Hardware and Software for a noob

[pete12]

Hello there
I'm looking for advise on what hardware and software i need to get a pc up and running in 3d. I have an Acer H5360 that I hope to connect a spare pc to. The pc is is a dual core (some sort of core duo I think) and 2 gig of ram. I'll be running xp so i assume nvidea 3d vision is not an option, I will probably get some EDims or similar glasses.

Whats the minimum spec graphics card I should be looking at? I'm very cheap (and skint) so the cheaper the better!
I don't need to play the latest games with amazing graphics, just something that runs quite smoothly. Same goes for video, as long as its popping out the screen I don't really mind what the res is.

Whats the best method of connecting this rig up to the projector? And do the glasses plug into the pc, as the Acer has no 3d sync port.

And lastly, what software would I need? Drivers ect...

Thanks in advance for any help, you can probably tell I'm wet behind the ears as regards to all this

[cybereality]

Your best bet is to get a pair of Nvidia 3D Vision glasses. This would mean upgrading your OS to Vista or, better yet, Windows 7 but I think it would be worth it. Without the Nvidia drivers I do not know how you would game in 3D with that projector. In terms of GPUs probably the cheapest one worth investing in is like a GTX 260.

[pete12]

Cheers for the reply mate.
I'm afraid vista or windows 7 are out of the question for a long while yet I read that the edims work with any ATI Radeon gpu, is this true? there is so much conflicting information around. I don't mind spending a hundred dollars on a failed experiment, I can't push the boat out much beyond that though I'm afraid.

Again, I'm not too fussed about gaming, I just want too see what is possible, and then it would probably persuade me to save up! If 3d vision is my only hope I'll have to get used to a flat 2 dimmensional screen

[cybereality]

Well you do have some options. First off, the projector also supports DLP-Link glasses which sync directly with the display via encoded flashes on the screen. However I am still unsure of how you sync with the media (ie game) using DLP-Link mode. So one experiment could be to buy a pair of DLP-Link glasses, like the XpanD X102 or Viewsonic PGD-150, and see if you can get a game working. The other option would be to take a look at the IZ3D driver's beta 120Hz projector mode. I do not know what glasses might be supported (maybe edim) or if your projector will work, but its worth a shot. The trial is for 30 days so you might want some glasses before you try it. Worst case you could try the iz3d shutter mode with the edims which may work for testing but would not really be a stable solution. You need to keep a 60fps minimum or it loses sync with the glasses so only old games are really playable. Still, might be worth a shot. So while Nvidia 3D Vision is the surefire bet, you may still see some success with XP/ATI if you try hard enough.

[pete12]

Thanks again for your reply, its much appreciated.
I've been after the XpanD X102's for ages to try avatar on the ps3, and then I saw the Viewsonic PGD-150's the other day, I can only find them on Amazon but they have no stock. They seem to be like gold dust these dlp link glasses!
The IZ3D driver's seem to be worth a punt, could i combine these
http://www.ultimate3dheaven.com/pcdongle.html
http://www.ultimate3dheaven.com/2wi3dglspadd.html
Or would I need this http://www.edimensional.com/product_inf ... ucts_id=29 as it comes with software?
The upside of any of those options is i can afford them, if they work then thats great, and I'll buy the driver. If not they get ebayed
I know the 3d vision is my best bet, but I cannot afford the outlay for it, not for a very very long time atleast
But I'm ready to take a fairly inexpensive gamble for the sake of research it may help another newbie like me!

[cybereality]

Those look like they might be the same thing so the cheaper option might actually work. I could be wrong though, its hard to tell from the picture. Either way you can download the ED activator for free online and the IZ3D driver has a free trial.

[pete12]

Yeah, I thought they looked similar, if not the same. If I can download the ED activator for free and use the trial of the IZ3D driver I've nothing to lose really. If they don't work they can go under the bed for now I'll give them a go and let you know how I get on. Cheers for all your help!

[pete12]

I tried to order the cheaper dongle and glasses from ultimate3dheaven but couldn't get my payment to process. I found a separate dongle and one pair of wired glasses at edimensional that worked out at about 55 pounds with delivery. If nothing else, at least I know they are edims. I'll let you know how I get on, I have a feeling I'll be up well into the early hours when they arrive!

