Sony HMZ-T2 Personal 3D Viewer HMD Dedicated Thread - Page 11

Hi folks.

First post on this forum so hello everyone

This forum seems to have the most dedicated thread on any forum I can find for HMZ-T2 actual owners.

Got mine this week (7th November) and pretty much agree with 90% of what's already been said by folk that have bought or tried it.

My personal opinions after a couple of evenings playing with it. Spent a good 8 hours so far with it so it's not a quick judgement by any means.

Picture - STUNNING - 9.5/10 when in focus. Dont' see any "pixel" grid which I was worried about being 720p and I have 6/6 vision so I think you'd have to be particularly picky to notice any.
Audio - PANTS with the supplied headphones. The leads to each ear piece annoyed me so much! They wouldn't let the lower light shield sit properly however I tried.
Soon ditched for my Senny's which sorted things out nicely
Comfort - 5/10. Never had the T1's but can't imagine anything being heavier than these hanging on my head for any reasonable length of time. Especially with additional headphones!
Focus - Perfect in the central region. But constant, and I mean CONSTANT micro adjustments to keep the edges in focus. I've tried pulling them in to max and out to max positions using the forehead support. The individual eye pieces are maxed out to their outer positions as any movement inwards causes lack of focus in the centre for my head and eyes. I don't believe I have a particularly wide head or disproportional eye to eye span.
Practicality - 2/10 - I say this because the hdmi connection box and it's associated cabling plus the lead to the glasses just seem like clutter and do not lend themselves to a) being left connected and b) being picked up and taken with me to another venue for viewing, be it upstairs, at my girlfriends, to my friends.
My favourite seat in my living room is too far from my sources to reach with the supplied length of cables unless I get a longer HDMI cable to the box which would then have to sit in the middle of the room on my coffee table with the power lead and all other cables strewn in all directions to their destinations. A big setup and put away exercise required every time i want to use them

Other PERSONAL observations....

No matter how I try to fit the unit on my head, I manage to lose edge clarity with the smallest twitch or breathe. I do find the "sweet spot" but it soon slips away for another round of micro movements.

When the goggles are on and I'm happily watching away at whatever is on, there is a distinct light reflection within the image housing which once noticed, I could not ignore. Very surprising.

After approx 4 hours of useage, watching all of Avatar 3D and playing Black Ops in 3D from the PS3, my neck muscles certainly know about it the next morning. This might be more down to the fact that I can't get into my preferred viewing seat and rest against my sofa back nicely.

A supplied "rest" to put them on when not in use or when a loo or coffee break is required would have been a nice inclusion to the supplied package and/or a hard case to put them way into.


In summary, I REALLY and I mean REALLY wanted to love these goggles but the niggles are too great on a device that has cost me a pound shy of a grand

I understand that a lot of folk have more patience than me and are willing to modify, add to and experiment further to get it to "work" for them but at £999 (UK) I expected it to have all the adjustments and comfort features as well as a decent pair of headphones included, being £200 MORE than the previous model.

At this moment I'm inclined to send them back I'm afraid

My tuppence worth to anyone that's interested Thanks for reading
Edited by jimsgill - 11/9/12 at 12:50am

great review ! jimsgill - sorry to hear that u intend to return it .

Even i am sceptical unless i get the demo first of T2 !

i do not know how the comfort mods will make this thing more comfortable but given the feedback from T1 owners and no major changes in the 'mount' casing - i doubt this will be a success !

Got the demo of LG cinema 3d 42 inch passive 3D and they are simply breath-taking , so in two minds whether to get a 42/47 incher cinema 3D smart TV from LG or this T2 .

i do not know why ppl claim 3D on T2 is 'great' while in the same breath mentioning issue like - sweet spot difficult to achieve [very small exit pupil] - may be that coming from Sony workers to sell this T2.
i prefer to tread with caution to get the demo of a 3D disc to chk comfort and other issues for T2.

But i am pretty sure the cinema 3D on LG TVs [passive 3d] will be far better than on T2 at least there is no exit pupil [sweet spot] OR comfort issues with them and 3d is there with pop-in and pop-outs , floating objects !

Btw - i hate shutter glasses 3d rendering so it's either passive 3D or HMZ-T2 , also i am NOT a gamer.

for me - One can enjoy 3d when the absolute comfort is achieved ,without eye strain with all 3D elements [pop-in/pop-out/floating objects_out of screen with great depth feel] present to give a WOW feel !

It seems to me those who have blurry picture also have a poor fit.
Perhaps my head is the right shape?

