So I think we have all seen headlines like this before where a product promises instant high quality 3D and the reality, like the 3D TVs of 2010, was a huge let down. That combined with the autoconversion films of that era left us longing for quality 3D. Well it seems like after a long wait the technology has caught up with our desires and achieved the holy grail – glasses free 3D converted content displayed instantly, using 2D or crucially for us 3D SBS using the video player of our choice – this is OWL3D Shift. Probably the best part of that introduction for me was the note that it supports native 3D SBS or half SBS.
Wait you say – this is too good to be true. Well it is a Kickstarter project, so the only systems out in the wild are demo systems. However, the feedback on these and the videos on line are very good. See the link here owl3d-shift . Clearly the promise of realistic depth and instant transformation appear true in the demonstrations. They remind me of a hugely advanced version of the lenticular images which still come in to fashion occasionally. Back to Owl3D – they are already over their Kickstarter goal by a large margin but some early access offers are still available – for the next 6 days.
And of course it is worth mentioning that although they are new to hardware, 0wl3D as a 2D to 3D converter has a long history – see their website here Owl3D . Their auto-conversion software has been on sale for a long time. Interestingly you also get a lifetime Owl3D licence with some of the packages.
Having looked at the Kickstarter page on thing which will strike you quite quickly is this is set as a ‘companion’ monitor of 14 inches – so not the primary monitor which you use day to day. Even with this setup there are system requirements to meet to get the full experience with limitations for Windows and Macs:
So at least a Nvidia RTX 30 or above for the full experience on Windows.
3A will be watching keenly for feedback on the production units, which for those choosing the prime owl founders edition could be out as soon as May 2026.
Should it be a success then the bank of films we have accumulated will be tested asap, which might be best – well see the reviews here 3D Features Best of luck to the Owl3D-shift team.