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Oct 15, 2024

And 3D greets you daily | heise online

Display makers seek uses for ultra-high-res screens. 3D tech to the rescue once more – will it work this time? I had actually thought that we had finally left 3D technology behind us. But Display Week

Display makers seek uses for ultra-high-res screens. 3D tech to the rescue once more – will it work this time?

I had actually thought that we had finally left 3D technology behind us. But Display Week proved me wrong once again: displays with three-dimensional images were everywhere in the exhibition. However, display manufacturers are struggling with the question of content. The medical sector is briefly mentioned, gamers are also to be made happy with 3D. I am not convinced, but here is a brief look at the exhibits.

The Chinese display specialist BOE confronts visitors right at the entrance to the stand with a 110-inch 16K display that shows autostereoscopic 3D from a viewing distance of 2.50 to 8 meters. The reproduction on the 132.7 million pixels is not particularly impressive because the transitions between the views can be seen when you move in front of the 2.80-meter screen. However, the 16K resolution is very impressive, as it was last year.

(Image: Ulrike Kuhlmann, c't)

The giant display is joined at BOE by a 32-inch Light Field Display with visible 4K resolution. In this type of 3D game, the user is presented with several views of the same image in a defined viewing area. As long as you move within the limited field of view, you can see the three-dimensional display and can even look a little "behind" the image. Because the area is not particularly large, most manufacturers use eye tracking, i.e. they track the position of the user's eyes to always convey a good 3D image impression. However, this eliminates one advantage of autostereoscopic displays, as only a single viewer can see the 3D image perfectly.

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Among the 3D displays with eye tracking, the 12.5-inch display from Tianma was impressive. With its resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, it achieves over 350 dpi in 2D mode. The Chinese manufacturer does not reveal how much of this remains in 3D mode. As Tianma generates the stereoscopic views with switchable liquid crystal lenses in front of the image, the display can show its full 4K resolution in 2D mode. In 3D mode, you can look far around the displayed object - in this case a rhinoceros. This is precisely what distinguishes light field displays.

Innolux wants to appeal to gamers and is presenting two autostereoscopic 3D monitors. Eye tracking is also used here, and the 3D resolution is Full HD. The monitor contains an FPGA that calculates the stereo views in real time. Eye tracking in gaming is not ideal, but the developer responsible sees the biggest problems with the content: you need a plug-in for the game to be able to place the second camera view. Many game developers use either Unity or their own engine for game development. They do not allow display developers access to the necessary data. So far, there is only a selection of games for which Innolux can generate the necessary stereoscopic views in the monitor.

(Image: Ulrike Kuhlmann, c't)

One may doubt the sense of 3D in small wristwatches. LG has nevertheless realized an autostereoscopic display in a 1.3-inch watch display. This is also a light field display with electrically switchable lenses. The 2D resolution of the micro OLED is 3840 x 3840 pixels, and LG specifies a maximum luminance of 9000 cd/m2. The small spotlight only shows a 3D image within a small viewing area, so you have to hold the watch very close to your nose. The whole thing seems like a gimmick, but perhaps informative 3D animations can also be developed.

(Image: Ulrike Kuhlmann, c't)

Taiwanese panel manufacturer AUO is presenting a special kind of 3D display. Its display, designed for gaming machines, consists of two screens: The main image comes from an ultra-high-resolution 4K LCD, while AUO has placed a micro-LED display in front of it, which only has 960 x 540 pixels and is largely transparent.

(Image: Ulrike Kuhlmann, c't)

This is made possible by the micro-LEDs, which are so tiny that they only cover a fraction of the display surface. According to AUO, the transparency of the front display with its touch-sensitive surface reaches an impressive 65%. The image of the micro-LED display is adapted to the image content in real time, for example golden coins raining down or fish swimming by. However, the resulting spatial impression has nothing to do with real 3D. But the effect is still nice to look at.

(uk)

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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.