Meant to be Seen

Hello everyone.

I've been up and down the net looking for HMD's. Head Mounted Displays, coupled with head tracking is awesome, no doubt but its such a relatively unknown market that finding out what product would be best.

Current I'm considering buying the Vuzix wrap 1200VR, I've read reviews and specifications but I haven't been able to find any good Video review that offers up useful information.

I do wear prescription classes, so I know the 1200VR will do me good in that aspect along with its head-tracking, but are there any affordable alternatives within the same price range as the 1200VR?

My target use for the HMD is gaming, shooters like Battlefield 3 to Microsoft flight Simulation.

I wrote a review for the 1200VR here:
http://www.mtbs3d.com/index.php?option= ... &Itemid=77

The Vuzix does have some nice features: headtracking, comfortable to wear, etc. However the picture quality is sub-par. You can see some images and video I took in the review to judge for yourself. The Sony HMZ-T1 has a much better looking picture, higher resolution (720P), larger image, crisp, nice colors, etc. The Sony is just a tad uncomfortable to wear, but its bearable. The HMZ also doesn't include a head-tracking. Overall the Sony is a lot better though.

There is also the ST1080, which will come out next month. It is a 1080P headset, and should be more comfortable than the Sony. However, it also does not have a tracker. Its an option, though, we shall see how good it is.

Cool that was helpful. The recorded view into the 1200VR was helpful as well. I do however have to wonder at the camera you used.
I mean, with watching a recording of a screen, something just has to give in terms of quality.


I've taken note of the image from crysis: linky to relevant image
Now the energy and health counter there are totally blurred, is that due to the camera or do you see it like that when you wear the 1200VR?

Well you do lose some quality when taking a picture of the screen, but that should give you an idea of what to expect. The 1200VR just has a soft image (for me) no matter what I did. Down-scaling a 720P image to WVGA is going to cause some blurriness, but even at native res it wasn't great. I mean, its good enough that you can see what is happening in the game, just not that great overall. Reading text on Windows was very difficult, and not really a fun experience. Really wish that Vuzix could have provided a better product, but the 1200VR just fell short. About the only quality aspect of it is the head-tracker, which is really nice. But that alone can't save this product. That is not to say it does not have its uses. You may need an all-in-one kit, and don't have the time/money/skills to DIY a head-tracker and write software for it, setup a portable battery, wireless video, etc. But otherwise you should look at the Sony or wait for the ST1080.

I have used the HMZ-T1 and the ST1080, and I suggest waiting for the ST1080. The quality is in another class compared to Vuzix products, and it is lightweight and comfortable. As far as corrective lenses, I suggest going to a local glasses shop and getting some really cheap prescription glasses, then affixing those to the HMD (My local place is only $20 a pair, and they cut the lenses to the size I wanted, too!). You save weight, add comfort, and never have to worry about adjustments!

So head tracking aside (I can jury rig my TrackIR no problem for that issue even if it isn't a true 360.) I have read some reviews of the Sony, however I've many a times heard that its clunky, heavy and not all that comfortable, is this a product flaw or people not properly fitting it to their heads?

Also I'm a little confused by the following Statement from PalmerTech:

PalmerTech wrote:I have used the HMZ-T1 and the ST1080, and I suggest waiting for the ST1080.

I'm pretty sure that my English isn't failing me and that the quoted phrase contradicts itself. Unless of course you mean something else which is lost to my understanding.

And before anyone asks: I am dutch and not native to this language.

Hahah, sorry, the phrase does seem a bit odd. The ST1080 has not been released yet, but I used a prototype model at CES several months ago. I have now pre-ordered one, they supposedly ship next month.

Alright, thanks for clarifying.

Well I've looked around the net some more for the HMZ-T1 and the ST1080. not much clarification as to the weight/comfort issues of the HMZ-T1. As far as I'm concerned the Vuzix Wrap 1200VR is out of the question. Another funny thing I found out just now is that the HMZ-T1 goes for about 800 USD, in my local currency its 800 euro's (1,044.12 USD). Think I'll do the smart thing and wait for the ST1080.

the problems I'm reading related to the HMZ-T1 just don't make it attractive for its price tag.

tommygunner70 wrote:Alright, thanks for clarifying.

