Toshiba’s 3D technology brings eye-popping video and immersive gaming to laptops
Not long ago, 3D was for industrial designers, Hollywood effects artists, and geologists searching for oil deposits underground. Today it’s for everyone. Three-dimensional images are routinely popping off of movie screens, and now they’re flying out of HDTVs, computer monitors, game stations, and even — get this —laptops. Now you can enjoy immersive 3D movies, games, and photos anywhere you can carry a laptop.
The latest 3D laptops deliver crisp, true-to-life images. Most require wearing 3D glasses, including the Qosmio X870 series of premium performance laptops. But don’t think the glasses are the same dorky, uncomfortable cardboard things your grandparents wore to watch Creature from the Black Lagoon. Today’s 3D specs are much, much better.
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How Toshiba makes 3D come alive
First-generation 3D laptops used a specially coated screen and polarized (a.k.a. passive) 3D glasses a lot like those used in movie theaters. In this scheme, one eye receives light polarized in one direction while the other eye receives light polarized in the opposite direction. Each eye can sees the scene from a slightly different angle, mimicking the way we see the world naturally, which creates the impression of visual depth. But the quality wasn’t great. Some screens suffered from artifacts or blurring if you turned your head.
The latest 3D laptops project separate images for the left and right eye, alternating at a super-fast rate. At the same time, active shutter glasses alternately block the right and left eye’s view in response to an infrared signal emitted by the laptop. This precise synchronization between screen and glasses creates a sharper, more realistic 3D effect.
An expanding universe of 3D experiences
3D laptops hold big promise for all types of portable entertainment, whether your idea of fun is curling up with the latest flick or battling animated monsters. Currently, gamers enjoy the biggest selection. Toshiba’s Qosmio X870 3D models can auto-convert over 525 existing 2D games to 3D without costing you an extra cent.
Original 3D games, Blu-ray 3D movies, and 3D video channels are becoming increasingly common. 3D still and video cameras are making their way to store shelves, making it easy to create your own 3D content. Some Web sites, including YouTube’s 3D channel and nascar.com, offer videos or special live events in this new medium.
Choose the perfect 3D laptop
As more 3D laptop computers become available, people looking to experience the thrill of three dimensions have an increasing variety of choices. If you’re in the market, you’ll want to find a model that fits both your budget and your needs. Here are a few tips to help you get find the right 3D laptop.
Take a test drive.
There’s no standard combination of screen, glasses or software, so it’s worth going out of your way to try out a variety of laptops before you buy. Some vendors mix and match suppliers for a custom 3D offering. For instance, a company might pair the popular NVIDIA® 3D Vision technology with another company’s shutter glasses. All Toshiba 3D laptop models that include glasses use NVIDIA spectacles with the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit for a seamless experience.
Look for convenience.
Some shutter glasses require a battery — and sometimes it’s not rechargeable. Glasses powered via USB offer battery-free convenience. Some systems use separate infrared emitter that’s easy to misplace. Toshiba’s laptops integrate the emitter into the screen frame for easy setup and connection.
Gaming requires a good graphics card.
It might sound obvious, but 3D gaming will work best on a laptop designed for the purpose. A “multimedia” 3D laptop might not come with a graphics card fast enough to handle the extra video processing 3D requires. Toshiba 3D laptops come equipped with NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics.
So, are you ready to turn your laptop experience into a 3D thrill ride? With a powerhouse 3D laptop like Toshiba’s Qosmio X870 series, your screen becomes a portal into the new world of stunning three-dimensional imagery.
