Nvidia 3DTV Software Allows For Desktop and Laptop Owners to Connect to 3D Television
Windows 7 or Vista easily will connect to your easily. Nvidia has announced the release of its new 3DTV Play software, which allows owners of desktops and laptops that use Nvidia graphics to connect their Windows Vista or Windows 7 systems to new 3D televisions. This looks like yet another branch of Nvidia’s 3D ever-expanding 3D initiative, which already encompasses 3D Vision (released last year) and 3D Vision Surround (due for release sometime this year).
3DTV Play can be run on any desktop or laptop with video hardware based on Nvidia GeForce GPUs, and that also has an HDMI or a DVI connector. It includes full support for all HDMI 1.4–compatible 3D TVs, and can display in 1080p24, 720p60, or 720p50 3D formats.
The 3DTV Play software will be available later this spring, and will be sold separately. Pricing has not yet been officially announced, but Nvidia expects it to be $39.99. According to an Nvidia statement, the software will also be made available for free (via a future software update) to current 3D Vision customers.
3D Games Will Entice You To Purchase a 3D Television
Playing games in 3D right now requires a lot of work on your part, or at least a lot of money. An Nvidia rep told me that you could get a decent 3d-capable tower for $800-$1,000, but it was telling that the setup they had me playing on at the press preview for the game had a to-be-announced Nvidia GPU inside a 3.5-foot-tall tower with a plexiglass side to show off the water cooling inside. Sure, it’ll work with a slower computer, but if you want a great experience, expect to pay top dollar.
That’s because 3D gaming will basically require a doubled framerate to get video as smooth as we’re used to with 2D games, as it’s processing a frame for each eye instead of one for both.
But that’s fine. Unless you’re a hardcore PC gamer or a serious early adopter, I wouldn’t suggest running out and dropping $4,000 on a tower. What was exciting about this was that it felt like a glimpse into the near future.
PCs, after all, aren’t where the majority of players get their gaming done. They play consoles. The PS3 is getting 3D capabilities this summer through a couple of firmware upgrades; the same is coming to the Xbox 360 sometime soon. In any case, even when the PS3 and Xbox 360 get 3D support you’ll need a new 3D HDTV that supports HDMI 1.4 to run em, so it won’t suddenly make 3D gaming mainstream.
And since 3D requires a doubled framerate, you shouldn’t expect to be able to play the current crop of console games in 3D even when the PS3 gets that ability, because most of them are already pushing the console hard to hit its framerate as-is. Doubling that will not work out very well.
3D gaming is cheap and will encourage a new generation to accept 3D as a benefit, not a burden. The current generation – folks 25 and above – still see 3D as a gimmick. Kids will see 3D as an extension of the immersive experience gaming has offered them their entire lives.
Mark my words: the vast majority of TV viewers will never have a 3D TV in their home. Maybe some die-hards will buy a few pairs of glasses to watch the Super Bowl in 2015 but you and yours will probably never find any good reason to go 3D. However, if you’re a gamer you owe it to yourself to try a 3D set-up and perhaps upgrade. It’s a lot of fun.
So sorry, everyone. The 3D TV party is over. 3D TV is, in short, the Laserdisc of this era and what comes next – the perfection glasses-free 3D television displays. The current crop of 3D TV is an interstitial technology aimed at grabbing a few upgrade dollars. If TV manufacturers really cared about selling a whole new crop of TVs, they’d try much harder to convince the world that it needs what they’re selling.
3D Television Technology is Here
Is everyone ready for a television revolution? Fasten your seatbelts for the launch of 3D TV by several major television manufacturers this year. Not only will we see 3D televisions come available, but we will also see the launch of several 3D television program this year as well.
Surprisingly, 3D TV Technology has been around for a number of years now. This technology is being experienced not only the movie industry, but now there is an explosion of 3D technology also being made available to the public in the television industry. There are already products being introduced into the television market that are available for purchase for your own Home 3D Theater experience.
It is questionable as to how quickly these products and this new technology will be snapped up by hungry consumers. There are leaders of companies that are investing huge financial resources into the development of this new wave of 3D technologies who think that within the next 10 years the sale of 3D products will comprise HALF of their television sales!
2010 is the year of 3D TV, come back soon to follow how the launch of this new technology unfolds.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Brings 3D to Life
LAS VEGAS — January 5, 2010 —Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. (MDEA) will showcase the flexibility and versatility of its 3D-ready TV products by displaying 3D content delivered by various video sources, including Blu-Ray players at CES 2010 in the “Experience 3D Tech Zone”. MDEA has also announced a new 3D adapter which will provide Mitsubishi 3D-ready Home Theater TV owners with an easy and affordable solution to display 3D from a 3D Blu-Ray player. The Mitsubishi 3DC-1000 3D adapter will be available in late spring of 2010. MDEA will be located in CES booth #14548, Central Hall.
“As a pioneer in the 3D television market, Mitsubishi is bridging the gap for consumers to experience this break-through technology,” said Frank DeMartin, vice president of marketing, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “3D is definitely a large screen experience, and Mitsubishi offers the most models and largest screen sizes of 3D-ready TVs available today, including one of the world’s largest mass produced 3D-ready TV at 82 inches.”
At CES, MDEA will be rolling in its massive and impressive 53-foot Mobile Marketing Showroom (MMS) into the “Experience 3D Tech Zone”. The MMS will provide a 1000-square-foot showroom showcasing a wide variety of new 3D content displayed on both LaserVue™ and Home Theater TVs. 3D entertainment will be demonstrated on a laser-powered television, using a 65” LaserVue TV and MDEA’s Home Theater TV product line will be displaying cross-platform content on its 60”, 73” and 82” televisions.
MDEA began distribution of 3D-ready TVs in 2007. To help consumers experience and learn more about 3D technology, MDEA has displayed highly interactive retail demonstration kiosks in more than 150 home theater dealers nationwide, enabling consumers to experience 3D as it would perform in a typical home setting. The in-store 3D display is equipped with a Mitsubishi Home Theater TV and media server, as well as stereoscopic glasses and an IR-emitter. Each demo showcases all the products needed to watch 3D movies or play 3D games at home.
“Consumer demand for 3D-capable TVs will continue to rise in 2010 and beyond, and the industry will see Mitsubishi continue to provide solutions for mass consumer adoption,” said David Naranjo, director of product development, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “We expect 2010 to be the year that 3D finally achieves mass consumer adoption, and are working to continue to pioneer innovation to make it easier than ever for consumers to experience this next big step in home entertainment.”
About Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of premium quality 1080p Home Theater TVs and Unisen™ Flat Panel TVs along with the world’s first laser TV: LaserVue®. Recognized as the world leader and innovator of large display high-definition televisions, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America builds products that lead the industry in quality, performance and ease-of-use. For additional information about MDEA, visit www.mitsubishi-tv.com.
In order to display 3D images, Mitsubishi LaserVue® & Home Theater 3D Ready TVs require source devices to support checkerboard format for display of 3D gaming or 3D Blu-ray content. Some 3D Blu-ray players (BDPs) may output a
checkerboard format that is compatible with Mitsubishi 3D Ready TVs. For 3D BDPs that do not output a compatible
checkerboard format, Mitsubishi plans to offer the 3DC-1000 3D adapter. The 3DC-1000 will convert the 3D BDP output to a
3D format that can be displayed by any Mitsubishi 3D Ready TV.
