What makes the iZ3d Monitor Different?

[NOAH]

I'm looking at the iZ3d monitor but it has the exact same spec's as the monitor I'm currently using. Can't I just download the the drivers for use with my current monitor?

[cybereality]

The iz3d is really 2 monitor panels in one case, very different from whatever you may have. You can at least download the driver and test in out with regular red-blue 3d glasses but it won't be the best quality.

[yuriythebest]

yup- unlike 'flat' monitors this one outputs 2 images at once- one for each eye- which can then be viewed by polarized glasses (they look just like sunglasses). as cyberreality said, you can test it out on any monitor by using red/blue glasses but the effect will only be like 5-10% of what an actual 3d monitor does so it will sorta be like a taste

[LawnDart]

I think your video card needs two outputs for the IZ3D display too. Correct?

[yuriythebest]

I think your video card needs two outputs for the IZ3D display too. Correct?

very much so- you can have either one VGA and one DVI or two DVI outputs (the latter is recommended). The upcoming 26' iz3d may require only one output.

[CarlKenner]

What monitor are you currently using?

If you have an ordinary monitor, then the difference is that iZ3D can project each pixel differently to each eye, with full colour, so it looks exactly the same as a normal screen but with images that pop out in front of the screen or are deep within the screen. That only works when each eye sees a different thing, so if your normal monitor shows the same thing to both eyes, it will look flat. It is like the difference between a window and a large scenic photograph stuck to your wall. You can tell the photo is flat but that the things outside the window have real depth. Unlike a window, it can display things in front of the window too.

If you are using another brand of stereoscopic 3D monitor, like the Zalman, or a Pavonine Miracube, or a 3D DLP TV, or a Sharp 3D screen, then the difference is that the iZ3D has full resolution when in 3D mode, while the other monitors only have half the number of pixels when in 3D mode. And the iZ3D has better support staff.

You can still use iZ3D drivers on your normal monitor, but you will need red/cyan or red/blue 3D glasses, which don't let you see colours properly (especially red), make the image dark and blurry, have ghosting, give your brain conflicting signals about what colours everything is so that all the colours seem to rapidly flash from one to the other, and make your eyes see strange colours for 10 minutes after you take the glasses off. The iZ3D can use colourless polarised filters to prevent all those problems, but polarised filters do nothing on a normal monitor. I still recommend trying the red/cyan glasses, but they aren't as good as full-colour 3D.

You can still use iZ3D drivers on your competing brand 3D monitor, but then you have to pay iZ3D for the drivers.

[jumbo_spaceman]

I just got the iz3d monitor and I'm in the process of mailing it back on the grounds that it is a piece of crap. The left view looks like some psychodelic hallucination where the image is made of blown out bands of orange and purple. The driver destroys my desktop and stretches it across both of the stacked panels so I have to drag the pointer across two desktops to be able to see it in my left eye (the right one is barely visible). This anomaly turns on and off at random making it more confusing. The 3d effect in games is a ghosty mess and doesn't even approach the immersion of anaglyph ! On top of all that, the monitor has a shiny dead pixel that is bothersome to look at. After spending a few days reading FAQs, scanning these forums, and fiddling with every setting available, I tossed the thing back in the box and hope to never see that crappy Russian scam contraption again. Instead of entertainment and relaxation I got a few days of frustration and a 25% restocking fee ! I'll wait for Nvidia to make its move and never deal with these amateurs again. At least Nvidia has enough sway in the industry to establish a working 3d standard - and a big enough pool of experts to do the job right.

I know some of you might say I got a bad monitor and that I should send it back to get a working model. To be honest, I would try that if I had time, but the ghosting and weird behavior of the iz3d makes it pointless for me to go to so much trouble. I'm too busy working my ass off doing my job well to deal with amateurs who can't do theirs. I seem to recall their attempt to include support for shutter glasses... At this point I'm not even inclined to buy such a driver from them if it does exist in the future.

[warface]

Hi Jumbo_Spaceman,

I am sorry to hear about your problems with the iZ3D monitor. We take these concerns very seriously and are always willing to offer support to you.

From the sounds of your post, it looks like the iZ3D drivers may not have installed correctly. The incorrect installation is known to cause the purplish tint you will see in your left eye. Our support staff are trained to find out why your computer may not have installed this correctly, or if your using the correct version of the iZ3D drivers.

The drivers also have a "Mouse Lock " feature, and when activated, it will keep the mouse pointer and OS windows from finding their way to the front panel.

We are also coming up with a way to intuitively show the user how to adjust a 3D setting where you get the most depth, and less ghosting.