Well I've looked around the net some more for the HMZ-T1 and the ST1080. not much clarification as to the weight/comfort issues of the HMZ-T1. As far as I'm concerned the Vuzix Wrap 1200VR is out of the question. Another funny thing I found out just now is that the HMZ-T1 goes for about 800 USD, in my local currency its 800 euro's (1,044.12 USD). Think I'll do the smart thing and wait for the ST1080.

the problems I'm reading related to the HMZ-T1 just don't make it attractive for its price tag.

You cant use the HMZ out of the box for more then 15 minutes before you want to rip your head of from pain. But the OLED do deliver a sweet image quality. I have a hard time believing the LCOS displays (ST1080) will deliver as nice quality. If you're up to modding a 1000 dollar HMD the HMZ is a great product.

CyberVillain wrote:You cant use the HMZ out of the box for more then 15 minutes before you want to rip your head of from pain. But the OLED do deliver a sweet image quality. I have a hard time believing the LCOS displays (ST1080) will deliver as nice quality. If you're up to modding a 1000 dollar HMD the HMZ is a great product.

Seeing as I game a near 24/7, or at least as long as I am awake and not working or eating, and with my desire to use the HMD as a replacement for the regular monitor, I'll get myself the ST1080.

Assuming the ST1080 pans out as we expect it to, I don't see how Vuzix can maintain the Wrap 1200 price point. The ST1080 competes for the exact same market and destroys the Vuzix in every way (except aesthetics possibly). I think they will have to drop the Wrap 1200 down to $400 (or even $300) to justify its existence. Users in this forum will scoff, but I think there is probably still a valid niche for the 1200VR at $400 simply because of the head-tracker. If SMD ever includes a head-tracker option though, Vuzix will become completely irrelevant.

I can use the HMZ-T1 for about an hour before I have to take it off. Not bad for a gaming session, but I don't think I'd want to watch the whole thing of Avatar on it.

Do you have a focus issue that you can't watch for more than an hour? I had no problem sitting through a movie or gaming for 3 hours straight.

Sounds like the HMZ-T1 is sitting on the bridge of cybereality's nose.

Unfortuneatly this is why I had decided to sell my HMZ (even though it was modded with the welding helmet comfort mod). For a movie experience (which it was intended for) I founf the HMZ is amzing. I just found it personally not idea for what I wanted in a VR hmd... I know that I will regret selling it down the road, however I was to the point of either modding it into a ski google setup or sell it... ended up selling it as I had an offer from a buyer that I could not resist (got to play and fiddle with it for several months and still made $$

The st1080 is looking more and more interesting to me...

tommygunner70 wrote:Sounds like the HMZ-T1 is sitting on the bridge of cybereality's nose.

Yeah. I actually have a dark mark on the bridge of my nose that almost seems permanent. No joke.

cybereality wrote:

tommygunner70 wrote:Sounds like the HMZ-T1 is sitting on the bridge of cybereality's nose.

Yeah. I actually have a dark mark on the bridge of my nose that almost seems permanent. No joke.

Skigoggles mod dude

cybereality wrote:

tommygunner70 wrote:Sounds like the HMZ-T1 is sitting on the bridge of cybereality's nose.

Yeah. I actually have a dark mark on the bridge of my nose that almost seems permanent. No joke.

Guessed as much, the nose isn't meant to carry loads of any kind. Being one who wears prescription glasses; I once had a plastic glass frame that didn't have those little padded legs and just sit on top of your nose. the whole day it I was constantly reminded of that thing being there. and that was a minuscule load, I don't even want to imagine what it would be like with the HMZ-1T

Vuzix got it right in the WRAP by adding those support legs, and from what I'm seeing the ST1080 are doing the same, dunno why a more mainstream company like Sony failed at that.(lack of people wearing glasses in the R&D department?) have you ever thought of modding your HMZ-T1? like taking an old glass frame and fixing the nose support to it?