Back in August, we reported that Toshiba was planning to launch autostereoscopic models. Today, PC World has confirmed that.

Toshiba is planning to launch two models of televisions that will not require glasses to achieve a 3D image. The displays will be launched this December in Japan and measure 12 and 20 inches. The 12-inch model will retail for 120,000 Yen ($1,430) while the 20-inch model will carry a price tag of 240,00 Yen ($2,879).

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Please feel free to read our other articles, including Where is All of the 3D Content?, YouTube Now Offering 3D Content, and JVC D-ILA Projector Announcements: Entry Level and 3D Models.  You can also read the Samsung UN55C7000 3D LED HDTV review by Adrienne Maxwell.  Also, be sure to visit our 3D HDTV section for more information.  You can find the PC World article here.

The autostereoscopic image is achieved by placing lenses on the screen instead of making the viewer wear them. There is a thin sheet of small lenses in front of the display that split the light from the screen in to nine points in front of the television. If the viewer sits in one of these spots, they can see a stereoscopic image.

So there is the catch. You can watch 3D without glasses but you need to sit in specific spots to see it. Although with 9 of those spots for these televisions, that probably won't be the biggest problem. Especially considering the small size of the screen. Which is another issue. If you want the immersive experience of a stereoscopic image, why would you want such a small screen? It is more likely that viewers would want the larger 56-inch prototype that Toshiba demonstrated at the Ceatec electronics show, the even where they unveiled the two new televisions.