If you are happy with a passive 3D or glasses 3D set I won't say you are wrong but from my experience they aren't even in the same universe as the T2.

As for comfort I did have to improve it, for picture this good its what you do.
I use one sponge up top and a shaped sponge on the nose.

$1k, worth every cent for the worlds best 3D. Period.

plz do not be offended but i ask u - How can u say 3d is great [ you are NOT working for Sony i believe] ! given the fact this T2 is difficult to achieve the perfect position [very small exit pupil leading to tunnel vision ] and requires constant readjustment ? uncomfortable for long hrs of viewing as per reviews.

3d can be enjoyed only when the absolute comfort is achieved ,without eye strain with all 3D elements [pop-in/pop-out/floating objects_out of screen with great depth feel] present to give a WOW feel !

i do not know why there is no competition ?
even in passive 3D - only LG and another brand is in the Frey - others still in the 'active ' 3d business.passive 3d is great , sophisticated - i almost was on the verge of ordering that damm TV [LG 42LM7600] , only flimsy build q made me halt ! i was saying to myself - " f**k HMZ-T2- this is i was waiting "

Passive 3d rules - no eye strain , inexpensive glasses , family product and comes with all 3d elements i crave - price a little more than what T2 costs !

Lg cinema 3d range is not yet mature - slim bezel only increasing the weakness of chassis resulting in low build q. - damm!
LG needs to work on the 'build quality' of their coveted cinema 3d range.

on the HMD front - there is no other 3D viewer except HMZ series others are non-existent - even for T2 , it's evolving very very slowly - Good or Bad 3D, is there any choice in HMDs apart from this [T2]

So in a nutshell ! LG passive technology not yet mature [evolving better/faster than sony HMZ T2] and so is HMZ series from sony for a portable 3D solution
i guess to wait and watch is best and recommended! or getting a demo for both to pick and choose else regrets !
Edited by ancjob - 11/9/12 at 4:15am

I guess the hmz optics and my glasses are a perfect match, edge to edge sharpness is easy to achieve, non of this micro adjustment issues for me. Even small adjustments are perfectly fine, left right up and down.

This thing sells on it's very own, I can just afford amazing experiences.

Guys,

The 3D effects on the HMZ's are probably unmatchable by any one display device such as a television or projector thanks to an individual display panel per eye. No crosstalk issues whatsoever. It really is stunning when in the perfect position. Even when it's not "perfect" the central image still blows me away.

I have a Panasonic VT range 65incher and the 3D on that, however, is arguably as impressive as I have never had any issues with crosstalk in the 3D department, however the THX certified picture on the Panasonic gives me a more satisfying image to watch in comfort and, more importantly, SHARE with everyone in the room suitably equipped with a pair of glasses. Not to mention the convenience of, when required, just pausing, getting up and going for a pee or cuppa

Even though Sony's blurb says you can use your own wireless headphones it is not really true. You CANNOT pair them to the goggles or control box. It just means that you can pair you wireless phones to your souce or amp if it's capable and bypass the volume and audio output of the HMZ's. Bit naughty that.

If you can get the HMZ's to the sweet spot everytime and with no hassle then you really do seem in the minority of the already minute market of people that have handed out the money for one. Just going from the other comments everywhere I've read.

I too have no problem affording an amazing experience. I just didn't get one with this toy.

I could never honestly say that it sells itself? The sales numbers will verify this without my help. It's just too expensive for what it is. Too heavy, cr@p supplied audio phones, no stand, too much cabling, not exactly comfortable out of the box, no storage case or stand. There must be a BIG reason why Sony aren't pushing this out to retail stores across the country for people to demo. Every Sony store within 50 miles that I called prior to having to order direct online, told me that Sony had informed them they will not be getting a demo unit. Why would you think that is?

The niggles will no doubt be ironed out over the evolution of the models but right now? I'd strongly recommend trying before buying. You could be lucky like Mikice and find it just works for your head shape or eye span. But even then, plan how you will "install" it into your home.

That's the biggest problem for me. Not image, not comfort but practicality.

Lg passive 3d is annoying those black lines you see its a downer .. The 3d on the t2 is stunning bright as in 2d with active or passive 3d the picture dimms down slightly using the glasses ... Even with 4k with passive U get those scan lines with passive 3D

Lg led lcd tvs black levels are piss poor of its ips panel ,pluss the gaming lag is sky high on the 2012 range ,even the top end lm 9600 (960) spikes up vs 90ms.
Edited by vaktmestern - 11/9/12 at 4:59am

Orderd a second t2 to day gnna try to splitt a 3D signal to show the same 3D movie on the 2

Have already 2 1.4 hdmi splitters so hope fully ill manage this.

it seems the T2 fit is head specific - for some it will be ok for others - not so good!

i had the demo today of the LG passive tech.
i did not see 'dimness' etc it was perfect 3d i always wanted to see
Not sure about gaming as i am not a gamer but for movies it'd be good. i did NOT like the build Q of the cinema 3D LG smart TVs rest all good.


