Wrap 920 with Flight Simulator Newbie alert!

[bluepilot76]

Hi 3D gurus!
About 3 hours ago I hadnt thought much about this whole 3D glasses other than wishing someone would hurry up and invent something. Then I decided somebody MUST have invented it by now and had a better search. Now I am here, and have just placed an order for a Wrap920, refurbished. I know they are bringing out a new model soon but I thought it might be a good idea to get a cheap one and decide from there whether I wanted to get the new model which Im sure is going to cost a lot. Anyway, I needed to try this virtual Reality NOW.

I am going to be using >
TrackIR5
ASUS G73JW gaming laptop that has a nvidia GTX460m 1.5GB graphics card.
A flight simulator; DCS A10C, Rise of Flight or FSX.

My question is, when my new present to myself arrives...WHat do I have to do? is it just a case of plugging into the VGA port and hey presto? Can I get proper 3D with my setup??

My GF already thinks I look like a complete plonker swivelling my head around with the TrackIR on. I guess I am going to be even more of a laughing stock from now on, but I dont care!

If anybody can give me ssome pointers that would be great!

[cybereality]

Yeah, that should work. Just keep in mind that the Vuzix stereo driver can be difficult to use at times. Sometimes it will work out-of-box, but a lot of times you have to manually copy files over to patch the game. Other times it won't work. I believe the Wrap920 also supports side-by-side mode for stereo 3D, so you can also use the iz3D or DDD drivers to get the 3D effect. Either one of those should work fine. The only thing, some of those flight sims are really old and won't work in 3D. They need to be DirectX9 or higher, in order to work (preferably DirectX9). OpenGL games usually don't work and neither do DirectX8 or older games. Hope that helps.

[bluepilot76]

Thanks Cybereality!
I hope it works straight out of the box because I am rubbish at having to manually edit programs, I find it quite stressful getting involved in the workings!

I found a supported game list on the Vuzix website and FSX is on there, not Rise of Flight or DCS A10C though. However these are both Direct X9 I am sure, both quite new and still being updated.

If they are not supported in stereoscopic 3D, Can I still use the glasses just as normal viewers? It is more important that I am "In" the game than the actuial 3D effect. Although maybe I will change my mind when I see how good the 3D effect is! Cant wait to try them!

[ShawmK]

Silly question, perhaps, but are you getting the VGA adaptor for the Wrap 920? The basic package only comes with an AV connector, so you may need to order the VGA adaptor separately.

Once connected to the VGA port the glasses can be used like any external monitor, so you can view anything in 2D with no trouble, although you will probably find the resolution a bit low - especially with text.

[bluepilot76]

Hi Shawmk
Its a good question! I did order it without the adapter, then did a bit more research and realised I needed the adapter as well, so was able to amend my order. Thats good news about the 2D viewing as thats what I was hoping. If the res is too bad at least it will give me a benchmark before paying a lot more for whatever the latest models are that come out. I paid £150 for the reconditioned pair, although with the adapter and postage bringing it over £200 it doesnt seem so cheap anymore!

[ShawmK]

£200 is still a good bargain for the 920 plus VGA adaptor; it's almost £150 off the regular price - well done!

The VGA adaptor is supposed to be compatible with the forthcoming 1200 model as well, so if you ever decide to get the new model, you won't have to pay for a new VGA connector.

Also, if you have Sky TV, you can use these glasses to watch the Sky 3D channel! They use the same 3D format (although not in high definition) and they're a whole lot cheaper than a new 3D television set. There's also something wonderfully futuristic about watching broadcast 3D television on a wearable display...

Good luck - I hope you enjoy it!

[bluepilot76]

Ah great! v pleased about that...its a good idea to buy these refurbished things actually, our iMac was from the refurbished section and was a massive discount and happened ot have been massively over specced by the original customer, and of course still works perfectly 3 years later!

Unfortunately no Sky TV for us, we are still in the dark ages, well Freeview anyway. Im sure I will find some internet TV content or 3D films to watch though. A shame GF will be stuck with the old TV screen, but at least she wont look silly!

How do I use the iphone/ipad connection? I was told that came with the unit, but cant see anything over than Aux jack on the website. Its not just for headphone use is it?

I cant wait for this technology to catch up. It seems crazy that full vision/full res viewing is not possible yet. That, with 3D would just be SO Good for flight simulation!

[ShawmK]

I've never tried plugging the Vuzix into an iPhone (I don't actually own one) so I'm not sure how well it works; perhaps someone here knows more about that? I'm not sure it works with the iPad, though - it needs either VGA or composite video.

There are several head-mounted displays out there with very high resolution, but most of them cost tens of thousands of pounds at the moment. Have a look at these:

http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/products.php?CatID_=8

I would love to have a few of these, but they're not for consumers (yet)!

This weekend the BBC is screening the Wimbledon finals in 3D on their HD channel; it's their first ever foray into 3D. From what I've read, they're being very cautious about spending too much licence-fee money on a technology that most people in the country can't watch yet. By that logic, however, they would never have invested in colour, or stereo sound, or HD. We shall see what the response is to their broadcast this weekend...

[cybereality]

I thought all the Wrap models came with the iPod connector. At the my Wrap 310 did. I actually use it on a daily basis to watch anime while I ride my exercise bike. Totally makes me feel like I live in the future. The resolution is low, though, and not that great for navigating around Windows, web browsing, etc. But for just videos or games it looks OK. £200 is not a bad price really. And if you don't like it, I'm sure you could get just as much on eBay.