LG shows 4.3-, 7-inch glasses-free 3D screens

IDG News Service - LG Electronics showed it's serious about 3D in mobile devices on Wednesday, introducing a new 4.3-inch glasses-free 3D screen for mobile devices and a similar prototype 7-inch 3D screen on a mobile TV.

The 4.3-inch 3D display boasts a WVGA touchscreen with a resolution of 480 by 800 pixels and is aimed at smartphones meant for movie viewing and gaming, the company said.

The company used an applied parallax barrier technology to create the glasses-free 3D effect. The technology puts a series of slits on the front of the LCD screen that block light in a way that ensures a user's left and right eye see different images, thereby creating the illusion of depth for the 3D image.

The company believes the technology reduces any doubling of the image, called crosstalk, and makes for much better glasses-free 3D viewing from wider angles than before.

LG also showed off a larger glasses-free 3D screen, a prototype mobile digital TV with a 7-inch screen. The larger screen size is big enough for a tablet device.

The company worked with LG Display to build the screens. They will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week.

A number of companies, including Asustek Computer, have expressed interest in developing mobile devices with 3D capabilities but have said they would only move forward on such gadgets if high-quality glasses-free screens became widely available.

LG also introduced new lines of other 3D products, but these still require specialized 3D glasses for viewing.

The company introduced the new LG Cinema 3D TV, the LW6500, that has 3D technology similar to that in movie theaters, according to LG. It said the new 3D glasses with the LW6500 are more comfortable and more affordable than before.

LG also has 3D Blu-ray Disc players, 3D monitors, 3D laptops and 3D projectors on show at CES.