I Think You Know This Part Already
Okay, so ordinarily what you're watching on a 3D TV is 3D content. That is, each eye is fed content filmed from a slightly different angle to emulate depth perception. Thus, your TV needs to be capable of showing two different images simultaneously. 3D televisions already do this, it's built in. What the glasses do is filter the content so that the left eye sees one image and the right eye sees another. This is done with polarization and there's quantum physics involved but I won't get into that. It's not important.
The Really Simple Explanation
Instead of polarizing the glasses for two different eyes, you polarize them for two different players. Thus, player one's glasses are both polarized one way and see one image, player two's glasses are polarized the other way and sees the other image. Essentially, player one and player two only get to see a 2D image but in return they get to play from the entire width of the screen.
Sony Tax
What I don't understand is why Sony is charging so much ($69) for extra glasses. Polarized lenses are cheap! Maybe it's the tech that allows the lenses to change polarization that costs so much... No, that's also cheap. You're paying Sony Tax for those glasses. If I had a Sony 3D TV and needed new 3D glasses I'd just make my own from those you get at the movies. These ThinkGeek De-3D Cinema Glasses sound like a real bargain at 14.99. They only sell them polarized for the right eye though. Perhaps if the TV takes off they'll consider left polarized versions.
Do I Need a New TV?
Highly doubt that. Any 3D TV already on the market can do this. But the glasses that came with it are probably polarized in only one way like the ones you get at the theaters. Nobody anticipated a need for the ability to change polarization. Again, you can just make your own pair from the cheap glasses they give out at 3D movies.
It's a rather brilliant use of a 3D display, actually. And hindsight being what it is I now wonder why it took so long for us to get this.
12 Comments
What is preventing me from using a larger-cheaper 3d TV instead of something that says Sony on it? probably nothing its the same technology.
those are some pricey "Sony glasses" when you think about what is actually happening
But even though it's shutter glasses instead of polarization the principle is still the same:
- Two images are being streamed.
- Both players are shown opposite images.
You don't need new tech for that. You know how old shutter glasses are? Damn, they tried to make that work on computers in the 90s. Anybody remember that? Sold like canned spinach in a bodega. (Read: not very well.)
So there's a wiki now? When I created this there wasn't one. It was shortly after the announcement.
There's less misinformation here than you'll find in the other gaming blog that think there's anything new about this tech.
I'd be impressed if Sony were streaming FOUR alternating images and gave both players a 3D experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVJcVPvjUJo
So yeah, I was right the whole time:
- You don't need a Sony TV
- You can use glasses from the Theater
- Sony Tax
The article stays as it was written. Feels good man.
Yes I realize this is an old thread but talking about misinformation getting, corrected then remaining adamant that you were right is wrong.
I left the article as-is is because it explains pretty clearly how Sony found a creative use for already available technology. The difference between passive glasses and shutter glasses are semantics. I wasn't aware that home televisions were still using shutter glasses for 3D. Polarization is what I'm most familiar with. The bottom line and the whole point of the article was to explain why you don't need a new 3D television to do this.
Re: Sony Tax
LOL! In my defense that was before I knew they were active shutter glasses. As I said before I'm enjoying the irony so the article stays as-is. I dunno. I mean, I probably should change it but the irony is so palpable! This article is still more informed than what I was seeing from tech blogs. I mean, immediately after they made the announcement at E3 I was like, "Of course! Why did it take so long for this to happen? It's so obvious in hindsight!"
Polyphonic: the same as it is now. When you played Goldeneye deathmatches against your bro did you have trouble telling the sound effects from your side of the screen apart from his? Of course not. You react to what's meant from you and filter out the rest. You should be used to this by now.
Just a shout anyone like me, this article will not help you use your active 3D TV to do split -> full screen gaming. I have searched for hours and have not been able to find anyone who sells left-eye/left-eye and right-eye/right-eye active 3D glasses.
The comments talk about how old shutter tech is, but If it's so old any easy why aren't people selling glasses to customers like me who want them?
Add a Comment