Vuzix Wrap VR1200

[cybereality]

The best part is that the website says: "Due to heavy demand". Like really?!? How many people outside of this forum really ordered one? 50? 100 maybe? Are they making each one by hand?

[fraherd]

Call me a sceptic but I think they may have got word on the HMZ-T1 aka Sony’s HMD and rushed the release (even though it was still delayed) in order to try and lock in some orders before word got out..... possible?

[PalmerTech]

I doubt that, if only because they have been pushing it back over and over again, always to a date in the very near future.

Also, if they go 60 days without shipping it, Paypal will have a problem with it. When OpenPandora tried to use Paypal for preorders, they found out the hard way that they specifically disallow preorders, and will freeze accounts that are deemed to be operating in that way.

Vuzix, if you are reading this, please don't get your Paypal shut down. If you call them on the phone, you should be able to get to someone who can put your case under special review by one of their claims officials. They will almost certainly side with the buyer in any disputes that occur after that, though, so be on your toes.

[ShawmK]

The best part is that the website says: "Due to heavy demand".

I think the best part is that the 1200VR still says "Coming in August"... They obviously have a very flexible definition of "August"! Maybe no one at Vuzix realises they actually have a website.

UPDATE: I've just spoken to someone at Vuzix customer service. He has told me that a shipment of twenty-five (count 'em: 25) Wrap 1200's should be arriving in the UK by the end of the week. He promises me that one of those twenty-five will be mine.

I guess "heavy demand" means twenty-five orders! I know the economy is depressed, but really...

[3dvison]

ShawmK,
Just by chance, was there any word on US shipments ?

[ShawmK]

ShawmK,
Just by chance, was there any word on US shipments ?

Sorry, no information, but I was talking to their UK customer support desk. They're totally separate from the US office, as far as I know.

[3dvison]

ShawmK,
Just by chance, was there any word on US shipments ?

Sorry, no information, but I was talking to their UK customer support desk. They're totally separate from the US office, as far as I know.

Thank You.
I'll keep an eye on the US website.

[cybereality]

So I ordered mine already. Expect a full review in about a week or so.

BTW: Likay wins the bet! He said it would come out September 12th, only 3 days after the actual release (September 9th).

[Likay]

Buckshot... I always win when there's nothing in the pot!

[ancjob]

So I ordered mine already. Expect a full review in about a week or so.

BTW: Likay wins the bet! He said it would come out September 12th, only 3 days after the actual release (September 9th).

cyber - did u order wrap1200 or wrap1200VR as the us site still shows the wrap1200VR not yet released .....unless i am missing something ....

[cybereality]

cyber - did u order wrap1200 or wrap1200VR as the us site still shows the wrap1200VR not yet released .....unless i am missing something ....

I got the Wrap1200VR:
http://www.vuzix.com/consumer/products_wrap_1200vr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ancjob]

cyber - did u order wrap1200 or wrap1200VR as the us site still shows the wrap1200VR not yet released .....unless i am missing something ....

I got the Wrap1200VR:
http://www.vuzix.com/consumer/products_wrap_1200vr.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

great! at least now i know that they have actually started taking orders for VR version....
good luck cyber with wrap1200VR - expecting your review of the same when you get it

[Okta]

I will have my new Sony 720p before that arrives

[ShawmK]

Miracles will never cease!

I have just been sent a tracking number for my Wrap 1200 order; it's finally on its way to me - a month after I ordered it...

I have also spoken to the European director of Vuzix today, and he told me that they expect to have an HDMI adaptor available for the Wrap series in October. Having said that, if we have learned anything from Vuzix this year, it's not to trust their release dates...

The bad news is that the adaptor is going to be HDMI 1.2, so we won't be watching 3D Blu Rays on our Vuzix glasses any time soon...

I think Sony is going to have a good year.

[cybereality]

I got a tracking number too. They said its coming on Thursday.

@ShawmK: HDMI 1.2?!?!?!?!? I hope they were joking. Why even bother?

[etaxdoa]

I have been advised by Vuzix that the problems I have had with the sliders, and the slight blurring through the centre of the screen warrants sending the glasses back to Vuzix... hmmm, am wondering if it is worth it... will wait for Cybers review to see if the latest batch are of better quality

[cybereality]

So I got my 1200VR. Only had a little time last night and this morning to test with it. Will have to spend some more time before I can write a full review. I will say a few things though. The virtual screen size is OK. Not huge by any means, but better than previous Vuzix HMDs. IPD and diopter adjustments do work alright. The darkened effect which the Wrap 310 suffered from is not seen here. And the head-tracker is actually decent. I tried out some 1080P 3D videos with the Stereoscopic Player, some 720P SBS videos on YouTube, 1080P 2D videos on YouTube, and Half-Life 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004. I actually did have fun with UT2004 due to the good headtracking. It works just like it did on the VR920, but with better tracking and without all the headache inducing jitter.

