CES 2008: DLP shows off DualView TV

Say goodbye to spilt screen gaming

7 January 2008 22:40 GMT / By Duncan Madden

DLP Products from Texas Instruments has demonstrated the ability to display two separate image sources at the same time on a single DLP HDTV screen at CES 2008.

DualView capability is an innovation for two-player gaming, TV and film watching that gives each viewer an independent full screen image to enjoy.

All 3D-ready DLP HDTVs are capable of DualView, they just need to be connected to a compatible source and each viewer wear a pair of DualView glasses.

Currently, any two-player game developed for split screen can be played in DualView using two consoles or PCs. DLP is working with game developers to support the mode in future releases and thus guarantee its longevity in the market, which would involve incorporating a driver or patch to existing versions to enable single console support in the future.

Steve Nix, director of business development for id software (pioneers of games like Doom and Quake) recently commented of DualView, “This amazing new technology from DLP is really exciting for gamers. Two players watching the same screen right next to each other can now see completely different images so no more peeking at your opponent’s moves!”.

This first of a kind technology is achieved by dual advancements on the DLP chipset and compatible eyewear. The key to a ghost free image is the co-ordination of the DLP chip’s extremely fast 8ms switching speed with high contrast shutter glass operation. The DLP eyewear controller synchronises the glasses’ shutters by decoding a proprietary signal embedded in the DLP image stream.

Select Samsung and Mitsubishi DLP HDTVs are already shipping with 3DTV and DualView capabilities across the pond in the US.