CES 2008: Texas Instruments DualView TV used for 3D, multiplayer
by Kyle Orland 
{ Jan 8th 2008 at 3:30PM }
3D glasses haven't been a big part of gaming since the days of the Sega Master System, but Texas Instruments looks set to change that with the DualView DLP TVs being shown at this year's CES. Much like recent 3D movies like Beowulf, these TVs display two slightly different images at once, using special glasses to isolate the correct perspective for each eye.The effect is reportedly pretty incredible, according to Gamespy: "The images were bright and crisp, without so much as a flicker" and "Madden NFL Football was a whole new experience: you were right down on the field, with every receiver receding into the distance as he ran." Games currently have to be specially designed for the effect, but 1UP reports that TI "intends to eventually institute plug-and-play support" so all games have that added depth.
But the best gaming application for this DualView technology might be full screen multiplayer. As shown in this Gizmodo video, the DualView technology can be used to give two different players simultaneous, full-screen views of different characters or locations in a game. The end of split screen as we know it? Maybe ... if you have a special TV and two pairs of 3D glasses, that is ...
Read - 1UP report
Read - GameSpy report
Watch - Gizmodo video
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fernando Rocker @ Jan 8th 2008 3:38PM
Just 3D?
When are they going to release 4D TV's to truly experience the power of the PS3?
Poisoned Al @ Jan 8th 2008 3:41PM
God, you're like a stuck recored you are.
Fernando Rocker @ Jan 8th 2008 3:57PM
I'm not a stuck recorder... stuck recorder... stuck recorder... stuck recorder...
John McPoop @ Jan 8th 2008 5:30PM
http://www.gamespot.com/video/0/6184290/videoplayerpop?
skip to minute 31:10 of the video.....
Essientially the exact same technology done by some nerd without any special gizmo TV....
Sorry Fernantendo I just wanted to bump this b/c its such a cool preview of the technology implemented...has nothing to do with your costant PS3 flaming...
Anyway, Enjoy the video minute 31:10
343 Guilty Fart @ Jan 8th 2008 5:45PM
I laughed, I thought Fernando's comment was hiii-larious.
unosturgis @ Jan 8th 2008 11:17PM
John, no it isn't the same thechnology. It isn't even close. Did you even watch the video? This is Dualview 3D so you can have two images at once on tv. And the technology you talked about was using two wiimotes to determine your position in space. The two wiimote technology wouldn't help multiplayer on one tv at all. Now if you combined the technologies....4 wiimotes (for 2 player gaming and tracking), and a dualview 3d screen..you could have one screen-multiplayer + position tracking. Now that would be pretty damn cool!
The Artist formally known as Jesus @ Jan 8th 2008 3:39PM
So my screeenlooking days in Halo are over?
Intentless @ Jan 8th 2008 3:43PM
Pretending to be a god by deducing where someone is out of your peripheal is gone..... sigh...
Poisoned Al @ Jan 8th 2008 3:44PM
I wonder whatever happened to virtual reality? I mean it was big in the early ninety's, but now the technology is there to make it viable (and more importantly not neck crushing or headache inducing), there's not sausage.
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 8th 2008 3:47PM
Check back in 2 generation.
FOXHOUND @ Jan 8th 2008 3:54PM
VR = not cost effective :(
Well, that... and I'm told even the prototype model of the SEGA VR put a serious strain on necks. Add in the failed VIRTUAL BOY and other VR knock-offs(*coughR-ZONEcough*)leaving a sour memory in a lot of developers' minds... it's no wonder it was pushed aside.
Poisoned Al @ Jan 8th 2008 4:01PM
Well you could call the Wii controls the Power Glove Mk2, so I guess there's a chance VR could make a comeback.
Korova @ Jan 8th 2008 3:53PM
Hate to be prurient, but if the porn industry gets a hold of this tech, it will give a whole new meaning to "plug and play".
Just sayin
Poisoned Al @ Jan 8th 2008 4:13PM
BEST... IDEA... EVER!
JakubK666 @ Jan 8th 2008 4:27PM
w00t!
