Vuzix Wrap VR1200

[cybereality]

@ancjob: 1200VR is detected an a NON-Plug-and-Play monitor. Also, if I try to set the resolution in the Nvidia panel, then it gets all messed up (on Windows 7). I need to set the resolution in the Windows settings (right-click desktop -> desktop resolution). If I go into the Nvidia panel to change something, for example switching the primary monitor, then it gets messed up again. What I mean by messed up is that it turns black and white and I can see about 3 or 4 screens overlaid on each other and flashing. Really annoying.

Also, I tried out some rFactor tonight. Tracking seemed decent, but I need to re-calibrate it, it was better before. Although the head-tracking is cool, the picture quality is just bad. I don't know what to say. In 2D it actually does a decent job of down-scaling. Not HD by any means, but it looks OK. But once you go into 3D the quality is sliced in half, it just looses too much. To be honest I think the VR920 looked better.

[ancjob]

@ancjob: 1200VR is detected an a NON-Plug-and-Play monitor. Also, if I try to set the resolution in the Nvidia panel, then it gets all messed up (on Windows 7). I need to set the resolution in the Windows settings (right-click desktop -> desktop resolution). If I go into the Nvidia panel to change something, for example switching the primary monitor, then it gets messed up again. What I mean by messed up is that it turns black and white and I can see about 3 or 4 screens overlaid on each other and flashing. Really annoying.

Also, I tried out some rFactor tonight. Tracking seemed decent, but I need to re-calibrate it, it was better before. Although the head-tracking is cool, the picture quality is just bad. I don't know what to say. In 2D it actually does a decent job of down-scaling. Not HD by any means, but it looks OK. But once you go into 3D the quality is sliced in half, it just looses too much. To be honest I think the VR920 looked better.

cyber - thanks for your observations
seems i am not gonna try 1200vr - as i needed that to be plug'n'play.......do not wanna gamble seems another bad product from vuzix .....

it will take a long time to find replacement for headplay as truly plug'n'play for my asrock nettop till then headplay will do.....

i am dissapointed with vuzix once again.....they just cannot make a good product after all
let's see what cinemizer OLEd or sony will offer...keeping my hopes high on these...

[WiredEarp]

@ ancjob:
'well all i can say is that z800 has got great 'optics' ,light weight -usb powered and the buck stops at that! contrast ,color it's all so so unless you use third party video players'

Funny, many people reckon the Z800 has the best colour definition and contrast of the consumer HMDs, along with its optics. Its definitely bright and clear (can easily work in windows using it). However, I haven't used the Headplay - I hear its nice and crisp, but that there are problems seeing the screen edges. Was planning on buying one, but now the Sony is coming out, I think I'll just save my money for that. Not sure what you are meaning about the 3rd party video player bit? Why would contrast be better depending on the player?

My Z800 is modified (latest ROM) so can apparently work in page flipping modes (iz3d drivers etc), but I never really use it for anything but old games on my old Nvidia 7900 based system. I've heard headplay is no longer supported by Nvidia, can you still use it in a page flipping mode using iz3d?

[ancjob]

@ ancjob:
'well all i can say is that z800 has got great 'optics' ,light weight -usb powered and the buck stops at that! contrast ,color it's all so so unless you use third party video players'

Funny, many people reckon the Z800 has the best colour definition and contrast of the consumer HMDs, along with its optics. Its definitely bright and clear (can easily work in windows using it). However, I haven't used the Headplay - I hear its nice and crisp, but that there are problems seeing the screen edges. Was planning on buying one, but now the Sony is coming out, I think I'll just save my money for that. Not sure what you are meaning about the 3rd party video player bit? Why would contrast be better depending on the player?

