Support NeoGAF

[metareferential]

I'd say that high-quality 3-DLP projectors can top this (you can reduce the cross-talk to zero if the projector is powerful enough to compensate for a pretty short opening of the LCD glasses). Probably best 3D/image you can get.

But that's nowhere near the $800 price range.

(and 3-dlp have some motion-tearing issues that a headset don't have)

There are currently-available 3DLP projectors in that price range that have zero crosstalk whatsoever (acer h5360, h5360BD which is hdmi 1.4 compliant, and even the new optoma, if I remember correctly).

[bragging/promo]I have one of those acers, and even with the nvidia glasses (which aren't adjustable and are pretty average from a quality point of view) there is absolutely no crosstalk.

But this headset promises something even better: zero chance of crosstalk: two separate displays means no shutter glasses, no flickering, no tearing, nothing.

Worth considering if the "big screen" effect keeps its promises.

 

[Haint]

What makes you think they suck?

Sony makes some good headphones, such as the MDR-SA5000. I doubt these would be as good, but I don't think they are going to be garbage.

Also, simulated surround can sound just as good as real surround (except the deep bass). It all depends on the quality of algorithm and headphones.

The post above mentioned they are better than the $50 earphones. Sony sells some good headsets, so I don't think they'd be rubbish for a premium product.

I do think the HMZ family should be a platform since virtual reality and natural interfaces are very personal experience. Everyone would want something different.

Yea, I'm well aware they make some great full sized cans and IEM's--but this is neither. To the best of my knowledge, they don't make anything notable in this size or style (please correct me if I'm wrong). There was a JP preview a few pages back already citing the SQ doesn't match the PQ. Even if they did somehow turn out to be on par with other mid-fi $80-$150 phones (the best we can realistically hope for), that still doesn't negate the fact that this is a boneheaded design. It's common sense to assume that many interested in this type of device are likely to be routing everything through an AVR and multi-grand sound system.

 

[Ardenyal]

chance[/I] of crosstalk: two separate displays means no shutter glasses, no flickering, no tearing, nothing.

Worth considering if the "big screen" effect keeps its promises.

Also, the colors have been reported as being comparable with a Kuro. That's something no other 3D display device has come even close, at home or theater...

 

[mrklaw]

Well that's disappointing. I assumed there would be some sort of workaround to take them off but on the off chance of voiding the warranty of a first gen product it's not worth it.

I guess I'll need to hear it to see if I'll be happy with it, I'm probably not as picky as some of the people who complained about it but it does make me a little nervous to just make the plunge...but I probably still will.



Sounds good!

I think using your own headphones would be too tricky, but it may be possible to move them out of the way enough to use your receiver speakers.

 

[patsu]

Yea, I'm well aware they make some great full sized cans and IEM's--but this is neither. To the best of my knowledge, they don't make anything notable in this size or style (please correct me if I'm wrong). There was a JP preview a few pages back already citing the SQ doesn't match the PQ. Even if they did somehow turn out to be on par with other mid-fi $80-$150 phones (the best we can realistically hope for), that still doesn't negate the fact that this is a boneheaded design. It's common sense to assume that many interested in this type of device are likely to be routing everything through an AVR and multi-grand sound system.

It may be a restriction, but it's included in the price tag. And it may not be cheap $30 ear phone.

We'll have to see if the earpiece can be removed with some work. I don't have a portable earpiece. Am glad they include it in the package. But I'm most interested in traveling use.

 

[plagiarize]

There are currently-available 3DLP projectors in that price range that have zero crosstalk whatsoever (acer h5360, h5360BD which is hdmi 1.4 compliant, and even the new optoma, if I remember correctly).

[bragging/promo]I have one of those acers, and even with the nvidia glasses (which aren't adjustable and are pretty average from a quality point of view) there is absolutely no crosstalk.

But this headset promises something even better: zero chance of crosstalk: two separate displays means no shutter glasses, no flickering, no tearing, nothing.

Worth considering if the "big screen" effect keeps its promises.

yeah, i've seen the new optoma, and it had zero crosstalk that i could see, but i don't have a suitable space in my house for a projector setup sadly.

