Future optional controller box with Tegra and battery pack?

[STRZ]

Assuming that streaming from a PC will be a feature of all Tegra4 mobile SoC's, i thought that it could be a good idea to implement a Tegra 4+ SoC into into a future Rift controller box for the consumer version, combined with a rechargable battery for wireless operation. Optional because some people may not need it, and to keep the price as low as possible. In the video below it appears to work very responsive without lag compared to the monitor in the background. Another advantage could be that indie Rift developers using Unity, making games which are not so demanding graphically, can port their stuff easily to Android and run straight of the ontroller box with Tegra inside, and have like a console like platform where they an optimize their code for best performance.

[youtube-hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF7V3h24w38[/youtube-hd]

[ElMatarife]

That's probably $100 in extra cost, if the Ouya or similar units with Android guts are anything to go buy. I suspect it might work as an "next model up" type of unit for people who'd like to spend the money, but putting it in the base model is just throwing money away for 94% of the market, literally. The Tegra 4 streaming only works with nVidia cards, specifically requires a minimum of the GeForce GTX 650 for desktops or GeForce GTX 660M for laptops. Here's the latest hardware survey on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey/ ... ?sort=name Brief mental count of all the compatible cards adds up to like 6% of the market.

[STRZ]

I see your point ELMatarife, but many people will put new rigs together or upgrade their GPU for the Rift anyway by then. A Nvidia card with a certain performance could be like a minimum requirement. And don't forget Android, having some nice Android VR indie games, people could use it without a pc for a start. Tegra4 is capable of xbox 360 performance.

[PalmerTech]

In the video below it appears to work very responsive without lag compared to the monitor in the background.

You can actually see quite a bit of latency in the video. Go to 0:56 and quickly pause/play frame by frame. At 0:57, there is more than a frame of time where it is showing Steam loaded on the monitor, and a black screen on the Shield.

Low latency for normal gaming maybe, but not optimal for VR.

[Bretspot]

@Palmer,
Can you tell me the voltage and amps and power-adaptor size that the Oculus video box uses? I want to build a portable battery for it.

[PalmerTech]

~800ma@5v, 5.1 MM OD, 2.1 MM ID barrel jack.

[geekmaster]

~800ma@5v, 5.1 MM OD, 2.1 MM ID barrel jack.

How much voltage variation can it tolerate (both Min and Max operating voltages)? Will it work with cheap hobby R/C 7.2v LiPo batteries? Or would you need an external voltage regulator for that? How far can the battery be discharged before the Rift drops out?

[Bretspot]

~800ma@5v, 5.1 MM OD, 2.1 MM ID barrel jack.

How much voltage variation can it tolerate (both Min and Max operating voltages)? Will it work with cheap hobby R/C 7.2v LiPo batteries? Or would you need an external voltage regulator for that? How far can the battery be discharged before the Rift drops out?

Probably best to just build a voltage regulation circuit after your battery.

[geekmaster]

Probably best to just build a voltage regulation circuit after your battery.

That's what you do when you do not know the specs. If the Rift is tolerant of higher voltages, or if it already has onboard voltage regulation, any extra external regulator would just waste energy and shorten time between charges. Which is why I asked...

[bobv5]

A Nvidia card with a certain performance could be like a minimum requirement.

No. Nvidia care more about filling pockets than supporting hardware. I will not pay them.

[PalmerTech]

~800ma@5v, 5.1 MM OD, 2.1 MM ID barrel jack.

How much voltage variation can it tolerate (both Min and Max operating voltages)? Will it work with cheap hobby R/C 7.2v LiPo batteries? Or would you need an external voltage regulator for that? How far can the battery be discharged before the Rift drops out?

It will handle up to 12v no problem, the dropout voltage is well below 5v. A 7.2v pack should work fine, I know someone else who is planning on using one.

[geekmaster]

It will handle up to 12v no problem, the dropout voltage is well below 5v. A 7.2v pack should work fine, I know someone else who is planning on using one.

That is very welcome news. I like it when you have more flexibility in power supplies. Knowing that it can safely do 12v, that begs the question "can it do 13.8v (automobile accessory jack with engine running)?"

Just curious, but I like the idea of power supply flexibility, and 13.8v would be great for VR in a moving vehicle (such as long distance FPV in a chase car). Here in the USA, with the new rules, we need a chase team with eyes on the bird at all times. I want to use my Rift for FPV. My Headplay HMD has annoying RGB flicker when I move my head, and my Sony Glasstron hurts my nose (I never got around to a ski mask conversion). The Rift looks like it will be MUCH better for FPV than my alternatives...

If the Rift cannot do 13.8v (or perhaps 14.4v for a safety margin), then it will probably need an external 12v regulator.

But realistically, I plan to spend FAR more time in VR than doing FPV (with 50 years of programming experience to apply to it). Even so, it is nice to leave my options open.

