Taking a look at Ces 2012 through the lenses of a SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080 HMD ....not!

CES 2012 was frankly the most boring tech show in living memory , showcasing nothing new or innovative , there were tablets with higher res and more cpu cores , televisions with higher res and more cpu cores , there were phantom motherboards for the phantom cpus with more cores ,   there were legions of gadgets that no one could possibly have checked out in several lifetimes let alone recommended to anyone.  A few bewildered looking VIP actors and musicians were roped in to plug their threquels or albums . And the live blogging coverage  ,well what can you say?  you can see that most tech journos spent more time at the parties than on the floor with their unpaid interns tweeting in lieu of their masters...

You can  see why Microsoft wanted this to be their last , the tech revolution has been dominated not by the likes of Apple`s design or technological savvy , but their presentation savvy , those Apple Keynotes delineate and separate Apple launches from the competition . It was after all the late great Steve Jobs that got you to buy your first Apple product , no?


Amidst  this tech banality there was one shining hope for me , the arrival of the HMD known as the ST1080 ...  Except it didn't arrive , the preorders are still not up , and there is only one youtube video , by SMD themselves all 16s ,with more silence than the Artist and almost as much black and white, none of which shows any one using , or commenting on the experience .  Given the voracious nature of the USA blogosphere taking down   any tech not from Apple , you`d think the Blogzillas would be tearing into SMD using their virtual column inches ... but they are not , which is worrying . So far the blog coverage of this potentially life changing product has resorted to stock pics and regurgitation which this post follows in the spirit of . One cannot emphasize enough how much this product means to the geeksphere ,  as with it geeks may finally walk the streets and leave their cellars with portable wearable pc solutions...at least as far as the nearest fiscally challenged downwardly mobile tea leaf... or lamp post.... mine ( if it actually exists)  is going to be hooked to my Raspberry Pi (if it exists) ASAP .....

So CES 2012 has come and gone ,  and frankly is not going to alter the tech landscape at all . We in PC land expect our hardware to upgrade every hour or so , so an annual show to tell us what we already knew with too many products and companies with products that do not stand out , well at least the journos had fun in Vegas ... really are you bothered execs and journos had a bash in Vegas ?

CES is no longer relevant , mashing together thousands of competitors is no longer effective in driving sales , as effective you could argue as a mobile phone convention is in taking on the Apple behemoth .  It takes one stand out product to do that , and that needs it`s own launch.

The events that move the tech industry , post (y)our hero Steve Jobs ,  are brand exclusive launches . Think of the impact that the upcoming Apple Keynote with its iPad 3 announce  , and later this year Microsoft`s Windows 8 keynote  will have compared to this CES 2012 show.

In this environment the worst thing a small start up could do is try to exhibit amongst thousands of devices at a show like CES , in doing so SMD may have done damage to it`s brand even before launching the ST1080

You do not have to be the biggest fish to succeed , but you have to do something that Mr Jobs and his company , and the Microsoft , Intel , Googles and Face books of this world discovered and that is maintain control  of your brand image and message using exclusive launches . Something which is impossible at a show like CES.

Oh it is great for multiproduct companies like Sony and Samsung to introduce concept devices that will not reach the consumer for years , or maybe never  ,like 8K tvs , 80 inch 3D OLED tvs , or if you are Lenovo with concept tablets waiting for an OS to arrive in October.  None of these companies is expecting to have these on shelf last December and relying on them for survival .

But a start up like SiliconMicroDisplay with one new and innovative product that is already overdue is going to live or die from profits from  that one single product and it`s launch.

Had SMD held their own keynote after CES  ,maybe after the upcoming Apple keynote, then maybe they would have far better off and showing more than 16s silent videos , and at the very least had an internet connection powerful or stable enough to get their message across  .

Still we wait in wonder for the arrival of the ST1080 , but they will have to be quick and deliver on promises or the HMD arena , will be taken by other competitors .

And who cannot fail to cease to be amazed by the silent 16s video of the ST1080 on a shelf  .

And is there no one in the 1000s of CES 2012 visitors that managed to pick the thing up use it comment on it or film it ? Just proves my point about CES possibly doing more damage than good to your brand.

Let`s hope the promising SiliconMicroDisplay ST1080 ain`t nothing but a  thang that happened in Vegas and stayed in Vegas......


More to follow....

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 Review part 2 : Working and playing connected to a Windows 8 Lenovo X220T

This post is being typed whilst wearing the ST1080 , with loud music blasted through my Astro A40s , right now I look the very picture of a cyber punk ...Count Zero eat your heart out..  or at the very least a Daft Punk .. Working connected to a Windows 8 Lenovo X220T  , this is a test of text sharpness , with a desktop resolution of 1920 1200 , native 1080p for console fans , the text really is razor sharp or as razor sharp as you are going to get this generation of HMDs.

a 5mp shot through the left viewer of the ST1080 at 1920 by 1200 ..impossible to photograph!

Eyes Strain : blogging like this is also a test of eye strain , and I can tell you that the ST1080 causes far less eye strain than the Sony HMZT1 .


The HMZT1 is one of my favourite toys , the equivalent of strapping a cinema to your head , Biff Tannen constantly tapping your forehead and shouting McFly , and your chiropractor rubbing his hands with glee as your neck and back problems pay for his mortgage coupled with a beyond cinema and 3d tv experience that is good for around 5 console games and maybe 10 films which you eventually will get bored of vomiting over for the nth time . PC gaming is enhanced too , you have never seen a picture as rich as the one the twin OLEDs of the HMZT1 can burn on your retinas , it is also most impressive when comparing non 3D games on HMZT1 and even your twin 5120 by 1600 30 incher setup . Skyrim looks so much better you will be screaming for 4k OLED monitors to arrive sooner than later , FPS games like Battlefield 3 immerse you like you are spec ops ,Sam , Gabe or our hero Snake with optics strapped to our head ... 


