Sony already showed the way forward with the PlayStation 3D monitor and now LG is following suit with much gusto. What we're talking about here is, of course, two-player gaming on a single screen -- of the particular kind where each player can use the full display. This magical effect is achieved with the same polarizing glasses technology that LG uses to display 3D programming. The purpose of those goggles is usually to show different images to the left and right eye, but in Dual Play mode, you'll get a set of identically set lenses to show you one 2D image, while your buddy gets the opposite set of lenses to see another 2D visual. Ergo, instead of a split screen, you'll be able to game on a shared screen.

Aside from being dead simple to set up and use, this technique is remarkably effective. Unlike 3D, where oftentimes you can see -- through the 3D glasses -- splitting between the two frames the screen is displaying for you, here you can really immerse yourself into the gaming experience as if you were rolling on a good old 2D panel. Other than the lightweight and comfortable glasses (and the occasional bit of ghosting from the other video feed being displayed), there's very little to remind you that someone else is using the screen at the same time as you.

LG will look to roll this feature out across its Cinema 3D TV range, starting with the new W98 series, the LW980S and LW980T, which should be shipping soon. Pricing in the UK for the top-end 980T TV is pegged at £1,799 for its 47-inch version or £2,499 for the 55-inch model. Both sizes come with seven pairs of 3D glasses (but apparently no Dual Play glasses, you'll need to buy those yourself), plus 2D-to-3D conversion, a certification for being flicker-free, and LG's Nano Full LED lighting system. You can read more about them in LG's press release or jump past the break for our hands-on video.