HDI Ltd., a research and design firm, said it is close to releasing a laser-driven 3-D projection large-display technology that it claims "surpasses" HD definition (apparently referring to 1080p).
Calling it among the first of a batch of new products to emerge after extensive R&D, HDI said it's unveiling its "2D/3D Switchable Dynamic Video Projection Display" (100 inches diagonally) that boasts stereoscopic 1920 x 1080p image quality, thanks to two RGB laser-illuminated LCoS micro-display imagers.
HDI's display is about 10-inches deep and, it said, draws up to 80 percent less power than existing 2-D (non-projection) plasma monitors of comparable size. HDI also said it anticipates its projection displays will carry price points up to 60 percent less than comparable plasma models.
According to HDI's chief scientist, Edmund Sandberg, HDI's current technology easily enables 2-D playback at a resolution higher than current HD standards. "We've already achieved effective resolution of 1080p per-eye resolution for 3-D with deep color saturation that looks incredible in a well-lit room," Sandberg claims. "In 2-D mode, by slightly overlaying the two pixel arrays, we're getting an effective pixel resolution of around 3K — which is 50 percent greater than today's digital cinema resolution…" he said.
Still, except for what HDI acknowledges as a few dozen "invitation-only" observers, few have actually seen the 2-D/3-D projection system in action yet. A spokesman has told HD Notebook the media will be invited to view the projection system very soon. The firm is based in Los Gatos, Calif.