All great until you go to move your neck... This is where the ST1080 is a win win win and also in other ways too As I said the HMZT1 is beauty beyond Cinema , Console or your present PC display and I know that includes 2560 1600 displays too.. but there is a caveat to this the Sony makes your eyes work for this retinal orgasm ... and this is where the strain comes in , in fact this is where the near vomiting and dizziness comes in , after your first uses of the HMZT1. 


More significantly after you have played your 5 games , watched your 10 movies , frolicked in a technicolour Skyrim and paid your chiropractor bill for the privilege you want to do things , like use the HMD for a PC display , type this blog , mess with some augmented reality joojoo , and watch the digitally remastered Star Trek TOS  on your tv whilst looking through your HMD . As you can with the ST1080 ,  the promise of which  is cool , what it does to your brain and eyes I do not know ...yet ... looks like I will be funding  medical practitioners mortgages for the foreseeable future .. 


Still no pain no gain , the ST1080 is letting me type this without my eyes working as hard as they have to on the HMZT1 , if you have used one you pretty much know the 720p native resolution scaling of 1080i or p of a PC desktop is murder on PC text display or content creation. And the way the optics work you either get blurred text to the left or right of the screen , outside the sweetspot . The HMZT1 is the champion when it comes to black , and rich colour , great for movies , but it is really a single use awesome toy .. and something you could probably impress Major Monoko with ...if she were real..


The ST1080 is the first truly multipurpose HMD : Right now I am listening to the headphones of my choice, connected to the control unit , and not the hmd!  typing on a 1080p monitor weighing 160g, Biff has been banished , and like whoaah dude I am actually getting some work done . Opposite me my twin 30 inch LCDs , sit silent , think of the power your saving by not having to power those beasts.


Comfort  and every day use testing : 


ST1080 vs HMZT1 : Get off your horse AND drink your milk .. or dismounting as we likes to call it round these here parts...


I just took my ST1080 off , felt like switching to the headsets headphones and looking out my window .. Coming from using the HMZT1 this is Joy Fantastic..


With just one hand I can just lift the ST1080 off , with the HMZT1 you are basically strapped in for the duration , just go easy on the Double Diet Dew if you are using your Sony , or  you may have to reuse the bottle if you know what I mean , seriously lifting the ST1080 , is as easy as lifting off your NHS specs , not at all like doing the Half Life de-headcrabbing ritual you go through with the HMZT1.




ST1080 vs HMZT1 : Saddle up and ride your pony .. in seconds ... neither wind nor rain.. 


I just put my ST1080 back on .. in seconds , no locking in or adjusting straps , or yoga breathing or posturing to find that sweet spot again like you do with the HMZT1 


And I just took it off , and put it on .... oh look a tweety bird ... ok I put it back on now and we are back to the review . 


Unlike the HMZT1 which disengages you from your world , the ST1080 shines in keeping you in your real world whilst you are doing all your favourite PC or gaming chores , at any time with effortless jedi confidence you dismount the ST1080 , do mundane actual reality tasks and within seconds put the unit back on and get back to virtual or augmented reality ... just remember to take the headphones out of your ears or they will be pulled out as you whip the unit off !


ST1080 vs HMZT1 : Side by side , Top down  , back and forth tests 


No not 3D formats , I will come to that in a second but something even more essential .  


Whilst typing this entry and listening to loud music inches away from the rest of the world I have been bobbing my head to the music up down , left right , gentle Daft Punk style , side to side , generally doing the funky Gibbon and a little Mettallica before the orchestral accompaniment days.


The weight of the ST1080 means you can bob  your head ,channel your  Daft Punkability  and Head banging skillz , or other cool moves that Kanye , Will Smith or errh Cartman would ...


More importantly for your health , your natural head or neck movements are not impaired,


What this means for me  is the ST1080 is perfect for headbanging and perhaps that dream of HMD Holy Grail ... augmented reality and head tracking . Of course people tried this with Sony HMZT1 , but let me tell you .. well ok you get the picture .. on the other hand the ST1080  paired with some tiny giros or scanned from afar by cameras or kinect  will do rather nicely as a head tracking augmented reality device. 


ST1080 vs Sony HMZT1 : moving movie viewing beyond the Cinema 3D experience 


ST1080: The ST1080 has beyond Cinema 3D without the eye strain or neck /forehead pain of the Sony HMZT1 


OK so let's touch on the 3D , currently I am typing this from my Lenovo X220T , from which I watched lengthy parts of Avatar 3D , Transformers 3D  , and I can tell you the 3D side by side versions that I watched hit you right in the gut. All the floaty tree spirits are in full effect in Avatar , and the end battle of Transformers , brings the most awesome vertigo feeling . In fact the vertigo is better than the HMZT1 , of course the colour is not as rich as the OLEDS , but again your eyes are not worked as hard with the ST1080 . The most impressive 3D effects occurred when Optimus was battling the worm like Deceptacon as he charges through the screen you feel like you are being dragged along , you feel it in your gut , you also get great vertigo in Avatar too . 


Sony HMZT1 :  This has a beyond Cinema 3D experience with the richest colours you have ever seen , but makes your eyes work and pay , as well as your head and neck !


The HMZT1 has the most beautiful colour reproduction of any monitor I have , that colour alone makes it outshine my once ultra high res 30 inch PC LCDS .Skyrim looks so rich you just stand there and gaze , FPS games are so immersive you wait with glee for the next thing to go boom .. If only it were 1080p native , and had more 3D formats ( not only side by side . top/bottom, but frame packed ) and were as light and portable as the ST1080 and as cheap , and caused less pain and suffereing ... wait what am I talking about I already have that device ... the Silicon Micro Display ST1080 ... 


Get the virtual picture?  For a start up I am seriously impressed with the ST1080 . 


The box is designed to be portable , I would love for some third party to make a hard case for this , the HMZT1 of course comes in one of those giant boxes that look great under a Christmas tree but not something you want to carry or open and reclose on a direct basis . 


Set up : The ST1080 is aimed at a different audience , setup menus do not have the beauty of the Sony designed ones , the controls are off the unit which is cool as it took weight and bulk off the head set .  There is more assembly of the ST1080 , but come on you are pretty core if you are reading this so it wont phase you much. 