My Z800 is modified (latest ROM) so can apparently work in page flipping modes (iz3d drivers etc), but I never really use it for anything but old games on my old Nvidia 7900 based system. I've heard headplay is no longer supported by Nvidia, can you still use it in a page flipping mode using iz3d?

well - i have both headplay as well as z800 however i use them as 2d monitor only - too old for games unless ps3+sony hmd get me into that !

i have asrock ion 3d blu-ray nettop - i have total media theatre v5 [better than powerdvd ] installed on it
headplay is detected as 'generic plug-play which means you connect it and it loads the native 800x600 auto...

however with z800 it does not happen as this in non-plug-play....now what i do is to get the screen on headplay then take the headplay off and connect z800

TMT v5 has video effects tab - if i choose 'software decoding' then i can adjust contrast /brightness,hue saturation etc otherwise by default the z800 gamma control has limited options
using TMTv5 i get good contrast etc otherwise z800 is just so so...

i mostly use headplay - the screen is like HD LCD very sharp and crisp colors beat the z800 oleds by leaps and bounds....so z800 is most of the time in the box gathering dust !

headplay has only 3 faults - highly reflective screen and difficult to mount correctly on head if not placed correctly you have dark spots on screen ..lack of latest 3d support hence i wanted 1200vr but with current reviews and the fact that it's NON plug-play is like buying crap for usd600....so even 1200vr is out of question...not surprising though as vuzix has specialized in making crap and ripping people off...

seems like z800 or vuzix 1200vr are not designed to work as main monitors...hence the lack of generic plug-play support for BOTH only

currently have to stay satisfied with asrock ion 3d + headplay combination ONLY

[brantlew]

Hey a quick question for you guys that have been following the Vuzix line for a while. Basically right now you can go online and find 920VR bundles for around $400 ($100 cheaper than is listed on the Vuzix site). Do you remember how long it took for the 920VR to be offered by the big distributors at that price? I am curious because I would like to estimate how long it will be before the 1200VR is offered at the same discount. A $500 1200VR sounds a lot better than a $600.

[cybereality]

I remember with the Wrap 310 that retailers started dropping prices really quick, probably within a month. It was MSRP at $250, and I got it for $200 a few weeks later. Now you can get them for less than $150.

[3dvison]

This review sounds pretty good.
It seems they thought the picture was large with good 3D, they said the audio was great.
http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/access ... -1200.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ancjob]

This review sounds pretty good.
It seems they thought the picture was large with good 3D, they said the audio was great.
http://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/access ... -1200.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

see cyber comments with pics here : http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.p ... 2&start=15" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

i viewed that and decided never to get this wrap series ever.....

[cybereality]

I have been taking some pictures for the review. I don't want to give too much away, but I think its fair to post some better pictures. After doing some more testing with the unit, I think I am a bit happier with it. The quality isn't horrible, its just not as good as I'd like. I hope the shots below will help illustrate that. The first shot is just from the web-browser. The blurriness on the bottom was more because the camera was not aligned with the HMD lens (and the small exit pupil didn't help). But I choose that one because the text is about as clear as it is in real life. Well in person it might even be marginally better, but not by much. The second shot is of a YouTube video running at 1080P. That is probably closer to what you can expect in movies/games.

Wrap_1200VR_03.jpg

Wrap_1200VR_02.jpg

[3dvison]

Thank You cybereality.
You know I was thinking it was going to be worse looking than that.
Just from what I was reading on the web, with no pictures, I thought the desktop was going to be usless. I know it's not great but maybe I have the worlds worst monitors because that looks OK.
I take it that morrie pattern(Wrong spelling) is not seen in person but is just from the angle of the camera when the picture was taken ?

You say the headtracker is good, and I would like one of those, so if this was priced a little lower, I think they could still sell well even with the Sony coming out.

I really want to read your review now.

[cybereality]

I wouldn't say the desktop is necessarily "usable", but you can manage it if you have to. Certainly it looks better than the VR920 did at 1024x768. And, yes, the moire pattern was from my camera, you don't see all those lines in real life. It still leaves something to be desired, but Vuzix does not sell this as a monitor replacement. 800x600 actually looks pretty good, but its the wrong aspect ratio so that kills it for me. Remember, though, that when you run in 3D mode you further cut the resolution in half. So that shot of Avatar I post, for example, would not look that clear in 3D. Going to try to get some 3D shots (maybe a video) later tonight for the review.

