We saw impressive demonstrations today of Nvidia’s new GeForce 3D Vision glasses. These use two LCDs which synchronise with special 120Hz monitors via infra red emitters. Although Nvidia claims that 3D effects are apparent with most existing PC games, it has currently approved around 300 games. The certification process is a major investment for the company, but necessary in order to ensure user confidence. True 120Hz monitors are now available from Viewsonic and Samsung. Viewsonic has branded its 22” model FuHzion, and it retails for $349. The company believes this price point is now right for the mass market. Personally I think they are being over-cautious – It’s not so long ago since standard 15” and 17” LCD monitors were priced well above this level, so $349 for a 22” with the latest technology seems almost a bargain, at least for hard core gamers who are looking for the best possible experience. Games are the obvious place to start for the coming 3D revolution, since many games have 3D capabilities built in from day one. It will begin with the hard core PC games community and spread out to other PC and eventually console users. The latter will depend of course on whether the major platform owners choose to introduce 3D technologies, and they may be reluctant to do so until 3D capabilities are more widespread in the HDTV market. Our position has always been that most consumers are reluctant to use specialised eyewear when watching TV. Philips and other companies have demonstrated much improved eyewear-free solutions in recent months. But there’s no doubt the various glasses-based approaches are also improving and becoming more comfortable and effective. The ideal solution in television and video will not depend on glasses, but if that can’t be deployed to the mass market any time soon, Nvidia’s technology and others like it may begin to gain wider acceptance. Client Reading: Digital Media Survey: An analysis of US Online Premium Video Users