Problems : with the ST1080 I get some background interference hissing with the headset detachable headphones , not with with external headsets like my Astro A40s .  I believe this is interference related ,or my Kryptonian relatives trying to contact me ..again , I will have more info when SMD get back to me . 


Frankly you got to give it to SMD , they designed , marketed and delivered , in my case 2 units 3 days early . And as a result I am a little closer to being Count Zero  . 


Criticisms : OK so the lead that connects your headset to the control set is not that long , the HMZT1s is very. But then the ST1080 is meant to be portable  and for me I want to be wearing it connected to my Raspberry PI Streaming Windows 8 from my laptop through Splashtop on my new iPad whilst i sit atop the the Amazonian Jungle canopy ..listening to some suitably loud music , whilst scanning the flora and fauna through some LAYAR action thanks to the 10% transparency of the ST1080 


Right that will be my next test , now where did I put my passport?


more to follow and remember ... Bob you head !

And in the name of all that is Science repeat this test at your leisure ; you will of course require the following :

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 Review part 3 : satiating the AV trollarmy , playing nice with the new iPad ,IOS, Windows 8 ,gyro and cameracontrol

Welcome to ST1080 club .. the first rule of ST1080 club is to get over the Sony HMZT1 . With the ST1080  we are dealing with technology that is in many ways beyond the HMZT1 . Frankly all the usage scenarios make it almost a completely different form factor  . Yet  people are expecting  comparisons , so as I own both I will strive to give you my honest opinions . In the real world you have money to spend on one of these so I make no apologies in being brutal about shortcomings of either.  


Und so part 3 of thegameveda ST1080 review designed to twist up the mellow of all those anal retentive av blog trolls continues irrepressibly ... 


Of course there is bound to be  some redoubtably enlightened smarter than the average soul reading this who has managed to shoe horn his Sony HMZT1 into a Pickernic Basket  and attached it to his bonce to make the pain and suffering of using it even less bearable . To you sir I say I salute your indefatigability and watch out for bears in the summer ... Let's get real here Sony saw vast amounts of returns due to the comfort and eye strain issues relating to the HMZT1 , I myself returned a unit with dead pixels , the one I use now is actually my 3rd ( received 5 months after the first was never replaced)  the Sony Centre I got mine from had almost every unit returned , and vowed never to stock or take pre orders for it ,  and we are all familiar with if the lines don't cross stop using this device immediately welcome message that greets you every time you turn it on...  I loved the concept of the HMZT1 , shame about the execution. 


And if you have to mod a $800 device you just bought to fit your head well... 


On a more serious point , siliconmicrodisplay have to market the ST1080 to reach beyond AV blog members like these, something which Sony did not. Outside dedicated AV blogs who is talking about the Sony HMZT1 6 months after launch? Who owns one ? Who owns one and uses it on a daily basis ? How many are selling right now on eBay?  From the get go you can see the brothers Jin have targeted and shipped to both corporate and private consumers . The ST1080 needs to reach the widest audience , and have the widest application base . This is smds shoe in to many industry  and consumer pies . The ST1080 is not just your dream head mounted display ( nothing is ) it is siliconmicrodisplays mission statement , they are here and the future can only get better. That future is going to be decided by casual and serious corporate use of their product , so you can sit there comparing blacks , whites , fovs , colour etc all you like ..There is a type of consumer that does only this ...  Today your  choice at present is a 720p Sony HMZT1  head crab that is largely single use , is no more portable than a pet Hippopotamus , but has the deepest black and richest colours yet seen , or a 160 g 1080p multi purpose  ST1080 that has so many uses I am going to be happily figuring them out for weeks or months to come..


Right now we have satiated peoples appetite for comparison to the HMZT1 ( for now ) , let us get to the not so serious issue of reviewing the ST1080 . Today we test the field of view . screen size , scaling , and more importantly ponder the question of  having attached a 1080p HMD to your PC how you actually go about typing , mousing , and tapping your shiny new iPad on a 100 inch screen with a 1920 1200 desktop . We also touch on input and augmented reality using the giro and camera of devices like the iPad in conjunction with the ST1080.


When last I wrote I was contemplating sitting atop the Amazonian Rainforest canopy hooking my ST1080 , to the new iPad ,messing with iOS Apps and streaming Windows 8 . 


Whilst some AV aficionados  would probably opt for some Unobtanium plated EMP  shielded HDMI cable ,  thegameveda opted to use Apple TV instead .  This nifty device lets you hook your Ipad up wireless to a display , in this case our ST1080 . 


Why? Well now you are free to use both the gyro,cameras and touch of the iPad without puling on leads. Although the Unobtanium Plated EMP shielded HDMI lead is probably cheaper than the Apple TV...


The first test I carried out was to stream Windows 8  , with a HMD  , anyone telling you the PC desktop display is as sharp as a monitor is lying . You will not be able to see text in the corners outside whatever sweet spot deal  your eyes form with the optics of the HMD . 


What streaming Windows 8 through splashtop on the iPad gives you is the ability to zoom in with touch any where on your 1920 1200 desktop , suddenly those icons , those clicks can become pixel perfect , you are no longer constrained by dragging a mouse on a desktop in your head mounted display . Having said that as I stated in my previous post text is far sharper on the ST1080 than the HMZT1 and you can see more of the flat desktop without blurring edges or having to do the one eyed Pirate Jack manoeuvre to chase a blurry icon or read the time in the corner of the desktop that you would sometimes with the HMZT1 . 


This is because the HMZT1 was designed as a personal film viewer first and head mounted display second. So when the screen is black and Transformers are exploding in a shower of sparks it is great , but take to some serious work and your head will be exploding ... yes even yours Mr Pickernic Basket.....all your ingenious modding will not turn a film viewer into a device you can actually work on. Square peg round hole...


So Windows 8 looks great whether streamed through your iPad or directly through your PC . The raw resolution of the ST1080 and its sensible design makes it a win if you ever want to do anything other than just watch 10 3d films over and over and over and over again.