Probably the one thing that is saving this product for me is the headtracker. It actually is top quality. And the fact the headset is light and USB powered, makes it ideal for a VR setup. The Sony HMZ-T1 will require significant hacking to make it portable and you still need to add a headtracker. So I still feel like the 1200VR fills a niche. Its just not maybe as great as I had hoped.

[3dvison]

Hey cybereality,
When you load up a game like Half-Life 2 or Crysis with the Wrap1200 set to 1280*720 can you read all the in game text and whatever else you need to see well enough to play the game or do you have to play at lower resolutions?

I remember your review of the VR920 and playing HL2, I think you felt the screen looked too small, like a 15" monitor to have any real fun with the game. Does the Wrap1200 screen feel big enough to make the game fun to play or would you rather play on a large 3D monitor ?

[cybereality]

@3dvison: Text is still hard to read in most games. Specifically on Crysis it is extremely hard for some reason. I mean, if you know what the stuff says already you can get around, but its difficult (I am referring to 3D mode here, in 2D its not so bad). HL2 seems to be doing something right, because most of the text is still readable. But in L4D it can be hard again. Luckily in HL2/L4D you can set to native resolution (854x480). And that certainly helps with text.

The 1200VR does certainly have a bigger screen than the VR920. Its not a huge difference, but its noticeable (at least from what I remember). I also have a Wrap 310, which I use the most often, and that is only 23 degrees, so the 1200 was a big jump from that. The virtual screen still feels on the smaller side, granted its only 35 degrees FOV. But the perceived size of the screen is largely dependent on your surroundings. If I am sitting in my desk like normal, and I can see my monitor through the edges, then the picture looks small. Not as big as my 23" 1080P display. But if I go in my living room and look at the far wall, it almost appears like a projection screen. So I think with the light-shield, it might help make the image look bigger. To be honest, if I just wanted to play a game normally, then I would rather do it on a nice high-def 1080P 3D monitor. Even my 23"er would look better. But I do also want to use headtracking, potentially in a 360 degree VR setup. In that case a monitor would not work. So it depends what you are looking for. Most average users would probably be happy with a nice 3d monitor. This 1200VR seems really only for VR hobbyists or fanatics.

[cybereality]

I just noticed something pretty significant, that I should have realized before. The extreme blurring I was seeing in 3D mode seems to be made worse by the Vuzix driver. I just tried out some games with IZ3D and they looked a lot sharper and detailed in 3D. Granted, it still is a little blurry, but it maintains a decent look. Seems that the scaling Vuzix is doing with their driver just sucks. No reason for it to look that bad after what I just saw with iz3D. Only thing that sucks is the you need the Vuzix driver if you want the headtracking, which is also a big selling point for the headset...

[3dvison]

Does the IZ3D driver only work in games or does it help make the desktop sharper also ?

[cybereality]

Does the IZ3D driver only work in games or does it help make the desktop sharper also ?

No, the iz3D driver is for games only. It does help to bring 3D games up to the quality of what 3D video looks like. Desktop is still a bit hazy.

Also, I found the trick to get the glasses comfortable, you need to use the Light-Shield. It has a silicon nose piece, which makes it a lot more comfortable (after you take off the hard nose-piece). It also helps keep the screens in focus, and not cut off or blurry on the edges. Maybe the screen looks a little more clear too, a definite improvement.

[3dvison]

Also, I found the trick to get the glasses comfortable, you need to use the Light-Shield. It has a silicon nose piece, which makes it a lot more comfortable (after you take off the hard nose-piece). It also helps keep the screens in focus, and not cut off or blurry on the edges. Maybe the screen looks a little more clear too, a definite improvement.