 

[Haint]

It may be a restriction, but it's included in the price tag. And it may not be cheap $30 ear phone.

We'll have to see if the earpiece can be removed with some work. I don't have a portable earpiece. Am glad they include it in the package. But I'm most interested in traveling use.

That's kind of point though, there really shouldn't be "work" or modding involved. There's no logical reason for the phones to be screwed and mounted onto the visor. It would clearly make more sense AND be more comfortable if they allowed people to use their own sound gear. If they wanted to add value to the boxed product, they could have simply included the same phones and functionality in the package as a free standing set that simply plugged into either the visor or base station via a standard 3.5mm jack.

 

[Quaz51]

The comparison looked a bit off IMO. This is how I did it:

1 EUR diameter: 23.25mm
0.7 inch: 17.78mm

wrong... it's 0.7" diagonal, not horisontal (and my photo is a true HMZ-T1 photo )

 

[Koren]

There are currently-available 3DLP projectors in that price range that have zero crosstalk whatsoever (acer h5360, h5360BD which is hdmi 1.4 compliant, and even the new optoma, if I remember correctly).

I'd say you're confusing DLP and Tri-DLP. Or am I mistaken ?

I know there's very good 3D DLP. Problem is that I'm among people overly sensitive to rainbow effects (even if it's better that it has been).

There's no 3D Tri-DLP, as far as I know, in a "decent" price range (I'm mostly seeing ~30.000-50.000$ prices at the lowest, and I think I've yet to see even a 2D Tri-DLP in the sub-10.000$ range)

 

[Quaz51]

DLP have almost no crosstalk, with very big contrast scene and very deep black background you can see little ghosting but is far better than TV

 

[patsu]

That's kind of point though, there really shouldn't be "work" or modding involved. There's no logical reason for the phones to be screwed and mounted onto the visor. It would clearly make more sense AND be more comfortable if they allowed people to use their own sound gear. If they wanted to add value to the boxed product, they could have simply included the same phones and functionality in the package as a free standing set that simply plugged into either the visor or base station via a standard 3.5mm jack.

I don't know if the usual earpiece or headset is more comfortable. I have a big over-the-ear headset. It would be quite clumsy to wear it together with the HMZ-T1, especially for people with eye glasses.

Perhaps it can be used without the attached earphone (i.e., Use the standard 5.1/7.1 HT system "over-the-air"). Or buy a new custom audiophile one built for HMZ.

 

[plagiarize]

DLP have almost no crosstalk, with very big contrast scene and very deep black background you can see little ghosting but is far better than TV

i only briefly tested the optoma by throwing motorstorm 3d rift at it, which i played for a couple of events. i couldn't see any crosstalk in that, and on my homeset that's something where i notice cross talk the most. i didn't get to test out anything with white on black though, so i'll take your word for it.

i have drivers for my PC so i can play Dead Space 2 in 3D. this would be awesome, but the crosstalk on a game like that is unbearable to me. a lot of my favourite PC games are high contrast like that. i'm really hoping to get together the $800 for this before too long

 

[metareferential]

DLP have almost no crosstalk, with very big contrast scene and very deep black background you can see little ghosting but is far better than TV

On my display I've never encountered crosstalk.

It also slightly depend on the content; when I refer to crosstalk I'm thinking 3D games. On my pj well-optimized games like Just Cause 2 have zero crosstalk. Even with high contrast scenes (like snowy mountains against deep blue sky).

The only game that had something "strange" was Dead Space 2, which wasn't even rated by nvidia back in the day. Every other game has been virtually perfect. The acer is a monster. People on avs forum couldn't believe how good the 3D image was when it first released.

3D movies are flawless. Avatar 3D is perfect, while "only" 720p.

I also have a Samsung syncmaster, and by comparison the crosstalk there is horrific.

The HMZ could really change a lot of minds about 3D.

 

[plagiarize]

On my display I've never encountered crosstalk.

It also slightly depend on the content; when I refer to crosstalk I'm thinking 3D games. On my pj well-optimized games like Just Cause 2 have zero crosstalk. Even with high contrast scenes (like snowy mountains against deep blue sky).

