Sharp’s new LL-151-3D provides 3D stereoscopic imagery for desktop Macs and PCs, and the 15-inch display doesn’t require any special goggles or glasses in order to work — it supports OpenGL-compatible graphics cards. The US$1,499 display is aimed at biotech, medical imaging, mapping, GIS, oil and gas exploration — markets already using 3D visualization applications. It’s also ideal for well-heeled gamers looking for an even more immersive 3D experience.
The LL-151-3D sports XGA (1024 x 768 pixel) native resolution, a pixel pitch of 0.297mm, brightness of 260 nits and contrast ratio of 500:1. It sports viewing angles of 130 degrees horizontal and 115 vertical, and comes with a backlight rated at 50,000 hours. It sports built-in stereo speakers and has analog (VGA) and digital (DVI-I) inputs — though Sharp recommends using the DVI input when viewing 3D graphics. The LL-151-3D also has a slide system height adjustment.
The LL-151-3D operates using a parallax barrier that divides light from the LCD so different patterns reach your left and right eyes. When centered in front of the screen, you process the different patterns as a three-dimensional image. The display doesn’t constantly operate in 3D, either — it can switch to 2D using a button that deactivate the parallax barrier, for when you’re reading e-mail, surfing the Web or viewing other documents where 3D doesn’t have any benefit.
Users who have wanted real stereoscopic 3D on their computer have had three choices up to now — red/blue anaglyph glasses, like those provided at some 3D movies; 3D LCD shutter glasses that require a high refresh rate CRT; or Sharp’s own Actius RD3D, a Windows-compatible laptop computer that features a 3D screen. Sharp adapted the technology used in the Actius RD3D for this new standalone display. The display doesn’t constantly operate in 3D, either — it can switch to 2D when you’re reading e-mail, surfing the Web or viewing other documents where 3D doesn’t have benefit.
The monitor is available in black and is shipping immediately.