And one of these things may be to hook up your Android or iOS device . Take the new iPad switching off Splashtop , I am out of Windows 8 and in seconds playing Skygamblers , the powerhouse show off app used to demo the new iPad . Now the ST1080 acts as your main monitor  , the iPad becomes your touch and gyro operated controller . And then it hits you , the scale of the screen is enormous . Playing Skygamblers on the retina display is cool , playing connected to large plasma is impressive , but playing it on a 100 inch res ST1080 hmd is jaw dropping . Flying over the cities you feel vertigo looking down , the fov seems larger than on the HMZT1 and you are controlling your plane with the gyro in the ipad tapping away to fire etc.  NOVA 3 , and 2 will also floor you  . They fill and scale to the entire screen of the ST1080 . Now sit yourself in a rotating chair and you are away , gyro heaven , as the ST1080 is light enough to let you . And the resolution is blinding . Just think when you have this hooked to the likes of Crysis 3 next year ! ( Sorry I shouldn't feed the trolls)


Of course you can also mess with all your other favourite IOS apps , many do not fill or scale to the entire screen , but those do not scale on tv output any way. 


The dream of many HMD fans is to pair gyro control with the head set , your wireless ( via Apple TV) iPad gives you a glimpse of that right now...


Another is augmented reality , because of the portability  of the ST1080 , you could easily use  your phone or iPads camera and LAYAR or GOOGLE GOGGLES for your augmented reality fun in fact , you can use the iPads camera to look behind you ! or of course just infront , move it around and your get a full view. With my light sabre in my right and the Ipad in the left I am as good against remotes as Luke ever was with the blast shield down  ... and the living well I see them too thanks to the wireless image beaming from the iPads camera to the ST1080... ok trolls this is a Star Wars reference Google it please ... 


All of this before we even take the back blind off ! Or my Raspberry Pi arrives... 


For those that are asking for a video review , this is pointless  , what exactly could anyone show you other than them sticking it on their face? The effectiveness of HMDS relies on the optics of the device working with your eyes , every one is different you may have a totally different experience . All reviews of such devices are therefore subjective , other than regurgitating statistics from the manufacturer every reviewer is going to have a different opinion . Simply put you have to try them for yourself . Right now the HMD is really a niche , early adopter device ,expect problems , like the first batch of HMZT1s had , par for the course but that is the price you pay to go on this journey of discovery .. there i go feeding the AV trolls again .... if you want statistics read the official site , if you need to know how these things feel , work and mess with you on a real basis from a real person then come back for part 4 where I finally dust off my PS3 Phat , Xbox 360 and some PC 3D gaming.. and yes of course I will be comparing it to the HMZT1 just for your Mr Pickernic Basket.....


To repeat this feat of daring do and annoy many an AV blog troll you will need the following :

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part 4 : Kinect , Xbox 360 and PS3 game over?

Intrepid hmd fans when last we met thegameveda was waxing lyrical about wearing the ST1080 and swinging a light sabre , no this was not some childhood fantasy come good but a portent of how I would spend my 4th day of ST1080 ownership.


*Warning spaces may be left after or before punctuation to annoy blog Trolls ...


Today is the day I finally got round to testing console gaming . The more astute amongst you will of course notice my Xbox 360 is upside down in the above picture  , frankly I find it works better this way making less of a jet engine swallowing a herd of mooing cows noise than normal. You will also notice the Kinect sitting in the corner which will play a leading role in today's adventures with the ST1080.


Switching on the Xbox you will be surprised to be able to read every word of text and see every line ,word and icon . This 2d performance is most impressive when compared with the  Sony HMZT1 which makes you work to read text.


As a proud owner of a ST1080 you are going to want to set your Xbox to 1080p , and whilst in the settings you will see that the 360 detects the ST1080 as a 100" display.This is is also a good time to plug in your Kinect .


Naturlich I here you say... And now Minority Report fans we are controlling the 360 using the ST1080 display , hand waving and voice control, and you thought you would be using gloves... ahh those loveable Scientists ... ( yes I Trolls I know its! meant to be Scientologists)


To continue our cyberpunk antics we will resort to a little gaming sadomasochism by spinning the Star Wars Kinect game in the 360. Star Wars Kinect is the most disappointing Star Wars game in the history of Star Wars games, quite possibly the most disappointing game of all time.


However the Rancor stage does allow us to to test full body tracking , and as I turn my head wearing the ST1080 so does the Rancor ,and so does the image coming from the 360.It is not long before I am jumping stomping throwing clapping and generally trashing Mos Eisely all without anyone knowing what I am doing. The light weight of the ST1080 means I can do all this with only short term injury to my ego.


Next I tried the Pod racing stage , and this is very impressive with the ST1080s 100 inch screen size , of course it would be better if the game moved faster than a Sarlac Pits digestive system...


Lastly I tried the abysmal Jedi part of the game , why ..? because it is there ... and no the experience was not improved in any way whatsoever...


Now what I am really testing for here is the ability for us to wear the ST1080 whilst using something to monitor body movement not just head tracking.


And I can say because of the weight it is actually great , now all we need is a Kinect game that is worthy of the St1080 and wait ... the Kinect update for Skyrim is coming soon...


Test 2 on the Xbox 360 is the one that I found most immersing  and I am embarrassed to say it is from another kiddies game. The ST1080 gives you a 100 inch screen very close to you so the experience even with none 3D content can be close to the feeling you get with IMAX ,you know where the ones where they have you getting vertigo at the top of a roller coaster and then it plummets taking your lunch with it..On Kinect there is a game where you get this feeling all the time , no not Kinect ride but would you believe Disney Land Adventures. Playing the Peter Pan level and flying around the Houses of Parliament you get that amazing sense of vertigo ,and then you have the mine cart level to take care of your lunch. Again the weight of the ST1080 allows you get away with playing this Kinect game , using the HMZT1 in this situation is out of the question unless you sprinkle some fairy dust on it and think many happy thoughts of course..