The only game that had something "strange" was Dead Space 2, which wasn't even rated by nvidia back in the day. Every other game has been virtually perfect. The acer is a monster. People on avs forum couldn't believe how good the 3D image was when it first released.

3D movies are flawless. Avatar 3D is perfect, while "only" 720p.

I also have a Samsung syncmaster, and by comparison the crosstalk there is horrific.

hah. funny that we both mentioned Dead Space 2. i think that's worst case scenario for cross talk. you regularly have bright white lights contrasted against almost black environments.

 

[metareferential]

hah. funny that we both mentioned Dead Space 2. i think that's worst case scenario for cross talk. you regularly have bright white lights contrasted against almost black environments.

It wasn't even crosstalk the problem I had with it.

It seemed to mess the depth up, creating something really strange.

And it was a little too scary even that way in 3D. xD

With a headset on and in a dark room, with good 3D, it's going to get nasty.

 

[Quaz51]

On my display I've never encountered crosstalk.

It also slightly depend on the content; when I refer to crosstalk I'm thinking 3D games. On my pj well-optimized games like Just Cause 2 have zero crosstalk. Even with high contrast scenes (like snowy mountains against deep blue sky).

The only game that had something "strange" was Dead Space 2, which wasn't even rated by nvidia back in the day. Every other game has been virtually perfect. The acer is a monster. People on avs forum couldn't believe how good the 3D image was when it first released.

3D movies are flawless. Avatar 3D is perfect, while "only" 720p.

I also have a Samsung syncmaster, and by comparison the crosstalk there is horrific.

The HMZ could really change a lot of minds about 3D.

you don't see ghosting... crosstalk is a bit different
and i know lot of guys who see zero ghosting on their bad TV

DLP is very good, indeed we can consider is ghost free, i agree but put a test pattern and you will see crosstalk

 

[Haint]

I don't know if the usual earpiece or headset is more comfortable. I have a big over-the-ear headset. It would be quite clumsy to wear it together with the HMZ-T1, especially for people with eye glasses.

Perhaps it can be used without the attached earphone (i.e., Use the standard 5.1/7.1 HT system "over-the-air"). Or buy a new custom audiophile one built for HMZ.

My concern is the mounted phones (even shifted all the way up) are not going to clear the top of everyone's ears. This would also create problems for people who wear glasses, such as digging the ear pieces into your scull and/or causing them to sit crooked. I'm fairly sure there will be some way to (perhaps barely) jury rig the phones off of your ear and use an open air sound system. The question is whether or not it'll be comfortable, and my suspicion is it probably won't be.

 

[Rodney McKay]

Damn, if I had $800 to blow I'd love to pick this little gadget up.

Do they have it available to try out at Sony Style stores in America? There's one in University Village in Seattle, but I haven't been there in a long time.

 

[Koren]

you don't see ghosting... crosstalk is a bit different
and i know lot of guys who see zero ghosting on their bad TV

DLP is very good, indeed we can consider is ghost free, i agree but put a test pattern and you will see crosstalk

Yeah, sorry about the wording, I should have said near crosstalk-free (there's indeed a limitation in the glasses, since it's nearly impossible to remove completely light using polarization effects*, except if you multiply the layers, which will reduce the luminosity of the image)

I tend to put everything that make one image visible to the wrong eye into "crosstalk", be it ghosting or anything like that. That leads to misunderstandings, so thanks for the clarification.


(*) about that, I have a strange idea to replace the LCD shutters, but maybe it's completely unworkable...

 

[Haint]

A FPJ through shutter glasses is only going to produce a 5 or 10fL white peak, is it not? This is of course ignoring the tint of the glasses and resulting color and grayscale accuracy (barring metered calibration through the glasses and adequate controls). Factor in the stupidly low ANSI contrast of even the best FPJ's, and even if the crosstalk were absolute zero on some DLP, it'd still be vastly inferior to (the potential of) this device for 3D viewing.

 

[metareferential]

you don't see ghosting... crosstalk is a bit different
and i know lot of guys who see zero ghosting on their bad TV

DLP is very good, indeed we can consider is ghost free, i agree but put a test pattern and you will see crosstalk

I've yet to use a test pattern for crosstalk and I think I'll never do it; I know how bad it can look on lcd's having a 3d monitor myself, I don't want to train my eye. xD

But 99% of the time, the image is cristal clear, which is what matters. Enough with the pj talk xD

and even if the crosstalk were absolute zero on some DLP, it'd still be vastly inferior to (the potential of) this device for 3D viewing.

