Mitsubishi launches 3D TV

Our entertainment systems have evolved from black and white to colour, from fuzzy 576i to ultraclear 1080p, from mono to 7.1 surround sound, from Betamax to Blu-ray -- what's next, you might say? With Mitsubishi's latest line of televisions, the company has not just ventured a toe, but stuck out its leg into the elusive realm of 3D -- that is, 3D with the glasses and stereoscopic display.

Old '50s era black-and-white movies used what's called an anaglyph display, which simply means an image is colourised in cyan and blue and layered on top of each other, providing an image -- albeit fuzzy image -- with a 3D effect. The problem was if a person tilted his or her head even slightly, the image would appear askew.

Mitsubishi, however, is using circularly polarised glasses -- as seen in Disney's 3D movies, such as Chicken Little -- which superimpose two images on top of each other with an active filter, correcting the tilt problem and providing for a clearer and more convincing 3D image.

This year's product line includes three 73-inch models, along with several 65- and 60-inch plasma models. Mitsubishi is also partnering with Nvidia, using their Stereo Gaming system to enhance some of the most popular DirectX games (PDF link) with all that 3D goodness. The drivers are compatible with GeForce 7 graphics cards and above. The 3D effect is limited to PC sources, whether game or otherwise.

As for movies and TV programmes, the selection isn't so astounding. At a recent press conference, Mitsubishi showed off Star Wars: Episode II, light sabers and all blazing across the screen with a noticeable amount of depth. But don't expect this technology to takeover prime-time TV -- if it ever does -- in the near future. In Japan, Hyundai is also offering a 46-inch LCD that can display 3D TV broadcasts, although with limited programming.

Aspen Media Products has jumped onboard as well, marrying its specialty home media server technology, with Mitsubishi's package. Essentially this will be a high-end media centre PC hooked up to one of these Mitsubishi models; the company has yet to announce further details, though. Look for more information in the future and a possible review. -Matthew Panton