System requirements for comfortable NVIDIA 3D Vision visualization quality recommended by the gameGPU website:
Acceptable
Operating system: Vista®, Windows 7
Processor: Core 2 Duo E6550 2.33 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200 2.6 GHz above
RAM: 3 GB
Video card: DirectX®10 compatible video adapter with 896 MBRAMGeForce GTX 260 or GeForce GTS 450 above
DirectX: DirectX®10
Effective
Operating system: Vista®, Windows 7
Processor: Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.0 GHz and above
RAM: 4 GB
Video card: DirectX®10 compatible video adapter with 896 MBRAMGeForce GTX 275 or GeForce GTX 460 above
DirectX: DirectX®10
Optimal
Operating system:Vista®, Windows 7
Processor:: Core I 7 930 2.8 GHz or Phenom II X6 1090T 3.2 GHz and higher
RAM: 4 GB
Video card: DirectX®10 compatible video adapter with 1280 MB RAM GeForce GTX 570 or GeForce GTX 480 above
DirectX:DirectX®10
How 3D stereo works
We have binocular (stereoscopic) vision, which allows us to distinguish which objects are closer and which are further away, and also quite accurately estimate the distances to objects. This ability is explained by the fact that our eyes are located at a certain distance from each other (about 6 cm), and they form 2 slightly different images of the same object (like 2 pictures obtained in two video cameras located in different places). Our brain, analyzing these images, creates a general stereoscopic (often said 3D) picture of the world around us.
Until recently, in movies and on TV we could only see flat images captured by a single camera. Such a flat picture does not convey the depth of space; it shows the world on the screen distorted – all just as a projection of a 3-dimensional picture onto a plane. In recent years, 3D technologies have been intensively developing, striving to show us the world in its entirety on the screen, i.e. 3-dimensional. How is all this done?
The principle of obtaining a 3D image is based on the fact that, firstly, for 3D paintings it is necessary to shoot scenes with not one, but two cameras (we have 2 eyes, and with one eye you will not see a 3-dimensional picture in life). Secondly, it is necessary to make sure that each eye sees the image that only one camera received, and does not see the image from the other camera. This is what 3D glasses are used for. Their task is to divide the vision of our eyes – to make each eye see only its own picture. Then our brain will combine these different images into one 3-dimensional one.
There are several types of 3D glasses, which are based on different physical effects. Below we will look at the main types of 3D glasses.
Anaglyph 3D glasses
The simplest 3D glasses are glasses with red-blue or red-green filters. Anaglyph glasses are often incorrectly called “anaglyph 3D glasses” on the Internet. In such “anaglyph” glasses, a blue (green) filter is installed in one light opening, and a red one in the other. Anaglyph 3D glasses are usually cheap colored plastic films inserted into a cardboard frame. A red filter transmits only red rays (rays of other colors pass through the filter greatly attenuated), and a green filter only transmits green rays (blue – blue).
This allows you to separate the images for both eyes, if one image (taken by one camera) is projected onto the screen through a red filter, and the other (taken by the second camera) through a green (or blue) filter. Looking at the screen through glasses of the corresponding colors, we will see a three-dimensional 3D image.
True, color rendition in such glasses will be distorted due to the suppression of those colors that are not used in 3D glasses, and the 3D image we see will not be very similar to the real one. The latest innovation – blue/yellow 3D glasses – provide fairly good 3D image quality.
Polarized 3D glasses
Better 3D images are currently obtained using polarized glasses, which have a polarization direction parallel to the polarization direction of the spectacle lens. Rays whose direction is perpendicular to the direction of the polarization axis of the lens do not pass through it. The polarization effect is used in 3D polarized glasses.
In order for such 3D glasses to “work,” the polarization directions of the lenses in the glasses must be mutually perpendicular. In addition, two images must be projected onto the screen, obtained from two different cameras and projected onto the screen through polarizing filters with corresponding polarization directions. Then, if we look at the screen through polarized glasses with correctly set polarization directions, we will see a three-dimensional picture.
The disadvantage of the polarized 3D glasses described above is the need to look at the screen while keeping your head strictly vertical. When you tilt your head to the side, the polarization axes of the glasses and the images on the screen will not coincide and the quality of the 3D image will become significantly worse.