[pete12]

I got the glasses and dongal last week, good service from edimensional. Got it all set up, I was using an old Nvidia card at this point. When i acctivated the glasses using the ed activator the screen got big thick grey patches running the full length of the screen, I tried all combinations of the ed drivers and all combinations of the settings but the screen remained the same. I tried that Dracula 4d trailer thats booting about and eventually got the 3d working, the screen still had the grey patches though. The depth effect was good, but nothing shot out of the screen at me, is it supposed to on that trailer?
Anyway, I bought a new ati card later in the day, got it all set up but the gey patches on the screen remained. And no matter what combination of drivers and settings I tried, The 3d would just not work. After a few hours I gave up.

The other day I put the new ati card in my office computer to get a gb of ram back that the onboard graphics card was nicking I ended up trying the dongal and glasses on this computer with an lcd monitor just out of curiosity, it worked. the monitor only refreshes at 75hz but with the lights out the flickering is virtually invisible. I've tried various trailers, the best being monsters vs aliens, but nothing "jumps" out of the screen, the depth effect is quite impressive though.
Is there any settings in the stereoscopic player that can make this happen? or is it the nature of lcd that it just wont happen? I thought the bit with the bat and ball would jump out, anybody else watched it?
I also used Bloody's avisynth script for watching "2d" videos in s3d on the fly, I was really impressed with the results, cheers Bloody!

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not even going to attempt gaming in s3d on the pc, I'm a console gamer anyway I live in hope that Mitsubishi's adapter will work with the whole hdmi 1.4 scenario but the video side has always interested me, I'm maybe tempted by a new monitor, any recommendations?

I know this is a bit of an essay but its been a fun few weeks!

[cybereality]

3D is not so much about things popping out the screen as it is about depth into the screen. Its unfortunately that they market 3D that way because I think it gives people false hopes. Only rarely is there ever scenes with things coming out the screen, but it does look cool when it happens. Like on the MvA trailer with the bouncing ball I did see that come out of my screen a bit but it wasn't the most impressive thing I've seen.

I am surprised you got the ED glasses working on an LCD. I think only ever one person here said they got that to work. Most people, like myself, have had no success with that.

In terms of 3D displays your Acer H5360 is about as good as it gets. You might be able to run that using software page-flipping on the Stereoscopic Player for viewing 3D video. I think there is a way to get the ED glasses to work but if not you might be able to use DLP-Link glasses also. I am not 100% sure how to set that up, but I believe other people had success playing 3D video without Nvidia.

[pete12]

Cheers for the reply.
I think everytime I've read about things "popping Off" the screen it has been in relation to games, and only at certain points. I must admit I am impressed at the depth the videos offer, if I got it working properly on the projector I think it would have the wow factor I'm after!

I maybe got lucky with my lcd, I installed the ED drivers, choosing lcd and ati gpu when prompted, after that i just use the ed activator with the following settings
interleaved
stereo-normal
lcd mode 2 (sometimes 1)
In the sereoscopic player I select the correct layout for the video and choose "row interlaced, left line top" as my viewing method. I don't know if any of these settings are right or wrong, but they seem to work!
I also recorded a bit of footage from a hd 3d test channel, its side by side format, ran the video through handbrake to create a 720p avi and it worked quite well its maybe been mentioned on this forum before, but for anyone in europe with the right gear you can find it at
Eurobird 9A (9 east)
11747 H
DVB-S/MPEG-2
27500 3/4
The content seems to be on a loop but worth checking it for test purposes.

I might give the glasses another go with the projector, if I could get rid of the grey I'd be well happy
I'm definately getting a pair of DLP-Link glasses when i can get hold of some, I've read that two people had them working with the ps3 on avatar, at least one of them was using the acer.

I'll have to learn to be patient!

[pete12]

Just thought I'd update, Ive given up with the EDimms, they make me feel sick. I guess thats to do with the low refresh rate and not the glasses themselves. Don't suppose anyone wants them?

I've decided I'm going the Nvidia 3d vision route, I'm going to buy the GeForce GT 240 gpu, Video playback is more important to me than gaming so I guess this will be ok? I'm taking the plunge with windows 7 aswell, I think having used vista for a short while really put me off it, but it sounds like 7 is the os vista should have been!

I'm really looking forward to 3d again now Any suggestions on what I should or shouldn't get are highly appreciated.

P.S I don't suppose football manager is 3d vision compatible is it? although I don't know what the benefits of looking at screens of text in 3d would be!