Narrowed my choices, I need help choosing.

[DH1900]

I want a 3D monitor I can use with my notebook (which uses an Nvidia Geforce 310M) and my Desktop (which uses an old ATI 4850). This narrows my choice of software down to iZ3D (please inform me if this is wrong) and, as far as I can tell, my choice of monitors down to The Zalman ZM-M215W (I don't fancy paying an extra £100 for 2.5 inches for the M240W) or the Viewsonic V3D241wm.

My concern with the Zalman is the reduced resolution (effectively 1920x540) and the 10 degree vertical viewing angle in 3D. My concern with the Viewsonic is the wired shutter glasses, meaning it's difficult to share the monitor when viewing 3D content and I'm effectively tethered. Also, the glasses look quite chunky and uncomfortable.

Ideally, I'd like to just buy a nice 120hz monitor and buy a separate shutter glasses system that isn't just the blatant attempt at forced obsolescence and monopoly building that the Nvidia system is but, from the research I've done, that just doesn't look viable and all the systems that are 'coming out soon' smell of vaporware to me. If I've missed something please point it out to me, otherwise, I'd appreciate it if owners of either monitor could ease or confirm my concerns.

Thank you very much.

[cybereality]

I'd say go with the Zalman. Its the most compatible monitor on the market and actually performs really well. The price isn't bad either. Resolution loss is unavoidable, but its acceptable. I am not going to tell you it looks like a real 1080P 3D image, because it doesn't. But it doesn't look bad either. Its just a little softer, that's all. Its not like you are seeing lines through everything (unless you look *really* close). Once you start playing a game or watching a movie it will look fine and you don't really notice it at all. The viewing angle on the Zalman is also very low, so you have to carefully adjust the monitor and your seating before you play. But once it is a adjusted it is not much of an issue. Ghosting is there, but its pretty low for the most part. Certainly on par with other solutions. The Zalman also has good support on a variety of levels: supported by multiple 3D drivers (iz3d and DDD), YouTube3D, Stereoscopic Player, native support in Avatar, etc. The polarized glasses are also more comfortable and easier on the eyes than shutter glasses (even at 120Hz) and I think polarized is just superior technology in general. Had the Zalman for over 2 years and I am very happy with it. In fact, you might even be better off with the original Zalman Trimon (ZM-M220W) if you don't mind giving up a little resolution and HDCP support. The advantage is that the old Zalman is supported on the Nvidia drivers (at least up until the GTX 400 series) in addition to DDD and IZ3D. I see the old 22" Zalman online right now for $249. Doesn't get much better than that. Although you probably do want 1080P and HDCP is nice for playing 3D Blu-Rays (without any hackery). Something to think about.

Ive never seen the iz3d, but there have been many horror stories about the ghosting (just search here, on the iz3d forums, newegg, etc.). The company pulled out of the hardware market and is just licensing their software for other solutions. So I think that speaks for the quality of the product. If you found a really good deal on one it might be worth it, but otherwise I'd say look into better solutions.

In terms of the V3D241wm, I am not so sure that is a good choice for you. It is not clear if the Nvidia mobile chipsets are supported and the ATI 4000 series supposedly has sync problems as per this blog post: http://3dvision-blog.com/more-about-the ... d-monitor/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . I think the V3D241wm kit was designed specifically for the latest AMD cards, although there is not a lot of information regarding this. So it is possible it may work with your setup, but it also may not. If you want to go down this road I might wait a little bit until someone gets one and can test it. Doesn't really seem like they are available anywhere right now.

EDIT: Here is a cross-eye 3D image I took of the Zalman monitor. Should give you an idea of the 3D quality (although it looks better in person, the faded colors are just my camera):

Zalman_ghosting_04.jpg

[DH1900]

Thanks cybereality, I had no intention of buying an iz3d mointor (they don't make them anymore). I was planning on using the iz3d drivers which I know are compatible with the viewsonic and the zalman. The reason the viewsonic is tempting to me is that I'd get full HD in each frame but you've reassured me on that point. How is looking at text in stereoscopic mode, such as in a HUD?

[cybereality]

Forgot to mention, text can be a problem in 3D. In 2D, the monitor looks totally normal (except for a very slight interlaced tint, but its barely noticeable at all). In 3D, though, the text gets split between the eyes. So small text can be very difficult (sometimes near impossible) to read. The HUDs and menus in most games are large enough that this is alright. However, small pixel fonts (like the chat text in WoW or CS:S) can be really difficult to read (but still maybe doable if you play with the settings). None of the games I play really have a lot of text in them, so this is not a problem for me at all. However this may be an issue for you so you should be aware of it before you make a purchase.

[DH1900]

Thanks for the warning. I'm put off games with excessive text in 2D, let alone 3D. After looking into it a bit more I'm pretty much convinced by the Zalman. In my country (the UK) the older 22" is almost impossible to find, the new 21.5" inch can be had for as little as £235 while the 24" costs a minimum of £355. It doesn't seem like it's worth springing the extra £120 for an extra 2.5", is there something I might be missing?

[cybereality]

It doesn't seem like it's worth springing the extra £120 for an extra 2.5", is there something I might be missing?

The 21.5" and 24" are identical in all respects aside from the screen size (ie same resolution, same compatibility).