However, the quality of the screen itself and the optics are not that great. Aside from the low resolution, I found the image to be fuzzy (maybe due to optics, probably mostly from the down-scaling) and the colors either really washed out or totally saturated and crushed. While 2D video looked OK, 3D video further cuts the detail in half so you end up with something that is barely SD quality. The optics also have an extremely small exit pupil, which causes blurring/distortion around the edge of the screens. In order to get even the center in good focus, the screens have to be literally sitting on your eyeballs. So this means you are not able to wear glasses with these at all (I tried). Luckily there are diopter adjustments, but it seems like they could have had better range. All of this means that using Windows or web-browsing is extremely difficult on this headset (at least at 720P). Games and videos do look better though, and it is not as much of a problem. As far as I can see, 720P is the only resolution worth using on this thing. It supports 1024x768 and 800x600, but no other 16:9 resolutions. So you either have to stretch the aspect ratio or lose like 40% of the screen. Basically you have to go with 1280x720. I am investigating whether custom resolutions can be used, but it seems very picky about what it supports. In fact, so far I can't even get 720P to work in Windows 7 (it works on Vista though).

I want to save my final judgment until after I get some more time with this kit and post the full review. But so far I can say I am a tad disappointed.

[ShawmK]

...so far I can't even get 720P to work in Windows 7 (it works on Vista though).

I've connected the 1200 to my PC and my Netbook (running Windows 7 and XP respectively) at 720P with no problems. I wonder why it didn't work on yours?

The lenses are the real let-down for me. The image quality is actually better than I was expecting (I was keeping my hopes in check) but getting the lenses adjusted is a nightmare. The lenses on the 920 were a lot better.

[PalmerTech]

That is really too bad. I wonder if these Fatshark optics I have would be an improvement? Here is the display they are using: http://www.kopin.com/wvga/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I will make a little paper cutout to see how much my lenses cut off, but I suspect it will be significant. If it did work, the FOV would be somewhere around 50 degrees diagonal. Well, time to watch eBay for broken VR1200s!

What makes me really sad is that you cannot output to it at native resolution. What ever possessed them to do that?! It would have so many advantages! Beyond making text readable without wasting pixels, it would allow for running games on lower end hardware, or running newer games more easily. Supporting 800x600 but not native resolution is a terrible choice, hopefully it can be fixed in a firmware update.

Can't wait to see the full review, hopefully the unit grows on you.

[cybereality]

Well after messing with it a bit more I feel a little better. First off I was not running at 720P, I was running at 1024x768. It seems there is some issue with setting this resolution with the Nvidia panel. However if I set it with Windows itself, then it works. This increased the quality somewhat, as I feel running 1024x768 at 16:9 was double scaling or something.

Also, the blurriness I was seeing was partially caused by my eyes (since I wear glasses). It turns out that the diopter adjustment just has a narrow range, so it did not match my prescription well (I wear -2.5). So if I wear my glasses, then the image gets more clear (it still is a little blurry though). By removing the nose-piece I was able to get some more room, enough to wear my glasses. However with the glasses on, the lenses are then further away from my eyes, and then the edges get blurred. Without my glasses, and without the nose-piece, I can get the lenses really close so that none of the screen is cropped or distorted. But then the whole thing is slightly fuzzy. If you have perfect vision, or a light prescription, this will probably not be an issue. For me wearing the glasses seems to be the better choice, but I wish the diopter went further. It did on the Wrap 310.

I also messed with the color settings a bit and got something that at least looked respectable.

Played a bit of L4D in 3D, and also GRID in 2D. As it turns out you can actually play games at the native resolution of 854x480. This doesn't look so bad. However I feel like it still looks fuzzy even at native resolution. So there must be an aggressive diffusion layer or something, because I could never get a crisp, clear image.

[PalmerTech]

Thank goodness, native res. Are you able to see the pixel grid? If not, then perhaps it does have a diffuser. I do not think Vuzix has used them before, would be a new choice for them.

