A 3-D television that needs no special glasses? Been there. A television with supersized screen? Yesterday's news. Toshiba, on the other hand, this week announced its 55-inch Regza 55x3 LCD television that carries 2-D content that stands out in its "ultra" high display resolution, along with its 3-D capabilities that are glasses-free.
The new Regza, placed on view at Japan’s CEATEC Japan 2011, can display 3,840 x 2,160-pixel 2-D video along with glasses-free 3-D but the latter is at a lower resolution.
Toshiba's new model is in the league of what is called "Quad Full High Definition (QFHD) technology, at 3840 x 2160 pixels.
As for the 3-D feature, played in “naked eye” 3-D, without the aid of special glasses, the 3-D is at a lower resolution.
Reviewers say that the 3-D display is still impressive. The new TV has a face-tracking application to make sure the 3-D viewing experience is optimized for all viewers at multiple seating locations.
Release of the 55-inch Regza 55x3 is set for mid-December in Japan. Pricing will be $11,730. Toshiba plans to manufacture 1,000 units per month.
Toshiba Corporate Senior Vice President, Masaaki Oosumi said that they are targeting initial monthly sales of 1,000 units but expect a lift in that number once the product goes overseas. There were no details provided on when the TV would be offered overseas and where.
The price tag is one that mass market consumers would consider either impossible or absurd. Nonetheless, Toshiba knows its market and consumer interests.
Toshiba sees the gold in making television sets that carry superior high resolution, period. “When you keep improving the resolution, what you see will eventually become almost similar to real-life 3-D images,” said Taro Hiyama, chief marketing executive for Toshiba’s digital products and services unit, according to The Wall Street Journal. That level of high-definition may become possible in four to five years, he said.
