Sony working on 3-D TVs that don't need glasses

TOKYO: Sony Corp. is working on 3-D televisions that don't need special glasses, joining a race with rival Toshiba Corp., but sees cost and technological hurdles to overcome before they can go on sale.

Toshiba said earlier this week it is working on glasses-free 3-D TVs, although no decision had been made on when they will go on sale.

Mainstream 3-D TVs now on sale, such as those from Panasonic Corp. and Sony Corp., require glasses. But there are already screens that don't require glasses, mainly intended for store displays. They require the viewer to stand in specific spots for the 3-D effect to emerge, and the image quality is much lower than that of screens using glasses.

``Seeing 3-D without glasses is more convenient,'' Sony Senior Vice President Yoshihisa Ishida said Thursday at Tokyo headquarters. ``We must take account of pricing before we can think about when to start offering them.''

Sony showed its latest 3-D products for the Japanese market, including flat-panel TVs and Blu-ray recorders.

Sony said it plans to be No. 1 in market share in Japan in 3-D TVs and 3-D players and recorders, taking advantage of its position as an electronics maker with a movie studio.

Sony said it will start selling in Japan next month two films and two music videos in 3-D, and planned home software of 3-D theater releases, including a 3-D ``Spider-Man'' opening in 2012.