The 3DS's glasses-free 3D explained

They've had it for computer monitors for years. I almost bought a autostereosopic 3D monitor a year or two ago when my old monitor died. They've also made TVs with it, but never sold them because of the whole sweet spot issue. Not everyone is going to be sitting right infront of the TV and in the 13.1 feet that was required to see the 3D image.

2 dimensions could no longer contain the amount of money the DS prints

It's been said before, and I'll say it again: PORN!!!!!

These beans.... are ice cold.

Didn't spot Luddy but I did see Brad Shoemaker of Giant Bomb.

And they don't have tv's like this WHY?

And I understand none.

link's broken, you guys forgot the http

I see. Makes more sense to me, but I still want to try it for myself.

Back in 2007, the Discovery Channel had a series called "2057" which uses this 3-D glasses-free technology. This technology was expected to have been used 40 years from now... and yet here it is. Three years later, the Nintendo 3DS.

As seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xht36T0jh-o

Nice video. Thanks.

But seriously...check out this guys beard...its all over the place.

I'm amazed that the pixels can be so accurately focused to a specific eye. Cool video, though. Nice to hear a basic overview of how it works.

Microsoft is actually working on doing the same thing but on the xbox. I'd say they'll shell out more info on that next year when we really find out if 3D is the way to go.

i couldn't watch more than 15 seconds of that video.

the hair and that music is just too fricking annoying.

So I can get a monitor that shows Joystiq when I'm sitting at my desk but a spreadsheet when my boss views it from the hall? :-D

awesome video!

So, the only real problem is having to be in the sweet spot with this? I'm sure someone must have pointed out this possibility(impossibility?) or someone is already working on this over at Microsoft, but couldn't Kinect (or a Kinect like solution) and this 3D strategy be the solution? Make it so that the direction of the light can be changed on the fly depending on where Kinect detects that your head is at (like microscopic automated window blinds), thereby moving the sweet spot of where the light is directed wherever your head is moving.

May not be viable for multiple people, but perhaps a dedicated personal hand-held 3D movie player that doesn't require glasses that uses the technology of Kinect in conjunction with the 3D screen and source video to track and move the sweet spot in 3D space along with your head's movement...perhaps I'm over simplifying how this all works...it'd be amazing though.

@#$*&$ 3DS's, how do they work?

I'm so happy it's optional. I can only imagine how terrible it would be on the city bus!

Very insightful! Except...

Anaglyph glasses work in the opposite way: the red filter blocks all light *except* red.

Confirmed by the Institute of Physics (http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=56):

"3D glasses with blue and red filters ensured viewers’ left and right eyes saw the correct image: the red filter would only let red light through to your left eye, and the blue filter would only let blue light through to your right eye. Your brain would then combine these two slightly different images to create the illusion of 3D."