That's why I can't wait to test this thing.

But I'm not going to buy if they don't connect it to a ps3 with GT5/uncha3/whatever, while testing in store.

 

[woeds]

Did you use it standing? Weight is definitely a concern but I'm wondering if you're sitting with a headrest if it really much matters.

Did you get a chance to adjust the fit at all? I hope they have enough possible adjustments built in to have it fit everyone's head.



There are lots of people in this thread that are saying 799 is too high for them, bumping that to 920 would cut a lot more people out. Hopefully the headphones are removable or else I'd definitely consider that a design flaw.

I used it standing and was able to adjust the headband. The weight is a strain on the neck so I don't think using it while sitting down would change anything. The headband needs to be secured very tight btw so after only a few minutes I had a big red mark on my forehead.

 

[mrklaw]

A FPJ through shutter glasses is only going to produce a 5 or 10fL white peak, is it not? This is of course ignoring the tint of the glasses and resulting color and grayscale accuracy (barring metered calibration through the glasses and adequate controls). Factor in the stupidly low ANSI contrast of even the best FPJ's, and even if the crosstalk were absolute zero on some DLP, it'd still be vastly inferior to (the potential of) this device for 3D viewing.

I thought most decent home FPJs have way too much brightness in a light-controlled room, so actually loss of brightness for 3D shouldn't be too bad. And good calibration should allow you to compensate for tint (and at least two memories for 2D/3D calibration settings)

 

[Grinchy]

I used it standing and was able to adjust the headband. The weight is a strain on the neck so I don't think using it while sitting down would change anything. The headband needs to be secured very tight btw so after only a few minutes I had a big red mark on my forehead.

Don't like the sound of that. Thank you for the impressions, though.

 

[Haint]

I thought most decent home FPJs have way too much brightness in a light-controlled room, so actually loss of brightness for 3D shouldn't be too bad. And good calibration should allow you to compensate for tint (and at least two memories for 2D/3D calibration settings)

I don't know, maybe. IIRC I think I measured 100% white on an Epson HC1080 somewhere in the teens (fL) on a 100" Da-Lite High Power @ 13' (super high gain screen on center axis, fairly middling zoom). This was back when it was fairly new (~500 hours use) on one of the brighter picture modes + high lamp. Based on what I've measured of my shutter glasses, they seem to eat ~2/3rds of the my light output on average (e.g. 40fL down to 13fL). No doubt newer FPJ's are much improved (HC1080 is an '08 I believe), but that is a pretty big hurdle to get over.

 

[GreggTheGrimReaper]

I used it standing and was able to adjust the headband. The weight is a strain on the neck so I don't think using it while sitting down would change anything. The headband needs to be secured very tight btw so after only a few minutes I had a big red mark on my forehead.

Have you ever worn a motorcycle helmet for a longer time? I would like to know how it compares to modern helmets since they all weigh over 1000 gramms (mine weighs about 1500 gramms) and I never had a problem with that but that could probably be because of the weight distribution or something like that. I work out regularly and also trained my neck muscles so maybe this can help?

 

[SnowHawk]

any word on a price for the UK?

 

[Router]

Have you ever worn a motorcycle helmet for a longer time? I would like to know how it compares to modern helmets since they all weigh over 1000 gramms (mine weighs about 1500 gramms) and I never had a problem with that but that could probably be because of the weight distribution or something like that. I work out regularly and also trained my neck muscles so maybe this can help?

For the record, I had no problems with the HMZ's weight.

 

[benny_a]

wrong... it's 0.7" diagonal, not horisontal (and my photo is a true HMZ-T1 photo )

I guess that's correct. Displays are usually measured in diagonal and not in vertical.
I only ever saw 0.7" and assumed incorrectly.

 

[thuway]

Goddamn the end of October seems a million miles away right now. I wonder what all the wait is for.

 

[panty]

Don't like the sound of that. Thank you for the impressions, though.

