SMD reply
http://www.siliconmicrodisplay.com/1/po ... ation.html

As I am sure a few of you were hoping to receive your units by today - I am waiting for your faithful reviews lol... oh well, hopefully you guys will be in business early next week!

I'm sort of annoyed that I haven't received a shipping notice this week. Last week I saw a guy that ordered on the 13th get a shipping confirm, so I assumed that my 16th order would have been sent out by now. The SMD forums are all really quiet as well. None of the "finally got mine" type of posts in several days. I suspect they have stalled production to address the quality-control issues they reported last week. But they had been very good about keeping the customers in the loop, so it seems like they would have posted a notice on their blog to expect shipping delays. I'm confused. Anybody got a shipping confirm this week?

I spoke with SMD's staff, and apparently they have, at least partially, suspended shipments to
improve their quality control and correct some errors in their production proccesses.

hm... i am currently ok with the st1080 reviews.

The black, that it will be dark grey was obvious from the start, as it has lcos displays(even for me, who don't care much about displays and such normaly).

the other things i am warry about are adressed by SMD(the light at the edges, the to strong screwed on screws), maybe with a paid hardwareupdate, but when they bring out as mentioned a display port version maybe(gamerversion), i will stick with the rc1 version, and switch afterwarts, depends on their blogupdates.

In general i find the start ok, its subjectiv even better as the first releases of sony, intel, nvidia or amd. Not calling it a good one, but i find their handling up to now better. 120 Pound for the headstrap replacement(dunno if worktime is already included with the price) for the sony hmz t1, and needing to send the unit back, ...

The dead pixels issus i see so often around i don't understand... Dead Pixel -> RMA, but as written in their blog, with 8.5 ym for 3 subpixels a lot of fun, finding single non working ones.

Only drawback its like with the smartphones currently, you can choose with error you want to buy, nothing perfect currently on the market.

On the other hand there is the driver problem, iz3d is closing down in a few days(still hope, they get the money for open source, but don't think they make it in that short time), tridef3d has problems with steam as far as i read in their forums, nvidia has their all users are DAUS and should only work with presets mentality and 24Hz FP or 30Hz per eye(T&B, SBS, ...) is the same quality wise and for gaming 720p ought to be enough for anybody.

As i found 3DTVplay the more supported one, i think i might need to work with ini or driver hacks/cracks.

Hmz release was a fiasco i would say even bigger than the st1080 one, but now everyone compares it to a modded one(with worktime i would thing about 1500+ Doller?), and still with problems.
Its like the comparisions, of a overcloaked 8 year old cpu with a new one in stock speed, and not mentioning that you can overcloak the new one too.

My short bit:

Many of the people complaining have clearly never used an HMD before. They are getting a product that blows every preceding product out of the water, and they cannot possibly realize that.

Hi PalmerTech,

I am new here, but was wondering if you would expand that last comment, a little?

I assume that you know the history of HMD tech pretty intimately. I am a total
beginner, but thinking of ordering the ST1080.

What is reasonable to expect from the technology, for the price, all nuances considered?

Irrespective of specific usage of this device, is it a good value, generally speaking?

Do you have the ST1080 or the Sony HMZ-T1, yourself?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Selix.

The company confirmed (SMD) with me that manufacturing (and shipping) was haulted last week for a few days to address the quality control issues that some individuals have recently experienced. After owning the HMZ I found the picture was amazing, however small pupil exit (bluriness) and comfort issues casues me to sell the unit (for more than I bought it for lol!) and was leaning towards the ST1080 as a perfect replacement for the HMZ. I am still waiting for a few more positive reviews (expecially after the recent issues they experienced) before I place my order. They are definately doing everything possible to address any concerns/issues that their customers are dealing with. I have been quite impressed with their responses over the past couple weeks.

What you get, for the price, is a relatively lightweight, comfortable, and high resolution HMD with good optics. You can travel with it, you can add a head tracker for a immersive gaming, etc.

