3D is no longer reserved to the movie theater, nor is it strictly the domain of broadcast television or kids movies on DVD or Blu-Ray. The newest frontier in 3D technology is destined to be the family computer as a new glut of 3D displays and 3D monitors are set to try to enhance the user experience in ways never before imagined but don't expect them to be as affordable as current cheap LCD monitors.

How Do 3D Monitors Work?
Most of the new 3D display technologies build on the current standard for 3D that people are used to seeing in the movie theater. In order to view the 3D images on the computer screen a user must wear a pair of polarized glasses. These are not the old style red and blue filtered glasses, but a newer version of 3D technology that uses a special kind of polarization to separate the images into two parts (one intended for each eye).

In the theater, most movie companies use circular polarization, a technique that allows the wearer of the glasses to tilt their heads at any angle (in case they want to rest their head on their significant other) but in the more fixed position world of computers the alternative of linear polarization is also being used.

Are Glasses Always Required To View 3D Computer Images?

For several years researchers have been tinkering with ways to produce 3D images without the need for glasses. Some manufacturers, such as Phillips Electronics, have already begun to demonstrate a new type of television monitor that produces 3D images without the need for glasses. It is surely only a matter of time before this technology trickles down into smaller computer monitors.

For those that cannot wait the Zalman TRIMON is a 22 inch LCD monitor that converts images and games into 3D using special software. The Zalman does require polarized glasses (provided) in order to view the monitor in 3D.

What Are The Current Drawbacks To 3D Displays and Monitors?
Aside from the relative scarcity of 3D monitors in the marketplace at this time the primary problem is the total lack of 3D enabled content. In order for a computer based video game to be played in true 3D requires not only a very specialized 3D monitor but also that the game itself be programmed to make use of that technology.

Many new 3D monitors such as the Viewsonic VX2265wm and the Samsung 2233RZ made a big splash at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show and although they do a good job of converting existing games and applications into 3D, a true 3D experience will only happen once vendors write content specifically for viewing on 3D displays.

While many still consider 3D to be a fad that will never become a ubiquitous part of society, many in the electronics industry are betting on it, leaving a high likelyhood that 3D monitors and 3D displays will continue to grow in popularity.