Why I'm going to buy the Zalman Trimon....

[cybereality]

I've done a ton of research and I think I've come to the decision to purchase the Zalman Trimon 22" 2D/3D monitor. I have been torn between the Zalman, the iz3D, a 3D Samsung HDTV or just sticking with the VR920 which I already own. Its really a tough call, since none of the existing stereo 3d solutions are perfect, but I think the Zalman will suit my needs better. Here's why:

Most importantly, I do a lot of graphics work on the PC, and I need something that will work perfectly for 2d applications like Photoshop and Flash. I also do a lot of programming too, so I need something with crystal clear text output. From what I understand, the Zalman works just like normal in 2D mode without any sort of degradation in the picture quality. From what I've read of the iz3D monitor, there is some minor blurring or coarseness of the picture. The Samsung DLPs and Plasmas will likely not have the precise color representation and saturation levels to be used in production work. The Zalman has a good amount of color/picture adjustments that can be done directly from the unit. The iz3D only has brightness (or gamma) controls and must be adjusted via software. As a 2D monitor, I think the Zalman may be the better choice.

Another must-have feature is advanced adjustment controls on the unit itself. The Zalman has tilt controls, as well as rotation, height adjustments, and the ability to swivel 90 degrees into portrait format. Neither the iz3D nor any 3D-ready Samsung set can do these things. A minor issue to some, but for me this may have been a deal-breaker. My current monitor (a 22" Sceptre gaming monitor) has very limited adjustments and it drives me crazy.

I'd also like to run dual-monitors again. I used to run dual with my old 21" CRTs, but now I am stuck with just one 22" widescreen LCD monitor (it feels so small in comparison). Since the Zalman Trimon works on a single DVI plug, there is the possibility of running dual desktop with my existing 22" monitor. AFAIK, this is not possible with iz3D due to needing 2 video cables. I can't imagine running dual monitors with a Samsung, there would be no point. Also, the monitor I have matches almost perfectly with the Zalman (in terms of size and design) so it would better fit in with my setup. Since the Zalman has a height control, it should be easy to make the screens line up correctly.

In terms of 3d, I think the Zalman should produce a very clean image. I've played in S3D with older methods (ie anaglyph, shutterglasses+CRT) and the ghosting is very annoying to me. I own an HMD now (VR920) and it is a total different experience to see a clean 3D image without any crosstalk. I know the Zalman will not provide the same quality as an HMD, but the ghosting should be minimal. Some people don't seem to like interlace, but I think it would be a lot easier on the eyes than say a Samsung with active stereo glasses. I've read a bunch on the iz3D forums. I know ghosting is an issue. Of course it can be reduced, but its one of those things that will really bother me. The Zalman is also better suited for field-sequential 3D-DVDs and I'm interested in starting a collection. The VR920 does play 3d video, but I usually like to watch movies with friends, so the Zalman will accommodate that.

In terms of 3d games its a real toss-up. The iz3D definitely has a better quality driver, with support for more hardware and modern shader/post-processing effects. But the nvidia driver also supports a large number of titles and works well with 3d engines like Ogre. If you are coding a game yourself and have access to the render targets (for example), there are ways to get modern shaders to work with the nvidia 3d driver. Nvidia is just too lazy to get it working right on commercial games. TriDef only supports a limited number of titles, although some big ones are supported. I don't mind paying $5 per game, but I expect good performance and a larger range of titles (also they don't support generic applications like for my own 3d engine). So in terms of pure game support, I will admit that iz3D has the upper hand, but the nvidia driver support could hopefully get better. Unfortunately the physical features of the product cannot be so easily updated.

Some other points: I'd like to use SLI with stereo3d. Seeing as the Zalman works on one DVI cable, and is endorsed by Nvidia, I get the feeling that SLI support may be in the picture (it might even work already). And yes, I definitely need SLI if I wish to run games in stereo3d at the 1680x1050 (which is necessary on the Zalman). I've got a brand new machine, I can run probably any game (except Crysis) at these resolutions without a problem. Not to be shallow, but the Zalman just looks like a high-performance piece of hardware compared to the iz3D. Its like comparing a Lamborghini to a Ford in terms of design aesthetics's. It sounds dumb, I know, but for the kind of money I spent customizing my rig and all the peripherals, I want something that makes this look good. The Zalman does not disappoint in the looks department. The Samsung's also look sexy, but honestly they are just too big. I already have a 32" LCD in my living room. I don't even know where I'd put a 50" screen in my house!

All-in-all, I'd say the Zalman has my name on it. I will probably be picking one up sometime next month, so I will write a full in-depth review at that time. I think this is an exciting time to be involved in stereo 3d. Although the market is in flux, and split between different drivers and vendors, I only see this as a good thing. I don't think there has ever been this many options on the marketplace, and competition is always good. Just look at how quickly companies like iz3D and Vuzix were able to produce working 3d drivers for both XP/Vista and modern Nvidia/ATI cards after Nvidia changed their licensing model. The decision nvidia made and their partnership with Zalman may have hurt the S3D market in the short-term, but I think in the long-term it will spur growth and development. I would like to support Nvidia and Zalman in their effort and I believe that is the right choice in my situation.

