Toshiba expands plans for 3DTV

Toshiba pushes forward with it's 3D televisions that do not require glasses. Sales of the TV start in Japan this week. Toshiba plans for global launch of these televisions 40" and over next year.

More details are expected to be announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January of 2011.

Quality of the 3D experience has been a large concern for many, and they have stayed away from Autostereoscopic TV development. Instead they have continued forward with the sets that require glasses.

Personally I see this as the debate between watching 3DTV all the time or not. If I was expecting to be able to watch everything and WANT to watch everything in 3D I would not want to have to wear glasses. As with the current movie experience, there is no issue with wearing glasses for a limited time to experience high quality 3D. I believe 3D is a feature, not an all time viewing experience.

Toshiba is taking the line that the world will shift to watching 3D more often than not, and will not want to wear glasses and do not expect to. They feel this will put the Japanese companies back in front on the technology curve. This is an advantage they feel they have lost to the South Korean TV manufacturers such as LG Electronics Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

The illusion of depth without special glasses is very hard to achieve. Viewing angles are the problem, there are only a limited number without glasses. Step outside of those zones and the image will be fuzzy or blurred, and a very bad viewing experience. Most believe the technology hurdles in the way for glasses free 3DTV will be in the way for 5 to 10 years.

As a side note, Toshiba has pushed out their Google TV. They will introduce sometime next year, but did not explain any of the reasons for the delay. Google Inc. has also pulled the plug on their plans to show at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. Numerous reports have been coming out about the IPTV and the challenges with using the product.

I have posted previously about the challenges of 3DTV and IPTV. Numerous challenges remain to have these features become user friendly.

JZ!