[cybereality]

No, I don't see a grid. Everything just looks a bit soft. I don't have the VR920 anymore, but I remember running that at 640x480 and it looked nice and crisp. Its not like that with this new model.

[Synexious]

Cyber has now confirmed that, as I was already certain, this thing is total garbage. There is only one HMD worth getting - the HMZ-T1. It's a gamechanger.

[ancjob]

Cyber has now confirmed that, as I was already certain, this thing is total garbage. There is only one HMD worth getting - the HMZ-T1. It's a gamechanger.

yes - i second that ! even i was not too hopeful with wrap series....i can manage with headplay reflective HD like LCD than to settle for something which is USD600 worth of garbage....vuzix wrap series is a rip-off if cinemizer OLED will be out - it will better than vuzix anytime....

of course the king will be sony HMZ-T1 - i am ready to get it the moment it's out....in US / India

[3dvison]

So cybereality, when you got the 1200 set to 1280*720 in Windows was text readable at all ?

[WiredEarp]

Hate to say it, but Z800 seems to stilll be the king of the consumer VR goggles in terms of clarity and comfort. I think Vuzix have dropped the ball on this one a bit and will have to play catch up to Sony, although, really, the Sony price is prohibitive for many people. Still I feel us VR enthusiasts are going to be rewarded for our patience over the next few years. With such products as Sony's electronic binoculars (ok, maybe not the best example) and new SLR type cameras that use fully electronic instead of optical viewfinders, we are hopefully going to get an influx of cheap, small, high-res OLED and LCD displays.

[cybereality]

@Aphradonis: Now I wouldn't say the thing it total garbage. The headtracker is actually pretty good.

@3dvison: At 1280x720 text was really hard to read (almost impossible, but not quite). I mean, in a web-browser you can bump the font size up a few points. And that did allow me to browse YouTube with it and make a post on the Vuzix forums. So it can be done, its just not necessarily fun to do that. However in Windows itself, stuff was near unreadable, so trying to mess with settings was a no-go. At 800x600 it did look a lot easier, but then the aspect ratio was wrong (so you either stretch the image or lose a lot of screen). Hard to find a good compromise.

Also, I tried out the 1200VR with the Razer Hydra. It seems like they can work together (I didn't notice any interference). The only game I have working with headtracking is UT2004 so I tried that out. The Hydra does not have a profile for that (I would need to make one), but it did have mouse emulation. It was enough that I could sample what a full-freedom setup would be with the 1200VR. I was, of course, wired but I could turn 180 degrees in each direction. So I could just find a nice spot and look around. I had independent gun and head tracking, so the Hydra moved the gun only and the 1200VR moved head only. And it actually was pretty cool. Unfortunately the Hydra doesn't seem to track well when you are facing the other way (it gets reversed or something). And UT2004 is the only game I know which Vuzix supports this well. But it was an interesting experience.

[Synexious]

@Aphradonis: Now I wouldn't say the thing it total garbage. The headtracker is actually pretty good.

Lol, you have a much higher tolerance of low resolution and washed out colors in HMDs than I do, cyber XD

@3dvison: At 1280x720 text was really hard to read (almost impossible, but not quite). I mean, in a web-browser you can bump the font size up a few points. And that did allow me to browse YouTube with it and make a post on the Vuzix forums. So it can be done, its just not necessarily fun to do that. However in Windows itself, stuff was near unreadable, so trying to mess with settings was a no-go. At 800x600 it did look a lot easier, but then the aspect ratio was wrong (so you either stretch the image or lose a lot of screen). Hard to find a good compromise.

You can use the Accessibility panel to increase font size across the system.

Someone said the Z800 is still the best - how so? Certainly not in resolution, color, FOV (40° compared to 45°) or apparent screen size (105" at 12' compared to 150" at 12'), compatibility, or aesthetics. So, what, then? Just because its external box is a bit smaller than the Sony's?

[cybereality]

Lol, you have a much higher tolerance of low resolution and washed out colors in HMDs than I do, cyber XD

I don't think the resolution alone is the biggest factor in determining quality. For example, my Droid smartphone is "only" 800x480, technically lower resolution than the 1200VR. But my phone looks worlds better than this headset. Just in terms of the sharpness of the image, the quality of the colors, etc. Its not just about resolution. If this HMD looked as good as my phone I would be more than happy.

