[conan48]

I've been really into VR lately, and purchased a Oculus Rift DK2. VR gaming is freaking mind blowing of course, but....

What I wasn't expecting, was to see the future of home entertainment. I've never had a more immersive movie experience in my life. I was in the movie (Edge of Tomorrow 3D), with a screen that was larger then any Imax, and I had it wrap around me, and I could move my head with exact precise head tracking, and really felt that I was part of the action...

I will list a few cool things that I experienced:

1. You can actually be transported to the cinema. I'm talking about going to the movies, creating an avatar, walking through the lobby, picking a movie and then then walking into the theatre and picking your own seat, and you can bring your buddies along. You can recreate any venue size you want, with whatever screen size you want.

2. I created a custom theatre with a screen size that was way bigger then even any Imax screen.

3. Head tracking during a movie is just amazing. I watched Edge of Tomorrow in 3D on a massive curved style Imax screen. I set my distance from to screen so that I had to slightly move my head to get the entire image, and the immerision I felt was just beyond words.

4. No distractions. I mentioned the cool theatre experience where you can see the seats, people, etc, but you can also just make it so that it's you and the movie. You don't see any ceilings, walls, screen, etc. Just an utterly black void and you and the movie. VR tricks your brain into seeing scale as it is in real life. It's not like having a small screen strapped to your face at all. I've also owned the Sony Head Mounted Display HMZT1, and T3, and the Rift is much more convincing in creating the illusion of size.

5. OLED. Infinite contrast, Low persistance (zero motion blur) 90FPS native refresh rate. You will never see this kind of performance from a projector.

So why is it "almost" the ultimate movie watching experience? Because the resolution sucks The DK2 uses 1 1080p screen for both eyes which cuts the resolution down to 960 x 1080 per eye, which is just not even close enough to eliminate seeing pixels, and this is further compounded by the fact that the OLED is pentile which makes the pixels very visible.

VR is solitary of course, unless you go online to meet up with friends to watch a movie, but it's still not the same as being in the same room with people. But, I don't find watching movies a very social anyway. You sit in a dark room, talking is not ALLOWED (unless you want a slap) and you all stare at a screen. I find that watching movies with friends at my place actually annoys me anyway, and I'd rather watch "serious" movies by myself. The only movies I prefer to watch with people are comedies, some TV shows, and just silly ****. You spend thousands to build a bat cave, and you still cannot get so dark that you will see nothing but the screen. With OLED, you will have a bat cave that even Batman would envy. Literally, you could create a freaking batcave in VR and watch your movies there. LOL.

There are many VR headsets coming out which will hopefully get the resolution to a point where the pixels are invisible, but that may still take until 2016-2017. VR is being praised as the most immersive gaming device, but I think Movies are really going to be just as big a deal as gaming. These are exciting times

 

[chrisreeves]

Right on man! I bought the DK1, and when I put it on and loaded up the Tuscany house demo - I literally almost cried. I started shouting "oh my god, oh my god, oh my god" - I went weak in the knees and had to grab a chair.

The resolution problems will be fixed - we truly do live in exciting times.

 

[wuther]

Plus headaches with neck strain and lots of them. Not the mention chicks will think you are cool. Still the same junk medium next to nobody wants that has be kicking around for decades like it's stereo-vision cousin. New marketing does not change the facts this is DOA.

 

[conan48]

Plus headaches with neck strain and lots of them. Not the mention chicks will think you are cool. Still the same junk medium next to nobody wants that has be kicking around for decades like it's stereo-vision cousin. New marketing does not change the facts this is DOA.

Whatever you say gramps

I guess you don't follow the news, or read USER EXPERIENCES, this is not the VR you witnessed in the 80s early 90s. VR is coming and it's going to be HUGE. DOA, I don't think so. Facebook, Valve, Samsung, HTC, Many large movie studios, etc are all getting in on it because IF YOU TRY IT, you will change your tune pretty fast.

