New 'Dual Screen' 3DTV Could 'Save Your Marriage'

Samsung has developed a 3D HDTV set that allows two people to watch different shows -- in full screen mode -- at the same time.

The feature uses active 3D glasses, which work by alternating between showing frames designed for the left eye and the right eye. The individual lenses have filters that block the light from getting through and these filters switch on and off so that you always see the intended frame at any moment.

Your brain then combines the two differing sets of information coming into your eyes to create a 3D picture.

Different Glasses Show Different Pictures

The Samsung Multiview mode uses this basic concept in a different way. Instead of the individual lenses flicking on and off in sync with the TV picture, there are two separate pairs of glasses.

At any precise moment the TV will show one program and only one pair of glasses will be letting light through. With the next frame, the TV will show the other program and the other pair of glasses will activate.

Although it might seem distracting to have the picture blocked out every second frame, the TV can show hundreds of frames every second, meaning the viewer's brain simply ignores the times when the picture is blocked and instead "sees" a continuous picture.

It's even possible for two viewers to both be watching different 3D video, though this does have a slightly noticeable effect on the smoothness of the picture.

As for audio, viewers use earphones built into their glasses to hear the soundtrack for the show they are watching. According to Samsung, the feature could be a "marriage saver" by ending arguments about what to watch. (Source: usatoday.com)

Dual Screen Technology Comes In $9K Set

The bad news is that, at the moment, the technology is only available in a high-end 55-inch HDTV costing roughly $9,000. The TV uses an OLED screen, which works like most modern flatscreen LCD televisions and computer monitors, but doesn't require backlighting.

This means the screen can show a "true" black rather than generating it by mixing together different colors. This creates more contrast in the picture and makes on-screen images appear more realistic. (Source: hdguru.com)

The set has another attention-grabbing feature: it's not totally flat, but actually curves in at the edges. This is similar to the way some cinema screens work and is said to better accommodate the human eye.