You think Sony would let out a product that would be unusable after 5-10 minutes? No chance.

 

[Router]

There are currently-available 3DLP projectors in that price range that have zero crosstalk whatsoever (acer h5360, h5360BD which is hdmi 1.4 compliant, and even the new optoma, if I remember correctly).

[bragging/promo]I have one of those acers, and even with the nvidia glasses (which aren't adjustable and are pretty average from a quality point of view) there is absolutely no crosstalk.

But this headset promises something even better: zero chance of crosstalk: two separate displays means no shutter glasses, no flickering, no tearing, nothing.

Worth considering if the "big screen" effect keeps its promises.

I have always had major issues with 3D (I really need glasses I guess). DLP had been the best for me, less crosstalk and blurring. The HMZ however was the first "perfect" 3D experience I have had.

 

[Vesper73]

I have always had major issues with 3D (I really need glasses I guess). DLP had been the best for me, less crosstalk and blurring. The HMZ however was the first "perfect" 3D experience I have had.

Was going to buy the new Optoma 3d projector. Now I've decided to get this instead. Thanks for the review!

 

[Vesper73]

Anyone know if regular retailers will be getting these?

 

[Haint]

Anyone know if regular retailers will be getting these?

When I quizzed Best Buy on it last week or so, a helpful fellow looked it up and found an extensive tutorial in their employee learning database (like 8 pages and a video) telling how to operate and adjust it. Unless something changes, it seems to be a given they'll both be carrying it and will have an in store demo (considering the detail in the database). Only hang up is it could be a Magnolia exclusive, and will only be available in locations with a "Magnolia" branded HT department. Not sure who (if anyone else) will be carrying it. I'm beginning to suspect Sony are going to keep distribution pretty tight, and play the "We feel you have to try it in person" card--cutting out online retailers in an effort to keep the price controlled.

 

[dofry]

I finally had some time to go to a Sony Store at Umeda to test this display.
There were no lines and the clerk was happy to help so I stayed a while.

I did not read most of this thread so probably I will repeat stuff already in here.

Headband behind the head is indeed a bit uncomfortable as I felt it was always too high and fitting the set on my nose seemed awkward. I did not notice to ask if the nose piece can be changed. Hopefully it can.

Earpieces are round, cheap looking pads that slide about 5 cm from their place back and forward and tilt a bit up and down for placement. The clerk told me that they cannot be removed, and it indeed looked like it. The wires run inside the frame so it's going to be difficult. Using a bluetooth mic with this seems like a problem too.

The basic distance between your eyes is adjusted with two slider between the set using a welcome screen text, after that the viewing can begin.

First I got to see the only demo they had of the new Spiderman reboot. Was nice to watch and you feel a bit of vertigo when he jumps the building.
However, I don't think the screen size felt that big for me. If I can guestimate, I'd say about 60-70 inch screen and this is totally out of my ass numbers. I thought it would be bigger but it was still nice but I wanted more.
Colours pop out well and the screen looks good. I could tell that it is not full HD but not even close to SD either. Good enough but what can you expect from tiny OLEDs.

What I liked most was that there was no crosstalk so 3D felt like it should be.

I also asked if I could test with a PS3 and after complaining that there is currently no sound from the PS3, and me saying "it's fine", he booted Gran Turismo 5.

I've never played this in 3D so all I can say that it was easier to estimate distances and corners, but the game itself was less pop-out 3D than the Spiderman trailer version. It did run well though even with 3d on. The replay of the cars on the other hand felt a lot more "popping out of the screen" and those clips looked really nice.

Even though they are only 420 grams, I think 400 grams out of those is in the front. You definitely need a back leaning chair for this.
Another problem was that the Sony Store was full of lights, so when I asked for the blocks to block out the light, they really did nothing as they are fitted only under the device, not on top at all. I tried holding my hands on top of the device a bit for better performance which helped slightly.
I suggested that they let people try this in a darker room in a chair. This way I think the best experience can be had, and a sale can be done easily.

I was really hyped when I heard the announcement earlier this year, but when I tried them, I'm now a bit confused even with the excellent 3D effect. With the japanese price being so low compared to EU, I still think I will wait for next version, or test in a better environment first with more time and more questions.

