GRilli 3D film for iPod Touch
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:52 pm
First off, I apologize if this is in the wrong forum - it's the closest match I could find for this specific thread, considering it's a 3D display!
Anyway, I've noticed that I can't seem to find any substantial user feedback whatsoever on the net about the GRilli screen overlay for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. Every article I've come across about the GRilli is just speaking about its release, sans any personal user experiences. So, I've decided to write up a quick review as mine just arrived in the mail yesterday!
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The device I tested the Grilli overlay on is a 1st generation iPod Touch (seeing as how they don't currently support 4th gen devices). The GRilli is just a thin, plastic film you stick ontop of your iPod screen. It operates in the same manner as lenticular and parallax barrier methods operate - separating the onscreen image so that each eye sees a different image, essentially creating the 3D depth effect. It works in a vertically interlaced method, so each column of pixels is seen by just one eye alone. The film is shaped to reflect the physical design of the iPod, with a semicircular notch in the film indicating where the home button is. The user is instructed to download the calibration image from the main GRilli website and, within a few short steps, align the GRilli on the iTouch screen. Overall, setup is relatively quick and easy, and if you stick the film on incorrectly, you can simply peel it off and try again (but don't worry, it's not that difficult). Be very wary though - the sticky side of the film attracts particles and dust and debris like a super magnet. I worked in a clean environment with clean hands, as instructed by the included GRilli sheet, and still found random bits of dust and such clinging to the screen. They warn about this, but also reassure that the GRilli can be easily cleaned with water. Along with the calibration image, GRilli's website also contains a few sample images developed specifically for the iTouch (or Ipad/iPhone) and GRilli overlay to get you up and running.
The iPod's touch screen input functions normally with the GRilli overlay attached (thank goodness!), so you won't need to worry about peeling it off whenever you want to use the screen or switch to the next photo. When not viewing 3D content, the screen is still viewable for normal 2D applications with the overlay on, but of course as expected, the screen appears interlaced, and subsequently, a tad darker. This means you can keep your GRilli permanently attached if you really so desire (and aren't bothered by the minor physical alterations).
Of course, one of the most important factors of any 3D display is how well it performs and its capabilities of oresenting a strong sense of depth and space. I'm not going to lie - I did notice a 3D effect with the GRilli installed on my iTouch, but unfortunately, it was very minimal. Yeah, that cog is on a plane in front of that snowman, with the text hiding slightly further back, but none of this is really noticeable unless you take a second and really study the image. With other 3D displays I've tested, the sense of depth was quite powerful and extended deep into the display, with some objects even reaching out slightly, but the GRilli seems to have a terribly shallow field of depth. An object at the very front of the picture seems to be just a breath away from an object standing far off in the distance, which means unless you take two extremes, everything will more or less appear located on a single plane. I tested various photos and all yielded similar results. The few people I demonstrated the display to all had a similar look on their faces, kind of like a "Wait, that's in 3D? Oh yeah, I guess I kind of do see it now that I look closely... sorta"
After constructing a sample image for testing purposes, I realized what one of the major hindrances to the GRilli's 3D effect is - an unacceptable amount of ghosting. I drew a single vertical red line on a blank, white background, wide enough (just one pixel!) so that it should be visible to one eye and not the other, considering the GRilli overlay works via an interlaced method. My left eye could see the red line perfectly clear, and in a perfect world with a perfect 3D setup, the red line should've been completely invisible to my right eye. Unfortunately, such was not the case. I could still see the red line with my right eye as well, but just not as strong. A bit translucent, perhaps 50%, meaning that the film does work at separating the signal... just not as well as one would have hoped. According to GRilli3D's website, the GRilli features 100% signal separation, provided you're in an appropriate viewing distance and angle they refer to as 'pools'. In my experience, I couldn't come close to that percentage; the right eye would always see a fair amount of what was intended strictly for the left eye and the left eye alone, ultimately diminishing the 3D effect.
