctant than their HDTVcounterparts to make the leap to 3D, some companies are embracing the trend. That includes Acer, which has released two 3D displays: the 23.6-inch HS244HQ and 27-inch HN274H.

Gamers looking to enhance their media experience will likely move more toward the 27-inch HN274H model, as it supports Nvidia 3D Vision as well as HDMI 3D, which allows you to hook up a Blu-ray or TV set-top box to watch movies or regular programming in 3D. It displays in a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution, has a refresh rate of 120Hz, supports LED backlighting, and boasts a 100 million:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Connection options include a DVI-DL port, three HDMI ports, and VGA. There’s also a built-in IR emitter for those spiffy Nvidia 3D active shutter glasses that are thrown in.

The 23.6-inch HS244HQ takes a step down in size and features, being that there’s no Nvidia 3D Vision support—just HDMI 3D—and it lacks LED backlighting. It also has a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, but a lower 12 million:1 contrast ratio. A pair of Acer’s own 3D glasses are also bundled in (there’s also a built-in IR emitter). Connectivity options are less than what the 27-inch model offers; only one VGA and two HDMI (cables included).

The Acer 23.6-inch HS244HQ and 27-inch HN274H are available now and are priced at $449 and $689, respectively.

Last month, Nvidia announced major changes to its consumer 3D Vision kit for adding stereoscopic 3D capabilities to home PCs, including a lower price and longer battery life. Earlier this week, Nvidia announcedthat it is making its 3D Vision video player technology freely available to Web developers, with the intention of simplifying the process of creating Web sites that stream 3D content to 3D Vision–equipped PCs.

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