Higher quality images are obtained using circular polarization technology. Currently, Marchon 3D glasses with circular polarization are used to display 3D films using RealD Cinema technology. When watching 3D movies shown using RealD Cinema technology, the viewer can tilt their head without deteriorating image quality.
The first 3D film shot using this technology, “Avatar”, when viewed for the first time in a cinema, makes a stunning impression with its 3D effects. The advantage of IMAX 3D technology is its ability to provide sufficiently bright images on a large screen. The problem with watching movies in 3D mode is that the polarizing filter transmits no more than 50% of the light incident on it. This means that less than 50% of the light output projected onto the screen reaches our eyes. Those. The brightness of 3D films and games for normal viewing should be higher than the brightness with which “flat” films are usually shown.
It should also be noted that, unfortunately, some users of 3D technologies may experience visual discomfort and headaches. This happens most often when changing scenes quickly with a very large difference in image depth. When shooting 3D films and developing games, people usually try to avoid such effects.
Active shutter glasses
3D glasses with the so-called active shutter are also available. Such 3D glasses are equipped with an electronic device (electromechanical or liquid crystal switch) for alternately transmitting/blocking light rays through the left/right light opening of these glasses in synchronization with the alternate display of two separate images on the monitor screen. Active shutter 3D glasses are mainly used to watch 3D movies on 3D TVs.
For 3D viewing, 3D LCD TVs are equipped with fast-responding matrices. 3D glasses are available that can be worn over regular corrective glasses. 3D glasses with active shutter are quite expensive (about $100 or more).
NVIDIA 3D Vision 3D glasses
An example of 3D glasses with an active shutter are the 3D glasses included in the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit for viewing 3D images on a PC monitor screen. The strengths of the NVIDIA 3D Vision solution are a wide selection of display devices (3D monitors, projectors, TVs, laptops), a variety of content (more than 450 3D games, streaming video, movies, photos), honest 1080p for each eye.
This method means that the images for the left and right eyes are shown in consecutive frames, and since the monitors used are capable of supporting a frequency of 120Hz, each eye also receives a signal at a frequency of 60Hz, which is equivalent to the refresh rate of standard LCD monitors today. 3D Vision PCs support LCD monitors with resolutions of 1680×1050 and 1920×1080. These features provide a number of advantages:
> Full resolution for each eye: In 3D mode, each eye sees images with maximum resolution, text and object quality.
> Wide Angle of View for 3D: Each image is shown in its entirety in alternating frames, eliminating any restrictions on the angle of view in 3D mode. The user can make vertical and horizontal movements of the head within the full viewing angle of the display, without losing sight of the 3D effects and with constant high image clarity. Such benefits provide long-lasting excellent gaming and movie watching.
> Great 2D experience: And if you decide to go back to 2D, 3D Vision PCs support a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, enhancing the clarity and reducing motion blur typical of traditional 65 Hz displays.
> Designed and assembled by NVIDIA, the advanced active shutter glasses feature premium optics and customizable nose pads in a design reminiscent of modern sunglasses.
Below we have provided a list of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs recommended for games with support for NVIDIA 3D Vision technology and as we see, entry-level cards from 2-3 years ago have remained out of use.
| 500/400/300 episodes | 200/100 episodes | 9 series | 8 series | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GPUs recommended for 3D Vision gaming | GeForce GTX 580 GeForce GTX 570 GeForce GTX 480 GeForce GTX 470 GeForce GTX 465 GeForce GTX 460 GeForce GTS 450 GeForce GT 340 GeForce GT 330 |
GeForce GTX 295 GeForce GTX 285 GeForce GTX 280 GeForce GTX 275 GeForce GTX 260 GeForce GTS 250 GeForce GTS 240 GeForce GT 140 |
GeForce 9800 GX2 9800 GeForce GTX + GeForce GTX 9800 GeForce GT 9800 GeForce GT 9600 |
GeForce 8800 Ultra GeForce GTX 8800 8800 GeForce GTS GeForce GT 8800 |
Below we have provided a list of displays that support 3D Vision technology. The list is not large, but some of these monitor models are already widely available in retail sales and if you want to join this technology, you will not encounter the problem of absence, as was the case just over a year ago, when not a single model was practically impossible to find.
