Freescale Semiconductor Inc. to unveil 3-D glasses

Freescale Semiconductor Freescale's RealD 3-D glasses are expected to cost about $100 for a set of two.

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. today will unveil new technology that allows viewers to watch 3-D television in their homes using specially designed wireless glasses expected to cost about $100 for a set of two.

The technology that allows the glasses and remote control to communicate with the television was developed and is being marketed at Freescale's Chandler and Tempe facilities.

The company will announce a partnership today with RealD Inc., which licenses 3-D technologies and offers the most widely used 3-D technology in movie theaters, at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association, more than 120,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event.

TV and game manufacturers could be shipping products using the technology within the next six months, said Glen Burchers, Freescale director of global consumer segment marketing.

"Some people are projecting that games are going to be what really drive the sales of this," he said. "I know Hollywood would not continue to make 3-D movies unless people were enjoying them and paying for them."

While there are no 3-D sports films yet, sports were the first to embrace HD technology so the potential for filming live sporting events in 3-D also exists, he said.

Freescale chips in RealD's glasses communicate with the TV and remote through radio communication called ZigBee RF4CE. Burchers said the company had a couple of customers interested in the technology, but no products had been shipped yet.

The lenses of the glasses turn off and on alternately without the viewer noticing and give a clearer, cleaner picture than the "passive glasses" used in movie theaters today.

Many of the consumer 3-D products shipping today rely on older infrared technology, which can be limited by line of sight and can suffer interference from household lights. Freescale says its technology enables devices to operate from longer distances and removes vision barriers.

Jim McGregor, chief technology strategist at Scottsdale-based In-Stat, called Freescale's technology viable for the time being.

"Obviously we're stuck with the glasses environment for the next couple of years until autostereoscopic technology comes down in price," he said.

Autostereoscopy does not require the viewer to wear glasses to see 3-D.

"The first place you're going to see that technology realistically is going to be in mobile devices," McGregor said. "Right now . . . it's really only good for about one user to be able to view it."

Freescale's technology will be a bridge to expensive big-screen TVs equipped with 3-D technology that won't require headwear, he said.

Burchers said creating a 3-D haven in the home would be fairly expensive.

"Most of today's high-end TVs will support 3-D and then you simply need a 3-D DVD player, which you can get for as little as $250," he said. "And then the glasses. The estimates are they'll be coming out at ($100 for a pair). So, you get a new TV and for another $300 or $350 you can be watching 3-D."

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Some Arizona firms attending CES

- Freescale Semiconductor Inc. based in Austin, Texas. The company, which has operations in Chandler and Tempe, announced there are 13 computer tablets for sale that feature its microprocessor technology. The tablets feature power management chips and sensors designed and manufactured in the metro area. The company says its technology will be inside 10 more tablets expected to be produced in roughly a month.

- iGo Inc. in Scottsdale said it will expand its portfolio of mobile accessories, including a light slim pocket projector capable of projecting videos from a Flip video camera, smartphone or other device; a compact USB charger for mini- and micro-USB or Apple devices; noise canceling headphones; sound disks that fit inside knit caps with a built-in microphone for smartphones.

- HPL LLC in Gilbert will be offering drying agents for electronics, including cellphones. The product is called Dry-ALL.

- IQ Smart Solutions will debut a mount to put an iPad on the car seat head rest so children or others in the back seat can watch shows or movies. The company also offers cellular-phone mounts for vehicles.

- Taser International Inc. in Scottsdale, known for its stun guns, said its Protector Safe Driver system for distracted driving will be available for sale for the first time at the CES. The device uses a base unit in the car, a handset application on the phone and software to lock down the smartphones of teenagers or others so they can't talk, text, e-mail or Web surf while driving. It costs $249.95 and there is a monthly subscription.

by John Yantis The Arizona Republic Jan. 6, 2011 12:00 AM




Freescale Semiconductor Inc. to unveil 3-D glasses

Hot electronics

Phillips 3D TV, Asus Netbook, Apple IPod, Sony E-Reader, Creative Labs MP3 Player, HTC F3188

Consumer electronics are again at the top of many shoppers' gift and wish lists. But this year, it's the small stuff that's creating must of the excitement.

