3DTV Reviewer – 3DTV Reviews And Buying Guides

Archive for the ‘nVidia 3D’ Category

Now that 3DTV’s are becoming available, we’re not limited to 3D gaming using Nvidia’s 3D Vision solution and a PC monitor because PS3′s and XBox360′s can be connected to 3DTV’s, so perhaps it’s time to look again at Avatar The Game from Ubisoft, which can be played in 3D on PS3, XBox and Windows-DVD.

Regarding the game, Amazon say…

Immerse yourself in James Cameron’s world. – Peer deep into the heart of Pandora and see James Cameron’s universe, from your own perspective.
Engage in a massive conflict between two worlds. – Fight for you cause – RDA or Na’vi. Customize more than 60 RDA and Na’vi weapons, combined. Choose your skills: 20 for each clan. Drive all of the vehicles and ride the animals. Expand the battleground in online multiplayer. Develop your character and acquire new skills – Create your very own character and acquire skills as you progress through the game.

Regarding the tech specs, Ubisoft say…

1. Do I need to buy a special version of the game in order to play in 3D?

Absolutely not! Any Avatar: The Game DVD or Blu-Ray is capable of displaying the game on either traditional or 3D-enabled screens. Toggling between traditional and stereoscopic 3D is performed through the Options Screen accessed directly from the Main Menu.

2. Do I need a special TV or computer monitor to play the game in 3D?

Yes. Avatar: The Game has the option of outputting in most standard stereoscopic 3D formats, but a TV or monitor that is “3D-enabled” is necessary to decode and display the game in stereoscopic 3D.

3. What stereoscopic 3D signal formats is the game compatible with?

Avatar: The Game is able to output most 3D signal formats from your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, including: RealD, Sensio, side-by-side, line-interlaced, and full checkerboard. On the PC version, Avatar: The Game supports all of the previous formats plus the NVIDIA® 3D Vision™, iZ3D and dual head formats.

4. What type of 3D glasses do I need to play the game in 3D?

Since the type of glasses needed to view content in stereoscopic 3D changes depending on the television or computer monitor being used, make sure to check with your hardware manufacturer to determine the right set of glasses to match the TV or monitor you have at home. This is also the reason why 3D glasses are not being bundled with any version of the game.

5. Does my Xbox 360 have to be equipped with an HDMI output in order to play in stereoscopic 3D?

Not necessarily. Displaying the game in stereoscopic 3D depends mostly on the input requirements of your television or computer monitor (hardware). That being said, most of the 3D-enabled televisions tested during production required the use of an HDMI input in order to display any content in stereoscopic 3D.

6. What 3D-enabled TVs are currently on the market? …and are they compatible?

Although we are unable to provide an exhaustive list of all 3D-enabled television hardware that are compatible with the game, here is a sample list of 3D-enabled TVs that can display the game in stereoscopic 3D:

3D-Enabled TVs (*tested during development):

- Mitsubishi: WD-57833, WD-65833, WD-73833, WD-60737, WD-65837, WD-82737, WD-60735*, WD-65735, WD-65736, WD-73735, WD-73736, WD-65737, WD-73737, WD-82737, WD-73837, WD-82837, WD-65835, WD-73835, L65-A90.
- Samsung: HL-T5076S*, HL-T5087S, HL-T7288W, HL-T6189S, HL-61A750, HL-72A650, HL-T5089S, HL-T5676S, HL-T5687S, HL-T5689S, HL-T6176S, HL-T6187S, HL61A750, HL67A750, HL50A650, HL56A650, HL61A650, HL72A650.
- Hyundai: S465D*.
- JVC: 463D10*.

3D-Enabled PC Monitors (for use with PC version only; *tested during development):

- All NVIDIA® 3D Vision™* supported PC monitors and TVs

- Hyundai: W220S, W240S, P240W, S320D.
- Miracube: G240S, G320S, G460X.
- Zalman ZM-M220W.
- iZ3D*: H22OZ1-G01.

DISCLAIMER: List contents are subject to change. Compatibility is based on similar use of technology, and not an outright guarantee of compatibility. Many of the 3D-enabled technologies emerging on the market within the next few years should be compatible with the game (make sure to verify the signal format), but were not available at launch time.

