[Wear-Hard] On head mounted displays

[tetsu yatsu]

I was asked for a review of the HeadPlay head mounted display, but I had
some more general thoughts as this is my first head mounted display.

The HeadPlay DOES carry a very decent 1024x768 XGA display. Xrandr doesn't
show modes for 1280x720 HD720p widescreen, so I haven't been able to try it
yet.

Complaints I've read about the headplay vary from the lame - 'this isn't a
movie theater on my head', to the mundane but interesting - 'when I look to
the sides I see dark spots?'.  There is a kind of mild fish-eye distortion
in the middle of your field of vision that could get disorienting after a
while, but more importantly the corners are usually unreadable - and only
readable with some eye strain. Edges are not much kinder to the eye muscles.

Darting your eyes too fast also shows an afterimage of each pixel's color as
it refreshes. I'm not sure why it seems to refresh one color after another,
if my refresh rate is really 1/3 of what they say.

But none of these things are problems if you are watching the center of the
screen.

The video games unanimously agree that first person shooters are great on
this device. RC aviators love it for looking through their remote controlled
planes. Anything where you keep your eyes mainly focused on the center of
the image, jumping around the middle mostly, the Headplay has gotten good
reviews.

In fact, it might be better to focus your vision forward, and use some means
of moving data in front of your accessible. Not just a headtracker to move
your head around in a fanciful 3d simulation world, but a headtracker to pan
around a desktop, or another method of bringing data to the front of vision.
I shouldn't have to reach my eyes to the corners of the screen to see
something. This will have to be part of my interface.

Also, though the stereo thing is cool and all, and it really does seem like
I'm sitting in the 10th row of a movie theater, I think I've really always
wanted a monocle.

Certainly, this thing won't be good for more than it's intended purpose -
stationary Personal Cinema - without some modifications.

Now to open this thing up :).

If anyone wants pictures or information, tell me what of and I'll take em.
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