Cliffs of Dover in 3D

[Strike]

Not trying to burst any bubbles here, but have you actually tried 3D over prolonged time?

Even if you can adjust the "depth" or "focus" of the 3D experience, it's a complete headache! The human brain is not designed to view things in this "created 3D" that we experience on our monitors/screens. I personally thought it was cool, like a gadget is cool. But I think 3D is a lot of "hype".

It seems everyone I know who has tried 3D, but doesn't actually own it can't stand it. Of course the guys who bought it defend it as if it were their own child, but those who were thinking about getting it or wondering what it's like have the same complaints:

-You feel fatigued after less than an hour (much like the normal fatigue of 12 hours straight looking at a normal screen without 3D)
-Eye irritation
-Unnatural
-Not fully supported by all games and various graphic effects (cause certain graphics like heat blurs etc to appear 2D, which makes it double)

Most "experts" or scientists already seem to be labeling 3D as "not the future" for tv/games.

Just wanted to add some balance to the pro/con and also to warn you. But remember; it's just MY personal (and friends) opinion.

It may be for you though, and even though I thought it was cool, it just wasn't "practical" to me.

[Shtopor]

I don't know what fatique you are talking about. I watched quite a few movies and never did I feel any fatique. Btw, most "experts" wear prescription glasses and yes 2 glasses on is a bit too much I guess. I do understand that everything new takes time to
accept, but keep in mind nature has made us see thing in stereo for a reason, and that is creatures who see in stereo and color have an advantage of survival higher then otherwise. Anyway to each his own. I do undertand that many do feel discomfort and apparently thouse are the ones who doesn't accept 3D. Luckily I am not one of them.
Each milage varies though.

[julian265]

Originally Posted by Shtopor

Btw, most "experts" wear prescription glasses <snip>

Off topic
and lab coats too according to the stereotype!

On topic
I've seen about 4 hours of 3d in total, one movie at imax, one at home (just the red/cyan method), and didn't feel uncomfortable at all. That said, the clarity has to be better for a flight sim, and I'm not sure how I'd go with a 4+ hour session.

[Les]

This is interesting, I've been waiting for years for decent projectors to become affordable. I'm not fussed about the 3D features, but I would like to be able to project big enough to fill at least half a wall with a good sharp high resolution image.

In the past I've tested out IL-2 projected onto a wall and it was great, but the resolution wasn't there, and come to think of it, I'm not sure the in-game textures would have held up to being shown that big even if the projector didn't blur them. The way I had it set up, the widest in-cockpit view was life-size 1:1 scale and I was sitting as far away from the instrument panel as you would be in real life. It was the first time I realized how huge the clouds are in IL-2, flying through them and looking at them in external view like that.

The only other thing is that projectors are notorious for the short life-span of their ridiculously expensive globes. Any info on price and life-expectancy of the globes your projector uses?

[Thee_oddball]

Originally Posted by Les

This is interesting, I've been waiting for years for decent projectors to become affordable. I'm not fussed about the 3D features, but I would like to be able to project big enough to fill at least half a wall with a good sharp high resolution image.

In the past I've tested out IL-2 projected onto a wall and it was great, but the resolution wasn't there, and come to think of it, I'm not sure the in-game textures would have held up to being shown that big even if the projector didn't blur them. The way I had it set up, the widest in-cockpit view was life-size 1:1 scale and I was sitting as far away from the instrument panel as you would be in real life. It was the first time I realized how huge the clouds are in IL-2, flying through them and looking at them in external view like that.

The only other thing is that projectors are notorious for the short life-span of their ridiculously expensive globes. Any info on price and life-expectancy of the globes your projector uses?

or if you want to have some real fun...build your own
http://lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15796

[Les]

Originally Posted by Thee_oddball

or if you want to have some real fun...build your own
http://lumenlab.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15796

lol, that's what I did.

Thanks for the info Shtopor. Depending on your usage, the price of those globes over time could be quite reasonable.

[Thee_oddball]

Originally Posted by Les

lol, that's what I did.

Thanks for the info Shtopor. Depending on your usage, the price of those globes over time could be quite reasonable.

you built a 100 inch wide 1080P hidef projector? do you have pics? and why do you not use it anymore?

[Les]

Originally Posted by Thee_oddball

you built a 100 inch wide 1080P hidef projector? do you have pics? and why do you not use it anymore?

I built one very similar to the one in the thread you linked to, at about the same time that Lumenlab scene was peaking. Same basic lenses, same resolution 15" LCD (Benq brand though), same basic wooden construction, with a slightly different globe and inner workings.

I just made it to see if I could, and it worked out quite well, as good as any of the others I'd seen there. But I don't watch TV or DVD's much (don't even have a TV), and I found the resolution lacking (for gaming) when projecting the image as large as I wanted it. The sense of scale was amazing, but the in-game objects were just a bit too blurry at that resolution when combined with how close I wanted to sit to the screen.

In practical terms too, ending up with such a large box of a projector, it has to become a major feature of the space you put it in, and I was never really comfortable with that, preferring something smaller and more portable. That would be the main reason I don't use it much, it's just a hassle moving it around and I didn't want to leave it set up in one place.

The kind of projectors Shtopor linked to were worth over a couple of grand (for even more basic versions) back when I made mine so it's good to see they've become (arguably) affordable. However, thinking about it further, I still think I'd prefer something with a higher resolution. But only because I want to project an image about eight feet high and sit about three feet from the screen and get totally immersed in it.

Like with mine, when projecting smaller or sitting further away, the resolution these things put out definitely makes them worth considering. And indeed, the 3D probably is unbelievable. It'd have to be, considering how amazing it is projecting a regular image that big.

Anyway, something to think about perhaps.

Edit - Just to clarify, the DIY projector you linked to, and the one I built, used an LCD screen with a resolution of 1024x768, so, no that's not 1080p. The OP's projector has a slightly larger 1280x720p resolution, but that isn't 1080p either. And while it's my opinion you'd still have to get into 2K plus territory resolutions to get the 'up-close effect' I was looking for, for 'normal' use, 1280x720p would be fine, I think. And at those prices, it would actually be cheaper than going DIY now, if you could even find the bits and pieces to do it yourself.