The last to try was Japanese video game machine-maker NIntendo with its 3D small hand-held gaming device. Nintendo suffered a$591 million loss over nine months after cutting profit margins when 3D sales failed to meet expectations, so glasses-free 3D is gutsy territory indeed.
However, we were curious when last week Sony trotted out a new all-in one computer that lets users watch 3D content without gasses, the Vaio Series L.
This technology is not new. The quest to produce a modern glasses-less or autostereoscopic 3D device goes back to the mid-1980s, and in the past Sharp has produced a glasses-less 3D TV while Fujifilm produced camera with an LCD screen not requiring eyewear. TVs capable of displaying 3D without glasses were -n show at the Consumer Electronics Show last year.
The technology that makes glasses-free 3D possible is totally different to the spectacled variety. Active shutter 3D glasses work by sending a different signal to each eye by opening an shutting each lens rapidly in sequence. Passive 3D glasses filter the light to alter the perspective that each eye sees.
Auto stereoscopic 3D uses a more complex process to ensure each eye sees a different perspective of the image. Sony's uses a webcam to track the position of each eye and the display adjusts the image that each eye sees.
Autosuggestion 3D uses a more complex process to ensure each eye sees a different perspective of the image. Sony's uses a webcam to track the position of each eye the display adjusts the image that each eye sees.
You see this first hand when you use the professional setting of the calibration software to fine tune the 3D effect. The screen displays green when you close your right eye during calibration and red when you close your left eye. Each eye sees completely different picture. It's extremely clever but has a big downside-- namely, only one person at a time can watch 3D on the screen. And you have to re calibrate the screen whenever a different person
sits in front of it to get a good 3D effect.
The Series L comes with a special a Vaio 3D portal for handling 3D content, including X-Tune, which you use for the calibration process . Other modules are Family Paint 3D, for drawing 3D designs on the touch screen, Cyber-link Power-DVD for playing for editing 3D and HD movies, Nvidia 3D Vision Photo Viewer for displaying 3D images and Play Memories Home for editing and sharing 3D content.
You must stay within a set range (60-80cm) in front of the display when in 3D mode. You can move around a little , as the webcam will keep track of your eyes' positions. There is, however, a slight delay to the screen adjusting to your new position.
Lighting also is important as the webcam needs to see your eyes, so you can't watch 3D videos in the dark. I found it best to have the light source in front of me to avoid a reflection on the screen.
The 3D effect worked to a point but it wasn't as deep or compelling as glasses-3D, and, incredibly, you can see the pixels. It was like viewing through fine gauze. Further, edges of objects looked fuzzy, even after calibration.
So, while viewing a 3D movie glasses-free was possible, and watchable, it was tiring as one's eyes are naturally trying to focus for sharp resolution which is not achieved.
The Sony also came with sample. jps 3D photos. Unfortunately, the gauze effect was even more pronounced. It was like viewing images through a FlyWire screen and most of an image was out of focus, bar the focal point. The software also can interpret 2D media and try to show these as 3D. There was on increased sense of depth when watching some . mp4 videos in this mode but it didn't seem full-on 3D.
I'm not canning Sony's implementation of glasses-less 3D altogether. In fact, Sony should be congratulated for getting its hands dirty at the cutting edge of technology. This company needs to do that more often.
But this 3D implemented is not of the quality of passive and active glasses 3D systems but, omer time, it may be.
The good news is there's more to the Vaio Series L than 3D. It's also a high-end Intel Core i7 all-in-one touchscreen desktop, and our test unit came with a 1.8 Terabyte hard drive, 8GB of RAM, a Ge Force GT 640M graphic card, a full HD 1920*1080 pixel, 24-inch display and a myriad connections including two HDMI ports, two USB 3.0 ports, RireWire and SD card slot.
For a machine costing $1999 and with many of the features of a windows media center and more, Sony should have included a TV tuner. It would have been a more attractive proposition with it.
In summary, the Sony Vaio L has novel but developing form of 3D and although it is blessed with high-en specs, you can get similar all-in-one desktop specs on cheaper unit costing about $1500 which include an inbuilt digital/analog TV tuner card. But it may appeal to some of technology
s early adopters. It is available now.
Price:- 1999
Rating:- 7
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