[yuriythebest]

I feel your pain. I agree with most of the article, do I did hear in some thread that someone got a dual screen solution to work with iz3d by adding a second card in sli, and that it only doesn't work during the actual gaming. Also yeah, Nvidia's support of Ogre3d is good - I've written a game in it called asteroidWars. I myself am gonna lay low and see how iz3d develops their drivers and finds way to eliminate ghosting/object culling/adds 3ds max support/ hopefully better colors in future monitors. Also the fact that nvidia's stereo solution is 32 bit only (I won't even mention that its only on vista). But yeah, a very heart wrenching decision this is indeed.

the one thing I do disagree with you about is how you said iz3d may not be around much longer. It has shown us to be way more consistent in its support than nvidia. For all we know nvidia may drop the zalman in 3 years as it is too low tech and go for something different where the ignorant masses put their money. However the entire fate of iz3d depends on them giving good support and consistency.

[cybereality]

the one thing I do disagree with you about is how you said iz3d may not be around much longer. It has shown us to be way more consistent in its support than nvidia. For all we know nvidia may drop the zalman in 3 years as it is too low tech and go for something different where the ignorant masses put their money. However the entire fate of iz3d depends on them giving good support and consistency.

No offense to iz3D, I think they are a great company with a great future. The premise of my argument was assuming both monitors lost support at some future point, which one would be more useful after its EOL. The interlaced 3d format, that is something that has been around for a long time. You could even create, say, a 3d desktop just by interlacing 2 images in photoshop. I don't know what the technique used on the iz3D is but it appears to require some sort of proprietary color conversion to create the depth masks. I have no idea how I would implement this into say my own 3d engine. Something like interlaced or checkerboard format would seem relatively simple to implement (although I haven't tried it, I'm just speculating here).

I'm also just a sucker for new toys. The Zalman is the latest in S3D monitors, maybe not the best, but its fresh.

[Neil]

I'm not going to remark about your article as you have a right to your opinion and MTBS is non-proprietary. However, if you are suggesting that iZ3D's existence is tenuous, I think it's important to recognize that iZ3D LLC is a partnership between Neurok Optics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. Both have been around for several years at least, and Chi-Mei is a multi-billion dollar company.

Regards,
Neil

[cybereality]

I'm not going to remark about your article as you have a right to your opinion and MTBS is non-proprietary. However, if you are suggesting that iZ3D's existence is tenuous, I think it's important to recognize that iZ3D LLC is a partnership between Neurok Optics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. Both have been around for several years at least, and Chi-Mei is a multi-billion dollar company.

Regards,
Neil

That's not what I was suggesting. Yuriythebest1 had made a comment to that effect and I was clarifying my position.

I've also seen a lot of negative remarks regarding Zalman's 3D monitor and I thought I'd give my opinion to balance things out. That is all.

[yuriythebest]

I'm not going to remark about your article as you have a right to your opinion and MTBS is non-proprietary. However, if you are suggesting that iZ3D's existence is tenuous, I think it's important to recognize that iZ3D LLC is a partnership between Neurok Optics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. Both have been around for several years at least, and Chi-Mei is a multi-billion dollar company.

Regards,
Neil

That's not what I was suggesting. Yuriythebest1 had made a comment to that effect and I was clarifying my position.

well I thought that's what you said in your original article. In any case long live iz3d case closed

[Neil]

Sorry about that. My mistake.

Regards,
Neil

[cybereality]

Sorry about that. My mistake.

Regards,
Neil

Its no problem. I've edited the original post as not to cause any further confusion.

[BlackQ]

Hi, cybereality!

we have very nice 3d desktop software (later we'll integrate it into driver)

All our testers and me personally have it on our desktop - I like that my icons floating over my favorite game 3D screenshots

And this is not a promotion - we 'd be really happy in case of 3D great success as market and will go from niche to mass and I'm sure that people from MTBS can be real prophets of this.

Good luck!

[cybereality]

Hi, cybereality!

we have very nice 3d desktop software (later we'll integrate it into driver)

All our testers and me personally have it on our desktop - I like that my icons floating over my favorite game 3D screenshots

Thats good to hear about the 3d desktops. I've done some reading on the iz3d forums, but of course I don't know everything there is to know.

I think the iz3D is a great product, and I'm sure it is working out for many users. It is also more affordable than the Trimon at this point in time. It was very hard to choose between the two, and I'm still uncertain if I made the right choice. Both have pros and cons. However, in my situation, I think the Zalman will be a better fit. That said, I have yet to see either monitor in person, I am just basing my opinion on the reviews which I've read.

[BlackQ]

this is fine - I'm sure you'll continue to be here on MTBS and we can talk