| LCD monitors | ||
| Название продукта | Resolution | Blu-ray 3D support |
| Acer GD245HQ 120Hz LCD | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Acer GD235HZ 120Hz LCD | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Alienware™ OptX™ AW2310 120Hz | 1920×1080 | Y |
| ASUS VG236H 120 Hz | 1920×1080 | Y |
| BenQ XL2410T | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Hannstar HS233 | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Lenovo L2363dwA | 1920×1080 | Y |
| LG W2363D 120 Hz | 1920×1080 | Y |
| LG W2363DB 120 Hz | 1920×1080 | Y |
| NEC F23W2A | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Planar SA2311W | 1920×1080 | Y |
| Samsung® SyncMaster 2233RZ 120 Hz | 1680×1050 | N |
| ViewSonic® FuHzion™ VX2265wm 120 Hz | 1680×1050 | N |
| ViewSonic FuHzion VX2268wm 120 Hz LCD display | 1680×1050 | Y |
The glasses come in a medium-sized box painted in Nvidia’s corporate colors. You can see the device on the left side through the transparent window. It looks like regular glasses with large lenses. The box has an original folding design. Once you open it, you can find a pair of 3D glasses, a transmitter to sync them with your computer, and a set of replacement glass covers.
The glasses have a normal design and you can even wear them outside without fear of being ridiculed. The lugs are too wide, but one would hardly suspect that there is any electronics there at first glance. When turned off, the lenses let in about half the light, but it is not recommended to use the GeForce 3D Vision as sunglasses. Direct sunlight is harmful to the liquid crystals of lenses.
All the electronics are located in a small ridge on the inside left side. The glasses do not require a wired connection during operation. They are powered by a built-in lithium-ion battery and receive a synchronization signal from an IR transmitter.
The power on/off button and battery indicator are located on the top of the glasses. The glasses automatically turn off after a few minutes of inactivity. They flash the lenses before they do this to remind you to turn them off.
A standard mini-USB connector is used to recharge the battery. In theory, this interface could be used to update the device’s firmware, but Nvidia says the firmware will not be updated because it is not necessary. Charging takes 3 hours. Claimed battery life is 40 hours.
The glass is light. The weight of the electronics is not felt when you carry them. The glasses are fully compatible with prescription glasses and can be worn one on top of the other
The 3D glasses must be synchronized with the computer to darken the left or right lens at the same time as the frame on the monitor changes. This is done using an infrared transmitter, which is guaranteed to work at a distance of up to 5 meters. It looks like a small black plastic pyramid. The transmitter must be in direct line of sight with the glasses.
The computer and device have a unidirectional connection, so you can use as many 3D glasses as you need from one transmitter – all glasses will receive the same signal. It’s not yet possible to buy the glasses separately from the transmitter, but Nvidia promises to provide this option in the future.
The transmitter has a mini-USB socket for connecting to a computer, a 3D-Sync socket for TVs that support GeForce 3D Vision Technology (Mitsubishi’s DLP models are listed as such; you won’t need this socket when using the glasses with a regular monitor), and a scroll wheel for 3D depth adjustments. Although you can change various parameters, including the depth of 3D space, with a hotkey, the wheel is more convenient: you don’t have to remember the meaning of the hotkeys, and they may not work in some games.
Installing NVIDIA 3D Vision is quite simple: you need to unpack the 3D Vision kit, install nVidia software, connect all blocks, after which the Wizard will detect your monitor and test the functionality of the kit. The delivery set includes USB cables of 3 and 1,8 meters, which is enough to install the IR transmitter in any convenient place, as well as for charging glasses next to the computer.
Currently there are about 3 games that support NVIDIA 450D Vision. The games have different quality ratings for stereoscopic effects – Ready, Excellent, Good. With the release of each new version of the stereo driver, 10-15 new profiles for 3D games are added. Therefore, the number of games compatible with 3D Vision is constantly increasing.
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