Philips Electronics said it will shut down its 3-D Solutions operation which had been readying an autostereoscopic display designed to eliminate the need for special 3-D glasses. The Philips unit had been showing a 42-inch autostereoscopic 3-D display based on a a high-definition (1,920- by 1,080-pixel) LCD panel with a lenticular lens attached. The design eliminated the need for special glasses. Philips said its Consumer Lifestyle TV business will not be affected. That unit will continue to evaluate 3-D TV technology should Philips decide to reenter the market.
BOTTOM LINE: Philips glasses-free 3D display technology had been praised by industry analysts who had seen prototypes. Unfortunatley, the display could only be used for showing 3-D images due to the permanently attached lenticular lens and its 2D-plus-Depth format had little content available. Furthermore the $13,000 price tag for the new displays was too high for consumers. All told Philips decision to shut down its 3-D operation makes sense.
Text: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216500606
