How to View a 3-D TV Without Glasses

Even without glasses, you will have to work a bit to get the 3-D effect.

In late 2010, film director and 3-D pioneer James Cameron estimated that glasses-less 3D television was “eight to 10 years away” from penetrating the mainstream. Toshiba introduced the world's first glasses-free 3-D television – known as the Regza or ZL2, depending on the market – in Japan and Germany in late 2011, though its price may prove prohibitive for many viewers. Though you can ditch the headgear, viewing a 3-D TV without glasses does require special placement.

Instructions

1. Relax your eyes. Don't squint or strain.

2. Sit two feet away from your 12-inch glasses-less 3-D television screen or three feet away from a 20-inch screen to view 3D content. At the time of publication, glasses-less 3D TV technology caters to small screens; for larger screens, consult your TV's instruction manual for ideal viewing distance.

3. Position yourself within a 40-degree viewing angle of the screen.

4. Adjust your distance and viewing angle until you find the optimal 3-D effect.

5. Maintain your position as best you can. Moving a foot or more may cause your eyes to lose the 3-D effect, requiring your to readjust.

6. Adjust the television's lenslets, if the TV is equipped with this feature. Some glasses-free 3-D TVs, such as Toshiba's early models, offer this feature via a button on the remote. This repositions the set's lenticular lensets, which create the 3-D effect, in relation to the viewers' positions.

7. Access your television's menu to switch from 3-D mode to 2-D mode when viewing 2-D content. You do not need glasses to view 2-D content on a 3-D TV.

Tips & Warnings

• Running your 3-D TV in 2-D mode cuts back on power usage by up to 50 percent, according to reports from the technology journalists at Cnet.

References

• Gizmondo: Glasses-less 3DTV is “Eight to Ten Years Away” from Taking Off, Says James Cameron
• Engadget: Toshiba's Glasses-free 3D 4K2K TV Launches in Europe as the ZL2 this December
• Cnet: Toshiba Shows Off Glasses-less 3D TVs
• The Verge: Toshiba ZL2 TV Offers Glasses-free 3D and 4K2K
• Crutchfield: 3D TV FAQ
• TG Daily: 3D TV Images Guzzle up to 50% More Power than 2D

Resources

• IGN: Glasses-less 3D Tech Explained