The other setback is finding appropriate content compatible with the GRilli. 3D content is still in its premature stages, so finding a satisfying library of 3D media can be a bit of a challenge. Of course, you're always given the option of creating your own, provided you own a Finepix W3 (or other 3D cameras) or can handle the take-a-picture-move-camera-slightly-take-another-picture method. Even if you've got your 3D photos and videos all ready to go, there's still going to be a considerable amount of prep work involved before you can get your popping masterpiece converted and downsized to the GRilli iTouch screen. You'll have to prepare the image to match the iTouch's resolution (480 x 320) and convert it to an interlaced 3D format before downloading it to the iTouch. This process can be simplified slightly with software such as Stereo PhotoMaker (and Stereo VideoMaker), and the GRilli3D website gives a quick and dirty tutorial on creating 3D content with Photoshop. Unfortunately, having to go through a somewhat lengthy process just to view your 3D photo might be enough to deter the average 3D consumer. It doesn't help any that GRilli3D hasn't yet released any software capable of scaling the images appropriately and converting it into an interlaced image yet with the click of button, but we can always hope something like this is on the horizon.
I'm a proud owner of a Fujifilm Finepix W3 camera and some other 3D capable displays, like an iZ3D monitor. The depth on the W3 is pretty incredible, but using that as a direct comparison to the GRilli wouldn't be quite fair, considering the W3 lands in around the $400 plane while the GRilli is a measly fifteen bucks. Ever heard the saying "You get what you pay for"? It couldn't be any more truthful in this situation.
FINAL SCORE: 3/10
With 3D on the rise, it's no surprise that more and more companies are rolling out 3D enabled devices and accessories. The GRilli overlay does work, but not as well as one would expect. The depth is nearly nonexistant, and finding/converting content with the exact format requirements can be daunting task. Having to install the screen every time you want to view 3D content isn't necessarily all that offputting, considering it takes under 30 seconds to ensure it's aligned correctly. Still, if you have trouble lining it up on the first couple tries, it could easily turn into a frustrating venture. If you'd like to witness a bare bones, extremely minimal 3D effect, go ahead and purchase this, it's only $14.99. Otherwise, I'd recommend passing it up and waiting for something better to roll out (SpatialView's 3DeeSlide, anyone try that thing yet?)
*NOTE: I e-mailed the customer support at GRilli3D asking them for any additional assistance or advice in ensuring a more impressive 3D experience with the GRilli film overlay. I'm currently awaiting their response, so if anything changes for the better, or if there was some user error on my part, then I'll gladly reconsider and rewrite this review. In fact, I do hope they can prove me wrong and provide me with a more satisfactory 3D experience.
Anyway, I've noticed that I can't seem to find any substantial user feedback whatsoever on the net about the GRilli screen overlay for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. Every article I've come across about the GRilli is just speaking about its release, sans any personal user experiences. So, I've decided to write up a quick review as mine just arrived in the mail yesterday!
-------
The device I tested the Grilli overlay on is a 1st generation iPod Touch (seeing as how they don't currently support 4th gen devices). The GRilli is just a thin, plastic film you stick ontop of your iPod screen. It operates in the same manner as lenticular and parallax barrier methods operate - separating the onscreen image so that each eye sees a different image, essentially creating the 3D depth effect. It works in a vertically interlaced method, so each column of pixels is seen by just one eye alone. The film is shaped to reflect the physical design of the iPod, with a semicircular notch in the film indicating where the home button is. The user is instructed to download the calibration image from the main GRilli website and, within a few short steps, align the GRilli on the iTouch screen. Overall, setup is relatively quick and easy, and if you stick the film on incorrectly, you can simply peel it off and try again (but don't worry, it's not that difficult). Be very wary though - the sticky side of the film attracts particles and dust and debris like a super magnet. I worked in a clean environment with clean hands, as instructed by the included GRilli sheet, and still found random bits of dust and such clinging to the screen. They warn about this, but also reassure that the GRilli can be easily cleaned with water. Along with the calibration image, GRilli's website also contains a few sample images developed specifically for the iTouch (or Ipad/iPhone) and GRilli overlay to get you up and running.
The iPod's touch screen input functions normally with the GRilli overlay attached (thank goodness!), so you won't need to worry about peeling it off whenever you want to use the screen or switch to the next photo. When not viewing 3D content, the screen is still viewable for normal 2D applications with the overlay on, but of course as expected, the screen appears interlaced, and subsequently, a tad darker. This means you can keep your GRilli permanently attached if you really so desire (and aren't bothered by the minor physical alterations).
