PS3 3D Display - review

[lnrrgb]

First blush - Nice looking unit. Easy setup. Feels sturdy enough, but wobbly front to back, if you are hassling with cords, or nearby fluff. It is a very nice picture. No dead pixels. Speakers, maybe not so lucky. At first I thought the right side was blown a little. But I just think they can't handle much volume. I do not plan on using them, but have been, until everything gets settled.

So, biggest complaint, can't be used on any PS3 firmware below 3.70! Nowhere did I run across anyone pointing this out, not a website ad, nor forum post. Nowhere on the box, and only on the paperwork inside the box. This isn't a deal breaker at all, but CFW users are "likely" to be troubled by this. I can not say yet, whether FW spoofing will allieviate this, but I have my doubts - as that is generally geared toward PSN access, not direct hardware connections.

I tested just a few games on the PS3. At first, I was really let down. I fired up Ratchet/Clank All41, and it really looked washed out. I've been recently playing that on my 50" Samsung, and there was no comparison. That had me worried, till I fired up Super Stardust HD, and saw the exact reverse. I think I'll be playing this title specifically on the PS3 display, as it was gorgeous compared to my experience on the Samsung. I am very impressed with the image quality overall. I suspect the 720p restriction with PS3 games will crop up here and there, but I didn't really get it for PS3 gaming. Once I get it settled in, I will speak out about a few more PS3 titles, but for now, I am dealing with PC compatibility.

I run a triple boot rig, XP(32bit), W7(64bit), LMDB(Mint Debian64bit) for general usage. Right now it runs an ATI HD4850. I will likely pull that card, and replace with something Nvidia based sometime soon, just for testing purposes. So far I have been quite pleased with my results. IZ3D's driver works fairly well in SBS mode, in both XP and W7. I did have some typical confusion getting everything smoothed out, but that goes with the territory(and mostly resides in the Linux realm). But all in all, I have found the hardware to respond positively, and have not been completely thwarted in any specific area.

I have yet to hook up the Xbox360 yet either, and I have an old one, sans HDMI, so that should be interesting. I hope it will do 3D as well, but may not (it works on my Sammy).

As long as the hardware holds up, I will give a thumbs up. The 16x9 desktop ratio is a bit different, but that is just me. One other complaint(?) I might have, is that there is definitely a sweet spot of sorts. Not for 3D, but for the image itself. I have to sit back at least 24", or my eyes notice a strange glare creeping in from the edges. Much like when sitting off angle on some older LED TV's. My vocabulary just can't describe it well, but it's typical of many screens. It does have the standard complaint that most have been giving, the glossy reflections. That is easly handled though.

I like it, and I expect to like it more, once I try more games with it. I was worried that it would not compare to some other monitors I've seen recently, but it does - at much less than 1/2 the cost. I'd watch the prices on this come holiday sale times (BF).

Sorry I didn't cover much, I will later. I just wanted to post something, my thumbs up I guess. Ghosting is there, but much less noticeable than my IZ3D. Ummmmm what else???? Any questions?

[cybereality]

Awesome thanks.

I think you will need a newer AMD card (or Nvidia) if you want to take advantage of HDMI 1.4a, but I guess you already know that.

[xhonzi]

I'm about to buy one of these for use as a 3D PC monitor, 3D Xbox/PS3 use and 3D BD watching. It uses the same glasses as my Epson 3010 PJ, so that's a bonus.

I know about the quality control issues. Any other reason I shouldn't pick one of these up?

[lnrrgb]

Cost would be the only limiting factor IMO, as in, don't shell out much, if you can avoid it. Not that they are not worth it, only that I've seen them down around 150$ US. So don't get taken, as I am sure that price will show up again, or even lower. My Samsung plasma glasses work with it, and visa versa, so that was a bonus. If you get one, and happen to have the right kind of universal Remote (as I lucked out again with), you will appreciate having one. The placement of the control buttons is rather poorly designed, but some remotes can trigger the right codes. I like mine.

[xhonzi]

I'm picking one up for $125, so cost is relatively low. Thanks for the 2nd opinion.