NVIDIA has today released their 3DTV Play software online for purchase. Consumers who have both an NVIDIA graphics card and a 3D TV are now able to buy the software to run PC games, Blu-Rays, and photos all in 3D on their televisions. The software is based on NVIDIA's popular 3D Vision hardware, although this release only requires you to have a 3D TV and compatible 3D glasses.
The 3DTV Play software works if you have both a compatible NVIDIA Graphics card and a HDMI 1.4 based 3D TV from the list that the company provides on their website.
The software doesn't just allow you to play 3D games, but also enables 3D Blu-Ray movie playback, and the ability to view 3D photos on your PC if you have a compatible 3D camera. However, the 3DTV Play pack does come with a number of 3D photos for you to try out even if you haven’t gotten around to buying a 3D camera yet. From our early tests with 3D films, the 3DTV Play software does a perfectly good job with films such as Alice in Wonderland and Monster House in 3D.
The software has been a long time coming to the consumer -- with numerous delays along the way -- and still has issues today, especially with some games. Neowin tried the technology, in an early play through, and we have had issues with a number of “3D Vision Ready” titles such as Dead Rising 2 and Civilization 5. Both games showed low, unplayable frame rates despite running at 720p @ 60hz and 1080 @ 24hz.
Not everything is bad news, though. With a list of over 500 3D compatible games showing up on the NVIDIA website, some titles such as StarCraft 2, Borderlands, Just Cause 2, Darksiders and Batman: Arkham Asylum look and play great in 3D on our test system (an NVIDIA GTX 295), although many titles do have trouble running in 1080p at 24hz, though this is more likely due to our dated hardware than the 3DTV Play software itself.
When running a 3D title, a small information bar will show up in the bottom right of your TV for any titles which have specific 3DTV Plays issues. These can be simple things such as icons rendering in 2D or missing textures. We will have a more thorough analysis of the 3DTV Play software this weekend.
The NVIDIA 3DTV Play software can be purchased online for $40 or as a 14 day trial. More details on the software can be viewed below.
Industry-standard compatibility with HDMI 1.4 3D TVs, AVRs and repeaters
Supports HDMI 1.4 3D TVs and compatible 3D glasses system, including Panasonic® VIERA® Full HD 3D Plasma TVs. In addition, you can also use a HDMI 1.4 3D compatible home theater to control all of the 3D devices in your home. View a list of supported 3D TVs and home theater receivers.
Play over 475 of the most popular PC games in 3D on your 3D TV
The most cost-effective way to exponentially expand your 3D gaming library. 3D TV Play automatically converts over 475 games, including StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™, Mafia® II and Call of Duty® Black Ops™, into immersive 3D without using special game patches. For a complete listing of games, please click here.
Crisp, stunning Blu-ray 3D in 1080p
Enjoy Blu-ray 3D™ playback in seamless 3D quality. Real-time GPU accelerated video decoding is processed on your NVIDIA® GeForce® 400 and 300 series GPUs, resulting in lower CPU utilization and overall system power. NVIDIA has worked with Cyberlink, ArcSoft, Sonic, and Corel to ensure their latest software applications offer exceptional Blu-ray 3D playback when paired with GeForce GPUs and 3DTV Play™.
Instantly view 3D digital photographs
Browse 3D photographs on your 3D TV or view them in a slideshow with the included 3D photo viewing software. 3DTV Play™ supports 3D cameras such as the Fujifilm FinePix REAL 3D W1 and Sony NEX5 cameras. In addition, you can take in-game 3D screenshots of your favorite game and view them in 3D with NVIDIA’s free photo viewer.
Dynamically control in-game 3D effects
When you launch a supported game, it will automatically run in 3D. Since the 3D effect is rendered by the GeForce GPU, 3DTV Play™ lets you increase or decrease 3D depth or turn it on and off in real time using keyboard hotkeys.
Watch videos in 3D
Fully supports 3D video file playback from your PC using the NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ Video player.
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