Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 8, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Despite the economic slowdown and weakening sales figures, the consumer-electronics industry is presenting an upbeat mood at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The trade show expects 130,000 visitors and numerous innovative high-tech product launches. A major focus will be new products in 3D technology. One prime example is graphics-chip manufacturer NVIDIA, which will introduce special 3D glasses at CES intended to make three-dimensional images visible on conventional computer monitors. According to a report by US portal Newsvine, the device, called “GeForce 3D Vision,” connects wirelessly to a PC and lets users play more than 350 existing computer games in 3D.
Beyond gaming, 3D technology could soon gain major importance in home cinema and television. Samsung, Sony and LG, for example, will present new flat-panel televisions at CES that feature advanced 3D capabilities in addition to integrated internet connectivity. Three-dimensional imaging technology also appears to be gaining momentum in mobile devices. One example is the Toshiba Matsushita Display joint venture, which, according to insider information, will present a three-to-nine-inch display at CES that allows 3D images to be viewed without special glasses. The 3D film used is said to be easy to integrate into current displays and to support both 2D and 3D images.
To demonstrate the advantages of three-dimensional display technology on site, CES visitors will be able to watch a 3D broadcast of an American football game. The sporting event will be filmed with special high-resolution Sony cameras and broadcast by the US pay-TV channel Fox. “The United States is once again a pioneer here. But I assume a market for this 3D broadcasting technology will also emerge in Europe,” said Helmut Digel, Director of the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Tübingen. After all, 3D technology offers users an enhanced viewing experience. “Sport is very strongly about emotions. With every additional dimension people can perceive, the intensity of the viewing experience increases,” Digel said.
The German optics group Carl Zeiss demonstrates that advances in 3D technology are playing an important role not only at CES but also at Macworld, already under way in San Francisco. Yesterday, the company introduced new video glasses that project films from an iPod or iPhone onto a virtual large screen.
