Mitsubishi working on 3D Blu-ray players, displays
By Nilay Patel 
posted Aug 24th 2007 4:26AM
posted Aug 24th 2007 4:26AM
We've seen a couple attempts at large-scale 3D displays that split DLP's 120Hz display rate into two 60Hz HD fields, but Mitsubishi is apparently showing off a slightly more advanced version of the technology at The Barclay's PGA Tour event, featuring 3D content on Blu-ray discs. According to CNET, the company showed off a Blu-ray system using a "massive" Dell desktop and a large DLP display that enabled viewers to watch commercials, movies, and sporting events in 3D using special stereoscopic glasses. The content had been shot in 3D from the get-go, but Mitsubishi says it's working on a Blu-ray player that will be able to turn standard 2D content into simulated 3D -- and that it'll be out early next year. The company also coyly hinted that it's talking to a "console manufacturer" about integrating the tech into a game system. We'll give you one guess as to who that might be.[Image courtest of TWICE]
D'uhhhhhhhhh........Atari?
So, HD DVD can do that too. Including 720p HD download on XBL can do that too... whoopie-doo! Good thing I've Optoma HD70 DLP and it does 120hz and can read 1080p and native at 720p. Friggin sweet size... up to 310 inches from bottem left to top right.
Cool, do the dorky glasses come with it? Even the nicest polarizing glasses look kind of dorky, though supposedly the theaters playing a 3D version of a movie sell 3x as many tickets, so maybe it's being accepted.
I think Blu-Ray might be promoted here for two reasons, the standard allows a higher constant bit rate because it's running at a far higher frame rate. I think most downloads are 24 & 25fps, to do the same, they need to encode 48 & 50 fps progressive to get the same effect as film, otherwise it will look like 12fps strobing. Doubling the data that needs to be encoded also means cutting the effective run time on a disc. I think Mitsubishi is on the Blu-Ray consortium as well.
Quite interesting in light of comments from Kodak at the recent AIMC during the Real D presentation, as they seem to think that 3D will be in homes within 4-5 years.
Having now seen both the Kodak/RealD and Dolby solutions for 3D Cinema, I personally think its a lot further off for the home than that. Even in a Cinema its still a bit 'gimmicky', the U2 3D being a great example, your eye is drawn to the waving hands in the foreground not to Bono who seems a bit distant further back in the shot.
Watching the footage without the polarised glasses resulted in little if any change to the image at all.