So, when you get your hands on a shiny new 3DTV, don’t forget, you can play 3D games on it too!

To get your copy of Avatar, The Game, for PS3, PC-DVD or Xbox360 visit Avatar at Amazon

According to a press release from Associate Press, the boss of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, said…

Iwata also doesn’t expect 3D video-gaming to catch on, although he welcomed 3D movies at theaters like James Cameron’s hit ”Avatar.”

”I have doubts whether people will be wearing glasses to play games at home. How is that going to look to other people?” he said at a Tokyo hotel.

OK, so what planet is this guy on?

Seriously. I can only think he was mis-quoted, because gamers are likely to drive forward the adoption of 3D. Immersion into the game you’re playing is massively important, and 3D adds greatly to the current level of immersion. As for the comment about how it’s going to look to other people, who cares? Most of the time games are played solo, and if they’re not, each person will be wearing 3D glasses and immersed in the game. So the point is totally irrelevant unless he’s thinking about what Granny, sitting on the settee will think…?

Judging from some of the Amazon customer comments about Nvidia’s 3D kit for PC’s, Nintendo may be missing a 3D trick…

‘Wow ! They work !’

That was my initial ‘shock’ response as the drivers finished installing and I was treated to a fully 3D, out of the screen, Nvidia Logo; spinning around in front of my eyes !

This piece of kit is totally amazing and I have spent hours playing with games that have gathered dust for eons on my shelf to see them in glorious 3D.

RTS games look the business, as you stare at little 3D toy soldiers running around in front of your screen! Left 4 Dead is already a top game BUT try it in FREAKIN’ 3D and you can never go back to 2D again. I can only assume I am the first reviewer for these glasses as all the other owners haven’t been able to unplug themselves from their 3D games machines for a single second. Everyone I have demonstrated these to have had the same JAW-DROP response as I did. ‘WOW’.

If you’re itching to experience the new wave of 3D, then the computer you’re using may be the best place to start because you can begin immediately if you have the right kit. nVidia, the graphic card guys, have released their nVidia 3D Vision gaming system.

Basically, the “3D vision” kit from nVidia is a box containing special 3D glasses which work on the LCD active shutter technology, a dual-link DVI cable, a USB charger for the 3D glasses and an infrared transmitter. The NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Glasses box retails for about £100 from Amazon.co.uk.

But, before you get that box of tricks, you may want to consider that you’ll need a powerful monitor capable of refreshing the screen at 120 Hz, so that each eye gets its own image at 60Hz. At the moment, there are only two monitors in the UK that can do the job (Viewsonic VX2265wm and the Samsung SM2233RZ 22″), so it’s a fair bet that you’ll need one.

If you click this link you can get the nVidia 3D vision box AND the Samsung display as a bundle, just click the “Add Both To Basket” button on the page after it loads. Both together costs £353.25.

If you have an old computer, you’ll need to check whether or not it can handle the processing power required for 3D. You’ll need at least a 9600GT or equivalent with a dual-link DVI output.

When you’re happy that you have a 3D-compatible monitor, a graphics card with enough grunt, and the fancy 3D specs and transmitter from nVidia, it’s just a case of charging up the glasses using the supplied USB charger and running through the installation of the driver and configuration process. It’s not tricky, but the effect of the glasses does dim the display somewhat, so reach for the monitor’s brightness settings and boost them if you deem it necessary.

When you have everything set up, the effect is stunning. It’s not like, “woah, the bullet will come out of the screen and hit me”, like the cinematic effects, but more like looking into a 3D world within your monitor. On the immersion scale, it’s up there with “freaking cool”!

Nvidia themselves keep an up-to-date list of games which work with 3D, along with a rating system, which is useful. Most games, as far as I know, are coded to use the Z axis as well as X and Y, so the information is already there for the 3D processing to work with. The list of “excellent” and “good” 3D compatible games, at close to 400 titles, should be enough to satisfy most avid gamers. The only problem, is that some of the menu’s can float about awkwardly in 3D mode, but that’s a small concern relative to the immersion you get from the 3D experience.

A video review of the nVidia 3D Vision kit with a demonstration. Check out the woman’s reaction at 6 minutes, 10 seconds. That’s the closest anyone can get to describing the 3D effect to someone else!

A second review of Nvidia’s 3D vision system…