Mobile Technology

Sony's US$780 'Personal 3D Viewer' Head Mounted Display to go on sale in November

Sony's US$780 'Personal 3D Viewer' Head Mounted Display to go on sale in November
Gizmag's Kate Seamer tries Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Gizmag's Kate Seamer tries Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
View 11 Images
Gizmag's Kate Seamer tries Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
1/11
Gizmag's Kate Seamer tries Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
2/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
3/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announces the new HMZ-T1
4/11
Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announces the new HMZ-T1
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
5/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
6/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
7/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
8/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
9/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
10/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
11/11
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
View gallery - 11 images

Sony has been quick to commercialize the prototype 'Personal 3D Viewer' HMD (Head Mounted Display) we first saw at CES earlier this year, announcing a much-changed version at IFA in Berlin a few hours ago which will be known as the HMZ-T1.

Like most Sony product, the new HMZ-T1 will attract premium pricing, landing in stores in time for Christmas with a price tag in the vicinity of US$780. That's still a lot cheaper than a Bravia though, and the twin hi-def (1280 x 720) 0.7-inch OLED screens simulate a real 750-inch movie theater screen at a viewing distance of 20 meters.

Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer

The advantage of the OLED technology is that it has very fast (0.01 millisecond) response times, rendering smooth life-like video of the fast-moving imagery encountered in gaming and watching sport.

Gizmag's Tim Hanlon and Kate Seamer both tried the new units, and came away with mixed opinions - though both are interested to spend more time with a set once they hit retail, as the demonstration units were missing the straps to keep them locked in place.

"The video was crisp and high quality, but the goggles were too heavy", said Kate. "Sony's choice of demo footage (a filmclip with barely any depth to it) was bizarre. I don't know what they were thinking.", said Tim. "Below the goggles I could see in front of me, which destroyed the immersion."

Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer

The strengths of the unit are that with two separate screens, there's a much better 3D experience because you have one screen for each eye, and with a 5.1 surround sound system built-in, you get a much better audio experience.

Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announces the new HMZ-T1
Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer announces the new HMZ-T1

The headset includes a processor unit to connect to Blu-ray™ Disc, Playstation®3 and other devices, and the audio experience can be switched between four different surround modes - standard, cinema, game and music.

Sony uses a colour separation technology to overlay a colour filter on top of the base white organic layer, delivering a broader range of colours and brighter, smoother pictures

Availability and detailed pricing in markets other than Japan has not yet been released.

Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer
Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer

View gallery - 11 images
4 comments
4 comments
Ben Jones
One essential feature will be PIP connected to video inut of choice (then sell optional bluetooth camera that you can place anywhere in the room)
kalqlate
I\'ve seen this info making its way around the tech journal circuit over the last several days. It kills me that they all report 750 inches at 20 meters rather than the more meaningful and real 75 inches at 2 meters. Hmm. Or maybe it truly is that the optics and their positioning make it appear as a 750 inch screen from 20 meters. That would certainly make for less eye-strain and longer, more comfortable viewing.
I\'ve been waiting for something like this for over FIVE years. Next stop... 1080p.
James Ng
sony gets ready for neck-injury related law suits of this thing.
Charles Bosse
If they are smart, they\'ll tuck an accelerometor and compass in these things. How will they keep these from going the way of every other virtual headset though? The price sure isn\'t right, and if they don\'t do something impressive the Sony brand can only take them so far. Also, any idea on the battery life? A few hours is fine for a movie, but it isn\'t much for a game, which is likely the primary market for these.