VR will revolutionize many aspects of are lives in the very near future.

Valve just basically created the Holodeck with the VIVE VR headset where you can have a space of upto 15 feet by 15 feet to walk around in whatever environment you can imagine.

If you are not interested at all in VR then you must have a very limited imagination, because the possibilities are endless...

AR is looking great as well with the Microsoft Holo Lens.

 

[James Freeman]

4k oled for each eye, movies on the headset on the release date.
Nobody is leaving home.

OLED micro displays are not a distant future but rather a quite close one.
VR is definitely will be one of the more attractive options for huge screen size and realistic 3D.
Who knows, maybe the theaters of the future will be only seats with VR headsets and headphones for each seat.

There is the company eMagin which creates 1920x1200 microdisplays:
http://www.emagin.com/oled-microdisplays/

EDIT:
typos

 

[darinp2]

I'm not sure if I've tried that model, but the resolution has been the biggest issue for me. I tried the Samsung one with a phone a couple of times and I don't know how much resolution jump they would need for me to not see the pixels, but it definitely isn't something small like 2x in each direction. The pixels were large, imo, even though I think the phone is well beyond 1080p. They may only use a small part of the phone's area though, so I figured something that uses 2 imagers would have the most likelihood of getting beyond the pixel visibility issue for my eyes anytime soon.

--Darin

 

[mark haflich]

About 3 years out for what we HT geeks want. Its coming and will give a better experience in viewing (after all a great movie draws you into it and makes you forget you are watching through or on a window and the cost for the best will be less than a kilo buck.

 

[Silva741]

I'm very excited with these VR headsets, but actually I'd prefer they didn't rush things and wait till the 4k screens are doable. But I agree, VR is arriving, the next 10 years will be amazing, we'll see VR become mainstream. Between gaming, education, and perhaps movies (porn for sure, other movies, maybe), it'll be great fun to see it developing.

 

[conan48]

Just to update on screens. The Oculus Cresent Bay prototype is now using 2 screen but the resolution is undetermined. User reports state that screen door is near invisible.

The Valve VIVE also uses 2 screens with 1080x1200 each eye, and valve said that consumer model will have higher res.

Samsung who makes the screen for Oculus will have 4k OLED screens for the note 5...early 2016.

So, at worst I expect an HMD that may be focused mainly for movies with dual 4K OLED by the end of next year or 2017 at the absolute latest. I don't think gaming will be ready to run dual 4K res for at least a few years anyway, but movies would greatly benefit from that res and not require 4000.00 worth of video cards.

 

[zombie10k]

nice, it's only taken 20 years for VR5 and Lawnmower Man to get here. Anyone remember the short lived VR5 TV show with Lori Singer (footloose) in 1995?

that resolution is a bugger but good to hear they are working on improving it.

How is the weight and overall comfort? That is deal-breaker #1 on the Sony head units. what were they thinking. I was going to get the Zeiss version to use FPV for my quads, but the price is too high for such a low resolution.

 

[conan48]

I am happy to report that comfort is a non issue With DK2. I've had it on as long as 4 hours with no problems. The consumer version is supposed to more comfortable with better design.

I think it's because it's so light that it works and there is no pressure points.

the Sony hmd was abbismal. I couldn't wear it for more then an hour at a time and even with mods it was Unbearable. I got rid of it for that reason.

Haven't seen any people really complaining about comfort on the reddit Sub. Only a few complaints of glasses fogging up.

 

[Seegs108]

I'm waiting for the full retail version to come out. If it's close to the price point of the DKII unit I'm all in. The biggest caveat reviewers of the DKII mentioned was that the screen(s) needs to be higher resolution. From what Oculus has said many times now, they're aware of this need and will definitely implement a higher resolution, low persistence, OLED screen(s) for the retail device. They also said it will be lighter and more comfortable than the DKII. All of this is extremely exciting news!

