Sony's Head-Mounted Personal 3D Viewer

[whitetop]

Most home theaters probably consist of a decently sized HDTV, set-top box, and a DVD player. Perhaps you’ve got a PlayStation 3 or a dedicated Blu-Ray player, if you’re bold. 3D is not quite there yet, but it’s slowly making its transition from the big screen to the living room. Sony is gearing up to enhance the home theater experience with the HMZ-T1, a head-mounted 3D display.

The device is a futuristic headpiece that looks akin to Cyclops’ visor without the eye-blasts. Two 0.7-inch 1280×720 OLED panels sit in front of the eyes. According to the press release, the HMZ-T1 has separate panels for each eye that “deliver independent HD quality” which makes 3D possible. The headset also achieves a 45 degree viewing angle through an optical lens that significantly reduces aberration and distortion. The HMZ-T1 has integrated 5.1 surround-sound headphones to provide theater-like acoustics. The viewer has the experience of viewing a 750 inch screen from about 20 meters away.

The technology is impressive for its size. The HMZ-T1 requires a processor unit that it must remain plugged into in order for it to work. Taking off the headset will turn off the display, and the viewer can continue to watch content on the television. The HMZ-T1 will also work for 2D entertainment.

The headset made its debut at CES 2011 and will become available in Japan on November 11. The likely price point is around 60,000 yen which is a bank-unfriendly $783. There’s no word of a US release yet.

I can only imagine the experience of walking into a living room and seeing a family decked out in these headsets. The HMZ-T1 seems like a thing of the future. Sony seems ready to bring 3D into the home despite a recent study that found 3D doesn’t necessarily enhance the experience. Rather, it triples the likelihood of headaches, but perhaps Sony’s contraption can buck that trend.

I’m not sure if I’d want a device hugging my skull when I settle down to watch Star Wars, but I can’t speak to the comfort level of the HMZ-T1. Sony’s done well in the home theater department. The HMZ-T1 could be the next best thing, but yen or not, my wallet isn’t quite ready.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd5ExrLqt6A


for more info go to sony.japan

[crazy-modder]

Thats cool, reminds me of the good old days

[PsychoticWolf]

I really Like this idea. We are one step closer to True Virtual Internet. Think about it! AM AS a real Meeting spot! or Games that make you feel like your in it. We just need Some kind of gloves or a controller to aid in walking/action buttons. as moving your head would move the screen. LOL I AM SO HAPPY CAUSE I HAVE IDEAS FOR THIS DEVICE!

Thats cool, reminds me of the good old days

I never had the headphones thing with mine. I missed out when I was younger.