(As a comparison, I tried 3D tv's at Yodobashi camera too just for fun as I bought a smaller Sharp TV for home today. The Sony LCD's seemed nice and Motorstorm looked fabulous! But the bigger the screen was ,the more flickering I got. OR the batteries of the glasses were low or something. Crosstalk here and there but not that much.
LG, (the passive ones touted by a guy here a lot), were actually really nice and light. The effect was clear and had only a bit of crosstalk when some FPS demo's weapons came out of the screen too much. I could not tell if the resolution was halved like some point out. It was good enough for me. Tilting my head to the side, and the picture went weird. Do not like that feature, but it's a passive glasses con that everyone knows.)

 

[Haint]

I finally had some time to go to a Sony Store at Umeda to test this display.
There were no lines and the clerk was happy to help so I stayed a while.

I did not read most of this thread so probably I will repeat stuff already in here.

Headband behind the head is indeed a bit uncomfortable as I felt it was always too high and fitting the set on my nose seemed awkward. I did not notice to ask if the nose piece can be changed. Hopefully it can.

Earpieces are round, cheap looking pads that slide about 5 cm from their place back and forward and tilt a bit up and down for placement. The clerk told me that they cannot be removed, and it indeed looked like it. The wires run inside the frame so it's going to be difficult. Using a bluetooth mic with this seems like a problem too.

The basic distance between your eyes is adjusted with two slider between the set using a welcome screen text, after that the viewing can begin.

First I got to see the only demo they had of the new Spiderman reboot. Was nice to watch and you feel a bit of vertigo when he jumps the building.
However, I don't think the screen size felt that big for me. If I can guestimate, I'd say about 60-70 inch screen and this is totally out of my ass numbers. I thought it would be bigger but it was still nice but I wanted more.
Colours pop out well and the screen looks good. I could tell that it is not full HD but not even close to SD either. Good enough but what can you expect from tiny OLEDs.

What I liked most was that there was no crosstalk so 3D felt like it should be.

I also asked if I could test with a PS3 and after complaining that there is currently no sound from the PS3, and me saying "it's fine", he booted Gran Turismo 5.

I've never played this in 3D so all I can say that it was easier to estimate distances and corners, but the game itself was less pop-out 3D than the Spiderman trailer version. It did run well though even with 3d on. The replay of the cars on the other hand felt a lot more "popping out of the screen" and those clips looked really nice.

Even though they are only 420 grams, I think 400 grams out of those is in the front. You definitely need a back leaning chair for this.
Another problem was that the Sony Store was full of lights, so when I asked for the blocks to block out the light, they really did nothing as they are fitted only under the device, not on top at all. I tried holding my hands on top of the device a bit for better performance which helped slightly.
I suggested that they let people try this in a darker room in a chair. This way I think the best experience can be had, and a sale can be done easily.

I was really hyped when I heard the announcement earlier this year, but when I tried them, I'm now a bit confused even with the excellent 3D effect. With the japanese price being so low compared to EU, I still think I will wait for next version, or test in a better environment first with more time and more questions.

(As a comparison, I tried 3D tv's at Yodobashi camera too just for fun as I bought a smaller Sharp TV for home today. The Sony LCD's seemed nice and Motorstorm looked fabulous! But the bigger the screen was ,the more flickering I got. OR the batteries of the glasses were low or something. Crosstalk here and there but not that much.
LG, (the passive ones touted by a guy here a lot), were actually really nice and light. The effect was clear and had only a bit of crosstalk when some FPS demo's weapons came out of the screen too much. I could not tell if the resolution was halved like some point out. It was good enough for me. Tilting my head to the side, and the picture went weird. Do not like that feature, but it's a passive glasses con that everyone knows.)

Thanks for the impressions dofry. A couple folks have mentioned the perceived screen size increases the darker the (external) environment is, so perhaps the poor lighting explains your 60-70" estimate. Shame to hear about the headphones though. As I've been championing the last few pages, I think they're going to be the Achilles heel of this device--an absolutely blunderous design oversight on Sony's part. I'm convinced they're using the same shitty 30mm drivers Sony puts in all their ($30-$50) on-ear muffs. It's surprising you were able to tell the HMD was 720p with video content no less (which is quite difficult), but couldn't notice the resolution loss on LG's passive 3D set. The visible black matrix that is responsible for passive's resolution loss is incredibly apparent in my experience. You must have been viewing it from a great distance relative to the screen size.

