Neil: As for an editorial, I might be interested in doing that. While the Nvidia shift is significant, I'd rather like to address broader problems as I see them with the S-3D situation today. I by no means think the situation is hopeless, but I do think it needs help. I'd also like to hear flaws in my reasoning or any possible solutions to various problems as I see them.
As for being objective, I'd say my worst problem perspective-wise is that I enjoy playing older games, so I'm hoping for something resembling a cure-all API-based solution rather than focusing on just the newest ones (even though I realize that'where the money is in this). Really I'm more forgiving of stereo not working with the newest games since they've just come out and driver developers have to play catch-up. But a game that won't in S-3D that came out 5 years ago? That's when I start to get worried, because this should be nothing new and if it doesn't work in a driver release, who's going to care to update it? Even with the problems I've had with Nvidia's drivers, I could at least run any past D3D game and have a very good chance of being able to get SOMETHING to happen.
I want to
1. Sit down
2. Turn it on
3. Play in 3D
This is what everyone wants, but is this any different with Zalman only? I understand they still don't work with post processing, AA is a mixed bag, and you still have to tweak things like shadows, games not supporting them properly etc. I could be wrong here, but is there a substantial difference in the driver quality themselves as opposed to earlier ones from Nvidia?
I am sick of tweaking! We are FINALLY getting close to the "Total Solution" experience with IZ3D, Samsung/DDD, Vuzix, and others and it is all due to Nvidia pulling the plug
IZ3D I've had mixed experiences with. When I used the monitor in a demo store several months back, the ghosting I found to be quite substantial, worse than a CRT and shutterglasses. I've tried their anaglyph drivers recently and it didn't work on most of the games I tried it on (granted my selection is a little more varied). Additionally, There's no DX 6 or 7 support, which means older games are flat out dead for S-3D, something I care about. I think iz3d has a great deal of potential, but so far I feel like it's still kind of in infancy.
Samsung/DDD I don't know anything about I'm afraid. Vuzix has been developing their drivers on a per-game basis, also with no DX 6 or 7 support. Per-game doesn't sound like the future, it sounds like they'll have to make a really big jump in order for S-3D driver support to progress past a half-baked solution. I WILL say that Nvidia may be doing a service pulling the plug since even theirs I have issues with. In MANY fps's on Nvidia's drivers, in order to get what I consider "good" depth, I have to push the HUD and gun so far off the screen that it makes the game impractical to play. This wasn't the case with the old Elsa Revelator drivers nor does it seem to be with iz3d's.