Dead pixels are common in monitors and most manufacturers won't offer a return unless it shows 5 - 6 dead pixels. There are different ways to fix a dead pixel. Anything from dead pixel fixing programs to manually massaging the pixel on the panel itself. Again, our support staff are trained to help in these situations.

As for the rest of your accusations, I can only say that we have worked very hard at 3D and I assure you, that we have the best people here working on this project. Our shutter glasses support is only an extra project to help the 3D community as a whole. When you purchased your monitor, there was no shutter glasses support included with that, hence....our support for other 3D solutions is only a way to help revive the entire idea of 3D gaming. Thomas Edison didn't succeed at the light bulb the first time either.

Finally, the iZ3D solution is an American product. Not Russian. We happen to be in San Diego, CA.

We ask that you contact our support staff, if you choose to do so. www.iz3d.com/support

Regards,

Warface

[nubie]

I just got the iz3d monitor and I'm in the process of mailing it back on the grounds that it is a piece of crap. The left view looks like some psychodelic hallucination where the image is made of blown out bands of orange and purple.

It really sounds like you didn't install it properly, what color depth and drivers did you use?

The driver destroys my desktop and stretches it across both of the stacked panels so I have to drag the pointer across two desktops to be able to see it in my left eye (the right one is barely visible). This anomaly turns on and off at random making it more confusing.

If your desktop is that messed up I don't see how it is the drivers fault, you need to examine windows multi-display and/or nvidia's multi-display and see what is going wrong. (are you very familiar with how windows and nVidia use multi-display and detect monitors?)

The 3d effect in games is a ghosty mess and doesn't even approach the immersion of anaglyph ! On top of all that, the monitor has a shiny dead pixel that is bothersome to look at. After spending a few days reading FAQs, scanning these forums, and fiddling with every setting available, I tossed the thing back in the box and hope to never see that crappy Russian scam contraption again. Instead of entertainment and relaxation I got a few days of frustration and a 25% restocking fee ! I'll wait for Nvidia to make its move and never deal with these amateurs again. At least Nvidia has enough sway in the industry to establish a working 3d standard - and a big enough pool of experts to do the job right.

I know some of you might say I got a bad monitor and that I should send it back to get a working model. To be honest, I would try that if I had time, but the ghosting and weird behavior of the iz3d makes it pointless for me to go to so much trouble. I'm too busy working my ass off doing my job well to deal with amateurs who can't do theirs. I seem to recall their attempt to include support for shutter glasses... At this point I'm not even inclined to buy such a driver from them if it does exist in the future.

nVidia doesn't have the desire to establish a working 3D standard, they want it all to themselves, and can't be bothered with making anything to a standard, they just want $$.

iZ3D is trying to get shutter support, it is not their fault that nVidia has not provided the info necessary for shutter glasses to work, your beef is with nVidia.


Honestly you can't come on here and just throw this up without dealing with iZ3D about this. Start a thread in the iZ3D section of the forums, or email/phone them. I am sure they will try to help you. You do need to understand some things going in, or be ready to accept their instructions to help you get it done right.

[LawnDart]

Crop circles and polluted water are nVidia's fault too.

[jumbo_spaceman]

Just venting due to frustration. Excuse me. I guess I'll mess with this thing some more . I was upset because of how much I paid for the monitor which doesn't work as advertised (or nearly at all) out of the box. As for Nvidia establishing a 3d standard...

nVidia doesn't have the desire to establish a working 3D standard, they want it all to themselves, and can't be bothered with making anything to a standard, they just want $$.

I think it would be in their best interest to do so in order to get said $$. Moreover, they don't really have to WANT to establish a standard. And what I'm talking about is their ability to promote the technology and persuade monitor manufacturers to conform to standards suitable for use with 3d hardware like Shutter glasses. The existing monitors can then be harnessed by anyone with the know-how to produce shutter drivers. I'm not saying that Nvidia doesn't want to maximize its market share. Businesses tend to do that. But by making S3d part of its business and promoting the experience on a large scale (as Nvidia can) it will cause the casual user to take note - along with businesses which didn't previously consider it worthwhile to develop products for S3D.

Sorry to hijack the thread. Thanks for the response.

[LawnDart]

One of the cool things that the nVidia solution will have is the ability to have 2 monitors on your system. As long as the stereo monitor is the primary monitor in the driver you have 2 displays as well as having stereo on one of them. I look forward to this because I always use 2 monitors for other work and I want to run stereo too. That is how the Zalman works too.