Sounds like that light shield helped fix a few ills...good thing to know about.

[PalmerTech]

All in all, do you think you will end up keeping it?

[cybereality]

All in all, do you think you will end up keeping it?

Yeah, I'm gonna keep it. Was at one point thinking of sending it back, but then I realized there is nothing else to replace it. I know everyone is excited about the Sony, but I have my doubts it will work for a portable setup (which is what I want). I need something light, USB powered, and with a good headtracker; all things the 1200VR has. For now I guess I will just have to live with the sub-par picture quality until the ultimate HMD comes out. Keep in mind, I only plan on using this for VR experimentation (custom apps, game mods, etc.). If I just want to play a game in 3D, I'd use my 3D monitor and be done with it.

[PalmerTech]

Sounds like pretty good reasoning. I am pretty confident that the Sony HMD can be run as a portable, though! It only draws a few watts, and there are really only a few common voltages they could be using internally (3.3v, 5, 9v, 12v), all of which would be easy to provide with a battery pack. First thing I will do when I get my HMZ will be tearing it apart to see if I can bypass the voltage regulator and run it as a mobile setup.

But it sounds like the VR1200 does still have use, and fits a certain niche really well.

[nrp]

Sounds like pretty good reasoning. I am pretty confident that the Sony HMD can be run as a portable, though! It only draws a few watts, and there are really only a few common voltages they could be using internally (3.3v, 5, 9v, 12v), all of which would be easy to provide with a battery pack. First thing I will do when I get my HMZ will be tearing it apart to see if I can bypass the voltage regulator and run it as a mobile setup.

But it sounds like the VR1200 does still have use, and fits a certain niche really well.

The jack on the interface box for it is labeled 0.5A at 5.6V, so running it portable is definitely doable. It should just be a matter of figuring out the pinout on that jack to break out the signal and power lines.

[PalmerTech]

Oh wow, really? For some reason (Maybe someone mentioned it), I assumed that it was running off wall power. 5v is easy! That is why my current PR3 wireless pack runs off, would be awesome if I could run it that easily.

Thanks for the extra eyes!

[brantlew]

It only draws a few watts, and there are really only a few common voltages they could be using internally (3.3v, 5, 9v, 12v), all of which would be easy to provide with a battery pack.

FYI. This is an awesome little gadget that I use in my projects for voltage conversion. They come in super handy for prototyping and I never have to worry about swapping components because you can just adjust the voltage with a screw driver.

Step-down:
http://www.dimensionengineering.com/DE-SWADJ3.htm

Step-down or up:
http://www.dimensionengineering.com/anyvolt3.htm

[PalmerTech]

Wow, that is great! I remember when those things came onto the market for $30 a few years back, but it was not cost effective (Better to just get the proper switching regulator), seems things have changed! Most of the time, I use Texas Instruments step up/down chips, since they are tiny, cheap, and very efficient. Definitely going to try those last links of yours, though.

[cybereality]

Don't get me wrong: I am certainly still getting the HMZ-T1. I am just not much of a hardware hacking type of guy, so I wouldn't even know where to begin with modding that thing. But I guess if some other people here post a guide, I may be willing to try. Though I do like gambling, I don't like the idea of pissing $800 down the drain either. Though maybe there will be a market for selling pre-modded units...

[cybereality]

The review is up:
http://www.mtbs3d.com/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=77" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[brantlew]

The review is up:
http://www.mtbs3d.com/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=77" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nice write up. Thanks cyber. One clarification. How do the lenses and the fit stack up against the 920 VR Bundle? Would you say the 1200VR is a step backwards in those respects?

[cybereality]

Nice write up. Thanks cyber. One clarification. How do the lenses and the fit stack up against the 920 VR Bundle? Would you say the 1200VR is a step backwards in those respects?

Actually I believe the Wrap 920VR uses the old optical system, which has a larger exit pupil and better diopter range. But you also lose the IPD adjustment, so you still may have issues.

