Business PC maker Lenovo is looking to shed its staid image with a new 3D monitor, which includes a built-in stereoscopic webcam for full-3D video-conferencing.

The Lenovo L2363d is a 23in 1,920 x 1,080 TFT display, and it's designed to be paired with one of Nvidia's 3D Vision-capable graphics cards, along with active-shutter glasses.

Although details of the monitor's specifications have yet to be provided by Lenovo, one standout feature has been demonstrated at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas; the in-built 3D webcam.

Featuring a pair of lenses, the stereoscopic camera is built into the bezel of the display and promises to enable users to capture still images or video in glorious 3D. However, the camera can also be switched to 2D mode if you just need a normal webcam.

As well as offline capture, the company claims that the camera can be used with Nvidia's 3D Vision software for video-conferencing in three dimensions. Okay, so it's not quite a holodeck, but it's the closest that consumer technology has to offer at the moment.

The display is currently being demonstrated at CES in tandem with Lenovo's IdeaCentre K330 gaming PC, which features Nvidia graphics technology. In the words of Lenovo Idea director Wei Jin, the machine 'delivers [the] superior quality, performance and compatibility required to our consumers to enjoy an immersive 3D entertainment experience.'

Nvidia is co-marketing Lenovo's products in order to boost the profile of its 3D Vision technology, and has been quick to trumpet the estimated 500 PC games available to play in 3D, along with its support for 3D streaming video and Blu-ray films. However, the technology is still seeing slow adoption, and it's debatable whether the inclusion of a 3D webcam is going to change that.

Would you be tempted by a monitor with a built-in 3D webcam, or do you look for more in a display than just bells and whistles? Share your thoughts over in the forums.