[KBK]

My personal experience is that 13.8 is not the peak that an alternator and systems will pass through the 12VDC acc plug in the car. that it will hit a solid +14VDC. As your post seems to indicate acknowledgment of.

then we find that as we get the catalog (digikey as a ref for available chip based regs) out for regulators for circuit boards..that I'm not sure that the systems that might be in use can go that high, without thermal issues. Just my guess. Set for 5VDC out and then burning off the rest, I think that 12VDC in might be pushing one's luck. 800ma is pretty high pull through the system, so it might not be that bad. But I'm thinking it is close. That the car which tends to push that +14VDC number when running will be getting solidly into the thermal issue area.

[Dilip]

STRZ & ELMatarife
I support your view too.

Don like to repeate my past posting but i strongly support idea of "RIFT MOBILITY" (here i call it RIFT M) which will need some special features though which can distinct it from PC & Home Entertainment Consoles RIFT Like....

1) Only Single Cord Carry Audio & Video (Prefrebly HDMI)
2) Some way for Wireless Tracking or if wired acomodate it in single cable only
3) 'RIFT M' HMD should be 5" or Smaller (so can be pocket Friendly)
4) High Cap Ultralight Battery inside HMD
5) At least 4 Hours play Time after full charge (more is better though!)
6) least 1.3 Megapix cam is desired in RIFT M Unit with small switch
for Reality switching or partial temp overlay as safety requ.

I see point in Tegra 4 intigration in 'RIFT M' HMD though

1) Unit it self can play good Android games at 1280X720 with SBS format
2) Tegra4 (By Specs) seems meaty enough to handle resoltuion & special
Requirement of Rift
3) Tegra4 SoC will open gates to use MOBILE DISPLAYS staight way in Rift without worry of DRIVE Bord For LCD.there are Phones like

LENOVO K900
Display
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.5 inches (~401 ppi pixel density)

http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_k900-5241.php

SONY XPERIA ODIN
The Xperia C650X Odin is rumored to feature a 5" screen with the impressive 1080p resolution, resulting in an mind-blowing density of 440 ppi

http://www.gsmarena.com/official_render ... s-5031.php

Best Display RIFT M could Get.

3) I did loved Dead Trigger and Back Stab & Dead Trigger 2 is simply amazing
being independent and open platform Android Gaming Has Bright Future.

but it will be palmer's decision,i know he too desired fully mobile RIFT

Only concern is mobility unit have SIZE ZERO Clutterings and BTW that RENDER RIFT OF KICK STARTER was more STYLISH & FUTURISTIC then actual version, i know performance requirements overrides looks

But i prefer mobility version more Slick Stylish & without Base Requirement with "All Magic In a Piece" only.

[STRZ]

In the video below it appears to work very responsive without lag compared to the monitor in the background.

You can actually see quite a bit of latency in the video. Go to 0:56 and quickly pause/play frame by frame. At 0:57, there is more than a frame of time where it is showing Steam loaded on the monitor, and a black screen on the Shield.

Low latency for normal gaming maybe, but not optimal for VR.

Do you think that there's any hope for realtime streaming to get better than this?

@ Diiip

I actually like the current look of the Rift more than the kickstarter mockup, it looks more serious and professional now. I like industrial form follows function looks.

As a mobile platform, Ubuntu Phone, Jolla and Tizen with future Intel X86 Valley View mobile SoC will be interesting too, because you could access the Linux Steam client with your phone and they use their own GPU technology which is open source, not the PowerVR stuff. And Linux without java on top like Android would be better performance wise.

The Tegra4 was interesting because of streaming, but if it's too slow it's too slow for VR. That's what's most important.

[Bretspot]

4oz and it should run the rift box for ~2 hrs. 9.6V 800mAh
http://www.batteryspace.com/lifepo41850 ... witch.aspx

[ElMatarife]

Do you think that there's any hope for realtime streaming to get better than this?

I think the new WiGig stuff is being specifically targeted at wireless displayport / HDMI applications for wireless laptop docking. I think having to encode, even on a fast GPU, and decode is going to add a latency penalty that uncompressed formats won't have. However, I'd expect it to be at least two years before any technology really takes off. Upgrade cycles on monitors and TVs are just too slow for any rapid uptake of a technology like this.

I see your point ELMatarife, but many people will put new rigs together or upgrade their GPU for the Rift anyway by then. A Nvidia card with a certain performance could be like a minimum requirement. And don't forget Android, having some nice Android VR indie games, people could use it without a pc for a start. Tegra4 is capable of xbox 360 performance.

Well, the lack of AMD and Intel support will probably remain a deal breaker. I suspect we need an industry standard for loss less PC interface / video compression. VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft all have thrown their hats in the ring, both for mobile use and using thin clients to replace desktops for CAD/CAM and other users that need 3D. nVidia's Project Shield is more targeted at gaming, but it might as well make them a fourth competitor.