 

[panty]

Thanks for the heads up. I guess the experience is different for all of us and I'm still extremely hyped about this and will pick this up day 1.

 

[Fixed1979]

A non-news worthy bump for Canadians wanting to pre-order. I talked to Sony sales reps and they still don't have an arrival date available for this product which is why they haven't allowed orders. He wouldn't confirm that Canada would even have the opportunity to pre-order them. I'm starting to think we're going to get screwed over...

 

[dofry]

Thanks for the impressions dofry. A couple folks have mentioned the perceived screen size increases the darker the (external) environment is, so perhaps the poor lighting explains your 60-70" estimate. Shame to hear about the headphones though. As I've been championing the last few pages, I think they're going to be the Achilles heel of this device--an absolutely blunderous design oversight on Sony's part. I'm convinced they're using the same shitty 30mm drivers Sony puts in all their ($30-$50) on-ear muffs. It's surprising you were able to tell the HMD was 720p with video content no less (which is quite difficult), but couldn't notice the resolution loss on LG's passive 3D set. The visible black matrix that is responsible for passive's resolution loss is incredibly apparent in my experience. You must have been viewing it from a great distance relative to the screen size.

I did not really look that closely at the regular 3D TV's, as I just used them for a few seconds to check for effects, so my passive glasses comment maybe be off. It showed an FPS game and it was really crisp and clear image. Have to check again some day. I did love the lightness of the glasses on a passive TV, which they advertised like hell on the showfloor. Yodobashi Camera also had a funny advert for the Sony HMZ-T1. 750" display! without telling you the distance you experience it from i.e. 20 meters. (I hate the goddamn english announcement in Yodobashi "in YoudouBÄSHI Caameraa you can buy NIKOUN, CANOUN, PÄNÄSOUNIK". Pronounciation of japanese in american-english is horrible.)

I agree that the immersion to the screen size must be better in a darker room. I caught glimpses of it during me blocking the light, but not a lot. Testing the glasses in a bad environment is bad for Sony and bad for interested buyer.

 

[thuway]

I did not really look that closely at the regular 3D TV's, as I just used them for a few seconds to check for effects, so my passive glasses comment maybe be off. It showed an FPS game and it was really crisp and clear image. Have to check again some day. I did love the lightness of the glasses on a passive TV, which they advertised like hell on the showfloor. Yodobashi Camera also had a funny advert for the Sony HMZ-T1. 750" display! without telling you the distance you experience it from i.e. 20 meters. (I hate the goddamn english announcement in Yodobashi "in YoudouBÄSHI Caameraa you can buy NIKOUN, CANOUN, PÄNÄSOUNIK". Pronounciation of japanese in american-english is horrible.)

I agree that the immersion to the screen size must be better in a darker room. I caught glimpses of it during me blocking the light, but not a lot. Testing the glasses in a bad environment is bad for Sony and bad for interested buyer.

did you have the light blockers? Without them, it might be absolutely worthless.

 

[dofry]

did you have the light blockers? Without them, it might be absolutely worthless.

Light blockers attach only to the downside of the device "on top of your cheeks", nothing on top side. If the design doesn't change before launch, some roof lights might distract you from the experience, but the solution is simple, kill the lights.

 

[Grinchy]

It's kind of a shame to know that if I went somewhere to test this out, I wouldn't even get a true impression of what the device is like. I can spend $800 on this, just not on a whim. I'd have to really know I wanted it.

 

[CaLe]

A non-news worthy bump for Canadians wanting to pre-order. I talked to Sony sales reps and they still don't have an arrival date available for this product which is why they haven't allowed orders. He wouldn't confirm that Canada would even have the opportunity to pre-order them. I'm starting to think we're going to get screwed over...

I preordered them yesterday at my local Sony store. I was apparently the second one to place a pre-order. Really liked what I saw when I tested the unit in-store. I disagree with the 60-70" comment made earlier, though I do agree that it's idiotic to make people test these out in a fully lit room.