Smartphones, tablet computers, netbooks and e-readers are muscling out last year's hot laptops and high-definition televisions as this season's top electronics gifts.

Many of hot gifts this year, such as Apple's iPad tablet computer, the Motorola Droid X smartphone and Kinetic for Microsoft's Xbox 360, weren't available last Christmas.

Other electronic products that were new last year, such as the Amazon Kindle, cost substantially less this year and are in high demand.

In order to give consumers a chance to get their arms around a "robust pipeline of new products," electronics-retailer Best Buy started its holiday promotions almost two weeks earlier this year than last.

As a result, consumers can expect to see steep discounts on laptops and LCD high-definition televisions as retailers seek to close out slower-moving products.

Some of the hottest electronic products this year include:

Tablet computers

These hand-held devices allow users to surf the Internet, watch videos, read newspapers and books, manage photographs and more.

- Apple's iPad tablet computer, which came out in April, is one of the hottest electronic gifts this season and starts at $499.

- Samsung Galaxy Tab, iPad's biggest challenger, is the first tablet computer with Google's Android operating system and is now available in the U.S. for about $650.

E-readers

The devices allow users to download books from the sellers' proprietary online bookstores.

- Amazon Kindle is the market leader and lets users read anything anywhere for about $100 less than last Christmas. $139 for Wi-Fi; $189 for 3G.

- Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader is Kindle's biggest competitor and is a Best Buy doorbuster on Black Friday this year for $100, or $50 off.

MP3 players

These fit in your pocket, play music, videos and games, and have come along way since Apple introduced the iPod Mini.

- Apple's latest version of the 32-GB iPod Touch holds 7,000 songs, 40 hours of video and can play up to 30 hours of music or six hours of video. $299.

Video cameras

Clunky camcorders have evolved into pocket-size video cameras that can hold hours of video.

- Flip Ultra HD is a pocket-size high-definition camera that holds up to two hours of video on its built-in memory. From $99.

Smartphones

These phones allow users to surf the Internet, take pictures, listen to music, check e-mail, send text messages and make phone calls.

- iPhone 4, the fourth generation of Apple's game-changing wireless phone, has an improved 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing video camera for video calls. $199 for 16 GB with a two-year service contract.

- Motorola's Droid X is a top iPhone competitor, with 4.3-inch display and an 8-megapixel camera. About $200, also with a two-year contract.

Video-game sensors

These sensors allow users to integrate their body movements into the games they are playing. Microsoft and Sony challenge the dominance of Nintendo's Wii this season.

- Kinect for Microsoft Xbox 360 brings video games to life without a controller. $150.

- PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3 video consoles is like Kinect and Wii, only with a handheld wand. $100.

Internet TV devices

These set-top boxes allow users to bypass cable and access television programs and movies on their high-definition televisions via the Internet.

- Apple TV brings TV shows, movies, videos photos from your computer to your television. $99.

- Logitech Review with Google TV streams video and music to your television and interfaces with regular cable TV. $300.

- Roku allows users to stream movies from Netflix to their televisions. $60.

Netbooks

These small, portable, relatively inexpensive computers can be used for e-mail, surfing the Internet and word processing.

- Lenovo IdeaPad S10, has a 10.1-inch screen, 512 MB of memory and battery life of 2.7 hours. About $400.

- Asus Eee PC 904HA has an 8.9-inch screen and battery life of 5.5 hours. Also about $400.

GPS devices

Navigators help users find their way on foot or in their cars.

- Garmin Nüvi portable GPS navigator features an auto navigator, calculator, currency converter, voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, world travel clock and more. From about $90.

Blu-ray disc players

These players accommodate next-generation Blu-ray format high-definition CDs and DVDs that hold significantly more content.

- Sony BDP-S550 1080 is Sony's newest Blu-ray disc player and offers excellent image quality and a solid feature set. About $500.

3-D televisions

Separate glasses are required and are sometimes included in the price of the TV.

- Panasonic plasma models exhibited the best 3-D picture quality and the least amount of ghosting, according to Consumer Reports. From $2,000 for a 50-inch screen.

