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Sony's latest head-mounted video viewer to hit Europe in November

Sony's latest head-mounted video viewer to hit Europe in November
Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
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Sony's HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
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Sony's HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
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Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
There's an adjustable cushioned head pad to help give some relief from the pressure against your noggin
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There's an adjustable cushioned head pad to help give some relief from the pressure against your noggin
Both versions of the new HMZ personal video viewer are powered via a cable running to an external battery pack
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Both versions of the new HMZ personal video viewer are powered via a cable running to an external battery pack
A 32-bit DAC delivers 7.1 channel audio through supplied earphones
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A 32-bit DAC delivers 7.1 channel audio through supplied earphones
Top view of the HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
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Top view of the HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
The HMZ-T3W (left) and the HMZ-T3 (right)
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The HMZ-T3W (left) and the HMZ-T3 (right)
The headset features two 1280 x 720 resolution OLED panels with six stage independent lens adjustment
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The headset features two 1280 x 720 resolution OLED panels with six stage independent lens adjustment
Source media devices are connected to the system's processor unit via its three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output
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Source media devices are connected to the system's processor unit via its three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output
Even the wireless version of Sony's new head-mounted personal video viewer will need to be connected to a battery pack
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Even the wireless version of Sony's new head-mounted personal video viewer will need to be connected to a battery pack
The battery box caters for direct connection of devices like smartphones and tablets courtesy of its own MHL and HDMI ports
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The battery box caters for direct connection of devices like smartphones and tablets courtesy of its own MHL and HDMI ports
Gamers are offered four image adjustment modes to increase visibility in darker areas of the screen during a game
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Gamers are offered four image adjustment modes to increase visibility in darker areas of the screen during a game
Users can now reduce the image size down by four steps to a low of 70 percent (similar to a 13.3 m screen from 20 m away)
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Users can now reduce the image size down by four steps to a low of 70 percent (similar to a 13.3 m screen from 20 m away)
Sony's HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
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Sony's HMZ-T3 Head Mounted Display
Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
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Sony's HMZ-T3W Head Mounted Display
View gallery - 15 images

In what's now becoming something of a tradition, Sony has announced the next generation of its head-mounted personal 3D video viewer ahead of IFA 2013. Though the HMZ-T3 retains the same display resolution as both of its predecessors, image quality has been improved. The slightly lighter headset also benefits from better audio and a more comfortable fit. The biggest news this time around, though, is the addition of a wireless version ... sort of.

The W at the end of the HMZ-T3W's product name refers to the promise of near-latency-free uncompressed high definition viewing without getting tangled up in cables. Unfortunately there's still one pesky wire to worry about, as users will still need to cable the 189 x 148 x 270 mm (7.4 x 5.8 x 10.6 in), 320 g (11 oz) headset to a lithium battery pack for power and visuals. It's this battery box that's able to wirelessly connect to the system's processor unit over the 59.4 - 63.72 GHz band, with a range of about 7 m (23 ft).

Source media devices are connected to the processor unit via its three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, though the battery box does cater for direct connection to devices like smartphones and tablets courtesy of its own MHL and HDMI ports. Battery life is reported to be three hours of wireless playback or seven hours cabled.

The HMZ-T3W (left) and the HMZ-T3 (right)
The HMZ-T3W (left) and the HMZ-T3 (right)

Like the T2 before it, the HMZ-T3W features two 1280 x 720 resolution OLED panels reported to offer a viewing experience equivalent to watching a 19 m (62.5 ft) screen from 20 m (66 ft) away. Also the same are the response times of the monitors, the field of view and the cinema-like 24p playback.

Users can now reduce the image size down by four steps to a low of 70 percent (similar to a 13.3 m screen from 20 m away), a 2D image can be displayed with a slight virtual curve for a movie theater feel, and gamers are offered four image adjustment modes to increase visibility in darker areas of the screen during a game.

There's an adjustable cushioned head pad to help give some relief from pressure against your noggin, six stage independent lens adjustment, and the device will warn users of prolonged use after three hours.

Though ambient light shields are available to help isolate users from the outside world, there's a handy gap at the bottom of the headset to allow gamers to hit the right key or click the mouse button at that critical win or lose moment, or for the rest of us to reach for a cup of coffee without risking a spill.

Gamers are offered four image adjustment modes to increase visibility in darker areas of the screen during a game
Gamers are offered four image adjustment modes to increase visibility in darker areas of the screen during a game

Sony says that its Virtual Surround Technology offers accurate sound placement in an immersive 360° soundstage. A 32-bit DAC delivers 7.1 channel audio through supplied earphones that boast 16-mm drivers, with a frequency response of 4 Hz to 27 kHz and 106 dB per mW sensitivity.

The version that requires wired connection between battery box and a slightly lighter processor unit is called the HMZ-T3. Other than supplied earphones with 13.5-mm drivers that have 105 dB per mW sensitivity and a frequency range of 5 Hz to 24 kHz, the specs are the same as the wireless model.

Source: Sony Europe

View gallery - 15 images
5 comments
5 comments
davem2
Who can comfortably focus so close to their eyes for any period of time?
christopher
@davem2 - you don't, it uses lenses.
Mark Sammut
I will wait for the day they are available in Super HD resolution before I can consider them. I really can't understand what they are waiting for to be honest!
Carl Bowers
1080 or go away You too Oculus Rift
FoulMermaid
You guys realize contrast is just as if not more important than resolution right? for detail it makes more of a difference