Of course, one of the most important factors of any 3D display is how well it performs and its capabilities of oresenting a strong sense of depth and space. I'm not going to lie - I did notice a 3D effect with the GRilli installed on my iTouch, but unfortunately, it was very minimal. Yeah, that cog is on a plane in front of that snowman, with the text hiding slightly further back, but none of this is really noticeable unless you take a second and really study the image. With other 3D displays I've tested, the sense of depth was quite powerful and extended deep into the display, with some objects even reaching out slightly, but the GRilli seems to have a terribly shallow field of depth. An object at the very front of the picture seems to be just a breath away from an object standing far off in the distance, which means unless you take two extremes, everything will more or less appear located on a single plane. I tested various photos and all yielded similar results. The few people I demonstrated the display to all had a similar look on their faces, kind of like a "Wait, that's in 3D? Oh yeah, I guess I kind of do see it now that I look closely... sorta"
After constructing a sample image for testing purposes, I realized what one of the major hindrances to the GRilli's 3D effect is - an unacceptable amount of ghosting. I drew a single vertical red line on a blank, white background, wide enough (just one pixel!) so that it should be visible to one eye and not the other, considering the GRilli overlay works via an interlaced method. My left eye could see the red line perfectly clear, and in a perfect world with a perfect 3D setup, the red line should've been completely invisible to my right eye. Unfortunately, such was not the case. I could still see the red line with my right eye as well, but just not as strong. A bit translucent, perhaps 50%, meaning that the film does work at separating the signal... just not as well as one would have hoped. According to GRilli3D's website, the GRilli features 100% signal separation, provided you're in an appropriate viewing distance and angle they refer to as 'pools'. In my experience, I couldn't come close to that percentage; the right eye would always see a fair amount of what was intended strictly for the left eye and the left eye alone, ultimately diminishing the 3D effect.
The other setback is finding appropriate content compatible with the GRilli. 3D content is still in its premature stages, so finding a satisfying library of 3D media can be a bit of a challenge. Of course, you're always given the option of creating your own, provided you own a Finepix W3 (or other 3D cameras) or can handle the take-a-picture-move-camera-slightly-take-another-picture method. Even if you've got your 3D photos and videos all ready to go, there's still going to be a considerable amount of prep work involved before you can get your popping masterpiece converted and downsized to the GRilli iTouch screen. You'll have to prepare the image to match the iTouch's resolution (480 x 320) and convert it to an interlaced 3D format before downloading it to the iTouch. This process can be simplified slightly with software such as Stereo PhotoMaker (and Stereo VideoMaker), and the GRilli3D website gives a quick and dirty tutorial on creating 3D content with Photoshop. Unfortunately, having to go through a somewhat lengthy process just to view your 3D photo might be enough to deter the average 3D consumer. It doesn't help any that GRilli3D hasn't yet released any software capable of scaling the images appropriately and converting it into an interlaced image yet with the click of button, but we can always hope something like this is on the horizon.
I'm a proud owner of a Fujifilm Finepix W3 camera and some other 3D capable displays, like an iZ3D monitor. The depth on the W3 is pretty incredible, but using that as a direct comparison to the GRilli wouldn't be quite fair, considering the W3 lands in around the $400 plane while the GRilli is a measly fifteen bucks. Ever heard the saying "You get what you pay for"? It couldn't be any more truthful in this situation.
FINAL SCORE: 3/10
With 3D on the rise, it's no surprise that more and more companies are rolling out 3D enabled devices and accessories. The GRilli overlay does work, but not as well as one would expect. The depth is nearly nonexistant, and finding/converting content with the exact format requirements can be daunting task. Having to install the screen every time you want to view 3D content isn't necessarily all that offputting, considering it takes under 30 seconds to ensure it's aligned correctly. Still, if you have trouble lining it up on the first couple tries, it could easily turn into a frustrating venture. If you'd like to witness a bare bones, extremely minimal 3D effect, go ahead and purchase this, it's only $14.99. Otherwise, I'd recommend passing it up and waiting for something better to roll out (SpatialView's 3DeeSlide, anyone try that thing yet?)
*NOTE: I e-mailed the customer support at GRilli3D asking them for any additional assistance or advice in ensuring a more impressive 3D experience with the GRilli film overlay. I'm currently awaiting their response, so if anything changes for the better, or if there was some user error on my part, then I'll gladly reconsider and rewrite this review. In fact, I do hope they can prove me wrong and provide me with a more satisfactory 3D experience.