On the fence of buying a Rift (vs large screen TV)

[[VR] Mad Mike]

whilst I do prefer a film in 3D over 2D (and am sad that consumer 3D in the home is now dead) VR is simply not comparable to 3DTV

I actually think this is the biggest hurdle VR faces at the moment..... getting bundled into the 3D TV "fad" box that many people who have never tried VR seem to put it in.

(note i am not having a go at you at all and hopefully no offence intended, but it is what a lot of people think and no amount of "no seriously just try it" will convince them.

 

[[VR] Frank_G]

I am gaming on a 42 inch plasma right now. Plasma because of the the superior motion vs a LED.
I am sitting quite close around 80cm. So it gives me a good immersion of being in the cockpit. Also have a Track-IR and voice attack. And of course a HOTAS.

Now, will a Rift give the impression of a smaller "World" in the cockpit compared to sitting close to a 42 inch screen?

Will it feel more distance?

I really have no idea myselft so perhaps some of you who haad big screens with ED can give me some comparisson

Thanks.

I played Elite on a 55" widescreen, also sitting close to it. Now i got a Rift and i will never ever go back to the TV. Track IR? Feeling like beeing inside the cockpit? I belived the same, but I have never been, where the Rift instantly puts you... Inside a real life sized spaceship. If you want full immersion and think you have it, believe me...you dont. Get a Rift!

 

[[VR] Frank_G]

I wonder if there is a relation to watch a movie in 3D: Do you folks who prefer to play in VR would also prefer watching a movie in 3D if you had the choice? Just out of curiosity as I can't afford the necessary upgrades for VR right now. But I had the luck to get a much better monitor for free which is a big relief for my old eyes that are getting constantly weaker. When it comes to movies I prefer 2D at any time but that's probably a completely different topic and has nothing to do with weak eyesight...

I can totally second, what Mad Mike said. VR is not 3D, VR is pushing you into another world. I love watching 3D movies, but even a dome shaped imax could not produce, what VR offers. And it can not be put into words easily. The best way to know is to try.

 

[dutchy2000]

I wonder if there is a relation to watch a movie in 3D: Do you folks who prefer to play in VR would also prefer watching a movie in 3D if you had the choice? Just out of curiosity as I can't afford the necessary upgrades for VR right now. But I had the luck to get a much better monitor for free which is a big relief for my old eyes that are getting constantly weaker. When it comes to movies I prefer 2D at any time but that's probably a completely different topic and has nothing to do with weak eyesight...

I enjoy 3d movies, but I don't go out of my way to see stuff in 3d in a theatre. If I happen to show up on a time when the movie is running in 3d, I will watch it in 3d, if not then I won't. Like others have said, there is no comparison. 3d movies is like watching layers come out of the screen with different stuff on it. VR is like being IN the screen and being able to look and interact with that world you are in.

 

[Thebadmf]

I really hope you've ordered that rift/vive?

 

[xxiii]

As a review I recently read put it by quoting some obscure movie, "No one can be told what The Matrix is."

Some Best Buys have demo Rifts you can try. Some Microsoft Stores and Gamestops have Vive demos. I think there were some other outlets as well, should anyone want to try before buying.

Once you've tried one, you'll know what the definition of "immersion" really is. Its like a 3D movie that you are inside of, rather that watching in front of you. Or, being ON the Holodeck from several of the Star Trek series.

I rememeber reading the occasional forum posts over the last couple of years from Oculus dev kit users, rambling on about immersion or some such; yeah whatever. Now... I understand.

*Disclaimer: First gen VR (not counting earlier "attempts"), comparisons to The Matrix, Star Trek, and being an actor in a 3D movie only intended to convey a general sense of what its like; full Matrix/Holodeck/Acting capabilities may not be available; individual experiences vary. The current HMDs have a lot of issues, which nevertheless, many people who've tried one are willing to put up with (including me), because its worth it. Store demos may not be ideally tuned for current occupant, mainly IPD (distance between your eyes).

 

[[VR] Frank_G]

A quality monitor used to be central to the experience. Now it's just used to double click the ED icon to start in VR. I could actually downgrade to 640x480 mono screen and be perfectly happy, which is just nuts.

I have done exactly that. My PC now features a 4:3 ratio 14" display i rescued from the scrap pile, where our IT wanted to throw it. My PC was built for VR, but i never planned this extreme. Now that i know the difference, any other display than an HMD is not an option anymore for that system

 

[Frank]

I wonder if there is a relation to watch a movie in 3D: Do you folks who prefer to play in VR would also prefer watching a movie in 3D if you had the choice? Just out of curiosity as I can't afford the necessary upgrades for VR right now. But I had the luck to get a much better monitor for free which is a big relief for my old eyes that are getting constantly weaker. When it comes to movies I prefer 2D at any time but that's probably a completely different topic and has nothing to do with weak eyesight...

whilst I do prefer a film in 3D over 2D (and am sad that consumer 3D in the home is now dead) VR is simply not comparable to 3DTV

I would guess that fans of VR are also fans of other technologies. Stereoscopic 3D is a lot of fun and I wish there were more BluRay 3D discs out there, but there is a massive difference between VR and 3D TV, even discounting the obvious difference of how much of your field of view is taken up by image.. Head tracking.

When I'm watching a stereoscopic movie I do it with the back of my head buried into my couch. That's because moving my head shatters the illusion of 3D. Any movement of my head and the image starts swaying and distorting like a badly-constructed deckchair. With VR I get the opposite effect. Moving my head strengthens the 3D effect.

That strengthening of the 3D effect is hard to describe, but this old video should get the point across a little..
[video=youtube;Jd3-eiid-Uw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw[/video]

I can remember a few years ago getting a shot of Psykokow's head tracker at an Elite Meet and being a bit disappointed. It turns out that most people don't set up their head trackers the way Johnny Chung Lee had his set. They use it more as a neck-operated controller.