Look Like La Forge with HMZ-T1 3D Viewers from Sony

Oct 12 2011

Look Like La Forge with HMZ-T1 3D Viewers from Sony

Posted by scooter in Electronics

Even those most unfamiliar and uninspired by Star Trek: The Next Generation will still get the reference to character Geordi La Forge if a friend props a plastic handband over the eyes. An even more realistic albeit frumpier way to impersonate the Chief Engineer of the U.S.S. Enterprise would be to put on the HMZ-T1 3D Viewers from Sony. The revolutionary gadget showcased at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show back in January is due to hit Japanese store shelves in early November. Whether or not the device’s release will be expanded to further countries and continents will depend on how well the big screen experience is imitated by the 3D Viewers.
Indeed, that’s exactly what Sony is touting as this new technology’s selling point. The two 0.7-inch organic light-emitting diodes with 1280×720 resolution placed in front of both eyes are meant to simulate the experience of viewing a whopping 150-inch screen from roughly 12 feet away. In order to have an adequate focus, a viewer will have to adjust an eye distance dial located in between the eye ports toward the rubber face rests. If Sony is smart, they’ll make sure to add a third shift of technical support services in the weeks following the release of the HMZ-T1 3D.
The audio is, accordingly to Sony, surround sound quality. But the market-ready version features foam-covered headphones that are barely encased by the headset itself. Reviewers have said the audio is decent and that outside noises are hardly heard when the device is operating. However when it comes to simulating the theater experience, audio is often the most underrated aspect, and designers easily fall prey to this flaw. It would be nice to have seen a little more work gone into the audio end of the 3D viewers.
The 3D Viewers come with the required processor unit that the head-mounted display must remain connected to in order for the 3D experience to occur. Confusion sets in when you wonder what exactly you’re going to be watching – Blu-rays, television, DVDs? How well will one of these look compared to another, and which format is the device optimized for? The processing unit includes an HDMI hookup, allowing you to put the goggles down to watch your media normally, but that still doesn’t solve the issue regarding proper format.
Previous prototypes that only featured the form and not the function included a glowing blue line running hormonally across the front of the otherwise white headset. Now it seems that has been reduced to a small “on” light centered on the front plate, which we count as an improvement.
But as far as the true theater-going experience goes, we won’t know till Japanese consumers first get their hands on the 60,000 yen gadget ($799.99 USD.) Until then, stick to the headbands when jonesing to be like Geordi.