Toshiba unveils 3D TV without glasses

By Laura Khalil October 4, 2010

Unveiled today at CEATEC 2010 in Tokyo, this is one of the largest announcements to come out of the electronics show; and for good reason.

The flat screen TV is intended to go on sale to the public and will be available in 12- and 20- inch sizes. Toshiba claims the TV will be able to easily and quickly switch between 2D and 3D modes.

So how did they do it?

Toshiba’s explains,”The newly developed technological innovation for 3D-TVs without glasses uses an integral imaging system. It provides nine different perspectives (parallaxes) of each single 2D frame which the viewer’s brain superimposes to create a 3-dimensional impression of the image. Toshiba achieved this thanks to its engineers’ huge knowledge of display technology and of semiconductor and software design. They developed a powerful engine and an algorithm to extrapolate these perspectives out of the 2D frame and used a perpendicular lenticular sheet, an array of lenses, that enable the viewer’s brain to superimpose the perspectives. It also offers a wide viewing area in front of the display and allows movement of the eyes and head without disrupting the 3D image and without the discomfort sometimes associated with other ‘glasses-less’ 3D technologies.”

Good luck wrapping your head around that. The fact is the technology is here and it’s coming into your family room. 3D technology is still in it’s infancy, so don’t worry, there’s not a whole lot to watch in 3D now anyways. But that market is expected to begin blossoming with more 3D television offerings being created to meet the demand.

Toshiba’s 3D television will be available at the end of December 2010 in Japan. No word on when the TV will reach Europe and North America.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Laura is a tech reporter for Digital Trends, the editor of Dorkbyte and a science blogger for PBS. She's been named one of…

Audio / Video

Samsung QN900D 8K TV first look: fully loaded flagship

Brilliantly colored traditional dress costumes seen in an arial view displayed on a Samsung QN900D TV.

I just got back from a visit with Samsung in New Jersey, where I got early access to some 2024 TVs. It's a trip I’ve been looking forward to since CES, where, quite frankly, Samsung had so many products to look at and cover at its First Look that it was hard to dive into anything with any real depth.

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the 2024 Samsung QN900D — Samsung’s flagship 8K TV this year. But before I dive into the TV, let me manage expectations a bit. The good news is I got to measure several TVs during my visit and do a fair bit of subjective analysis, so I have some things to say about picture quality for each model that I'll cover over the coming days. Still, I only got a few hours with the TVs, so these are not full reviews.

Audio / Video

What is spatial audio? The 3D sound experience fully explained

Person listening to spatial audio using Apple AirPods Max headphones.

Since Apple added “spatial audio” to the Apple Music streaming service and the AirPods family of wireless earbuds and headphones in 2021, it feels like you can’t read about new audio products or services without running into that term. And just a few short years later, it’s seemingly everywhere.

This has led to a lot of misconceptions about what spatial audio is, how it works, and why you need to hear it for yourself. People often ask, “If Apple created spatial audio, why are other companies claiming they do it, too?” The answer is that Apple didn’t create it, and you certainly don’t need to own its products to experience spatial audio.

Audio / Video

How to get a D-pad on your Apple TV Remote app

Directional buttons on the Apple TV Remote app on an iPhone.

There are myriad reasons why we consider Apple TV 4K to be the best streaming device you can buy. And one of those reasons is that the excellent integration with iPhones and iPads. With just a couple taps, you can use your mobile device as a remote control, for those times in which you simply can't be bothered to look for the little Siri Remote.