I think my main problem right now is that I wanted something for prototyping a VR simulation. For a controller I can use the Razer Hydra, or maybe the Wii motion plus (for a wireless setup). But I would have liked a decent HMD to use with this. The 1200VR seemed to be the only option, but the quality just doesn't seem to be there. Of course, I will be getting the HMZ-T1, but I am unsure how well that will work in a wireless setup. And I don't think it has a headtracker. Because the headtracker on the 1200VR is actually decent. And that is my main reason for wanting an HMD in the first place. Without the headtracker I could just use a 3D monitor and get better quality.

[3dvison]

Hi cybereality,
So from reading your post it seems you like the new 6dof headtracker alot.
Others did not talk much about it or maybe they only had the straight Wrap1200 with no tracvker.
How was the headtracker in HL2 ? I want to play that game in single player with a HMD & a headtracker, Crysis also.

[cybereality]

Well there is a software issue with HL2 (also L4D) where the headtracker doesn't work correctly. I mean, it still works, but it moves a microscopic amount. Other people on the Vuzix forums seem to have the same issue. Crysis did work, though (but now I remember you need to mod the game to get water and shadows to work right in 3D). It supports pitch and yaw (no roll). Most games are pitch and yaw only (mouse emulation). Only UT2004 and a few sims (like rFactor) support full headtracking with roll. The thing about the headtracking is thats its cool to just stand and look around the environment, but it doesn't really help you to play the game much. Using the mouse is just way more accurate and precise. So its hard to say how useful this will actually turn out to be in practice.

[3dvison]

Thanks cybereality,
I hope they fix the tracking in HL2.

[ancjob]

Well there is a software issue with HL2 (also L4D) where the headtracker doesn't work correctly. I mean, it still works, but it moves a microscopic amount. Other people on the Vuzix forums seem to have the same issue. Crysis did work, though (but now I remember you need to mod the game to get water and shadows to work right in 3D). It supports pitch and yaw (no roll). Most games are pitch and yaw only (mouse emulation). Only UT2004 and a few sims (like rFactor) support full headtracking with roll. The thing about the headtracking is thats its cool to just stand and look around the environment, but it doesn't really help you to play the game much. Using the mouse is just way more accurate and precise. So its hard to say how useful this will actually turn out to be in practice.

so cyber - compared with 920vr - is this better viz-a-viz color,sharpness,brightness,saturation,hue ,image adjustment and head tracking if you ignore fov ?

[cybereality]

so cyber - compared with 920vr - is this better viz-a-viz color,sharpness,brightness,saturation,hue ,image adjustment and head tracking if you ignore fov ?

I never tried the Wrap 920VR, but I did used to have the VR920. To be honest, the image quality is not much better than VR920 (if at all). The displays have a washed out sort of color, and adjusting the brightness and contrast only help so much. Even worse, is that the image just looks fuzzy to me all the time. I even remember the VR920 having a sharper picture. I have adjusted the diopter, and used my prescription glasses. It gets better or worse, but never seems to be crystal clear. The headtracking is actually pretty good, much better than on the VR920. Although it gets confused if you look straight up or straight down, for most other angles it is accurate. And there is also no jitter at all. Very smooth.

[WiredEarp]

I said Z800 is the best, but I was referring to the current crop of released HMD's. Wrap 920 might be better in terms of 3D support, but I think the Z800 is the clearest and most comfortable consumer HMD around ATM (and it works over glasses).

CyberReality, does UT2004 support separate head and gun movement out of the box? Or do you need to get a modified version or something like that?

If so, ARMA and ARMA2 are the only other games I know of that also support this.

I find my HMD most useful for simulators. Flight, racing, etc, its really handy for looking around, out windows, etc. Full 6DOF headtracking freedom also adds to the immersion quite a bit more than just 2DOF head tracking.

[ShawmK]

I have to confess the 1200 is really starting to grow on me.

When I first received it I was a bit underwhelmed (mostly because of the smaller lenses) but the more I live with it, the more I am coming to appreciate it. With the nose-piece removed it is possible to position the lenses so the entire image is sharp and clear (at least for me; everyone's eyes are different) and although it was initially a bit less comfortable, I have it adjusted now so it basically feels like I'm wearing a pair of swimming goggles (which I can live with).

The real revelation for me in the last few days has been the component connection. I've had to re-configure my system slightly to make the component ports available to use with the Vuzix, but the difference is dramatic. Even on the 854x480 screen, the image is much sharper and more detailed, and the contrast is significantly improved. Suddenly it is possible to make out details in skin tone that were not previously apparent. I've also just tested a few of the space sequences from Star Wars, and the star-field background is clear and distinct even with the brightness turned down to give better black levels. It would never be mistaken for an HD image, but it is also significantly better than many full-size televisions I have owned in my life.

