Three dimensional movie viewing, around since the 1950’s, is nothing new; however, watching 3D TV without glasses is a new aspect on this exciting and immersive technology. The idea of seeing items leap from the television screen seemingly into your own lap without the bulkiness and discomfort of special eyewear is an enticing one, and a feature available to anyone.
3D glasses, while creating the feeling of being in the center of the action, do have their drawbacks. First and foremost, they can be expensive to purchase with a price tag beginning around $100.00 per pair. They can be most uncomfortable to wear, especially during extended use, and tend to slip around the face with movement. Lastly, the glasses are not the latest in fashion eyewear.
It is becoming possible to enjoy the full 3D experience of movies and games without the barrier of glasses, however. In an innovative and developing technology called autostereoscopy, special screens are integrated into televisions that deliver a three dimensional effect using lenticular lenses that create several different views of a single 3D frame. By controlling the degree to which light is emitted from the display controls, images are brought to each eye at differing angles. This method projects the differences in the images that the eye then perceives as 3D.
This type of three dimensional viewing is not without its faults, however. First, television watchers must be in close proximity to the screen to get the effects; two feet in front of 12” screens and three feet in front of 20” screens. In addition, they must be within a 40 degree range of the set. The need for a large number of pixels to reveal the multiple perspectives has a detrimental effect on resolution, which in turn has direct bearing on the sharpness and clarity of images projected on the