Wired magazine has an article on how to DIY a 3D viewing theatre. Interesting project for the winter.
Here’s the instruction:
1) Score two 17-inch LCDs
You may need two older LCDs for this. Accordingly, pre-2005 models have liquid crystals between two sheets of glass, a setup that produces the required linear polarized rays. When viewed with 3-D glasses (available online at 3dstereo.com), each monitor should appear normal through one lens and black through the other.
2) Track down a two-way mirror
Get a 15-inch square of half-silvered mirror (an eighth-inch or less). It will function as a beam splitter, helping to create the 3-D optical effect. Try telepromptermirrors.com.
3) Construct an enclosure
Build a 16 x 16-inch cube to house the LCDs and mirror. Position the screens at a 90-degree angle; install the mirror, reflective side up, at a 45-degree angle. The image from the upper LCD transmits to the right eye, while the lower screen provides visuals for the left.
4) Download and configure
Download a stereo movie player (stereo.jpn.org) and purchase a videocard with support for dual displays. (Make sure the card’s output connectors are compatible with the viewing screen’s inputs.) Next, configure the computer to display the two monitors as a horizontal span, with the top LCD as the right screen.
5) Get content and press Play
Find files with separate stereo images (see “Channel 3-D” below) — multicolored anaglyphs won’t work here. Watch the Vizard in a darkened room, huddled under a blanket.
Channel 3-D
Once you’ve hacked your viewer, head to the Web for free content.
Blockbusters
Make 3-D classics (Jaws 3-D, Creature From the Black Lagoon)Vizard-compatible. Go to stereo.jpn.org/eng for a walkthrough.
Virtual Tours
Take a stroll in New Zealand botanical gardens or bustling downtown Tokyo on the 3-D tourism site v-galleries.com.
Documentaries
Score front-row spots at concerts, Katana sword demos, and other HD content at 3dtv.at.
Killer Maps
Explore the US Geological Survey’s extensive collection of pics of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park in 19th-century stereo at usgs.gov.
Human Anatomy
WebMD is for the squeamish. Examine our innards with the lifelike images on ny3d.org.
Games
Rock out in stereoscope! Guitar Hero 3 is 3-D capable — as are Madden 08 and Call of Duty 4. Visit nvidia.com.
Videos
Encyclopedia Pictura’s stunning “Wanderlust” is just one of a slew of new 3-D videos. Hip hop star Missy Elliott and dance rockers MGMT also have eye-popping projects in the online pipeline.
