With more and more talk about 3D Cinema, particularly as we are in the final countdown to James Cameron's highly-anticipated film Avatar, the graphics mavens at NVIDIA took the time to show us recently in New York City that they are enabling a variety of 3D experiences for the home, right now. Their 3D Vision technology is inside consumer products manufactured by Dell, Asus and others, providing what NVIDIA calls a "Dimensional Experience," just like life. A suitable monitor is required, along with one of NVIDIA's affordable, readily available GeForce GT 220 or 240 video cards, and their 3D Vision Kit which includes the wireless shutter-type glasses.
Big Picture Big Sound is not a gaming site per se but the 3D experience is clearly a boon to the more than 400 PC games (and growing fast) currently compatible with 3D Vision. A special software layer is required to unlock the optional 3D element of these games, making these already immersive entertainments even more so. On a proper personal computing rig, these games are in true high-definition and they look the part, superior even to the best consoles currently on the market. Off-site after the NYC product demonstrations, I was able to check out the free download of Ubisoft's Avatar game demo, and the detail was absolutely extraordinary within the vast interactive environment.
Three-dimensional still photos are a reality as well, thanks to the Fuji FinePix REAL 3D W1 point-and-shoot digital camera ($599), which utilizes the new .MPO file format. The 3D parallax lenticular screen on the back lets us enjoy our work immediately, but since sharing is the best part of photography, we can view them on an NVIDIA 3D Vision-enabled PC and email them to friends and family, assuming are similarly equipped on their end, too. Seven-dollar 3D lenticular prints are also an option. The effect is genuine, proffering multiple levels of clearly focused depth in any scene.
NVIDIA has also established a certification program for "3D Vision-ready" displays and projectors. 3D Projectors are currently available at resolutions up to 720p, from manufacturers Viewsonic, Acer and Depth Q. NVIDIA will also take others' standards (HDMI 1.4, 3D Blu-ray) even further in terms of performance and features. 3D is here now, and it's only getting better.
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