14 DAY TRIAL // Announced by Toshiba quite a while back, the Regza line of glasses-free 3D displays is slated to go on sale in Japan tomorrow, the first models to be offered being the 12-inch 12GL1, the 20-inch model following swiftly as is scheduled for a December 25 launch.
Both of these TVs were first introduced in October during the CEATEC 2010 fair that took place in Chiba City, near Tokio, the company stating that the sets will be first launched in Japan, worldwide availability following shortly.
The TVs are built using a lenticular lens setup that is made from an array of magnifying lenses, designed so that when viewed from slightly different angles, different images are magnified.
This gives the users an illusion of depth, the technology being also employed in Philips' Dimenco glasses-less 3DTV sets that were announced a while back.
However, compared to Philips' TV, Toshiba has settled for much more compact screens as the soon to be released 12GL1 sports a 12-inch diagonal.
Furthermore, its resolution is also limited, Toshiba deciding on a pretty strange 466x350 panel that uses the 4:3 image format, the same aspect ration used in older CRT TV sets.
For the bigger 20GL1, however, the Japanese company used a much more modern LED backlit 1280x768 panel that features a 550:1 contrast ratio.
Both of these models are Internet-connected via an Ethernet port and can record and playback video as well as audio content from an external USB hard drive or thumb drive, the 20GL1 also featuring no less than 4 HDMI inputs.
As far as pricing is concerned, the 12GL1 is expected to be retailed at ¥120,000 (about $1,431 US) while the bigger 20GL1 will set you back a staggering ¥240,000 (about $2,863), so there's a pretty hefty price premium associated with owning such a glasses-free 3DTV. (via engadget)