| Author | Message | ||
     Anonymous Rating: N/A |
(taken from the "press releases" page at iisvr homepage). March 16, 2001 Interactive Imaging Systems, Inc (IIS) announced today that it would be attending the Game Developer's Conference in San Jose California. IIS will use this opportunity to present its next generation Head Mounted Display (HMD) technology, currently under design. The new HMD is being designed for compatibility with the Xboxtm video game system and the PC. | ||
| Neil Axe Rating: N/A |
No, but you got me interested. I wish someone from IIS would respond to this. | ||
| Paul Leonard Rating: N/A |
Look at the date. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi All, We are working on a new HMD for release some time next year. I will have an official release date sometime around the end of January. The new one will be compatible with the xbox and the PC. Pricing will start around $500 with a tracker. It will be at least VGA (921k pixels) possibly SVGA, if there are displays available at that time. We will have a new web site up in the next week or so that will have more information and a list to sign up for updates on product development. The reason we debuted it at GDC was to get the game companies excited about its release and get native support written for the tracker, I can tell you the show was a definite success from that perspective. Let me know if you need more. Steve@IIS | ||
| Neil Axe Rating: N/A |
Now that sounds sweet! I'm looking forward to hearing more about this product. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Here goes IIS again promising the moon and giving cheese  Have you seen the vfx3d, wow what a joke! I can't wait to see their next attempt! | ||
| M.H. Rating: N/A |
Stave: I would realy like to have: Driver-software SDK, specification of the way the stereoscopy is implemented , more technical details, parameters copmarison with VFX3D, inofromation about video/VGA input support. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
To Steve@IIS: You racist; What about compatibility for the GameCube? Or even the PS2. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
I just remembered why I stopped participating in this board, somebody asks a legitimate question, I try to give a legitimate answer, without promising a thing, and I get shit for it. Michal, drop me an e-mail. Thanks, Bye | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Steve@IIS has an attitude. I guess all that lying makes him grumpy Tell the truth for a change and you will feel better  | ||
| Michal Husak Rating: N/A |
Stave: Ignore please the information noise produced by people not able to tell theyr identity. I am realy looking forward to your new HMD and I hope that I will be able to update my iPix and Quicktime VR panorma viewer for this device ... | ||
| M.H. Rating: N/A |
Steve: The E-mail Steve@IIS dos not work. Colud you, plese, give me a contact ? | ||
| Christoph Bungert (Admin) Rating: N/A |
>>>I just remembered why I stopped participating in this board, somebody asks a legitimate question, I try to give a legitimate answer, without promising a thing, and I get shit for it. That's normal. This is the internet! The nonsense factor however is lower here than on many other boards, let alone newsgroups. Christoph | ||
| Christoph Bungert (Admin) Rating: N/A |
>>> What about compatibility for the GameCube? Or even the PS2. Do these systems have a VGA-connector and do resolutions above TV-standard? Christoph | ||
| Christoph Bungert (Admin) Rating: N/A |
>>>specification of the way the stereoscopy is implemented Steve didn't mention stereoscopic support and it would really surprise me. I can think of 3 ways to do this: 1) Microsoft releases an update for the XBox operting system which includes a stereo-driver --> very very unlikely 2) Someone releases a wrapper, which is loaded seperately before the game. This would mean the games wouldn't find the exact environment they were written for. Even if it works, MS would fight such a product. 3) Game programmers add native stereo support in upcoming titles --> possible, but very unlikely. Christoph | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
It is all very unlikely from IIS. Sounds like a pipe dream to me | ||
| M.H. Rating: N/A |
Christoph: The unit shuld support PC according Steve. I hope that it will support interlaced mode and HW page flipping mode in the same way as VFX3D does. | ||
| AIG Rating: N/A |
About GameCube and PS2: XBox is a well-hidden PS (though MS are doing great efforts to prove it is not). Some sort of Win2000, some sort of DirectX 8, some sort of NVidia GeForce 3 - all components are known to obtain stereo support. GameCube and PS2 are totally different platforms. | ||
| AIG Rating: N/A |
well-hidden PC, not PS, of cource ... | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
BS not PS is more like it! Steve@IIS is talking smack! LOL | ||
| steve@iis Rating: N/A |
