Sony to Release 3D TV Capable of Delivering Two Images at Once

At CES 2008, there was a TV being shown at Sony’s booth that more than impressed me. For one, it was 3D, and two, it had the ability to deliver two pictures at once. With two sets of glasses, gamers could play some multi-player and not be able to see what their opponent was doing. In essence, Sony combined two separate TVs into one, helping to remedy the age-old nuisance of split-screen gaming.

But at first, it seemed like a gimmick, and not a feature we’d see in a real consumer set. After years passed with no follow-up, I figured the idea was chucked out the window. That is until Sony made an official announcement of its first product using this technology earlier this week at E3.

Kicking things off, Sony will be selling a $500 bundle that includes a PlayStation-esque 24″ TV (we’re not sure if it’s LCD or LED) that features the tech above, a copy of Resistance 3, a single pair of wireless glasses and also an HDMI cable. Extra pairs of glasses (required for the double image feature) will run $69.99 per.

Although $500 seems high for a 24″ 240Hz TV, the fact that this is in fact a bundle that includes a $60 game and $70 glasses bring the TV’s actual value down to $370. Still a bit high, but as no other TVs offer the ability to run two pictures at the same time, it doesn’t seem to far outside the realm of reason (though if we see success here, there are sure to be instant competitors as this tech doesn’t require Sony-specific hardware)..

At 24″, this isn’t going to be a primary television for most, and Sony isn’t oblivious to that. Instead, this would be used in a game room, dorm room, or in general as a secondary television. I’m sure we’ll see larger versions available in the future, but for obvious reasons Sony may have wanted to gauge the interest of this one first.