News has reached my ear-holes that Toshiba intend to release a 3D TV in time for Christmas. No big deal? Apparently this TV will not require you to wear special glasses!

Toshiba say that their new TV emits a series of light rays in different directions that creates the effect of 3D images for the viewers. The TV is expected to be expensive – which isn’t surprising – and should be available by the end of 2010.

A quick search on Google will find you a multitude of pages on what little specifics there are about this futuristic marvel, but I think it’s worth talking about what this means for tech-junkies like myself. You see, I never had any intention of buying a 3D TV for the 3D part (it is likely TV’s will soon have 3D thrown in as a feature and you won’t be able to buy one without it) because the thought of having to put on special glasses to watch program in my living room doesn’t appeal to me.

This announcement potentially solves that problem, however another reason I don’t want a [current] 3D TV for my home is that I imagine the effect of a 40+ inch 3D television in my home would be more akin to watching a puppet show than the big 3D experience I get at, say, IMAX. It is not a big, all-encompassing experience; it is little people in a magic box. Toshiba’s TV is unlikely to solve this problem, but that, for now, doesn’t matter.

The important part is that we are progressing. Toshiba’s glasses-less 3D television will be expensive, not a particularly good experience and lacking in content. Like most first generation tech! From here we move on, and my dream of a [relatively] inexpensive large scale (say, living room wall) 3D experience that doesn’t require glasses or viewers to be sat in micron-specific position is that little bit closer.

Bring on the holodecks!