 

[rlindo]

My brother got the DK2 last year and it is great other than the low resolution and massive pixel structure/screendoor. Comfort wise it is fine and VR will be incredible when they get the resolution high enough.

I'd love to watch a movie that way but I simply can't until that resolution is bumped up.

Oh and I am also one of those who prefers to watch movies alone since I am very observant of my surroundings (a blessing and a curse in this world) and if people beside me are doing stuff that is annoying then I will focus on that and it decreases the movie enjoyment.

The future VR headsets and also that MS hololens headset are going to be game changers with the possibilities almost endless. I'm excited for it.

 

[mark haflich]

I am happy to report that comfort is a non issue With DK2. I've had it on as long as 4 hours with no problems. The consumer version is supposed to more comfortable with better design.

I think it's because it's so light that it works and there is no pressure points.

the Sony hmd was abbismal. I couldn't wear it for more then an hour at a time and even with mods it was Unbearable. I got rid of it for that reason.

Haven't seen any people really complaining about comfort on the reddit Sub. Only a few complaints of glasses fogging up.

I suspect the fog mainly occurred only when they were watching porn.

 

[mark haflich]

Yep. This is a lot more exciting than Atmos.

 

[Deja Vu]

I really looking forward to this technology maturing over the next couple of years. Once they get the resolution up I'm game. What I find ironic are all the complaints about having to wear glasses to watch 3D but it's not a problem to wear a headset to play games, watch movies, etc. Go figure.

Would I replace my projector for a VR headset -- if it's really good the answer is yes.

 

[darinp2]

By the time Ready Player One (a book and future movie about virtual reality) comes out maybe we can watch it on a good virtual reality headset. Then they can have an enhanced version where you are in the movie.

--Darin

 

[conan48]

By the time Ready Player One (a book and future movie about virtual reality) comes out maybe we can watch it on a good virtual reality headset. Then they can have an enhanced version where you are in the movie.

--Darin

Genius. I think you might actually be 100% correct with this prediction

Awesome book. Now all we need are those total body haptic feedback suits.

 

[conan48]

I really looking forward to this technology maturing over the next couple of years. Once they get the resolution up I'm game. What I find ironic are all the complaints about having to wear glasses to watch 3D but it's not a problem to wear a headset to play games, watch movies, etc. Go figure.

Would I replace my projector for a VR headset -- if it's really good the answer is yes.

Yeah, I found that ironic as well but more in regards to gaming. People never gave real 3D stereo gaming a chance with Nvidia 3D vision. Too many ignorant people spouting the 3D gimmick thing to gaming, without ever trying it! I can understand not liking some films in 3D, especially the many crappy post conversion jobs that popped up in the post Avatar era. But, stereo gaming is by far better then 2D gaming. Games are made in 3D and then presented to us on a 2D display. Gaming and 3D are just perfect for each other, and anyone that I demoed my 3D vision setup was super impressed and many of my friends ended up with 3D vision gaming setups. I think many people are getting their first taste of 3D gaming with VR, people that never gave 3D a chance before.

I'm really happy that VR is also going to bring 3D back in a big way.

Another thing to remember is that VR is MUCH more immersive then 3D on it's own. I can see people not being bothered to put on 3D glasses because the effect while cool/awesome sometimes, it is not bringing you into another world like VR does. People who demoed the Valve VIVE were literally moved to tears from the experience. When you have many grown ass men crying after an VR experience, then you know it's something special. Google Valve ViVE VR impressions and you will see many who were completely uninterested in VR and 3D, and now they are believers. We are at the start of something that will change how we see the world, how we communicate, and how we interact. Can imagine the applications of what VR will be capable of in say 10 - 15 years? or what something like the augmented reality of something like the Holo lens will do for everyday life? We will soon be living in a William Gibson novel

 

[wicklow]

I couldn't agree more strongly. Would love to see a vr movie of snow crash in addition to rp1. What I find interesting is to think about the kind of custom hmd that could be built if I spent as much money on it as I do on my traditional displays.