The 1080p resolution also comes into it's own when you play a game with a detailed HUD display. The Sony HMZT1  struggles with such games , like it does with PC text. With the ST1080 I can see every detail and read very instrument and text read out on the HUD of a game like Ace combat 6 , toggle map displays and look around the fov without any distortion.This bodes well for flight sim fans.


Now let us turn to 3D gaming on the Xbox 360 : Halo Anniversary looks cool in 1080p none 3D as a full 100 inch screen stretches out before you. Switching to frame packing 3D turns the 100 inch into a box 60 by 30 inch . That is a lot of border , the experience is now like sitting at the back of a small cinema with massive black borders surrounding the screen. The 3D effect itself is awesome , beyond side by side that you see in games like Crysis 2. When the gun first pops into Masterchief's hands it really pops into your face.


Pop out effects are superior with the ST1080 , the HMZT1 has them too but it seems to blend the pop out back into the background image perphaps because of the lower res and richer colour range.


Try as I might I could not fool the 360 into scaling the output , the ST1080 itself could not scale the picture.


This is greatly disappointing , and occurs on a number of games across both the PS3 and Xbox 360 , ones that you are going to want to play and can do with more pain on the HMZT1 .


Halo Anniversary,Uncharted 3,Crysis 2,Kill Zone 3 all run as a small box in the centre of your ST1080 screen.


Trying to change 3D method does not help only frame packing and top bottom options are selectable . Even when you select side by side outside or inside the game the games revert to a small frame packed box.


Console 3D games run at a lower resolution and frame rate as the machines cannot handle higher Res 3D.The irony is the ST1080 can but because of the lack of scaling in software i.e. the games themselves and the ST1080 itself these games are frankly unplayable in 3D on the ST1080 .Until smd tell us how.


I was about to give up and go back to being a Rancor when I stumbled on Avatar the game , this is the first game that worked full screen using Side by Side 3D. And the effect is pretty amazing more effective than the film even, on console there is a frame rate drop but this is not the ST1080s fault.


I am going to have to contact smd about setting up 3D gaming on consoles.


At this stage I would recommend holding on to your Sony HMZT1 if you are into console 3D Gaming.


It is a shame because the weight , comfort , and 1080p res let you play a variety of games from jumping around with Kinect , to detailed none 3D games. Ones you could not play with comfort or without causing great discomfort on the Sony HMZT1.


If smd get back to me with a solution to the small box 3D game ST1080 problem I will update this part of the review. Quality wise the 3D is excellent it just needs to live in a box larger than just over a third of your 100 inch ST1080 display.

Silicon Micro Display ST1080 in hand and Vs the Sony HMZT1 Part 1: size matters

These are the fist pics and comparison of the now in my hands Silicon micro display ST1080 and the Sony HMZT1 

and as you can see it is tiny not much bigger than this phone .. 


even the box is tiny ... and it comes with excellent protective foam packaging : unlike the Sony HMZT1:

check out  more in the photobucket album for this here  or below I will update the album with more pics as I review the ST1080 , did I say review ? you know what I mean  .. .. 

we also have some video to compare the Sony HMZT1 and the siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 

Right I am off to actually turn the thing on and get some Diablo 3 , Skyrim , PS3 and 360 3D gaming and that old chestnut Avatar in 3 Dimensions tested and compared to the Sony Head Mounted Crab ZT1 


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now if only my Raspberry Pi would turn up soon I could get some real wearable computing action going all i need is a streaming app for the Pi to stream Windows 8 and I am good to go ..watch out lamp posts and pot holes ... wait one .. I can actually see through the ST1080 ..

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part 6: REZ HD and Child of Eden using Kinect head and body tracking and Move on PS3 in 3D

The games of Mizuguchi San  hit that cyberpunk virtual reality vibe rather nicely .Rez and Child of Eden are some of my most revered games .  Now with ST1080 we can have a 180g 100 inch screen to get our synthesia on , first up on the Xbox 360 I tested Child of Eden .


This is a non 3D game on the Xbox , but because of the nature of the game it is also the most impressive experience I have had today on the ST1080 , 100 inches of virtual synesthesia , abstract shapes concepts organic wireframe life forms flying all around me , it really is like the guy on the cover ...only better .. because I am playing with Kinect .


The Kinect detects and reacts to my head movements , so when I move my head I am actually looking around the game world of Child of Eden , step forward left right and back and it tracks those too .


The point of this genre of synesthesia games is immersion , becoming one with the visuals and beats , and I can tell you there is no better  and less painful way at present to do this than wearing the ST1080 .

You could do the same with the Sony HMZT1 , but the weight would get you , and it would not be true 1080p resolution . Once again the higher native resolution of the ST1080 makes every line , the HUD , and reading text sharper than on the HMZT1 . Oh of course blacks and colours are richer on the Sony , but the HMZT1 is nigh on impossible to use long term in a like for like situation with


Next up Rez HD : Why ? Well apart from it being one of the finest games ever , we can use it to test that 1080p res of the ST1080 , and when you play every line , every beautiful vector and the HUD are perfectly clear , there is no distortion at the edges of the screen or along straight lines ,or the HUD text  as you see with the optics of the HMZT1 , and it is simply stunning on a 100 inch screen .


On the PlayStation 3 Child of Eden is 3D enabled , and controlled with more precision than the 360 version using PlayStation Move . The colours and definition are astounding ,playing in 3D though I am getting a 60 inch surrounded by black borders instead of the 100 inch screen it should , there has to be a way of making this work if smd know then please let me know . If you are sitting on a chair that can rotate moving the motion controller moves your view point in the game also , even with the borders the 3D and resolution is 2nd to none , every single line is crystal clear on every neon polygon , when you look down at the game world you feel depth , there are all sorts of Avatar style floaters dashing across the screen , the move gives you incredibly precise control and I actually played the game till it threw me off , as I got lost in the synesthesia of it all , you feel the vibe  through the Move' feedback , you hear the vibes through the headphones , you create it , and your eyes get drowned in the 3D beauty of it all on your 180g ST1080..

