Download the
Tom's Guide App from the AppsStore
News and trends on internet
/ mobile / "sound & picture" / IT
Yes No

Toshiba LCD Prototype Does Simultaneous 2D, 3D

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

Toshiba's prototype incorporates two overlaying screens, one for 2D and one for 3D.

Last month during SID 2010, Toshiba Corp introduced a prototype 12-inch LCD that could display 2D and 3D images simultaneously. Toshiba is one of many manufacturers looking for ways to provide 3D content without forcing the end-user to wear special glasses to achieve the effect. Unfortunately, Toshiba's solution could be costly, as its current prototype actually incorporates two LCD screens.

Toshiba said that it has developed an "integral imagine method" that provided nine viewpoints. The panel displays 3D images by using Toshiba's "GRIN (gradient index)" lens that serves as an overlay. This lens--mounted on a separate LCD panel--changes the distribution of refraction indexes by controlling the gradient (orientation) of liquid crystal molecules.

A second LCD panel, sitting behind the first screen with the GRIN lens, serves as the primary source of 2D images. When the GRIN lens is turned off, the refraction index doesn't change, allowing light to pass normally. however when the GRIN lens is turned on, liquid crystal molecules align themselves in a radial pattern. These patters are formed in parallel with electrodes that are vertically aligned, creating stripes--this effect is what creates the 3D illusion.

According to Toshiba, it's possible to show both 2D and 3D images at the same time. This is made possible by partially turning on the GRIN lens screen. But as it stands, Toshiba has already thrown in a third LCD screen that can change the polarization of light by 90-degrees between the two panels. This allows the user to switch between 2D and 3D father quickly.

As with all prototypes, there's no guarantee that we'll ever see this product in stores.

Share:
16
Comments
X

Comments

CoderDunn 06/04/2010 8:11 PM
Hide
--2+

Quote :According to Toshiba, it's possible to show both 2D and 3D images at the same time


Sounds like a good way to get a head ache ...

dragunover 06/04/2010 8:15 PM
Hide
--3+

lol, way to read the article.

tpi2007 06/04/2010 8:33 PM
Hide
-13+

In my opinion this is the future. People don't want to arrive home and have to put on googles or glasses to watch TV.. it's absurd, they'll get fed up. They want to go to the kitchen or bathroom, and have to take them off, put them back on, etc, etc.. and then you can't find where you last put them, and you don0t have enough for your friends.. it really doesn't work in real life.

That's why Toshiba is doing this, they already got the message. It's only a a matter of time until they get it right at the right price.

figgus 06/04/2010 8:34 PM
Hide
-0+

dragunover :
lol, way to read the article.


Same to you, because simultaneous 2D and 3D display is EXACTLY what they were talking about, along with what would seem to be the resulting headache.

From the original quoted article:
It is possible to show 2D images and 3D images at the same time by partially turning on the second panel.

wolfram23 06/04/2010 8:50 PM
Hide
-2+

Radial polarization ftw! Good to see some progress being made.

heffeque 06/04/2010 9:48 PM
Hide
--2+

CoderDunn and figgus haven't quite understood what 2D+3D is for. Basically you see it 2D when not using special glasses and 3D when you are. You don't see both 2D and 3D at the same time.

drutort 06/04/2010 10:11 PM
Hide
-1+

father quickly? oh typo probably rather quickly :)

are there any video's of this on the net?

Anonymous 06/04/2010 10:15 PM
Hide
-0+

i am confused does this prototype use polarized glasses or no glasses at all? if glasses then can you see the 2D with the 3D on?

Anonymous 06/04/2010 10:23 PM
Hide
-0+

i can't tell from the article
does this use polarized glasses, shutter glasses or no glasses at all?

rollerdisco 06/04/2010 10:31 PM
Hide
-0+

OK, so i am new to the whole 3D thing, but why can the theater show a 3D movie without 150 dollar glasses, but we dont have 3D projectors yet? seems like it would be much cheaper, even if it required 2 projectors, and 15 dollar glasses.....(free if you keep them after the theater's showing.)

MxM 06/04/2010 11:58 PM
Hide
--1+

ANY 3D display can show 3D and 2D at the same time. If in 3D you show something that located exactly on the plane of the screen, then you have 2D image. You can remove glasses (or not) and see it.

What is cool about this display is that YOU DO NOT NEED GLASSES! and the particular way they are doing it. The title should have been about this, not the strange 2D/3D statement.

CoderDunn 06/05/2010 1:49 AM
Hide
-0+

dragunover :
lol, way to read the article.


Actually, I did read the article, which was why I quoted it.

Maybe I don't fully understand how this works, but after watching some poorly tacked-on 3D movies, it seems like to me a mix of 2D and 3D would be disorienting.

abswindows7 06/05/2010 8:08 AM
Hide
-0+

5d's tv soon in our room woohoo

ksampanna 06/05/2010 4:30 PM
Hide
-0+

I'm with the headache induction arguement.

gemmakaru 06/05/2010 5:46 PM
Hide
-0+

Every game I have played in the last ten years has been 3d, I am sure they must mean stereoscopic.

Zingam 06/06/2010 9:19 AM
Hide
-0+

gemmakaru :
Every game I have played in the last ten years has been 3d, I am sure they must mean stereoscopic.



stereoscopic is now called "3d"