Wall-Sized 3D Gaming With Nvidia 3D Vision

A couple of months ago, we built a 3D dual-projector system, just like in movie theaters. Now, we're comparing it to Nvidia's 3D Vision projector-based setup to see which option offers the best consumer-level 3D experience for your living room.

When we concluded our Wall-Sized 3D Gaming, Just Like The Theaters Do It review, we noted that there could be no proper conclusion until we tested an alternative projector that utilized Nvidia's 3D Vision solution. Well, now you're reading that follow-up article. For those who missed the previous story, we created a 3D projector system similar to the ones used in movie theaters, with two projectors and polarized filters. The whole experiment consisted of about $2,500 worth of hardware and software, not including the PC used to drive the displays. 

The main advantage of the polarized system is that it allows for the use of inexpensive polarized 3D glasses. Each pair can be purchased for under a dollar, so adding as many viewers as you like is only limited by the space in your theater room. The main disadvantages of a polarized dual-projector theater are the initial cost, the complexity of setting the system up, and ghosting artifacts in certain situations.

There is another disadvantage that is quickly becoming a much more important factor: Blu-ray 3D. At present, we know of no software that allows a polarized dual-projector system to play back Blu-ray 3D discs, and as far as we know, there are no options on the horizon.

But there is another 3D theater option for the home that offers Blu-ray 3D playback. It is relatively simple to set up, minimizes ghosting artifacts, and has a very low startup cost. That option is an Nvidia 3D Vision-compatible projector.