[3dvison]

Thanks for all your hard work cybereality. Thats a well thought out and very polished looking review ...Thank You very much.

The headtracker and price of the VR1200 makes it hard to over look, just because the Sony is coming out soon..
For years I just wanted to play some games like HL2 with an HMD and simple mouse like headtracking.
It seems if you don't want to pay the extra cost of the Sony, plus the cost of buying and rigging a headtracker for it, the VR1200 still might be a fit for me and others also.
I need to make up my mind on which to buy soon..LOL

[cybereality]

@3dvison: Well personally I have really wanted a full freedom VR setup for the longest, and right now the 1200VR is about the only thing thats going to make that happen. When the Sony comes out, the landscape will probably change, but Vuzix has a full package here (headtracker, USB power, etc.). So it is just the quickest and easiest way to that goal.

One side-note though that I forgot to mention in the review: I can seem to get HL2 (or any Source games: L4D, etc.) to work correctly with the headtracking. Its strange, because I did use these with the VR920 and they worked good. So something changed with the driver (or with support for the new tracker). I've emailed Vuzix and posted on their forums, but haven't heard anything yet. Kinda sucks, because HL2 is one of my all time favorite games. Most of the other titles seem to work though: Crysis, UT2004, etc. Also, I am trying to write a program that will enable headtracking in any game (basically mouse emulation). It doesn't look like it will be too hard, will let you guys know how that progresses.

[etaxdoa]

Am stillstruggling to get any flightsim to work with Windows... only success so far is getting 2004 (FS9) working on windows7.

Every other combination of OS and FS9 FSX results in some version of DriectX conflict.

[3dvison]

Hey cybereality,
Any idea what wireless mouse or tracker such as the Hydra that could be used at the same time as the Vuzix headtracker without crossing each others signals ?
I would just like both to be controlling simple 2dof movement as if they were both trying to control the same mouse at once.

[cybereality]

@3dvison: The 1200VR can be used with the Hydra, they don't seem to physically interfere. I haven't tried any games with it at the same time though (ie both doing mouse emulation). However I did use it on UT2004 where the Hydra controlled the mouse and the 1200VR controlled the head movement. Seemed pretty cool actually, but the cords killed most of the fun. I saw a lot of potential though, that is why I bought a Wiimote Motion+ and am going to test with that.

Also noticed something interesting. Using the VGA extension cable, the unit is recognized as an "Analog Display" or "Generic NON Plug-and-Play" monitor in Windows. However I tried hooking it up over HDMI with a ton of adapters (HDMI cord with an HDMI-DVI then DVI-VGA then to the 1200VR). It didn't work, all I got was a blue screen (not of death tho). However, Windows and Nvidia recognized it as a "Wrap 1200". So I think maybe there is a way to get a digital connection, hopefully with better quality. I am going to buy some more adapters and test.

[ShawmK]

Also noticed something interesting. Using the VGA extension cable, the unit is recognized as an "Analog Display" or "Generic NON Plug-and-Play" monitor in Windows. However I tried hooking it up over HDMI with a ton of adapters (HDMI cord with an HDMI-DVI then DVI-VGA then to the 1200VR). It didn't work, all I got was a blue screen (not of death tho). However, Windows and Nvidia recognized it as a "Wrap 1200". So I think maybe there is a way to get a digital connection, hopefully with better quality. I am going to buy some more adapters and test.

I have found that HDMI protocol can be very fussy about which devices will connect successfully. My old 2D Acer projector had a DVI input, but no HDMI. Using a DVI adaptor I was able to connect my satellite box to it, but only if I connected it directly. If I tried to run it through my Onkyo amp first, it didn't work.

Nice review of the VR1200, by the way! I haven't had a chance to read it until now - the graphics card on my computer died a couple of days ago.