StrangeBum @ Jan 8th 2008 8:03PM
While I'm not dissing your comment in any way, shape or form. It's pretty easy to get a simulated 3D porn already, just run the same video simultaneously in two separate windows and you can either cross your eyes, or use some stereoscopic glasses. It's highly effective actually. Stereoscopic 3Dimensioning is amazing stuff.
mernmern @ Jan 8th 2008 4:15PM
I believe you would also need two consoles running the game for this to work. Now, if you could use one console and one disk it would be a must buy.
LordMinogue @ Jan 8th 2008 4:14PM
I saw Beowulf in a setup like this one. It was pretty sweet, but it hit me right in the uncanny valley. Instead of displaying 1 planar picture, there were 5 or six at different "depths."
aka Prof Chaos @ Jan 8th 2008 4:19PM
I can't wait for 3D to become standard on all TVs, but I just don't see this becoming the norm for quite a while. For now, though, it's nice to dream!
J @ Jan 8th 2008 5:01PM
I saw the Beowulf movie in 3D and immediately wondered why they don't use it for games. It would be incredible if it ends up looking anywhere near as good as the movie did.
My guess as to why they didn't use 3d was that, somehow, longterm exposure to the technology or long play-time durations could be harmful to the health of the eye as there would be no way to limit the time people play the games as they can, the length of a movie.
I'm hoping that concern is unfounded because this would be awesome.
Crazy Vincent @ Jan 8th 2008 5:07PM
Actually it's a cost issue. They need to project each viewpoint using a polarized projector, and I think you also need a special screen that can reflect the light and maintain the polarization. Two projectors plus a special screen is too expensive for most home users.
8Balling @ Jan 8th 2008 10:52PM
Damn, I think they should take a look at this video. It's more cost effective, and less nerd-looking, IMO:
http://eternitybegins.blogspot.com/2007/12/true-next-gen-gaming-for-me-at-least.html
Orionsaint @ Jan 8th 2008 5:55PM
As history as proven, never has wearing special goggles caught on in any shape or form, nor for 3D movies, for VR or for gaming. People just refuse to wear any eyewear for indoor recreations. This will be no different.
Fatass of Kickassness @ Jan 8th 2008 6:12PM
This is looking very promising.
For those of you who haven't heard of this kinda thing, rather than dedicating each eye to a different image to simulate depth by tinting them (and losing color quality in the process) this technology uses LCD shutter glasses in tandem with a projection system that alternates between two different frames of the same image at different depths (meant for each eye; the LCD glasses shut off an eye each frame so that the other eye receives its image alone) to simulate a very realistic 3-dimensional environment with no loss of picture or color quality. Having been able to experience it firsthand I can tell you the effect is incredibly profound and a very notable improvement over the old method. Believe me, if this technology finds its way to retailers, consumers will eat it up.
Tom @ Jan 8th 2008 6:20PM
It's actually possible to get this working with existing games without having to modify them. The TV could have an option to convert vertical/horizontal split screen into this multi-view screen. It would simply force all the pixels from one half of the screen to only display at a certain angle. It could even stretch those pixels out to fill the whole screen.
Korova @ Jan 8th 2008 6:37PM
Thats how I thought it would work - use the interlacing to draw the slightly different images. Together with the LCD shut off goggles, wireless please.
StrangeBum @ Jan 8th 2008 7:59PM
I believe I made comment about these tv's earlier in the Rez HD article. Something along the lines of imagine playing a game like that in 3D with the trance vibrator and a home theater 5.1 (7.1 if you're an audiophile) it's totally immersive.
Mr.ESC @ Jan 8th 2008 9:09PM
Sweet,this will take tea-bags to the next level.
B1gC72 @ Jan 9th 2008 1:31AM
cool. i bet it would cost an arm and a leg though for all the equipment since the TV is doing the actual effect (if im reading it right). i dont know why the game console itself couldnt do this too though and just include some snazzy glasses, but then again, im still not completely sure how it's accomplishing this.
eddmallard @ Jan 9th 2008 3:50AM
The image showing how the glasses filter diff light colours is wrong.eg A red lense would only let red light through and block all other colours(hence it looking red.
Dont they use some kind of light polarisiation to allow images to be displayed 'over' each other but only visible to one person at once depending if they have the corresponding glasses that filters out the unrequired light?