So I am pleased to announce that at least one infomyth is true -- it is possible to view 3D images and play 3D games without special glasses! Within the constraints of time and money, I will share my exploration into 3D for games, and for stereo 3D photography:
Anaglyph (red/blue glasses) 3D Photo Gallery (jump there)
Viewing Equipment:
1) The Sharp 3D LCD Monitor
Believe it or not, you can buy a 15" LCD monitor for $449 that shows a 3D image without the need for special glasses. The Sharp site is here. The monitor is gorgeous, and functions well as a second monitor if you need one (or like to watch TV while you work). The low price, attractive design and extra utility make the purchase decision an easy one -- but be warned, it will only change the way you play some games, not all games.
2) Anaglyph Glasses (Red/Blue glasses)
Anaglyph glasses rely on filtering red and blue colors to get the separation information from a picture to each eye. These have been around for ages -- but are actually pretty decent for games and noodling around.
In addition to either the monitor or glasses, you will need an NVidia card -- this is because NVidia is the only video card manufacturer with drivers that support 3D for most PC for most games (a good reason to buy NVidia, ATI are you listening?). There is a huge inventory of games listed at both Sharp's and NVidia's websites, however the number of actual interesting games that work well is small.
3) Other Systems
Recently I tried a couple of other systems that essentially represent the full spectrum of what is available for stereoscopic viewing. The first was a full 3D headset called "Trimersion" from a company called 3001 AD (click here to visit their website). The headset was bulky and would not fit correctly. The resolution of the device was 320x240 for each eye. Perhaps because it did not fit correctly, or perhaps just because of the optics, the "virtual screen" looked like a postage stamp placed about 1 foot from your head. Worse, the poor resolution created a grainy resolution. The only consolation in the ordeal was the chance to interact with a very gorgeous woman wearing a skin-tight silver outfit.
There are other virtual glasses, the most popular of which seems to be the i-Glasses X800. The X800 has a resolution of 800x600 in each eye. The complaints I hear about the X800 are that they have low contrast ratios (giving a "washed-out" appearance), that they use OLED's, which have problem of having lots of missing pixels (one missing pixel in my monitor and I go ballistic), and that they are quite expensive.
A long time ago I owned an early VR headset, I ended up giving to a friend because I didn't like the low-res screen, and the feeling of being cut-off from the "real" world. My "friend" then promptly turned around and sold them on eBay for $400. Hmmmph.
I'm not saying headsets are bad, but maybe just not ready for prime time. I will likely wait out one or two more generations before diving into this technology.
I then tried LCD shutter glasses. The glasses seem sturdy and easy to put on. LCD shutter glasses work by alternately occluding the left then right eye, and displaying left and right images quickly on screen. The effect did indeed produce decent 3D, however there was considerable flickering -- watch out epileptics! This problem might be resolved by using a CRT monitor at frequencies of 120Hz or higher. Myself I notice flickering on CRT's (without glasses) at 60Hz, although crank it to 70Hz and it goes away. LCD monitors won't work with these shutter glasses; eDimensional claims to have this working, however there are many complaints that there is a lot of smearing. So you begin to see the problem: flickering and you need a bulky CRT monitor.
NVidia Drivers
Visit the NVidia site to obtain the latest stereo drivers, but note that you must have matching stereo and video card drivers -- if they don't match, the stereo won't work. If you do not have an NVidia card, you can still play around with stereo photography, but cannot play 3D games.
Within the constraints of time and money, I will share my exploration into 3D for games, and for stereo 3D photography:
2) Anaglyph Glasses (Red/Blue glasses)