Toshiba's new glasses-free 3D televisions have the same electronic brain as the PlayStation 3.

Toshiba unveiled its anticipated line of glasses-free 3D televisions today, and also revealed the basic method through which they work. Using the Cell processor, the same CPU found in the PlayStation 3, the new television sets are able to get rid of the 3D revolution's glasses barrier and provide a 3D experience more similar to how the average consumer currently watches television.

The new LCD televisions are said to use a special filter sheet placed over their high-definition screens and contain an internal Cell processor that outputs information from nine images created in real time for every single frame of whatever is being displayed. The filter angles these images to ideally shoot a different signal to the right and left eyes of a viewer, similar to how the Nintendo 3DS works. This technology isn't quite perfect yet, with viewers testing the new TVs noting that the display got blurry when viewed from side angles, but Toshiba admits that it's best viewed within a 40-degree zone and from a certain distance. Toshiba's new products are still better than previous glasses-free technology that required viewers to sit in a single spot.

Toshiba president Masaaki Oosumi even says that the glasses-free TVs can convert 2D into 3D, and calls the new line "dream" TVs. The company will initially sell a 12-inch model for ¥120,000 ($1,440) and a 20-inch model for ¥240,000 ($2,880) and they're both planned for release in December. However, Toshiba will only be selling the glasses-free TVs in Japan for now, with no announced plans to bring them to Europe or North America. Oosumi did say that the technology would have to be brought to larger televisions to succeed in overseas markets, with a 56-inch prototype also on display.

Toshiba hopes to sell 1,000 units of the pricey 3DTVs per month for now. The technology sounds awesome, but priced at somewhere around 10 times the cost of a normal HDTV, I'm sure they'll face a battle making their way into people's homes untihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAS55_RngoQl the price comes down. Not that that's anything new in the world of electronics.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104018-PS3-Processor-Powers-New-Glasses-Free-3D-Televisions

well that is interesting

Edit:  please note that sony have this baby as well so if 3D-Tv ever takes off you can bet that one day they may well make this as a product we can all buy in the fututre (obviously will be even better)

So this was Kutaragi's secret plan!!!!!

muwhahahaha

KUTARAGI FTW!

LOLZ INDEED

If so, I think Cell would be up to the task to power the 3DS too :P

lol there would be alot of ownage if a cell was in the 3DS

Sounds expensive.

Well Cell was jointly developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba, so this makes sense. I think it is a bit ironic though that the Cell is being used to power a technology that Sony didn't plan to introduce anytime soon and so helps somewhat to disrupt (same as the 3DS) Sony's current push for 3D with glasses.

"Toshiba's new glasses-free 3D televisions have the same electronic brain as the PlayStation 3."

No sorry to disappoint everyone. There never was a Cell processor in any of Toshiba's TV sets. The "older" Toshiba TV processor unit contains four SPU's, NO CPU core and a lot of additional video circuitry. The four SPUs are used for image enhancement, the video circuitry simultaneously decodes/encodes several video streams (obviously there is no need for general purpose CPU here). I have not seen any technical specs for these glass free TV sets but it is highly unlikely they contain anything even remotely resembling a PS3 cell processor unit.

well to be fair the CELL was designed for encoding and decoding HD video streams in real time, at least that was one of the main applications. And it's been used in several Toshiba high end HDTVs in the past, and there were plans to use them in Blu-ray players but I think they decided it was to expensive. It has been used to make video encoding cards as well. 

Shame those glasses free tvs are small, cant do 1080p and cant be used to watch normal tv. Also 3d cant be seen from a certain angle. Now why would you pay a permium price for a 3d blu ray if you cant enjoy full hd 3d? People who spend quite a lot of money on 3DTV do a proper research before buying their set. Its a bit too early for such tech.

Below are a pics taken with 3d glassess on 46"" 3d samsung tv ps3. First shows the depth and the 2nd you can see the sword outside the tv.