It's interesting that the 3D image quality is so much better if you bypass Vuzix's own drivers. You'd think they would put some effort into this, since the 3D is their chief selling point. I have been finding that the quality of the image from the Sky 3D channel is excellent when connected to the Component video ports. With the Wrap 920, the only connection option was Composite video, and the 3D picture was very fuzzy.

[cybereality]

I have found that HDMI protocol can be very fussy about which devices will connect successfully.

Yeah, probably something to do with that (some copy protection nonsense). Will try with DVI when I get the adapter (should come next week).

It's interesting that the 3D image quality is so much better if you bypass Vuzix's own drivers. You'd think they would put some effort into this, since the 3D is their chief selling point.

I know. What I think it is doing is down-scaling the 1280x720 SBS image to 854x480 THEN cutting that in half and up-scaling 427x480 to 854x480. Only way I can see the quality being that low.

[cybereality]

Just want to say that I am liking the 1200VR probably like 100% more after getting head-tracking working on ANY game using an app I wrote: http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=120&t=13801" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now I can play with head-tracking on my favorite games AND use the IZ3D driver (or DDD) to get a better quality image. Its a win-win situation.

[Martba]

Dear "cybereality",
your review about Vuzix 1200VR is quite interesting and I'm going to buy one of this HMD, mostly for simracing (RFactor) and flight simulators. I already have edimensional shutter glasses with IZRD drivers in interleaving mode and they are OK with my 22" CRT monitor, but I'm looking for some improvements. In particular 6DOF head tracking and total removal of any cross talking of interleaved images are the main outcome that I would expect from Wrap Vuzix 1200VR .
I have some questions: what is the length of the Vuzix 1200VR provided VGA cable (I have a desktop PC)? I would buy the Wrap light-shield (what is the right code for the order?) but I would need to be able also to look down at my keyboard and the hotkeys necessary in gaming, for example driving with my Logitech G25 wheel (is still possible or do I have to modify/cut the light-shield?).
Thank you

[cybereality]

The VGA cord may be around 4 or 5 feet, enough for a laptop but too short of a desktop. I got a 10 foot extension cable, and that works. Make sure to also get a USB extension cable. The light-shield blocks out everything, so it is very hard to see what you are doing (actually impossible). For shooter games, this is OK, but if you need to press any fancy keys its confusing. I guess you could try cutting it, but I think that would defeat the purpose.

[Martba]

Thank you for the prompt reply!
I have another (and maybe the last) question.
What does it mean exactly that Vuzix 1200VR has a head tracking with 6DOF?
If I read about other systems (based on infrared sensors for example) like this
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/03- ... acing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
6DOF corresponde to 3 rotational axis (yaw, pitch, roll) plus 3 shift directions (x,y,z), which means for example that moving my head forward or backward(without pitch) I should obtain a little zoom in- zoom out (on cockpit instruments for example in flying simulator). In similar way I should be able to shift a bit my head position left or right without head rotation. Is this all possible with Vuzix head tracking or only yaw, pitch, roll are present?
Thank you again

P.S. in case Vuzix movement sensor has only 3 rotational DOF, do you think that trackIR should be a better alternative, or x y z axis are not useful?

[cybereality]

The Vuzix software (VRManager) supports up to 3DOF (yaw, pitch, roll), but most games only do 2DOF (yaw, pitch). My mouse emulator is 2DOF also, since the mouse is only 2D. However the hardware itself is 6DOF. This includes absolute orientation (yaw, pitch, roll) and relative acceleration (x, y, z). In theory you could use the values to interpolate an absolute position, but no games support this as of yet. And the API for this is sort of in beta, though a resourceful programmer could probably make sense of the raw data.

Overall I think the Vuzix tracker works well, and I don't think you will need anything like the TrackIR to pair with this. If you were using a stationary setup (ie mouse, keyboard) then you could probably make sure of the TrackIR, and that may add immersion for selected titles. However that would be of no use for a stand-up 360 degrees VR setup (like some members here, including me, are trying to build).