T2 needs total change of head mount casing ,lesser weight , better optics [to have no/large exit pupil] , more input options [mising VGA and additional HDMI] - for usd 1k it's simply not worth it !

Like jimsgill said - i too doubt if the Sony in India d provide demo at all! closing upon the festivities here in India - the biggest festivity this time around and no demo , nothing of T2 with any sony dealer!
Edited by ancjob - 11/9/12 at 7:13am

Just buy the passive 3D set and be done with it. If its anything like the 3Ds my eyes can't cross to create the effect so yeah those sets are void for me and many.

As for the T2, the weight is fine, using sponges all I get is pressure from how tight it is xD The sponges work so well I just sat through the entire Avatar without removing the device once. The only problem with Avatar is that I kept flinching because bugs, fire and arrows poking me in the eye lol.

Those Organic LED screens are simply unmatched for colour, when the sun shines at you, just like in real life its so bright you squint.

James Cameron didn't know it at the time, but SONY has now improved his film!
Edited by Mickice - 11/9/12 at 7:20pm

When you replace the headphones, what do they plug in to? A separate AVR or the T2 controller? Do you have to remove wires, as well?

seems u r lucky that T2 suited u just right - others were NOT that fortunate welli am talking about 95% who chose to return it T1 or T2 not much of a difference .....................................

Into the T2 3.5mm jack

Just seeen avatar in 3D on my, really loved the colours dont think i seen this on the t1 but on my old samsung d8000 back when i had that perhaps lill sharper on the samsung but again that was 46" vs 80 90" now
colours are better on this and no cloading, bleeds and banding

Edit battleship bd was gnna be my next movie but my lill panasonic DMP-BBT01 wont run the movie latest firmware check ....
Edited by vaktmestern - 11/9/12 at 10:44am

I think your panasonic is trying to save you from a horrid film xD
Very important about colour banding and bleeding, this thing is perfect.

Happy days for me, everything runs out of the PS3 no issues.

SONY PS3 > SONY HMZ-T2 > SONY MDR-V55.

Anyone tryed the darbee dablet on a hmz-t2?

I prefer my images to be true to source xD

Just watched the original Willy Wonka on the big screen aka HMZ-T2. hehe.
Very beautiful, the colour of the film start to finish was just lovely.

The T2 isn't perfect, but where we are at is pretty good.

I have one with the T1. I use it to make video games look like they have higher resolution textures. On movies the hmz already has such a high contrast, it can actually look too sharp.

Fantastic been looking vs buying one but wasnt shure if it would work on the hmz

Does anyone think the screen on the HMZ is sometimes too big?
Like in games some of the hud is out of my view and I have to flick my eyes over too it.

I kinda wish there was a screen scale option in the setting that is all. Any solutions for PS3? PC is easy fix.

Funny you should say that because I've heard others say they wished the fov was even bigger, more like virtual reality.

I guess I have poor peripheral vision, lol.

Also with the screen size and optics, I can't achieve full sharpness out of just the left eye, the right side here has a little blur which is compensated by the right eye optics.
Edited by Mickice - 11/11/12 at 1:18am

I have a question for those who use the pass through functionality. My future setup will be pretty simple: PS3, PC and an 1080P, 2D, LCD TV. And, of course, the Sony HMZ. No receiver or anything else (maybe i'll buy a simple hdmi switch, but that's it).

Since the HMZ has 720P and the TV has 1080P, if i use the PS3 as source, wouldn't that mess up the image on the TV, when i let the signal pass through (PS3 on -> HMZ off -> TV on)? What i mean, in this case, wouldn't i need to change the PS3 video settings every time o want to output the ps3 image on the TV? I'm afraid that the ps3 will continue to render the image in 720P on the 1080P TV, because that is the default setting for the HMZ. Not to mention all the 3D settings that need to be set on the PS3 and that are not compatible on my 2D TV. Will i need to change those as well, every time i switch to my 2D TV?

Same question for the PC (replace the PS3 as source with the PC). I guess the HMZ doesn't accept 1080P as source, so i'll need to change the desktop's resolution to 720P, right? And when i switch back to the TV (using HMZ's pass through), i'll also need to change the desktop resolution to 1080P as well, right?