Here's the deal, all of the specs that I gave are things we have already done in the VFX3D, tracker, drivers, stereo, etc. so I am not in fact: 1. lying 2. Talking smack I agree with everyone that the VFX3D is not the perfect solution, but when it was built it was the best technology available for under $2k. The difference is the displays. A year ago it cost $250/eye for low res diplays and lenses, that was the reality. Today, it costs under $100 for VGA displays. That is how it is possible to get the price down so dramatically. Now for an SVGA solution, it will depend on whether or not there are displays available next year. As for xbox compatibility, I cannot discuss too much about that, but we have been a MS developer for a long time and have recently signed up to develop hardware for the platform. Game cube and PS2 are totally different animals and not something we will go after right away if ever. Stephen_glaser@iisvr.com | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Will your new display be true 640x480 this time? | ||
| Steve@iis Rating: N/A |
Yes, the new display is true VGA921K pixels. FOV is not set yet, as we are testing several different lens designs. They range from 30-38 degrees. We never said the VFX3D was true VGA, we were very honest about pixel counts, maximum resolution, and that if you wanted to read text, you should buy a different HMD. | ||
| Tobias Jonsson Rating: N/A |
Hi all!!! I was the one who started all this by typing the text from iisvr, press release page. I just want to say one thing. You guys at iisvr are doing a great job!! you all guys/girls out there should be very happy that iisvr are doing this for us. and not flame them for things that are not true. After all it is you all out there who desides if you whant to buy their products or not. Why not encourage them and type down some specific things and send it to them instead of just complaining? Personally I think that iisvr should concentrate on talking with the companys who make games and together with them (and us who buy the stuff). build a better device. and really show the products for the people who wants to see them. sorry for my bad english, I`m not used to it. Tobias (a gamer from sweden who just loves flight simulators). | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
What? A Great Job? All IIS have done is release that vfx3d joke and nothing else. I say give credit where credit is due and they don't deserve any | ||
| Tobias Jonsson Rating: N/A |
Ok i respect your opinion, but try to give IIS some feedback on how to build a better vr device. Instead of just complaining. Its not hard to bulid a VR device but i sure is hard to get the game producers to implement native support for the games. and I think much of the problems with the vfx3d is that kind of problem. Maybe Microsoft could implement support in directX for Vr devices? that would really open many "locked doors". Please correct me if I`m wrong. | ||
| Neil Axe Rating: N/A |
The entire computer industry has grown from companies taking incremental steps. What we thought was high-tech 10 years ago is laughable today. HMD's, at least with respect to the consumer market, is still in it's infancy. Companies like IISVR can only work with what is currently technologically possible. So to criticize them for coming out with a product that does not compare to our "ultimate vision" of how the product should be is to be short sited. I believe these companies are taking the steps necessary to make better products. If we criticize them for simply trying, we are hindering progress rather than encouraging it. Having said all this, I admit that it is another story when companies come out with inferior products just to make a quick dollar when the technology allows for better products that are reasonably priced. However, I don't believe IISVR has done this. They have simply attempted to make a product that was within the reach of consumer's given current technology limitations. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
I belive IISVR has done this and will in the future | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
I could not have said it better myself, thanks Neil. Steve@IIS | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Guys, I bought a vfx3d a while back from IISVR and was shocked to see the i-glasses jammed inside of the vfx1 helmet and I bought this for $1800! when I just could of just bought the i-glasses from i-o for $599.00! I was screwed! So I believe Steve@IIS will do anything for a quick buck! | ||
| Neil Axe Rating: N/A |