What you cannot expect is something that has color or contrast that beats a normal desktop monitor, and the far corners will be a little bit warped or blurred. The thing is, almost every consumer HMD has been FAR worse in these regards, with pitiful resolution to boot. Heck, until a few months ago, the best you could do was a $600, 800x480 HMD with terrible optics, low contrast, washed out colors, and fuzzy image. I have an HMZ-T1 and have used a prototype ST1080, and I think the ST1080 is a great value for what it is. You just need to know what to expect.

Normal Desktop Monitor, for me it means a monitor with TN or IPS with roughly reaching 1000:1 contrast ratio, more like 800:1, in that range. It's terrible to enjoy dark films or films in cinemascope due to black bars and colour shifts on those monitors.

Tbh, i'm quite shocked reading that it doesn't reach even that level picture quality wise. For gaming and full screen use it shouldn't be that much of a drawback if you're used to normal LCD monitors, but I'd avoid it if it is bought as "home cinema device" to replace a TV or decent beamer in that price range.

Update from SMD on their shipments. Good news: They have addressed many of the quality problems that were creating bad impressions and reviews. Bad news: They are about a month behind on their release schedule. Still waiting for my ST1080

My Hyra arrived today - I am sooooo wishing I had my HMZ still lol! I can't wait for SMD to be all caught up. They have been amazing in terms of getting back to any question I have had. The ST1080 for everyday use and the Rift for total immersion is a dream combo come true!

Unfortunate about the delays, but a lot better than the wall of silence some companies have.

if SMD fixed all the issue then i might get it and sell my sony hmz-t1 as i prefer of having fullhd 3d viewing.

I am speaking as a guy who didn't order this promizing HMD (yet?)

I have tried the HMZ in the sony store in Paris and i knew instantly it would be a no go for me :
No portability, no comfort whatsoever and the screen looked really tiny when watching movies.
Sony should have gone back to the drawing board on this one and no try to sell this early prototype.

Back to ST1080 now;
This is nice SMD company is communicating and one could be confident they can fix most glaring issues.
But I am also glad i didn't get on the preorder wagon how tempted i was, considering the big issues found and especially since the money is taken before shipping takes place.

I guess the fact that no pre unit was made available for a review was a bit of a turn off for me
but there are not so many available reviews for others HMD either.

However there are still 2 issues about the box that i am waiting to be fixed :

How hot does the cable box can get?

Can it be upgraded : they should have allowed 1080p 3D @60hz from beginning by allowing display port, DVI-D or by another solution.
as well as upscaled image.

Another rave review from thegameveda has just been posted.

http://the-games-veda.blogspot.ca/

I wish he would take a video of the screens to allow us to see it in action!

Still waiting for my shipment, but I'm a little bit confused about how to power the ST1080. I swear I saw some pictures of a laptop powering the control box via USB but I don't see them now. The specs call for 7 Watts which would seem to be over the limit for USB. Does that mean that the control box has to either be plugged in to an AC adapter (via USB) or a battery pack with enough juice to handle 7 watts? Can some laptops power the device alone? I've powered devices over USB before that exceeded USB spec.

Also, anybody got suggestions for a good battery pack?

This was copied from their cummity forum (see bleow) - I have also read about a mobilty pack that will have a battery with a 4 hour life span that they will be selling directly...

http://www.siliconmicrodisplay.com/1/po ... l#comments - See Paul Jin's comment


Serp - Please note that the battery you purchase must be at least 5V 1.5A. Many portable USB batteries are 5V 1A or lower, and that won't have enough power.

I haven't seen too many 5V 1.5A batteries, but I have seen a several 5V 2A, which will work nicely.

During development we used a 5V 2A 10,000mAh battery, and that lasted a bit over 4 hours. That battery cost ~$65. It was from a Korean company, and they don't ship to the US.

Here are some we recently found in the US market:
i.Sound Portable Power Max 5V 2.5A 16,000mAh
i.Sound Portable Power Max 5V 2.5A 8,000mAh
PowerGen Duo-power External Battery 5.3V 2A 8,4000mAh
New Trent iCarrier Dual Port 5V 1A/2A 12,000mAh

ok thanks. The i.Sound devices are bulky so I ordered the PowerGen. Still think maybe my laptop could supply that amperage but it's probably better to save my battery for the CPU anyway.

When did you pre-order your ST1080 - is looks as if they are shipping the March 14th orders - should see some more reviews early next week!