If all the above is true, then what solution is there? Using a receiver and not using the HMZ pass through? I don't want a receiver just for this, my space is too precious.

If there's anything not clear, just ask and i'll try to explain it better (english is not my native language). Thanks!
Edited by DG25 - 11/11/12 at 3:28am

The pass through box scales for the HMZ, 1080p is 720p and 3D requires 1080p anyways.
Only 3D content will look messed up on your TV, the PS3 is 100% 2D the rest of the time.
My set up is PS3 > HMZ > TV (SONY Bravia)

Set your PS3 up for optimal TV settings. Same with PC, plug and play baby.

Not sure if the HMZ supports x.v color space or super white tho xD Even if their on it still works, just not sure if the support is there.

The secondHmz-t2 been shipped 2 day

Oh and redo the PS3 video settings so you can set the 3D screen size to 150"

SONY is on a serious winner here, I expect to see knock offs by LG, Samsung... very soon.
Edited by Mickice - 11/11/12 at 4:39am

I am from Canada (precisely - Regina, Saskatchewan), and I absolutely love the HMZ-T2.
I am male, 33 years old, and I wear prescription glasses.
I purchased the HMZ-T1 back in April 2012 (used on eBay) from a seller in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
I purchased this used product in mint condition for $880 CDN, and I sold this product in October 2012 for $600 CDN.

In October 2012, I purchased the new HMZ-T2 from Canada's online Sony store.
I paid approximately $1,111 with taxes (Canadian).

GRIPES about the HMZ-T1:
-It was too heavy.
-It was hard to adjust with respect to finding the right "sweet spot."
-The picture was blurry with respect to the "sides" of the "virtual display."
-The headphones were okay, but not great.

LOVES about the HMZ-T2:
-It is not as heavy as the HMZ-T1; although, it still could be lighter.
-I can wear the headset for longer without suffering discomfort (pressure) in the "head pad" section.
-The "clarity" of the picture appears to be improved; and, the blurry issue is "almost" gone.

Overall, I am very impressed with the HMZ-T2. I am a single person; and, in my opinion, this is the BEST device for single people to watch TV/movies, and play games.

I own the 15.4" MacBook Pro with Retina Display (the most expensive model - fully maxed out), and the HMZ-T2 hooks up perfectly via the MacBook Pro's built in HDMI port.

I own Elgato's EyeTV (connected to my MacBook Pro and satellite receiver) and use it to watch television shows on the HMZ-T2's LARGE display!

I am using the NEW PS3 Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition headphones with my HMZ-T2 - LOVE THESE HEADPHONES - LOVE THE VIBRATIONS ON THE EARS!
The PS3 Pulse Headphones and the HMZ-T2 are connected to my PS3 (the slim generation - purchased in May 2012).

I do have a couple of questions.
It would appear that the HMZ-T2 has a "coating" (almost looks like an oval coating) on the lenses - why is this necessary? It almost looks like an oval smudge on both lenses - it doesn't affect the picture quality when I put the device on - the picture IS CLEAR! I didn't take notice if the HMZ-T1 has this "oval coating." If anyone can shed some light into this, that would be greatly appreciated.
Also, in the PS3 settings, should the screen size for 3D be set to 150 inches? I'm assuming yes, as it is advertised as a "150 inch screen."
Finally, does the 24FPS "Cinema Mode" really make a difference? What's so great about this feature? Is there a difference between this setting and "normal viewing?" And if yes, what's the difference?

I am attaching pictures from my unboxing.
I received and unboxed the HMZ-T2 on Friday, November 2, 2012. I also received and unboxed the PS3 Pulse Wireless Elite Edition Headphones on Saturday, November 3, 2012.
The pictures were taken with my iPhone5 Black & Slate 64GB model - purchased in September 2012.

In summary, I LOVE the HMZ-T2 and the PS3 Pulse Wireless Elite Edition Headphones - together, they make an awesome entertainment package!


SONY HMZ-T2 (2012)
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SONY PS3 Pulse Wireless Stereo Headset Elite Edition (2012)
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D!
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Its a good device as you i did se the improments u are posting when i got my , the coating i cant see but intresting.

Good sound is as important as the picture intresting headphones you got but i guess those work on the ps3 only .
Edited by vaktmestern - 11/11/12 at 9:38am

I love my iMAC, so far it plays any game with the highest settings. I play Crysis 2 with mods for extreme graphics and my mac plays it fine with no slow down. And I only have 4gb of RAM at the moment!