Ok. I'm not trying to be the defender of IIS or any other company because I don't have either an i-glasses, VFX3D, or any other HMD yet, but I do see what appear to be unfair remarks against them. For one thing, even if the VFX3D was an i-glasses inside a helmet, there are differences like an integrated head tracker, and what looks to be proprietary system software to configure applications for correct display. I recall Steve being completely up front when I emailed him with questions when I was comparing the i-glasses to the VFX3d, so in my personal experience, I believe Steve was not trying to make a quick sale. In fact, I got the opposite oppinion because I was trying to get him to give my a lower price and he would not budge. Look it comes down to the simple case that we are dealing with expensive technology whatever brand/model you buy, and because of the current limitations, there are people that are going to feel let down when they actually go to use it. The only problem I have with all of this is that I want to try before I buy, but because of the limited nature of this technology right now, I can't just go to Circuit City and put them on and compare. That makes it even more important that you DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH before buying an HMD, so you understand the limitations up front. That way you will be prepared when you actually go to use what you have bought. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
We will have a new web site up in the next week or so that will have more information and a list to sign up for updates on product development. --Steve@IIS 12-14-01 It's been around three weeks. Anyone know where the web site Steve mentioned is? | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Yeah in lala land where his new display is | ||
| Steve@iis Rating: N/A |
Stuff happens, its coming. stephen_glaser@iisvr.com | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Yeah lets all hold our breath! | ||
| M.H. Rating: N/A |
Steve: Do you have some WWW with more information available ? | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
I have any entirely new web site with all of our current and future products on it, Military and Consumer. We are just cleaning it up. Should be up by the weekend. It will have an e-mail address to sign up to stay informed on product development for the new HMD. If you are a developer it will also give you an opportunity to sign up for the first units off the line. Steve | ||
| alexander Rating: N/A |
Steve is there any chance you iisvr guys will provide a HMD with a wider FOV ? Currently I use VFX1 and I'm looking for a new HMD. I would not buy the VFX3D, sorry, I don't feel it worth the money. The choices I have now here in Holland: 1) i-glasses 800x600 stereo: ~3000 Euro with Intertrax, small FOV like 30 something. 2) Cy-visor 800x600 stereo, Intertrax: ~3500 Euro. Small FOV also. 3) Visette Pro (it's something interesting...): 640x480 stereo, _6_(six)_DOF tracker, __71.5 degrees FOV__. ~6000 Euro. Well, for a small FOV cheap solution I will take Cy-visor or i-glasses. For a porsche-class products Visette is probably the choice. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi Alexander, Obviously we would like to design an HMD with the largest FOV possible. It comes down to 2 things, who has optics available in the next few months that will work with available displays and the size of the display in use. I do not know too much about the Visette product, but my guess is with that FOV, they are using a fairly large micro-display, which would also explain the price point. Our goal is to develop a high res product while keeping the price point low. So we will use a smaller display. The best FOV I have seen for the small format displays, is 37.5 degrees. As for the displays, a lot of the companies that make micro-dispalys have closed their doors in the last few weeks, which makes decisions even more limited. So to answer your question, yes we are shooting for a FOV above 30 degrees and I will have more details in the near future. Steve | ||
| Miles Rating: N/A |
Hi Steve, I'm interested in trying my hand at some homebrew experiments.. I was wondering if you could give me the names of a few companies who make micro displays? I'm also very interested in your new products.. any news on the website? Thanks | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi Miles, Microdisplay companies....Hmm....That is a pretty Short list right now. Microdisplay Corp, in San Diego, supplies Dae Yang has SVGA displays. Kopin Corp has VGA displays, which we use in our new Handheld device. Zight Corp which supplies SVGA displays to i-glasses and others, has closed up shop and auctioned off all their stuff, but they had some displays left I believe. There are some other companies that sell larger format displays for projectors etc. that could technically be used in an HMD with the appropriate lens. These tend to be fairly expensive. I do not know if any of these companies sell in low volume or what their pricing would be if they do. Web site is on its way, they tell me this week for sure. Stephen_glaser@iisvr.com | ||
| Miles Rating: N/A |
Thanks Steve! Hopefully some more companies will start making these things.. but I guess there needs to be a large market huh? Oh well, hopefully you guys can conquer the market with an affordable XBox HMD and there will be more suppliers. | ||
| Ryan Rating: N/A |