Once the scaling issue is sorted out , whether it is through firmware or smd releasing an idiots guide as to how to make your PS3 and Xbox 360 play nice with the ST1080 this is one formidable piece of gaming display kit.

Although you set it to side by side the ST1080  locks this option out of its menus , so far only Gears of War 3 and Avatar 3D have played full screen without any tweaking . I cannot believe smd did not connect their ST1080s to a console at some point in testing , so the mistake must be mine … still time marches on ...



Next up Ico and Shadow of the Colossus HD

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part 5: Gears of War 3 3D side by side

I continue to test console gaming on the ST1080  ,yesterday was full of disappointment but today we start off with some good news . 

Gears of War 3 : 3D side by side : on the ST1080 fills every inch of your 100" 3D screen. I have been locked on the attack the catapult level for like half a year now , but this came in handy as it is the perfect stage to sample the 3D prowess of the ST1080. When the level begins you are looking over a vast chasm at Locust about to lob artillery at you. Straight away you feel the separation of your character from the background,you feel the distance across the chasm and awesome vertigo when looking over the ledge . When the action starts you jaw will drop, the Locust leaping out of the ground routine is impressive without 3D , but wait till you experience it on the ST1080 in side by side 3D! Suddenly you are in a Spielberg/Cliffy/B Kaminski shot war movie, with dust, debris, shrapnel , blood, , guts everywhere and all with  no discernible slowdown.

The dash manoeuvre is amazing you get dragged along into the screen , the design of the game space and levels which may have looked humdrum in none 3d .. one long corridor or cliff ledge path and overhang on this level for instance , suddenly shows you its true genius … In 3D you feel the height , distance , depth of these stages , when lobbing artillery later in the stage you are not simply doing so a small bad guy sprites at the top of your Plasma screen , you are literally lobbing it half a mile  as Locust come a leaping at you closer in your field of view .

I have to say the ST1080 feels like it has a far more immersive FOV than the Sony HMZT1 when that 100" 1080p screen is filled as in games like Gears of War 3. 

The feeling of 3D , depth , pop out ,  vertigo as per many films is also superior . And do I have to mention that comfort issue again ..

And if you want total immersion simply link your Astro A40s or Sennheisers to the optical out of the Xbox and you get your simulated 5.1 or 7.1 sound too . The sound from my headset has a background buzz , turned up loud the sound even in stereo is as or more impressive than the HMZT1s preset simulations.

Next up we test Tetsua Mizuguchi sans Rez HD and Child of Eden using Kinect head hand and body tracking whilst using the ST1080...

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Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part kyu :Ghost Recon Future Soldier Kinect enabled

I should be onto testing the ST1080 with pc games , but my Kinect enabled Ghost Recon Future Soldier Signature Edition arrived today , and Ubisoft have a great record when it comes to 3D in gaming , so let's see how it fares.


The ST1080 runs this game in 3D in a 720p letterbox , like Halo Anniversary.And sadly not full screen like Gears of War 3,well not yet anyway.


Because of the subdued colour palette of the game 3D does not really add to the experience.I could see no great difference in frame rate between the 3 D and 2D version at least in the single player game so far.


What you do get is a 100" 1080p screen to play the game none 3D.All the text , maps ,readouts are crystal clear. 


The Xbox 360 version I tested also has Kinect features made famous by that old E3 gunsmith E3 Demo. But as of yet I cannot discern any head or body tracking related in game movement.


Ghost Recon Future Soldier plays with amazing clarity at 1080p , I played 5 hours straight , around 4 of those were messing with Gunsmith using Kinect ... the game itself is different to your normal third person or first person military sims . You can feel the influence of years of success with Assassin's Creed , there are tactically paced shoot outs , shooting galleries with added tactics ,frantic rescues and my favourite part hunting , in the best spirit of Ezio only with future weapons , tactics , abilities and locations.  Hunting secondary bad guys and following your chief quarry through a crowded refugee camp , with optical camo is just as cool and far more tense even than Ezio`s antics .


The tension of the original Ghost Recon games is still present ,with additional features like target tagging ala Sam Fisher , but in this game you have 4 Ghosts firing at once ,  Ubisoft throw in so many toys and tactical options you just have to keep going . 


The field of view is massive on the ST1080 display , and just like I noticed with the HMZT1 it is non 3D enabled games that impressed most , games like Battlefield 3 for instance. 


There is something about playing FPS or third person shooters on a HMD device that places you closer to the action than any other way of playing .


The scaling of the 3D will come with firmware updates, right now you can select side by side and frame packing on the control unit but the game itself only has a 3D on/off option , which defaults to frame packing in 720p , which turns your 100" ST1080 screen into a 60" letter boxed version , for now know that playing Ghost Recon Future Soldier on a 100" screen is pretty darn impressive. 


I will  visit the PC version of GRFS as soon as I have it , and that version like all the PC games I have tested should have no problems with scaling on the ST1080. 

Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part huit: PC gaming Crysis 2 1080p 3D without borders 100" 180g pas problem!

Fancy playing Crysis 2 on a 100" 3D screen in the middle of a cafe without any one knowing or able to interrupt your joy? On a headset that weighs 180g ? The Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 lets you do just that...watch the iPads drop out of observers hands as you effortlessly place the unit on your nose .. which the 10% opacity will let you see happen right while you're hitting the bad guys with MAXIMUM POWER


PC gaming on the ST1080 is devoid of the scaling issues I found on many console games. The only limit to your immersion is your PC Hardware.


So clicking on Crysis 2 I am playing 1080p res and beyond , yes you can take it higher if your gpu let's you . In stereoscopic 3D , you have never seen a field of view this big. Once again the higher native res of the ST1080 let's you see far more detail , even when you go down to lower resolutions .


And your hardware can be quite humble with an integrated Intel HD3000 you can  can comfortably play Crysis 2 at 1200 by 800 in stereoscopic 3D , with the full 100" impact of the ST1080.


None of those black borders on console gaming problems your gpu OS and game software between them handle the scaling.