I'm still very curious to see what Sony and Zeiss are going to produce, but - at this moment in time - I am actually enjoying the Wrap 1200.

[3dvison]

Good to hear ShawmK,

cybereality, the image does atleast look bigger than that of the VR920 correct ?

[ancjob]

I said Z800 is the best, but I was referring to the current crop of released HMD's. Wrap 920 might be better in terms of 3D support, but I think the Z800 is the clearest and most comfortable consumer HMD around ATM (and it works over glasses).

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

can you imagine a usd$1800 worth of stuff is NOT even 'plug'n'play' monitor.....even my headplay does better than that being 'generic plug'n'play monitor' [worth usd$400 then] when connected to my nettop [nvidia ion 2 GPU] - z800 frustrates me.....

so now the first thing i check whether the video glasses[read HMD] are 'generic plug'n'play monitor' for VGA connection rest of the talk later........learnt a lot from z800 fiasco

want another HMD desperately just becoz headplay screen sucks being reflective - hmd difficult to adjust so i guess i will try wrap1200VR.....anyway


cyber a question for you -

1)what's the native [default] resolution when you connect 1200VR to VGA port as 'main monitor' - is it 800x480 or 1280x768 ?

2)does it say 'generic plug'n'play monitor' in the display properties of monitor [vuzix] when it's conneted as standalone 'main' monitor ?

3)does the LCD have great viewing angles [horizontal & vertical] or do you get black spots when looking at the sides of the screen [happens with headplay] ?

[cybereality]

@3dvison: Yes, the image is definitely bigger than the VR920. Its still not huge, but better than previous Vuzix headsets. Especially compared to the Wrap 310, which I use the most often. To compare to a monitor, it is the same size as a 23" monitor viewed from 2 feet. However the virtual image can look bigger or smaller than that depending on your setup. For example, if I set normally in my desk (with my monitor still visible) then the image looks rather small. However if I turn so I am facing the long side of the room, then the image looks pretty big against the back wall. I also have the light-shield but I haven't used it much, because it makes it hard to play with the settings (IPD, diopter, etc.).

@ancjob: It seems to be a 'Generic Non-PnP monitor'. In the Nvidia panel its called an "Analog display". The so-called "native" resolution defaults to 1024x768. You can also set 800x600 or 1280x720 (the best option for gaming or video). I am trying to set custom resolutions right now. I can test it and get it to work with 854x480 or 640x480, but I can't seem to make Windows use those resolutions. They do work in games, though, so that is nice. The viewing angles on the LCDs are not perfect, but they are a lot better than with the Wrap 310. On the Wrap 310 a good 20-30% of one screen was so dark as to be unusable. On the 1200 there is some darkened effect, but it is uniform across the whole screen. And it can be helped by adjusting the IPD (although if you move it too far, then the screen gets cut off or is blurred).

Played a bit more of Crysis last night. Was able to fix the water by setting it to low, and I guess the shadow thing went away (maybe some of the other settings changed). So now it at least is supported well in 3D, and made better with the headtracking. I really liked the parts where I was driving a jeep, and I could move my head to look out the window. I still was not thrilled about the image quality, but the overall experience was something different than just playing in 3D. I am a little upset that I can't get tracking to work on L4D or HL2 yet. Gonna try on Windows 7 and see if that fixes it. I also want to get some racing games/sims and test that out. I did play GRID, however headtracking is not supported. I recall rFactor being really amazing to play when I got my VR920 (and was the game I always used to demo it to people). Hopefully I will get some other games to work good.

[ancjob]

on my win xp laptop - the headplay is detected however i have to set the resolution to 1024x768 manually as seconday / primary monitor , seems diff. OS interpret differently

cyber - plz try it on win 7 HP desktop if you have and check if it's detected as "generic plug'n'play' for nvidia on it ?

i am asking becoz i need this as "generic plug'n'play' main monitor for my nettop [Asrock ion 3d blu-ray with nvidia ion 2 GPU and win 7 HP]

the most frustating being that once headplay is detected as above - i have to take it off and then connect emagin z800 as z800 is generic non-plug'n'play] - hate emagin for that !

currently headplay is working like that and i want this to be replacing headplay if it's truly "generic plug'n'play' else headplay and asrock ion 3d are made-for-each-other i guess

i am keeping my hopes while i wait for your observation