Is there any chance of making the lenses on the new HMD upgradable? I'm not sure if this would be possible, or if the display needs to be designed with a particular set of optics in mind. As for the FOV, I would consider making it a priority over picture quality (I know anonymous purple frowny face is going to have something to say about that ;-) I haven't had much experience with HMDs, but I've learned quickly that without a huge FOV and smooth head-tracking, immersion can't happen. I understand, of course, that some compramises need to be made to hit that price point, so no complaints whatever the result may be. (So chill purple-frowny-face. We get your point and we don't care). | ||
| Michael Rating: N/A |
He, great that I have found this message board. I bought a VFX1 quit a few years ago, and was pretty happy with it, exept that I became nauseated very quickly when using it. Now I am a person that gets nauseated when I read for one second while in a car, so I am guessing I am sensitive to this. But I also was thinking it was the rather low resolution that helped cause it. Is there any chance that a higher resolution display will make me able to use the device longer? BTW, played Hexen 2 with it, and the spiders jumping at you were scary as hell. My wife ripped it of her head, when that happened. The immersion was great. Cheers, Michael. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Has there been any more info on IIS's X-viewer? The website at iisvr.com has just been sitting there for months saying "Coming Soon." Any idea when soon is? | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
It will never happen, sorry. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi All, The X-Viewer is in the works. There have been no updates on it, as I do not have a definitive date for its release at this time. Fortunately business has been strong with our other products, unfortunately, that means the X-Viewer development gets slowed down. My Guess is that it will be end of this year or early next before it is released. I'll try to answer any other questions if I can and if the anonymous idiots can try to stay positive Steve @IIS | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
I would say the idiot would be the one advertising a product they do not plan to release for two years! | ||
| David C. Qualman Rating: N/A |
Geez, Steve, It is usually considered bad business to refer to people interested in your product as "idiots". That is, unless you really do want a smaller maarket. Or, unless your planned market is made up of idiots, and you think that it would increase sales. | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the input. The idiots I referred to have no interest in our products, only in badmouthing one of the only hardware companies on the planet still developing consumer VR products. I have always tried to be involved in the discussions and not take comments from anon users personally, but every time I try to ignore them they seem to beat us up worse. The majority of the users here have always been good to us, and I believe they get as frustrated as I do with the idiots. Anyway, the main reason we are even talking about the product now is to generate interest in the developer community, so that we can launch with as many supporting titles as possible. Steve@IIS | ||
| Neil Axe Rating: N/A |
I agree with Steve. Ever since I've started coming to this forum, I've never understood why he can never post anything with out a certain anonymous individual (or individuals) posting smart-alecky remarks. I just don't understand how someone could have that much pent up resentment for IIS. It's not like Steve botched his vesectomy, or ran off with his wife. Geeez. Personally I'm extremely excited about the X-viewer. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
I agree | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
You still believe in Santa too Neil? | ||
| Ray Price Rating: N/A |
Steve, any idea on the FOV? Can the lenses be 'plug and play' to allow you to switch between large FOV for games or small FOV for general use? | ||
| Ray Price Rating: N/A |
BTW, I am impressed that you continue to post on this group despite all the flames you get, lol! | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Thanks Ray. We will have somewhere between a 35-40 FOV. Everyone wants bigger and sometimes bigger is good, but any higher then that two things happen: 1. Costs go up a lot. 2. For many applications like games, you will get a headache because your eyes are constantly having to scan the whole screen to gather all of the needed information. Its Inteligent questions like that, that keep me posting. Steve | ||
| Andy Rating: N/A |
Hi Steve. This may be a silly question, but how will the X-Viewer suit people who wear spectacles? The concept/prototype picture on your website looks like the answer will be 'not very well (or at all)'. At present I use LCD shutterglasses for games, and can balance them on my specs frames. Is it possible to adjust the optics on the X-Viewer to dispense with the specs? Of course, this would mean adjusting each eye seperately. Doesn't seem likely to me. Thanks. | ||
| Andy Rating: N/A |
