HDI Shows Off 100 Inch Laser 3DTV

Michael here. I had the opportunity to visit HDI 3D's offices in Los Gatos, CA this past week to see their recently unveiled 100 inch Laser 3DTV.

I saw a medley of 3D footage that included a reel from PACE, lots of 3D CG animation, and some medical imaging. The polarized 3D glasses were comfortable, the 3D seamless and the colors vibrant. The quality of 3D imagery from HDI's laser rig was at the very least comparable to that of Panasonic's amazing 103 inch plasma 3DTV system.

Interestingly, HDI's display employs a polarization system and glasses rather than the active shutter technology used by Panasonic and Sony. The light is polarized at the source rather than by a screen overlaying the display, so the dual 1080P images maintain full resolution when they reach your eyes instead of being cut in half by the screen (as has occured with other polarized 3DTV's).

The TV displays images at 360 frames per second per color, producing incredibly smooth 3D. In 2D mode, it can create an approximately 3K image by slightly overlaying the two pixel arrays. And if all this is not enough, the TV is very eco-friendly, requiring less than 200 watts to power a 100 -inch image (as opposed to a comparable plasma display, which would require around 1000 watts).

HDI is targeting screen sizes of 80 inches and above, and is seeking business partners to whom it will license its technology. It is also considering producing its own displays. It will be able to sell its rear-projection sets at prices more than three times cheaper than plasmas of similar sizes.

HDI has very impressive tech that produces beautifuly 3D images. I am happy that they are providing a more affordable system for large screen 3D. It will be very interesting to watch how the 3DTV market shapes up in the months ahead.