Projector VS HMD.

[Terminator]

I'm well into my simulation games, flight sim, race sim i like it all, i have always been fascinated with VR aspects to gaming and can remember countless 'cockpit' setups starting with games on the C64.

I'm setting up a games room at the mo, i have the space and the money so i thought why the hell not.
I want to create an immersive experience, obviously it wont be anything like what could be created with expensive hardware and i have a budget of about a grand maximum for the display system.

2 options for this are:

Wide throw DLP projector + curved screen + shutter glasses.

Or vuzix VR920 head mounted display http://www.vuzix.com/iwear/products_vr920.html

Here are the points i have noted.

DLP projector, screen, shutter glasses.
Pros:
*Very wide view, covering peripheral vision, potentially very immersive.
*Higher resolution (1024x768 native projector)

Cons:
*Cost.. wide throw projector, screen, glasses and the signal reverser used for projected image would cost ?1000 or thereabouts.
*Space, would use the whole room.
*Lack of true head tracking capability (i do not like amplified head tracking, i.e turning your head 1degree turns the screen by 10degrees), however due to 'wrap around' curved screen there would be a certain element of 'looking about', just not completely to the side or behind.
*Energy costs, projector uses 300watts, HMD uses about 100 times less.
*Lamp life, 4000hrs is pretty good but the HMD LCD displays would last a decade.
*Poor stereoscopy, using the shutter glasses, flickering dull image etc.

VR920
Pros:
*Cheaper at ?250 for the set
*True stereoscopy (image for each eye)
*Much less energy usage and longer life than projector
*Built in headtracking, as it's a HMD you can 'look around' the environment.

Cons:
*Poor resolution, 640x480 screens for each eye, not as good colour as projector
*Poor field of view, 32 degrees.....humans is 180 and the projector would provide about 160, this gives a 'tunnel vision' effect which takes away from immersion.
*Antisocial, when i have mates over it would be fun having the projector.

Opinions?
Has anyone set up anything like this?

 

[Pesmerga]

Sorry but where are the protein shakes.

 

[Terminator]

Sorry but where are the protein shakes.

I havn't had the pleasure of downing one for a while now.

I still have about 3 kilos of new zealand whey protein in a tub.

Relevance to thread topic?

 

[Asus]

Sounds like the VR920 would be right what you are looking for. Fewer cons, cheaper and it gives the VR experience better.

Only reason I'd go the other route is if you could use a big projector for other uses/games. Or if you like the ability to just sit down and game without putting a head piece on. Aware of what else is going on in the room besides the game (never mind, noticed shutter glasses). Or if the VR920 had limited compatibility with games that you wanted to use it with (shutter glasses might too I guess).

 

[Beerdude26]

A pretty weird idea of mine:

Get an infrared sender and receiver and have it control a freely-rotating pylon which the projector is fixed to. So this way, if you move your head to the right, the entire projection is moved to the right, and if you look up, the entire projection is moved up.

You'll need an orb-shaped room for it, and looking straight down will have it project on you instead of the floor (and up is impossible because the projector is there), so that's a con, but it'd be INCREDIBLY AWESOME.

One sec, I'll make a picture.
EDIT: Here we go:

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08172/new_bitmap_image__3_941.gif

EDIT2:

On second thought, that seems a bit too impractical, this would be a better idea:

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08172/copy_of_new_bitmap_image__3_995.gif

You yourself would still be standing on a transparent platform, but the projector is outside of the orb but the image is projected onto the orb. A wheeled system (preferably electromagnets for fast movement + complete freedom of movement) would be used to move the projector. This would probably work well, although it'd be ridiculously expensive lol

 

[Pesmerga]

Now he just needs an orb shaped room. Do they rent out Imax theaters?

 

[Terminator]

A pretty weird idea of mine:

Get an infrared sender and receiver and have it control a freely-rotating pylon which the projector is fixed to. So this way, if you move your head to the right, the entire projection is moved to the right, and if you look up, the entire projection is moved up.

You'll need an orb-shaped room for it, and looking straight down will have it project on you instead of the floor (and up is impossible because the projector is there), so that's a con, but it'd be INCREDIBLY AWESOME.

One sec, I'll make a picture.
EDIT: Here we go:

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08172/new_bitmap_image__3_941.gif

EDIT2:

On second thought, that seems a bit too impractical, this would be a better idea:

http://xs226.xs.to/xs226/08172/copy_of_new_bitmap_image__3_995.gif

You yourself would still be standing on a transparent platform, but the projector is outside of the orb but the image is projected onto the orb. A wheeled system (preferably electromagnets for fast movement + complete freedom of movement) would be used to move the projector. This would probably work well, although it'd be ridiculously expensive lol

Crazy but interesting idea!

You could equally build a helmet with the projector built into the top....