- Sony Bravia is an LED-LCD 3-D model that is about $2,000 for a 55-inch screen.

by Max Jarman The Arizona Republic Nov. 24, 2010 12:00 AM





Hot electronics

Hulu - Tech This Out!: Is 3-D All It's Cracked Up to Be?

Hulu - Tech This Out!: Is 3-D All It's Cracked Up to Be?

Sony at work on 3-D TV that won't require glasses

TOKYO - Sony Corp. is working on 3-D televisions that don't need special glasses, joining a race with rival Toshiba Corp., but sees cost and technological hurdles to overcome before they can go on sale.

Toshiba said this week it is working on glasses-free 3-D TVs, although no decision had been made on when they will go on sale.

Mainstream 3-D TVs now on sale, such as those from Panasonic Corp. and Sony Corp., require glasses. But there are already screens that don't require glasses, mainly intended for store displays. They require the viewer to stand in specific spots for the 3-D effect to emerge, and the image quality is much lower than that of screens using glasses.

"Seeing 3-D without glasses is more convenient," Sony Senior Vice President Yoshihisa Ishida said Thursday at Tokyo headquarters. "We must take account of pricing before we can think about when to start offering them."

Sony showed its latest 3-D products for the Japanese market, including flat-panel TVs and Blu-ray recorders.

Sony said it plans to be No. 1 in market share in Japan in 3-D TVs and 3-D players and recorders, taking advantage of its position as an electronics maker with a movie studio.






by Associated Press Aug. 27, 2010 12:00 AM



Sony at work on 3-D TV that won't require glasses

3D TV FAQ | Crave - CNET

3D TV FAQ | Crave - CNET

by David Katzmaier March 12, 2010 6:45 AM PST

3D TVs are available now, but the new 3D technology inspires a Pandora's box of questions.

(Credit: 20th Century Fox)

The recent flood of news about new 3D TVs, itself spurred by the hype surrounding the 3D release of "Avatar," has raised a few questions. This article, arranged in the tried-but-true manner of "Frequently Asked Questions," attempts to answer them.

When this FAQ was first published in January 2010 we polled the six major TV makers that announced new 3D models--LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and Vizio--to help with some answers. We also gleaned information from enthusiast sites like AVS forum and EngadgetHD. In the last couple of months more details have been announced, and we've had more in-depth conversations on the subject. You'll find many updates incorporated into the answers below, which represent our best current information on the subject.

This article is targeted toward people looking for an introduction to modern 3D TV technology. If you're an advanced reader just looking for the latest news your best bet is going straight to CNET's 3D TV resource guide. And if you have anything to add to this article, feel free to leave a comment or at least vote in the poll.

1. What is 3D TV?

3D TV is a generic term for a display technology that lets home viewers experience TV programs, movies, games, and other video content in a stereoscopic effect. It adds the illusion of a third dimension, depth, to current TV and HDTV display technology, which is typically limited to only height and width ("2D").

2. How can you get 3D from a 2D screen?

A 3D TV or theater screen showing 3D content displays two separate images of the same scene simultaneously, one intended for the viewer's right eye and one for the left eye. The two full-size images occupy the entire screen and appear intermixed with one another--objects in one image are often repeated or skewed slightly to the left (or right) of corresponding objects in the other--when viewed without the aid of special 3D glasses. When viewers don the glasses, they can perceive these two images as a single 3D image.



The system relies on a visual process called stereopsis. The eyes of an adult human lie about 2.5 inches apart, which lets each eye see objects from slightly different angles. The two images on a 3D TV screen present objects from two slightly different angles as well, and when those images combine in the viewer's mind with the aid of the glasses, the illusion of depth is created.

3. How is the new 3D TV technology different from older 3D?

Most people are familiar with the old anaglyph method, where a pair of glasses with lenses tinted red and cyan (or other colors) is used to combine two false-color images. The result seen by the viewer is discolored and usually lower-resolution than the new method.

The principal improvements afforded by new 3D TV technologies are full color and high resolution--reportedly full 1080p HD resolution for both eyes in the Blu-ray 3D, for example, and half that resolution in the DirecTV system. We expect DirecTV's 3D channels to look quite sharp despite lack of full 1080p resolution; see HDTV resolution explained for some reasons why.