Now if you have the hardware bump the res up to 1080p and beyond decorate your game with all the high res textures and Direct X11 sfx  you want.


Well you have to make those invading aliens feel welcome now don't you ?

Sound turned up loud is also excellent you can always connect your Beats or cans of choice if you wish. I get a background buzz from the headset earbuds .

Ok for AV trolls , colour , definition, refresh , 3D effects like popout are all excellent.
Seriously the higher native res means you can read the HUD clearly and see more definition in the wonderful sandbox that is Crytek's Crysis 2.


Next up Skyrim which I have touched on before , remember to set your desktop to 1920 1200 i.e. above the1080p Windows 3D setting. Skyrim is not in 3D , but with the ST1080 you can catch a session any where anytime on a 100" screen . If you are worried about the power of your laptop gpu fret not the game scales to full screen every one of those 100" inches of the ST1080 display. One thing that had me fascinated from my Skyrim session was the reflection of flickering torches onto the lenses of the ST1080 , this is lens flare for real people and actually feels like someone just walked by with a flickering torch...


The higher res again let's you read menus and in game text clearer than with the richer coloured Sony HMZT1


And this is where ST1080 wins hands down , you won't be engaging in portable 100" 1080p Skyrim And Crysis 2 gaming on your HMZT1 any time soon ...whatever modding nonsense you have had to resort to.. and however many back slaps you receive from your fellow AV blog trolls...

OK moving on :


With a 100" screen we have to test space combat ,opera and trading genres starting with the latest X Prelude to Albion .


I have it set up at 1080p res and I am in Jupiter orbit , all the HUD text is flat on the screen and can be read quit easily . The size and scale of Jupiter is amazing . Egosoft's X series is famous for it's hypnotic qualities and your ST1080 is one fine way to play.


Lastly today I also tested Modern Warfare 3 at 1080p using just the i7 and intel HD3000 on my Lenovo X220T on the ST1080 and like wow Scoobs the field of view is amazing , and once again there is less of that peripheral view blurring found on the most excellent Sony HMZT1.

My fourth day of owning the ST1080  , and the only time I have touched my HMZT1 is to compare the unit size in a photo ..


When you look at the ST1080 from a purchase point of view , you have to set aside the usual audiovisual obsessive blog troll nonsense because it is ultimately a device of convenience , you can play Crysis 2 on a 100" screen in 1080p 3D on a device that weighs 180g ANYWHERE... With that knowledge and knowledge is power do you really want to get anal about who has the blackest black? This device is so practical , whilst the HMZT1 is so impractical that I can promise you , you  will not be bothered about shades of black , FOV , and so on .  This is siliconmicrodisplays first attempt and it is a doozie at that ! I cannot wait to see the 4K and 8K variants this time next year  with all the refinements and updates that feedback from ST1080 users will generate.



Right another days testing over I am off to play some Ghost Recon Future Soldier and mess with the Kinect enabled Gunsmith.. More to follow including opacity testing , can I work on my PC screen whilst looking through the 10% opaque ST1080 and using it as an additional monitor? We shall see ...

Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part 7: The Scaling issue : How does 720 go into 1080 ?

With my ever increasing stack of PS3 games purchased more out of habit than any intent to play , I set about studying the ST1080s scaling issues.

After several hours of popping Blurays into the PS3 and using the hdmi automatic setting that sets up the PS3 to receive 720,1080i and 1080p flavours of 3D from the ST1080, I only came across one successful full screen 3D game on the ST1080 connected to the PS3. That would be Avatar , and one on the Xbox 360 namely Gears of War 3.

Today's console hardware barely handles 3D , most 3D games being locked at 720p.

Scaling is not going to be an issue when it comes to 1080p native res sources from PC , or the few the very few console games only two that I have discovered so far that are coded to scale.

As far as 3D console games go on the ST1080 you will have a 60 inch screen not the full 100 and have massive borders either side and top and bottom. Until SMD give us a work around.

We know full screen 3D console gaming is possible with the ST1080 using both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 because thegameveda has been hiding from leaping Locust and exploring Pandora on a 100" 3D screen this very day.

smd need to be clear about how we can or if we cannot scale 720p content I would have expected to be able to trick the consoles with a defined screen size , but nothing doing I'm afraid.

The ST1080 is thus a display that is ahead of the source gaming hardware and software.At least on current gen consoles that is. I do not see this as that much of a flaw , there are currently around 10 3D enabled console games of note ,two work full screen , Gears is a must play , Avatar is a cool extension of the film universe. Of the remainder I will still say even the letter boxed 60." 3D screen you see when you play Uncharted 3 , Halo Anniversary, Child of Eden,Killzone 3, Resistance 3 , Ico and Shadow of Colossus , in frame packed or side by side modes is more effective than the richer coloured HMTZ1 variant. And your forehead will thank you...

But dear reader we must not forget the ST1080 is not just for 3D , it is also a native 1080p 100" screen which comes into it's own when you give it a game with a matching 1080p res. Let's face facts while like thegameveda you may have say 10 or so 3D enabled games you will have 100s more non 3D games.

The most impressive experience I had with the ST1080 was with just one such game my favourite game to play using the Sony HMZT1 and that game has 0 3D effects.

