XpanD will ship its universal active-shutter 3D glasses in 60...

XpanD will ship its universal active-shutter 3D glasses in 60 days, Ami Dror, the company’s chief strategy officer, told us Thursday. The suggested retail price of the model X103 glasses -- which have worked with “almost all the different displays,” including those from Panasonic, Sony, LG, Samsung and Philips -- is $129, about $20 lower than accessory models offered by TV manufacturers that work with only one brand of 3D TV set. “The universal glasses are critical to the industry, as there is no way that consumers will agree to buy a product that is limited to one other product,” Dror said. He said the glasses will be critical on the sales floor, too, because they allow demos to move from display to display without the need to change glasses. And universal 3D glasses are crucial to making 3D a social experience because they mean that 3D TV owners won’t have to buy additional sets of glasses when entertaining around an event, Dror said. “Take the World Cup as an example,” he said. “Let’s assume I've invited 10 friends to watch a game with me. Unless they can bring their own glasses from home, I will have to buy 10 pairs of glasses that I don’t need.” Dror called universal glasses “probably the most important element in the 3D world, second only to 3D content.” XpanD has begun shipping its second-generation 3D glasses for use with DLP projectors, the company said. XpanD teamed with Texas Instruments to develop the active-shutter glasses, which sync with DLP projectors and TVs without the need for emitters. Suggested retail price of the X102 DLP-Link 3D glasses is $129, $20 lower than active-shutter models supplied with TVs from Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. The combination of the glasses and affordable DLP TVs delivers the most economical solution to families looking for in-home 3D entertainment, said Dror. Operating range of the glasses is 140 feet, which XpanD said is twice the industry average. The company is also targeting the educational market with the 3D glasses.