Toshiba unveils 3-D TV that needs no special glasses

TOKYO - Toshiba Corp. believes it has a solution for television viewers who like 3-D but hate the glasses.

Monday the Tokyo-based company unveiled the world's first high-definition liquid crystal display 3-D television that does not require special glasses, one of the biggest consumer complaints about the technology.

Toshiba will offer two sizes - 12 inches and 20 inches - designed for personal use. The smaller version will cost about $1,400, the larger double the price. The technology isn't advanced enough yet to integrate into larger screens.

Whether consumers embrace the new TVs remains to be seen. Many might be put off by the fact they'll have to be very close to the screen for the 3-D effect to really work, not to mention the steep price tag.

Toshiba uses a "perpendicular lenticular sheet," an array of small lenses that directs light from the display to nine points in front of the TV. The system is similar to what's in Nintendo's 3DS, the company's highly anticipated hand-held device that features glasses-free 3-D gaming.

The TVs will go on sale in Japan in late December, Toshiba said. The company did not release details on overseas availability.- AP