The prospect of watching 3-D TV while wearing clunky glasses is less than appealing to many consumers — especially those already wearing glasses. TVs that don’t require glasses could be the solution, and Toshiba has confirmed it’s developing sets that could be on the market by year’s end.
According to an article in the Japanese newspaper Yomiyuri, the company is developing models using autostereoscopic 3-D technology. Although the technical details of Toshiba’s approach aren’t yet known, autostereoscopy can use one of several techniques to provide multiple vantage points so glasses are not required.
Not Till 2015?
On Tuesday, company spokesperson Yuko Sugahara confirmed that Toshiba is working on such technology, but she declined comment on reports that the sets could be out this year. She did say the technology transmits different images at different angles, which could create multiple viewing positions.
Regardless of Toshiba’s plans, the future of 3-D future is without glasses, according to Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). ITRI demonstrated a 42-inch glasses-free 3-D LCD TV in May, and a company executive said it can manufacture such sets up to 65 inches.
ITRI said the main issues for adoption of 3-D without glasses are broadcasting, content and eye safety, and it predicted that 3-D TV without glasses won’t be widely available until 2015.
While 3-D sets requiring glasses have been big news at trade shows this year, including models from Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, the no-glasses technology has been lower profile. There are currently no-glasses screens for in-store display that require the viewer to stand in particular locations, such as those using Phillips’ lenticular technology.
Nintendo DS in 3-D
Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, noted there is also no-glasses 3-D technology that achieves the effect by using two layers of glass, such as from a…