The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of organizations creating wireless solutions for use in consumer applications, today announced it is developing a new 3D standard cakked ZigBee 3D Sync. The standard will create more flexible and efficient 3D connections between 3D HDTVs and 3D glasses.

ZigBee 3D Sync will replace 30 year-old infrared (IR) technology currently used in today's 3D products by providing a standard radio frequency (RF) solution. It will allow consumers greater freedom of movement while wearing 3D glasses without disrupting gaming or 3D HDTV viewing. It will also eliminate interference due to ambient light sources. ZigBee 3D Sync will provide a two-way communications between 3D glasses and equipment, allowing them to switch automatically between 2D and 3D video feeds. Plus, 3D glasses built using ZigBee 3D will use energy more efficiently, giving consumers more hours of 3D entertainment per charge.

The standard will deliver smarter functionality for 3D devices, including support for:

- Multi-vendor 3D glasses interoperability
- Fully programmable display frame rates and shutter open/close times
- Unlimited number of glasses
- Multiple user experience modes, for seamless switching between 3D and 2D
- Multi-player (full screen) 2D gaming, where each player receives a separate 2D image
- Multi-player 3D gaming, where each player receives a separate 3D image
- Frequency agility for interference avoidance

ZigBee 3D Sync can be used simultaneously with the ZigBee Input Device and ZigBee Remote Control standards introduced last year for CE devices. All three standards utilize the ZigBee RF4CE specification that was specifically designed to replace IR technology and give manufacturers the capability to deliver higher performance along with new features and conveniences not before possible.

When complete, ZigBee 3D Sync will be the Alliance's ninth standard.