According to a recent report in a Japanese newspaper, glasses-free HDTVs could well be in the offing, with Toshiba reportedly planning to launch three models of an autostereoscopic 3D TV set before the end of the year.

Going by the information forwarded by the sources at Toshiba, as compared to the conventional 3-D TVs that necessitate the wearing of special glasses by viewers watching 3-D content, the autostereoscopic 3D TV will enable viewers to enjoy 3-D images sans any glasses! No wonder then that the planned release of the glasses-free-viewing set by Toshiba will likely stimulate the market.

Elaborating further, the sources have revealed that Toshiba will make use of high-definition panels in the new autostereoscopic 3D TVs so that three-dimensional images, including the fast-moving ones, can be seen with the naked eye. The new TV will be capable of playing all the existing 3-D content, including high-resolution digital images.

In addition, noting that the Toshiba’s new technology will enable viewers to enjoy 3-D content from numerous viewing positions, without straining their eyes, the sources said that the strain-free naked-eye viewing will result from Toshiba’s integral imaging system. The system emits rays of light at different angles, allowing viewers’ brains to reconstruct 3-D images without special glasses.

As per the sources, initially three models of the autostereoscopic 3D TV sets, one of them with a 21-inch screen, will be introduced by Toshiba during this year’s holiday season.