Stream TV plans glasses-free 3D TV for Olympics

Stream TV is a company specializing in an area of consumer tech that others are either passing off as only in the research phase right now, or as something that's so expensive, it isn't worth going after mainstream crowds yet. We're talking about glasses-free (also known as "autostereoscopic") 3D television sets. While Stream TV can't offer its sets at affordable price points yet, it has the next best thing.

The company is going to be setting up its TVs at sports bars in major metropolitan areas around the world – New York City, London, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It will also be doing the same in Philadelphia, mainly because that is where the company is headquartered. The goal is to get the bars to purchase the TVs in an effort to drive patrons there to watch the summer Olympics in 3D, without the need for glasses.

The world of autostereoscopic 3D TV is still incredibly nascent. Toshiba pioneered the market but its sets are at least 10 times more expensive than you would expect to pay for a comparable 2D high-definition set. Most consumers aren't willing to pay that premium, especially since the market for 3D TV content is dwindling, not expanding. So Stream TV is taking a risk, for sure. But if you live in NYC, LA, London, or Philly, you might be able to get a neat experience out of it.

[via Philly.com]