The last 2 weeks have been painful because I ordered on the 16th and they slowed production on the 13th orders. Production seems very slow right now and hard to see how they are going to get all the orders done by the end of the month. Oh well, I would rather have a functional unit than a timely one - but it's agonizing checking my email 20 times a day and seeing nothing.

I preordered on the 21st, minutes before the promotional price ended.

Finally received shipment tracking number on June 21. Ordered March 16. I'll post some impressions next week.

PERFECT - looking forward to it (as I am sure you are!)

Guys,
if someone got his HMD after June-15 please post a review.
On June 15 they posted a message that all the bugs were fixed:



P.S. Also the blurriness may be fixable, in one of their posts they said it happened because of overtightened optics.
So if someone can loosen it a bit, may solve the blurriness issues

A couple more reviews from individuals that have just received their units are now showing up - it appears that round 2 of product is not any better... was really hoping for more form this HMD... we continue to wait before I spend my $...

I remain cautiously optimistic.

Most reviewers I have read fall into two categories: 1) This is their first HMD - in which case their expectations are a bit over-blown or 2) AV enthusiasts which are either comparing it to HMZ (admitted highest quality screens) or home theater/monitor equipment. Put into those contexts it is obvious that it will have faults.

I have a different perspective because I will be comparing it to a previous generation HMD and also putting it into the proper context as a mobile VR/gaming solution (not a movie or desktop experience). My biggest concern are the optics - but I get the impression that it is person-specific. If you are lucky enough to have a properly shaped head and nose then the optics look good for some people - but there have been a variety of experiences with the optics.

I'm hoping it works for me. Otherwise the only viable alternative is a completely disassembled and modified HMZ-T1 - and even that sort of sucks, because it's not something you could use out in public.

I agree 100% with you. Coming from owning various older HMD's I total understand that this is going to be steps ahead. I am now wishing that I would have held onto my HMZ priror to decided to sell to replace with the ST1080. Again, I am patiently waiting for a few of the users on here proper review of the unit before I go ahead and order. Fingers and toes are crossed for next week's results lol!

Yeah, brantlew, totally. A lot of people have not used HMDs before and really have no frame of reference in order to compare. That said, a consumer electronic device should be able to stand-alone without setting certain expectations of the user. And really, that is why HMDs have failed in the past to gain any significant consumer acceptance. So it is important now that companies attempt to fix some of these issues, because we are so close to gaining that acceptance in the marketplace.

I am also considering a purchase of the ST1080, because I am starting to miss my 1200VR a bit. Not that I liked the 1200VR that much, but I really would like a portable HMD again. The HMZ is just too much for a mobile setup. Not really in any rush at the moment, but I will see if SMD can fix these quality control issues and for some more reviews to come out from trusted members on this forum.

Hi guy,

New Review from AVS forum member who just received his new SMD 1080P yesterday.

Taken from AVS forum review by Bravia3d who own the Sony HMZ-T1 as well and just received it yesterday.
- Link http://www.avsforum.com/t/1395827/st108 ... scount/270

Alright, after fooling around with it for awhile here are my thoughts....

Compared to the Sony HMZ the ST1080 is much lighter and don't hurt my face. This has it's pros and cons, though it is much lighter the ST1080 just won't stay on me, it keeps wanting to slide down, even after I attached the very cheap string they included (which is falling apart already)... If I make some cushions to hold this unit up, it may just work good.

The screen is strange for me, when I cut the ST1080 on I see a big blurry screen, kinda like the photo that was posted on here earlier, blurry edges and a bright middle. Using my PS3 to watch movies it's hard to see any text or objects in the upper and lower right and left sides, such as menu text. It's more blurry than the Sony HMZ, but at least with the Sony you can move it a bit and it becomes clear.
I have tested a bunch of movies.. Transformers, Ice Age, Grand Canyon, Captain America, Wrath of the Titans and a NIN concert. Not watching them fully, but skipping through parts seeing how they look. The bad thing I have noticed is the picture looks like it's being projected by a projector onto a white screen, but the projection is smaller than the screen itself... For instance, imagine shining a projector onto a 100" screen, but making the size only 90" and seeing the white around the edges. This is exactly the feeling I get and it annoys the hell outa me.. I see all that screen and want a FULL picture, but it just won't do it. To make it worse, the edges aren't clear on the left and right. They are blurry and that is annoying as well. The Sony suffers from this also but I think the ST1080 is worse. But at least on the Sony you see the screen and get a FULL picture on it. Looking at the ST1080 and angling it up, I notice the LED's are pointing down and being projected by what looks like mirrors, this could be the cause of blurry edges and the projected look. Your not seeing the LEDs, your seeing a reflection I believe.

