3D TV on sale in Japan

TELLY MAKER Hyundai has released its first product for watching 3-D programs.

Unfortunately the programmes the TV can see are on cable stations in Japan that are now broadcast about four times a day.

There are quite a few problems also with the technology. Firstly the 46-inch LCD screen requires 3-D glasses. It will also set you back 25 per cent more than a comparable regular LCD TV.

Also the only programs available so far include video from Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, shots from the zoo, motorcycle races and other short scenes. In other words, a 3D image of watching paint dry. So far no one has thought of creating any porn footage.

There are some slight advantages. Wearing the 3-D glasses while watching regular programming on the Hyundai 3-D TV produces an illusion of depth.

The technology involved is stereoscopic technology called TriDef which sends the same image separately for the left eye and the right eye.

Ryo Saito of BS 11, the cable channel that runs the 3-D shows, admits that more content is needed for the technology to catch on. µ

L'Inq
AP