I found the sound fantastic also, these are not cheap headphones.

Also, the French-Canadian website for SonyStyle proclaims a November 14th release date.

http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/sto...0153&langId=201&productId=8198552921666383670

The clerk also told me that 34 were available for order in my city, so they're definitely coming.

 

[mrklaw]

Light blockers attach only to the downside of the device "on top of your cheeks", nothing on top side. If the design doesn't change before launch, some roof lights might distract you from the experience, but the solution is simple, kill the lights.

its kind of silly to have a private HMD that needs you to turn the lights off.. its something you are supposed to be able to use while others are in the room using the main TV or doing other things..

 

[CaLe]

its kind of silly to have a private HMD that needs you to turn the lights off.. its something you are supposed to be able to use while others are in the room using the main TV or doing other things..

Yes. But not with a light right on top of you.

 

[DrPirate]

I preordered them yesterday at my local Sony store. I was apparently the second one to place a pre-order. Really liked what I saw when I tested the unit in-store. I disagree with the 60-70" comment made earlier, though I do agree that it's idiotic to make people test these out in a fully lit room.

I found the sound fantastic also, these are not cheap headphones.

Also, the French-Canadian website for SonyStyle proclaims a November 14th release date.

http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/sto...0153&langId=201&productId=8198552921666383670

The clerk also told me that 34 were available for order in my city, so they're definitely coming.

Montreal ou Quebec? Quelle magazin?

 

[EekTheKat]

I've never played this in 3D so all I can say that it was easier to estimate distances and corners, but the game itself was less pop-out 3D than the Spiderman trailer version. It did run well though even with 3d on. The replay of the cars on the other hand felt a lot more "popping out of the screen" and those clips looked really nice.

GT5 has separate parallax and convergence settings, allowing you to adjust depth and how much objects pop out at you.

Out of the box it's very mild, but GT5 gives you the tools to tweak the 3d to suit your own experience. It's really more of a take home and tweak it game vs something you can just throw in there as a quick demo for this.

The Motorstorm 3d games out of the box however seem to deliver the biggest immediate wow factor.

 

[Haint]

I preordered them yesterday at my local Sony store. I was apparently the second one to place a pre-order. Really liked what I saw when I tested the unit in-store. I disagree with the 60-70" comment made earlier, though I do agree that it's idiotic to make people test these out in a fully lit room.

I found the sound fantastic also, these are not cheap headphones.

Also, the French-Canadian website for SonyStyle proclaims a November 14th release date.

http://store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/sto...0153&langId=201&productId=8198552921666383670

The clerk also told me that 34 were available for order in my city, so they're definitely coming.

I hope you're right about the phones CaLe. Do you have any experience with well regarded mid and higher range headsets, or are you just speaking in general? My concern is that in a lot of blind tests, people will generally rate $20 earbuds really high in sound quality. Couple that with preconceived notions about the $800 price tag (i.e. "there's no way they'd put $30 drivers on this") and I think you've got a recipe for disaster in trying to get a fair assessment.

 

[CaLe]

Montreal ou Quebec? Quelle magazin?

Montreal. Downtown, Centre Eaton. Sony Store.

I hope you're right about the phones CaLe. Do you have any experience with well regarded mid and higher range headsets, or are you just speaking in general? My concern is that in a lot of blind tests, people will generally rate $20 earbuds really high in sound quality. Couple that with preconceived notions about the $800 price tag (i.e. "there's no way they'd put $30 drivers on this") and I think you've got a recipe for disaster in trying to get a fair assessment.

I personally use Shure SRH840 headphones at home, so yeah it's not high-end, but its not cheap either. I don't consider myself an audiophile, I won't spent 1000$ on a pair of headphones, but I believe that I can tell the difference between cheap and "good" headphones.

Also, surprisingly, even though these are not "closed" headphones, even with the volume set at mid-level, I couldn't hear the clerks and customers in the store. I was immersed.

So to make a long story short... Are they amazing headphones ? I don't know, I don't believe I'm well suited to make that judgement. Considering this, all I can tell you is that they're not cheap and they didn't detract from the experience. They helped me feel immersed.