A pair of LC shutter glasses
(Credit: Panasonic)

New 3D TVs require active liquid crystal shutter glasses, which work by very quickly blocking each eye in sequence (120 times per second systems like Panasonic's Full HD 3D). The glasses, in addition to the liquid-crystal lenses, contain electronics and batteries (typically good for 80 or more hours), that sync to the TV via an infrared or Bluetooth signal.

(Note: For the remainder of this article, any mention of "3D" refers to the new full-color, high-resolution version, not the old anaglyph variety.)

4. How is 3D TV different from 3D in the theater?

Many viewers have experienced newer 3D presentations, such as IMAX 3D, in movie theaters. Though the technologies differ somewhat--most theaters use passive polarized 3D glasses, for example--the main practical difference between 3D TV in the home and theatrical 3D is the size of the screen. In the home, the image is generally much smaller, occupying a lower percentage of viewers' fields of vision. Among TV makers we asked, only Panasonic recommend a closer seating distance (of 3x the screen height away--about 6.2 feet from a 50-inch screen) for a better experience; however, we suspect sitting closer or watching on a bigger screen will definitely help with any home 3D presentation. Smaller screens may also present other issues unique to 3D, such as a relatively narrow viewing distance range.

One advantage of 3D TV at home as opposed to the theater is user control. You can generally sit where you want relative to the screen at home, and some 3D compatible TVs provide some control over the 3D experience in addition to standard picture settings. Samsung's models, for example, allow you to adjust the "G axis," or the amount of 3D effect, to taste, comfort or to compensate for variations in eye spacing.

Since we at CNET haven't yet tested any 3D TVs thoroughly, we can't definitively speak to other differences between home and in-theater 3D yet.

5. Can everyone see 3D?

No. Between 5 percent and 10 percent of Americans suffer from stereo blindness, according to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development. They often have good depth perception--which relies on more than just stereopsis--but cannot perceive the depth dimension of 3D video presentations. Some stereo-blind viewers can watch 3D material with no problem as long as they wear glasses; it simply appears as 2D to them. Others may experience headaches, eye fatigue or other problems. (See also TV industry turns blind eye to non-3D viewers.)

6. I've heard 3D causes headaches. Is that true?

Most people watching 3D suffer no ill effects after a brief orientation period lasting a few seconds as the image "snaps" into place, but in others, 3D can cause disorientation or headaches after extended periods. Viewer comfort is a major concern of 3D content producers; too much of a 3D effect can become tiresome after a while, abrupt camera movement can be disorienting, and certain onscreen objects can appear blurry, for example. Creators of 3D movies for children also have to account for the fact that a child's eyes are closer together (about 2 inches) than an adult's.

7. Does everyone watching a 3D TV need to wear the glasses?

Yes. Every member of a family sitting around the 3D TV, for example, must wear the glasses to see the 3D effect. If they don't, the image on the screen will appear doubled, distorted, and, for most practical purposes, unwatchable. Currently, there's no technology that lets a single TV display both 2D and 3D content simultaneously without glasses.

People who wear normal prescription lenses already can experience the full effect--and generally suffer little or no discomfort--by wearing the 3D glasses too, which are designed to fit over an existing pair of glasses.

8. Do I need a new TV?

Yes. With one exception, none of the TV manufacturers we spoke with said that any of their current HDTVs can be upgraded to support the new 3D formats used by Blu-ray, DirecTV and others. One reason we've been given is that the TV must be able to accept a higher-bandwidth signal (technically 120Hz) to display Blu-ray 3D, and older TVs can typically only accept relatively lower-bandwidth (60Hz or less) signals. That's potentially confusing because many non-3D LCDs have 120Hz and 240Hz refresh rates, and manufacturer marketing also mentions "600Hz" plasmas. Regardless of the "Hz" spec, these non-3D models can only handle a source that outputs at 60Hz or less via HDMI--the "conversion" to a higher rate, if applicable, occurs inside the TV itself.

Another reason is that 3D requires different video processing and additional hardware, including some way to send the necessary Infrared or Bluetooth signal to the 3D glasses. We're not ruling our the possibility of third-party add-ons overcoming these limitations, but as of now there's no way to convert any 2D TV to be compatible with the new 3D TV formats. more...