Now watching movies I must admit, picture quality wasn't that bad. For me, colors looked pretty good though as mentioned black levels looked more grey (but not that bad). Ice Age looked great, the picture was pretty sharp and nice looking, a bit blurry around the edges but once I got into it I kinda liked it. Transformers looked good also, but because it's widescreen the picture looked smaller and more projected like on to a large screen with s small image. UGH I really hate that....

Sound quality was great for me, I don't get that humming some reported. It gets much louder than the HMZ, which I like because I love my movies blasting into my ears. I was only using my iphone headphones and plan on trying some big Denon headphones later and my Bose headphones as well. But so far I'm loving how loud it gets and the fact I can use my own chose of headphones. The only bad thing I don't like is when pressing the volume buttons a black box shows up showing the amount of volume your using and stays there kinda to long unless you press the mute button which closes it.
If they could update the menu and make it look better that would be a BIG plus. As of now it's just the black box which pop's up giving you few options and looks like an old Commodore 64 program. I suggest they make it more sleek, when adjusting the volume show a speaker at the bottom with how much volume your using and get rid of the black box. However, the menu doe's work and get the job done so can't complain to much about it. Though it lacks changing colors and stuff as mentioned in other post by users.

My ST1080's ear arms or whatever they are called won't open fully.. I seen photos of them on their site fully open, mine won't and I am afraid if I pull they may brake and snap off. So it's a dang tight fit for me and I guess mines defective, I really don't know till I contact them.


Final thoughts..

I am debating at the moment, honestly I am a bit upset knowing that Silicon knows of the issues and is fixing them in current builds. But that leaves people like me and others who had trust and faith in them to make and deliver a quality product and ordered first left out. I had trust in them and get a device that don't live up to their claims (a full clear 1080p picture)
In my opinion they should take back defective units free of charge and replace them, as this is their fault not the cutomers. Customers should not have to pay $125, or any amount of money (even shipping price in my opinion) for getting a product that don't function currectly.
Sadly, I am sure my warranty is up on both units as they shipped from Korea to the USA, and then my family shipped it from the USA to me here in Japan. That kinda pisses me off, as it cost me $240 for shipping when I wrote Silicon twice asking them if they can ship directly to Japan for me with NO reply both times. Yet reading others post on forums they shipped directly to them! Even a guy in Japan was able to get it directly.. UGH!!!!
I am gonna write them and see what can be done, truly debating if I will demand new units that hopefully are fixed or my cash back fully.

It's worth mentioning that this guy's unit was from the first batch. He had a snafu in shipping that caused a large delay.

Hmm.. that doesn't sound that great. And he has the HMZ to compare so it seems pretty fair.

Im not sure its a fair review, his set was from the first batch, we need some people with sets that were made after June 15

Well another thing to remember is that SMD claims they've sent out over 1,000 units, but the people you hear online are probably going to be the ones with the quality issues (they are usually the loudest). Its possible a good amount of people have gotten working units and are happy with it. We shall see.

I ordered on March 21, so mine was made after June 15, right? Or has it not yet been produced? I'm glad for the delay, since I'll probably not receive a defective unit. When would you guess I'll receive the HMD? Less or more than a month?

Did you get a shipping notification? If not then youll get a revision 2 model

Just got my second-batch ST1080 5 minutes ago! I'll be playing with it today, but it will take me a couple of days to get a proper review up. I might post a couple of teasers in the meantime.

SWEET!!!!! I am so looking forward to an honest review for someone that will have simular use to all of us on here! Hoping second batch is ideal!!!

It's been a couple hours already! Come on with the goods!!!

I don't think I have ever pressed the refresh button so many times in my life lol!