Skip to main content

Support the Mission Critical 3D display, get a ‘mind-blowing’ glasses-free 3D monitor

3D technology has been the subject to a lot of controversy over the years, but almost everyone can agree on two things. 3D tech is cool, but 3D glasses aren’t.

A small R&D company based in Rochester, New York that has worked for over 25 years in collaboration with NASA and the US Department of Defense, among others, might have the solution. After scoring research and development contracts from a number of governmental agencies, and making the life of astronauts and pilots a lot easier, Dimension Technologies wants to address the masses. The 3D gaming/3D movie-loving crowds, to be specific.

Recommended Videos

Scrutinized and lauded by 3D experts, movie editors, game developers and creative directors, the Mission-Critical 3D monitor, as DTI calls it, ditches standard 3D glasses yet seamlessly switches from 2D to 3D content without damaging image quality.

The 27-inch screen runs at an impressive 120 Hz refresh rate and sports 1080p resolution in both 2D and 3D mode. Brightness levels sit at between 300 and 350 NITS and the company claims there’s no crosstalk, sweetspots or restrictions on how the user views the display.

Sounds too good to be true? DTI thought so too, so it’d grabbed testimonial from experts like Fangwei Lee, a visual effects designer whose credits include How To Train Your Dragon 2  and Megamind. Lee states that he “loves” the monitor. Carl White, a videographer, is quoted saying “I was mind blown.”

Still, seeing is believing, so if you want to make gamer-friendly authentic glasses-free 3D tech a reality, the Kickstarter page is open for pledges. Contributions as low as $5 are accepted but you’ll need to donate $895 to score one of the first 27-inch 3D/2D display units to be produced for consumer use. That rises to $995 once the first 25 monitors are sold.

Right now there’s a little over $8,500 pledged of the $150,000 goal. December 24 is the donation deadline, and if the project is fully funded, Mission-Critical 3D is estimated to deploy in June 2015.

Adrian Diaconescu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Adrian is a mobile aficionado since the days of the Nokia 3310, and a PC enthusiast since Windows 98. Later, he discovered…
The 6 best desktop PCs for 3D rendering in 2024
Apple's new Mac Pro sits on display in the showroom during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

If you're shopping for a desktop PC for 3D rendering, you better prepare your wallet. In order to snag a PC with enough firepower to handle this demanding task, you're going to be shopping among the best PCs on the market. Folks that are new to 3D rendering and will only be handling lightweight tasks might be able to get away with something that's mid-tier or low-tier, but if you're working with elaborate models and demanding workloads, your PC needs to be built to handle the pressure.

Thankfully, most manufacturers are churning out premium desktop PC that are more than capable of handling all your 3D rendering needs. From Dell and HP to Lenovo and even Apple, there's no shortage of options to choose from. This makes it pretty easy to find something that fits your specific workflow, and if you're willing to shop around, all the options means something is bound to be on sale.

Read more
Save $100 on this compact, multi-purpose home 3D printer
The AnkerMake M5C 3D printer on a white background.

Crutchfield has one of the best 3D printer deals today with $100 off the AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer. It usually costs $400 but right now, you can buy it for just $300. It’s the ideal introduction to the world of 3D printing while it’s available at such a great price. Here’s what you need to know about it or you can simply choose to buy by tapping the button below.

Why you should buy the AnkerMake M5C
The AnkerMake M5C may not feature on our look at the best 3D printers but it’s a great entry point. It’s robust yet compact so it’s easier to find room for it at home. In just 15 minutes, you can get the M5C assembled and ready to use. A dedicated AnkerMake app makes it simple to pick something from the library of 3D models to print straight from your phone, while there’s also a PC/Mac app too.

Read more
Glasses-free 3D gaming can be amazing — but only if it’s done right
Lies of P on Samsung's glasses-free 3D gaming monitor at CES 2024.

Glasses-free 3D is making a comeback. And please -- don't roll your eyes and write this off as a gimmick just yet.

I saw two similar 3D gaming monitors at CES last week that used this technology and tracked your eyes to fool you into seeing depth in a 2D screen. It's pretty convincing stuff, especially for games. I really want to see this technology come to fruition, but based on what I've seen so far, it needs to be done the right way if it hopes to get people's attention. The term "3D" has left a bad taste in people's mouths, and if this new wave of monitors wants to undo that, it needs to make a good first impression.
A tale of two methods
Samsung Has a 3D Gaming Monitor That Doesn’t Need Glasses | CES 2024

Read more