How the Nintendo 3DS Might Handle 3D Display 77
itwbennett writes "Blogger Peter Smith weighs in with some possibilities for how the new Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system will provide 3D gaming without the need for 3D glasses. The DSi has cameras, which means the 3DS will have to have them too if it's going to be backwards compatible. We've also heard rumors that the 'next DS' will have tilt-sensors better than the iPhone. With either the camera or tilt-sensors either of these 'faux 3D' systems would work. But since we've seen the DSi do this already, it doesn't seem likely that the new hardware will rely on the same old trick. Enter our friends at Engadget, who uncovered some details from Japanese newspapers. If they're right, the Nintendo 3DS will incorporate parallax barrier LCD screens from Sharp (see also this explanation of dynamic parallax barrier screens). This is the same technology used in a few '3D Laptops.'"
types of 3d (Score:5, Informative)
While 3D seems like a simple enough concept, faking 3D on a screen can go several different routes.
the kind you have in theaters or with shutter glasses approximates supplying each eye with a different image just like it would in real life. So what's the catch? well you get the same two images no matter where you sit in the theater. So 1) it can't be perfectly correct for every point of view in the theater 2) you don't see the expected change if you move. that is if you move you'd expect to be able to see around one object blocking your view of another. but that does not happen with this kind of 3D.
then there are ones that try to broadcast a different image at every different angle. You can't really do that in practice so you broadcast one or two images at a couple angles and let interpolation happen.
lenticular lenses and these blocked screen do this second type.
this recovers the head-motion 3d but has the drawback of having less of a sweet spot where each eye gets the perfectly registered image. However even when this fails, it can fall back to monocular 3D where at least the view point is right.
this kind of 3d is better for up close viewing by a single person. that is, for a hand controller.
A final kind of 3D is monocular 3D. there there is one image but you eye track or tilt track in a way that lets you update the image for the new point of view.
or 3M LCD screen? (Score:5, Informative)
Here is a rumor that the 3DS will use the 3M film 3D LCD screen [i4u.com].
The screen is a frame-sequential two-view autostereoscopic system based on directional backlight. The left eye frame is displayed with the backlight applied on one side of the 3M film that directs the light into your left eye, the right eye frame is then displayed with the backlight applied to the other side of the 3M file to direct the light into your right eye.
I have one on the viewfinder of my Fuji FinePix Real 3D [fujifilm.com] stereoscopic digital camera, and it works pretty well. You do have to position yourself fairly precisely in front of the screen to get the stereoscopic effect, but that is not too hard with a portable device.