Large-screen glasses-free 3DTV from Toshiba
September 2, 2011
Toshiba Europe has unveiled the world’s first large-screen glasses-free 3DTV. The 55ZL2 has a screen of 139cm (55”) in diagonal and does not require glasses to experience 3D. In addition, the 55ZL2 is the world’s first TV targeted at consumers that comes with a Quad Full HD screen. This enables the 55ZL2 to offer a 3D TV experience that can be enjoyed by a large group of viewers and displays 2D contents in four times (Quad) Full HD resolution.
The 55ZL2’s glasses-free 3D application is powered by Toshiba’s high-performance multi-processor platform CEVO-ENGINE which also allows for many more innovative applications including PERSONAL-TV, enabling the consumer to personalise TV settings, and SMART-TV applications such as USB recording and access to Toshiba Places. It also comes with an Auto Calibration feature to achieve studio level picture quality. The 55ZL2 will be available from December 2011 in Germany with release dates to be confirmed in other European countries
Toshiba engineers developed powerful consumer electronics processor technology to calculate multiple viewpoints from stereoscopic images, combined with the ability to display them at high picture quality on a large screen. In the 55ZL2, they deployed an array of lenticular lenses that are found for the first time in such a large-screen device ready for market.
The glasses-free 3D technology is based on the stereoscopic principle of simultaneously delivering a picture for the left eye and another one with a small offset (parallax) for the right eye – these are then superposed in the viewer’s brain to get the 3D effect. To achieve 3D without glasses, Toshiba says it is essential that the lenses guide the dedicated images to the viewer’s eyes. The Integral Imaging technology, powered by the CEVO-ENGINE, applied to the 55ZL2 delivers nine views which create multiple wide-angle viewing zones in front of the glasses-free 3D TV. This allows several viewers to enjoy the 3D experience at the same time without wearing glasses.
To optimise the viewing zones in respect to the viewers’ actual positions in front of the TV, the 55ZL2 features a face tracking application. At the push of the remote, it detects the viewers’ position and sets up the total viewing experience.
The 55ZL2 also features advanced SMART-TV functions providing access to Toshiba Places, Toshiba’s online platform offering streaming, purchasing and sharing Web-based content. It supports HbbTV (Hybrid broadcast broadband TV) and allows USB recording of digital broadcasting on an external hard disk drive connected to the TV via USB.