Toshiba Developing No-Glasses 3-D Televisions

Toshiba developing 3-D televisions that don’t require special glasses

TOKYO August 24, 2010 (AP)

Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it is developing technology for a 3-D television that won’t require special glasses.

Company spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara confirmed such technology was in the works. But she declined to comment on a report in the Yomiuri newspaper that the Tokyo-based company plans to start selling the new TVs by the end of the year.

Mainstream 3-D TVs now on sale, such as those from rivals Panasonic Corp. and Sony Corp., require glasses. But there are already screens that don’t require glasses, mainly intended for store displays. They require the viewer to stand in specific spots for the 3-D effect to emerge, and the image quality is much lower than that of screens using glasses.

Yomiuri said Mitsubishi’s technology involves transmitting different images at various angles to create an illusion of dimension and depth, a principle used by current glasses-free monitors.

Electronics companies have been investing heavily in 3-D technology for televisions, betting that people will want a 3-D experience at home following the success of blockbuster movies like “Avatar,” which was screened in 3-D.

Some gadgets like handheld game machines from Nintendo Co. can deliver 3-D images without special glasses.

“Many people don’t like to wear glasses to watch TV for a long time, especially people who must wear 3-D glasses over regular glasses,” said Sugahara.

link to original post at abcnews.go.com

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CNET Coverage of the same story

Toshiba to release glasses-free 3D TV this year?

by David Katzmaier

As early as the end of this year in Japan, according to a report, Toshiba will release televisions capable of displaying 3D content that, unlike current models, do not require viewers to don special glasses.

The report in Japanese newspaper Yomiyuri was neither confirmed nor denied by Toshiba. Company spokesperson Yuko Sugahar said Tuesday only that Toshiba has such technology in the works.

The technology, known generically as autosterescopic 3D, was thought to be at least a few years away from commercial viability, according to industry sources CNET has spoken with, such as THX. According to the newspaper, the date could come much sooner, though it didn’t provide more detail beyond saying that Toshiba will unveil three models of the television, which will cost several thousand dollars, before Christmas.

We’ll believe it when we see it. In the meantime, enjoy these cool videos.

link to original story with videos at http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20014509-1.html