The television sets using 21:9 aspect resolution do have a higher and non-standard native resolution of 2560×1080 which may be Ok for 2D content pushed over HDMI 1.4 interface is not OK for 3D content. The reason behind that fact is that HDMI 1.4 specifications for stereo 3D content support up to 1920×1080 resolution with 24Hz in 3D mode, so there is no way to push even higher resolution in stereo 3D mode over that interface. This means that you are pushing 1080p 3D video to the TV set and then it gets processed in some way in order to be displayed to cover the whole wide display, kind of upscaling and cropping of the video.  This again should be quite OK for movies as with 3D movies in 16:9 aspect ratio you still get the black lines at the top and bottom, but what about playing games or photos in stereo 3D mode where you still need to push 720p or 1080p?  Considering the fact that 24Hz 3D mode is not very responsive for most gamers, you would have to resort to playing games in 720p mode and upscaling that do the native resolution of 2560×1080 might lead to not so good visual quality, especially of the game does not have Anti-Aliasing support. But what will the 21:9 aspect ratio TV set do when you are sending 1080p or 720p 3D content which is 16:9 aspect ratio? The television set will upscale the image just like it does with a movie, but since you are not going to have black lines in the game window you are actually going to loose some of the image at the top and bottom and in games these parts usually are used for the HUD display. 

Given Playstations GT5 is 3D enabled its interesting to see what they have planned for the future.  3D  without glasses has been mentioned.   Lest take a look at one of the early reports.

3D TV - 'chicken and egg'

Howard Stringer acknowledged that 3D had not sold as well as TV makers hoped last year but he said part of the reason was the lack of content, an issue that is slowly disappearing.

"There's always a little chicken and egg with new technologies, people sit on their hands, but it's inexorable once the experience becomes richer for the customers," he said.

"I don't think there's any issue with 3D once you have content and I think it's a rich experience."

Shoot home movies and stills in 3D

In the meantime, Sony has unveiled still cameras, handycams and a small video recording device called the Bloggie that can shoot 3D pictures and home movies.

These can be played back on a 3DTV, 3D-enabled laptop (a Sony Vaio model was unveiled at CES) or the screens built into the cameras, which show 3D without needing glasses.

The handycams are essentially two regular high definition handycams stuck together, providing full HD for both eyes.

"Imagine watching your child's soccer games in 3D," Stringer said.

Phil Molyneux, president of Sony Electronics USA, said: "The dynamic of the 3D market is really propelled again because we're allowing consumers to generate their own compelling content in 3D."

One new 2D Sony handycam has a built-in projector that can beam video up to 1.5 metres wide.

Glasses-free 3D TV

At its booth, Sony, like Toshiba, also showed off 46-inch and 56-inch LCD TVs that can display 3D without glasses. However, these are further away hitting stores.

Yesterday at Sony's press conference, Stringer entered the stage in a car from the upcoming 3D movie The Green Hornet, alongside the stars of the film, Seth Rogan and Jay Chou.

"3D is far more than a science fiction gimmick designed to make special effects dominate the storyline and bedazzle the viewer, 3D simply mirrors the experience of the viewer itself," said Stringer.

"We don't see the world around us in 2D, we see it in living 3D."

One Sony concept product at the show that is more than a science fiction gimmick is a head-mounted 3D display featuring two Sony OLED screens, one for each eye.

"You can enjoy a theatre-like experience on the couch or in-flight with a virtual large screen and perfect sound," said Sony's Hiroshi Yoshioka.

Another prototype was a portable 10.1" 3D Blu-ray player that does not require glasses.

"These two prototypes provide freedom from the living room and the movie theatre," he said.

Asher Moses travelled to Las Vegas as a guest of Sony.

The Japanese release is timed to coincide with the arrival of Sony's first 3D-enabled Bravia TVs. For a short period, purchasers of an LX900, HX900 or HX800-series Bravia will be given a code entitling them to free downloads of the 3D launch titles, as well as early access to the demo of 3D Motorstorm 2.

It is unlikely that the first wave of 3D games will require a signficiant new firmware update, as Sony has previously readied PS3s for stereoscopic 3D with April's 3.30 firmware.

Sony will also be further updating its console to support playback of 3D Blu-ray movies (3DBD) later this year, according to online reports.

Having set a complete set of Mandatory 3D Formats in HDMI Specification Version 1.4 (with the updates available in 1.4a), the association is trying to ensure interoperability for devices designed to deliver 3D content over the HDMI connection. Implementing the mandatory formats of the HDMI Specification facilitates interoperability among devices, allowing devices to speak a common 3D language when transmitting and receiving 3D content. Or in plain words that means that you’ll be able to plug in your PlayStation 3 console (when it is updated to support stereo 3D) into a 3D-ready Samsung HDTV for example, rather than having to use it with a compatible Sony TV set. Here is a list of the mandatory 3D formats that should all be supported by all compatible displays to ensure full compatibility…

If you had any doubt that the big thing in televisions this year will be 3D, then Samsung’s CES press conference would have finally convinced you. The company is throwing its rather large manufacturing weight behind 3D in the home, bringing not just TVs but 3D Blu-ray players and home theater systems into stores this year.

The TVs were the focus today, and consist of LEDs, LCDs and even a plasma model. The star, though, and the one that Jeffrey Katzenberg couldn’t keep his hands off (more on that in a second), was the 9000-series. This 3D TV features a proprietary 3D engine that, like Toshiba’s new sets, can convert 2D video to 3D (although Samsung presented this as a temporary solution until more 3D video is available). The 9000-series will come in screen sizes from 19” to 65”. One look at the photo will tell you the answer — the TVs are thin, as in a third of an inch thin. Turn one of these sideways and it all but disappears. Add to that a gorgeous steel body and you get a TV that even an impossibly rich movie mogul will covet.

Better still, the 9000 series will come with a large touch-screen remote. And why waste that second screen when you aren’t actually doing any controlling? Samsung lets you watch live TV on the remote itself while the big screen continues to play your 3D movie.

The race to bring 3D TV to Australia is on, with Sony yesterday demonstrating two models it plans to have on sale by July, just days after Panasonic unveiled its 3D rival.

But Samsung is likely to have the first 3D TV on sale in Australia in April. The company expects to release 3D LCD, LED and plasma sets by midyear, which is also when Panasonic expects to have models in store. It is believed they will cost the same as upper-range high-definition digital TVs.

Sony yesterday demonstrated two 3D models in Sydney. The top-of-the-range LX 900 Bravia features an integrated 3D sensor. The next-tier HX 800 and 900 models are what the company calls "3D ready", meaning they will display 3D with an add-on piece of hardware, at an additional cost.

Both work with glasses featuring electronic shutters to generate the effect of depth. It is estimated that glasses will cost between $200 and $400 a pair, though the LX 900 will come with two pairs.

The Panasonic Viera plasma TV demonstrated last week uses similar glasses, as will Samsung's range. All 3D TVs will also be able to be watched in 2D.