HP Adds New 3D-enabled AIO, Photon Tech to Portfolio

Monday HP revealed four new products in its 3D portfolio, one of which is a new tech that will allow companies to broadcast "true-to-life" 3D content on building-sized surfaces. Called the HP Photon Engine, the new software was already demonstrated earlier this year by top fashion house Marchesa while presenting its Spring 2012 collection in 3D to a select audience.

"The clarity of the images is absolutely stunning and it brings a whole new dimension to the retail shopping experience," said Keren Craig, co-founder, Marchesa.

According to HP, the software is the result of a collaboration between the HP Personal Systems Group and HP Labs, and is powered by the HP Z800 workstation and multiple projectors. It generates images with up to half a pixel of resolution which in turn reduces eye strain and fatigue. The setup even creates realistic 3D images in ambient light, visible from any angle on display surfaces that scale from two feet to hundreds of feet.

"HP’s proprietary image processing software mathematically blends light sources to generate high-resolution images by painting with dots of light on any straight or curved surface," the company said Monday.

HP said the new system can also project non-3D content including unlimited streams of 2D video, internet content, documents and photos on single or multiple surfaces. Users can also seamlessly move and manipulate data from a wireless device such as a tablet or smartphone on the shared surface.

In addition to officially announcing its Photon Engine tech, HP also announced the 23-inch TouchSmart 620 3D Edition AIO desktop slated for a November 15 release. This version is similar to the vanilla TouchSmart 620 version but adds a 3D panel, 3D-enabling software including CyberLink's PowerDVD 10 and DDD's TriDef 3D game player, a pair of active-shutter glasses and a 3D webcam. Pricing starts at $1599.99 USD (after an instant rebate of $300) and the specs include Intel's 2nd-generation Core i7 and i5 processors, up to 16 GB DDR3-1066MHz, options for AMD and Nvidia GPUs, Windows 7 Home Premium, a 6-in-1 card reader, HP Beats Audio, optional HDMI input for connecting game consoles and more. HP offers a hands-on blog with a test machine sporting an Intel Core i5–2400 at 3.1GHz right here.

Also on Monday HP revealed the 23-inch HP 2311gt 3D LED-backlit monitor slated to hit store shelves on Tuesday for a meager $299 USD. The device features Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology for a brighter display, clearer images and a flicker-free 3D picture and comes bundled with two pairs of 3D glasses. It also comes packed with CyberLink's PowerDVD software for converting existing 2D content into 3D viewing goodness and DDD's TriDef 3D game player for converting 2D games into 3D.

"Probably the biggest reason to consider the HP 2311gt is the price. $299 for a 23-inch, 3D monitor with a 1920 by 1080-pixel resolution and a 5ms response time," HP said in a blog. "Sounds pretty not bad, right? Well, they get the price low because this uses a passive film patterned retarder technology."

Finally, in December, HP will release an updated version of its HP Wireless TV Connect. Now WHDI-certified and costing $179.99 USD, the peripheral allows users to stream both 2D and 3D content from a PC directly to the HDMI port on an HDTV. This new version is also more compact and features an extended transmitting range of 30 feet. It also supports 7.1 audio via the HDMI 1.4 spec and promises ZERO lag between what's on the PC screen and what's on the HDTV. HP has written a blog which can be accessed here.