Prepare to be shocked for that game is :
Ace Combat Assault Horizon on a 100" inch screen in front of your eyes with squadrons of planes buzzing the Burj Khalifa and weaving through the gleaming towers of Dubai. Wait one , I am not totally gone , the ST1080 screen has an amazing sense of scale ,it feels much larger than the Sony HMZT1 display and fov , with the latter you are always conscious of viewing a cinema screen through optical equipment like those rotating slide viewers of old or binoculars .With the ST1080 you feel closer to the screen and are less conscious of optics in the way.It literally just feels like you are looking at a screen , with minimum work required by your eyes or brain to maintain the illusion or effect. With the HMZT1 you have to be precise with the diopter setting or your 3D or 2d image will start to fail or distort , with ST1080 it is far more forgiving but also far more effective . The sweet spot where 3D works is far larger and for 2D is insane which is what makes flight sims with detailed HUD and skies full of things going boom look so good. If you recall I recently commented how good Skygamblers looked on the ST1080 with jaw dropping vertigo. Factor in the 1080p res and the experience you get when you play a game like Assault Squadron is jaw dropping. The in plane view , cockpit looks as close to a real sized cockpit as you are going to get , the chase cam gives you a 100" wide wingspan for your Tomcat .Looking down at the city or at planes jousting you feel the distance . Yes you could reproduce this with 3 30 inch monitors but how would you drive them and yes you could use a projector but then you would lose the delusion that you are in the cockpit of a F14a because of the distance between you and the projector screen , with the ST1080 there is nothing that interrupts the intimate congress between your brain ,eyes and the game screen . No one is going to walk across your field of view and this just immerses you even more.

All 1080p res console games shine on the ST1080 , you are gaming on a 100" monitor with a more impressive sense of scale and less optical quirkiness ,distortion and sadly colour than the HMZT1.


I know not if this by chance or design but I am impressed with the fact that the display appears flat and not curved or distorted towards the edges if the screen as the HMZT1 manages.

I also tried LAIR and Wings of Prey at 1080p and it makes you smile when you realise there is a 100" 180g display on the end of your nose , that you can carry anywhere and which has just freed you from all those arguments with your better half over who get's to use the tv!

Hopefully smd can clear up the 720 p scaling issue , but if you think about it do they really need to for a handful of now ageing console games? The selling point of this device is the 1080p native res , as such it positively encourages you to seek out sources that have this resolution , at that point there is no other hmd that can touch it. Whether in 3D or 2D. And even in 60" letter boxed 720p mode I found all 3D effects whether using frame packing or side by side more pronounced than the HMZT1 , and the definition is to die for from the clean lines in Rez , Child of Eden to the detailed cockpit HUD and text on non 3D 1080p res games like Assault Horizon.

Ok so colour and black are not in the same league as the HMZT1 but are you really going to spend your life comparing them ...after all for that you have thegameveda....

Tomorrow some PC gaming and time to rip the light blocker off and check out the 10% see through claims...

Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 review part X :Space the final frontier

Taking a break from gaming tests , I thought I would check out how Star Trek , ala J.J. Abrams faired on the ST1080.


Watching a 1080p video in it's native resolution on a 1080p monitor like the ST1080 should give you a far higher resolution experience than a 720p one like the Sony HMZT1, and it does , significantly so.


Take the opening sequence with the close zoom out over the U.S.S. Kelvin. You can see every detailed spec of dust or decay on every detailed tile on the outer hull as it zooms by . When the camera pulls back you will feel the scale of the 100 inch screen coupled with the benefit of the higher resolution as the ship maintains definition and sharpness as it becomes smaller . 


The picture is perfectly flat and has 0 distortion towards the edges. You have already stopped caring if the blacks are blacker on an OLED screen by this point ...


I am watching without light blockers with bright sunlight to my back and the picture is still clear.


With a resolution this high all those considerations of LCOS vs OLED go out of the airlock.


And when battle commences for the first time outside IMAX you will see every piece of exploding debris,lens flare, bead of sweat and pore on the face of the doomed Kelvin captain and as he shouts the immortal line "walk with me" you will..


Scale is amazing 100" of 1080p cinema in crystal clear focus,without your eyes having to work the way they do with the Sony HMZT1. I have to say that again and again  , the comfort issue blows the old Sony head crab out of the water...


If you  have ever felt the sweet sweet pain of watching a movie or two in a row on the HMZT1 you know what I am Trekking about....


So even with non 3D movie viewing the ST1080 gives you a substantially more detailed view , exactly the effect of going from a 720p TV to a 1080p TV only on a 100" screen.


The fov  also appears larger than the HMZT1 , and with less fiddly optics you really do feel like you are looking at a giant flat screen , and not working your eyes or tricking your mind into deceiving you are.You can comfortably look down or up or the corners of the screen without the illusion of the 100" screen in front of you breaking , just as you can comfortably read the HUD in Crysis 2 or a flight sim.


The ST1080 also does nothing to cause you pain . You are going to want to move your head around when you are watching a film and none of these natural movements are impaired at all by the ST1080 unlike the AV troll favourite and my other HMD the Sony HMZT1.


People ask about brightness , I watch with it turned to 0 , the light blocking strip on the back is so effective you can look into a bright sky and there is no bleed through of light , throughout this test I was watching the film in bright sunlight with 0 eyepiece light blockers. And yes I have tried waving my fingers behind it , and you see nothing but the film you were intending to see ..


Which bodes well for mobile usage scenarios , if you want to sit on a plane watching a film , or outside in your garden and want to be able to reach for your drink without using Jedi training you can. Thanks to the 10% opacity theoretically keep both eyes on local wildlife whether it is in your garden or walking up the aisle of your plane is also possible ...


Maybe you're Bohemian like me and you want to watch a movie , whilst blogging about the experience on your iPad , you can.. with the ST1080.


And this is another crucial difference about the ST1080 , unlike other HMDs it is not meant to be an isolation tank ,when using the ST1080 you still feel connected to the world , whilst that may send AV blog trolls into another tizzie , to them I say iMax 3D is better than your home cinema ..Disqus..


For the rest of us we are at the beginning of a head mounted display revolution , and that revolution is not just based on 3D , colour depth , screen size and resolution but with a device like the Siliconmicrodisplay ST1080 based on versatility ,ease of use and integrating our virtual pursuits with our real world pursuits , not disconnecting them the way isolation tanks like the Sony HMZT1 have obliged us to  do.


Sound from the headset still emits a background buzz for me , turning the volume up negates this or using external head phones eliminates it altogether . SMD are trying to get me a fix as I type...


All of this is of course impossible to convey in photographs or text but check out some blurry Ipad pics any way: 

this content is © and originated from thegameveda http://the-games-veda.blogspot.com/  if you are reading it from any other site that has not provided a link back it has been leached