Sony follows HP and Lenovo into the 3D notebook space with an announcement of a 3D-capable Vaio notebook coming next spring, according to reports from the IFA consumer electronics trade show.
At the IFA electronics show in Berlin, Sony showed off a prototype
of a notebook computer that can display 3D video and games at 1080p
resolution, according to a CNET
report.
Company CEO Howard Stringer confirmed during a press conference that 3D
Sony Vaio laptops would be available next spring, though no pricing
details were mentioned. The announcement adds to Sony's previous moves
into the 3D entertainment market, following confirmation that its
Blu-ray players and PlayStation 3 gaming console would receive firmware
updates to become 3D capable.
During an elaborate press conference, Sony also unveiled plans to
launch a 3D TV channel that would feature content include natural
history, children's programming, science and motion pictures,
according to the CNET report. Sony's motion picture division also plans
to unveil several 3D movies soon, many of them sequels to blockbusters
from the past two decades. "Being shot in 3D doesn't automatically
guarantee success," Stringer was quoted as saying. "What counts is how
well you tell a story. A hit is still a hit--except in
3D it's a bigger hit."Though the mainstream acceptance of 3D
entertainment technology outside of the movie theater remains nascent,
Sony is hardly alone in introducing the technology in the computer and
gaming markets: HP is targeting the 3D trend with the Envy 17 3D, which
comes with HP Active Shutter 3D glasses that integrate wirelessly with
the laptop's 17.3-inch display. Lenovo's IdeaPad Y560d, the company's
first multimedia laptop with a 3D display,
features a TriDef 3D technology solution that includes a 3D screen, software and glasses.
On the home entertainment side, LG, the world's second-largest maker
of TVs, forecast in June that global sales of 3D notebook computers
would increase five fold next year to 1.1 million units and jump to
13.8 million units by 2015. This year's Consumer Electronics Show also
saw
a slew of 3D televisions debut, including models from JVC, Samsung, Panasonic and Toshiba.
At the conference, 3D technology leader RealD announced agreements
with some of the industry's top consumer electronics brands, including
Sony, JVC, Samsung, Toshiba and Panasonic, to support the stereoscopic
RealD Format for the delivery and display of high-definition 3D in the
home. Many of these companies said they will also work with RealD to
develop premium active (shutter) glasses and passive glasses compatible
with their 3D-enabled displays.
As Sony prepares to enter the 3D realm in the gaming space, it will
face competition from rivals Microsoft and Nintendo. Earlier this year,
Nintendo
announced
the 3DS, a portable console Nintendo claimed lets users view games in
3D, without the need for special glasses. The 3DS comes with a
3.53-inch top screen and a 3.02-inch bottom touch screen and has three
cameras - one inner and two outer - to deliver the 3D effect and take
3D pictures.
Sony's announcement was not the only big release to come out of IFA so far, however: Samsung took the opportunity to
unveil
the Galaxy Tab, a tablet computer featuring a 7-in. touch screen, WiFi
and Bluetooth connectivity, a front-facing camera allows for
face-to-face video telephony over 3G and a rear-facing camera captures
still images and video that users can edit, upload and share. Powered
by the Android Operating System 2.2, the Galaxy Tab is the first of the
company's tablet devices.
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