Hi Steve. A quick question I forgot to ask in my last post, will the X-Viewer be available in the UK from launch? Or is this undecided? I appreciate I'm asking for some crystal ball gazing here! :-) Thanks. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
I'm pretty excited about this X-Viewer, is this the HMD that will support X-Box? Does that mean you see the video signal with the X-Viewer, like TV, DVDs? I'm a developer and I'll be glad to write some code for it, just tell me when and where this will happen. | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
The X-Viewer will not happen and I will bet my house on that! MORE IIS LIES!!! | ||
| Andy Rating: N/A |
Well, if IIS are given the impression that nobody wants to buy it, it certainly won't happen. Personally, I DO want an affordable stereo HMD with reasonable resolution. If IIS can bring the price down by selling in bulk to xbox owners, all the better. Of course, we're all grown up enough to realise that any product that isn't yet on the shelves might not make it. A severe recession might delay or halt development. But why would IIS *lie* about their plans? How could that possibly help their business? Obviously, it can't. Pre-anouncing might slow down their competitors' sales, as people wait for the X-Viewer, but IIS only benefit from this if they deliver on the product. And no, I'm in no way connected to IIS. | ||
| Ray Price Rating: N/A |
Regarding the larger FOV. I understand what you are saying about the cost, but with the scanning of the screen I think this would be much reduced in a gaming environment. Since the unit seems to be combined with a head tracker, I think the default behaviour would more likely to be for the user to turn their head to bring objects in their peripheral vision into their center vision. Obviously there is also the issue of resolution since the magnification would be greatly increased. I guess this falls under your cost implications and also ultimately availability. Anyway good luck, and if you do get to experiment with larger field of views/resolution, I would be interested to see your findings regarding cost/comfort/feasibility. All the best Ray | ||
| Anonymous Rating: N/A |
Steve, will the x-viewer be wired or infrared? | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi All, Ray you are right on with the tracking piece and cost issues. It is under study now. The new one will be wired. It is a fairly large liability issue to have a fully immersive HMD that is not tethered to something. Just a matter of time before someone walks off the stairs or sits in the bathtub with it on. I do not see anyone making an immersive, consumer HMD wireless anytime soon. Technology wise, I think it is probably possible with existing technology. Steve | ||
| Andy Rating: N/A |
I'm not sure that Ray is quite right about scanning of the screen being reduced in a gaming environment, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, most games have information that is fixed in place on the screen (HUD, health, weapons, compass etc.) The player will still need to glance at these, and if they're right on the periphery of your view it will be uncomfortable. Secondly, do people really turn their heads to bring peripheral objects into view? In real life, they start by glancing at peripheral objects with their eyes, and only turn their heads if they want to look at something for more than a short while. Possibly it's different with tracking HMDs, but if so, I suspect that's only once people are acclimatised. Does anyone who actually owns one know for sure? Finally (and my apologies for asking this question again, it's obviously a dull one), will it be possible to wear the X-Viewer over spectacles? Is this undecided? Thanks. | ||
| Ray Price Rating: N/A |
Good point about the HUD. The problem we start experiencing when starting to build these environments is that there is little or no software support for this type of issue. Personally, I would be inclined to turn the HUD off if the software allowed. On your second point, I don't think people spend more than a second or so looking in their peripheral vision before turning their head, as to do so is actually quite strenuous on the eye muscles. I have a tracked glasstron, although I cannot really comment on my experience with peripheral vision as the FOV is not really large enough, lol. Maybe someone here with a quarter million dollars to spend on a Kaiser unit could comment? :P The other question with eyeglasses is that I would imagine it would limit your peripheral vision again. Is making the lenses independently focusable an option? I seem to remember one of the HMD manufacturers used this method before? | ||
| Steve@IIS Rating: N/A |
Hi Guys, The way our optics are set up, it will allow for eyeglasses to be used in some models. We plan on haveing a couple of different versions of the HMD for different applications. Steve | ||
| Andy Rating: N/A |
Thanks Steve, that's good to hear. The problem with setting the focus of the HMD is that you can't allow for astigmatism. Also, it would be very easy to get the focus slightly wrong without noticing, leading to greater eyestrain. |
