Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer Review - Watch CNET's Video Review. Back in the 1990s, giddy with the promise of this new thing called "cyberspace," video arcades around the country started birthing games with a newfangled VR (virtual reality) headset.
The new games enabled players to stand in a little box that resembled a cherry picker (without crane attached) and shoot at pterodactyls and interact with blocky "Money For Nothing" characters. Fast-forward 15 years and Sony is giving the personal 3D device a second run with its HMZ-T1 headset, just minus the VR. The HMZ-T1 was first shown off at CES 2011, where it was given the dubious nickname of Headman--you know, like Walkman. But as the Walkman had little to do with feet, I think the T1 would be more aptly named the Couchman. Design and features The HMZ-T1 "3D personal cinema" consists of two small OLED screens inside a big headset with built-in stereo headphones. The headset weighs almost a pound at 14.8 oz, which Sony describes as "surprisingly lightweight. " Sony HMZ-T1 headset hits IFA, we go hands-on (video) Easily the most unusual highlight of today's Sony IFA press conference, the HMZ-T1 goes where many other companies have tried and failed.
The head-mounted display, first introduced as a prototype back in January at CES, has finally graduated into a real product. The device is aimed at gamers and TV watchers, generating a 3D image with use of a pair of 0.7-inch OLED panels, which each display separate images, doing away with the ghost imagery that often comes along with 3D displays. The device is a solid piece of hardware, just what one would expect from Sony -- especially for a piece of hardware that'll run you around $600 when it hits the US around the November / December time frame.
Check out a hands-on video of the device after the break. Sony HMZ-T1 hands-on See all photos 6 Photos Comments. HANDS-ON REVIEW: Sony Personal 3D Viewer (HMZ-T1) Sony's Personal 3D Viewer headset first wowed us back in January of this year at CES in Las Vegas.
A head-mounted, personal 3D experience, it channelled Tron cool and all the promise of the Lawnmower Man before history had made VR-style headsets seem utterly ridiculous. However, it was a prototype at that stage, with no concrete plans to bring the unit to the consumer market. Fast-forward to IFA 2011 and Sony responded to the phenomenal buzz generated by the kit by revealing the Viewer would make its way to select stores. Finally up for pre-order, Tech Digest went hands-on today for a comprehensive, hands-on testing session with the Sony Personal 3D Viewer (HMZ-T1).
Read on for our thoughts on Sony's snazziest bit of AV gear in years. You can't help but be drawn to the Sony Personal 3D Viewer. Inside this casing is where the magic happens. With no internal battery powering the headset, Sony have popped a small processor unit alongside the HMZ-T1. Review - Sony 3D Personal Viewer HMZ-T1 Review.
Electronista Rating: Product Manufacturer: Sony Price: $800 Great, forward-thinking external design.
Attractive 3D OLED displays. Truly immersive. Too front-heavy and slightly unwieldy. For those who remember the 1990's, much of the technology talk at the time surrounded the concept of virtual reality, or VR. Enter the Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer. Design The hardware conveys a sense of being generally well-made, if slightly flimsy, particularly around the earpieces.
Stylistically, the HMZ-T1 does look great.