Valve HMD coming up?

[jojon]

Filled solid with cast resin.

[Sjef]

I was just reading the conference call transcript from Emagin and it seems that they’re going to make the displays, although this actually might be the 2nd gen of the Valve HMD (?) since it sounds like it’s still quite some time away:

One of our Tier 1 consumer electronics partners approved our microdisplay design this quarter. This design has been given to our foundry partner to manufacture the initial wafers. After we receive the wafers, we will directly pattern the OLED. Our consumer electronics partner needs very high brightness; very high resolution, which is needed in order to get a wide large field of view; and no screen door effect. We are the only company with the design and the OLED process capable of making this display. If all goes according to plan, we expect to deliver those prototypes for the consumer electronics company in the second quarter of 2019.

and:

Yes, I think that the event for us will be the actual of this display, it’s a prototype coming out, and we – this consumer company is very interesting to us, because they will allow us to sell the displays to other companies, once they have it and taken a look at it. So I think the event will be that when you see this display, it’s a VR display, this is the display that everyone needs. And one of the reasons I can’t help but think, the VR space doesn’t take off today or hasn’t taken off today, is the displays aren’t what’s needed. This display is. It meets the qualifications, very high resolution, very high speed, some of the things we’ve put in it like addressing all the pixels at once, a global addressing, high brightness, very high brightness, full-color display, that’s what’s needed. So we are very enthusiastic about having this customer see this display.

and why I think their partner is Valve:

Really, the partner will allow us to sell to other companies. Let me give you a few examples. There are many different people in this AR/VR space, who are interested in having a takeoff because they have other things to sell and the 2 obvious ones are chips for GPU/CPU and software. So this company might be one of those, and they want to have the market takeoff, they’re not necessarily going to be the premier headset manufacturer in the world or a headset seller in the world, but they want this market to takeoff. That’s what I’m talking about. They like us to sell the display to everyone.

Source:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/edited-transcript-eman-earnings-conference-211623091.html

So we’re looking at a very high res, OLED panel suitable for wide FoV. The bad news is that we’re still half a year away from the prototype (!) and thus probably 1-2 years from mass production. Let’s hope Valve is now working on Gen1 and that this panel is for their Gen2.

[Heliosurge]

@Sjef

So we’re looking at a very high res, OLED panel suitable for wide FoV. The bad news is that we’re still half a year away from the prototype and thus probably 1-2 years from mass production. Let’s hope Valve is now working on Gen1 and that this panel is for their Gen2.

Awesome find. Valve is definitely progressive. They were smart opening the tracking system up; while having companies buy LH modules from them.

[Frc]

@Sjef

, because t hey will allow us to sell the displays to other companies, once they have it and taken a look at it . So I think the event will be that when you see this display, it’s a VR display, this is the display that everyone needs.

If we take in consideration that APPLE, LG and Valve were interested party in Emagin surely make sens to say : One of our Tier 1 consumer electronics partner=Valve…

Don’t see Apple or LG giving a free pass to other companies. Really nice finding any hint on the resolution of those OLED panels?

[Frc]

eMagin

“eMagin is introducing an OLED microdisplay with true 2k x 2k (2048 x 2048 pixels) with fill factor over 70% specifically to address the needs of the VR market”

Could be a more rectangular version of their 2K OLED microdisplay XXXX x 2048

[burstingtops]

The window is slowly closing for Pimax to exploit the niche market between major headset generations.

[Heliosurge]

I dunno no 1 really aiming this high except enterprise market prices.

[IG88]

if thats the case then we are talking about 2020 for the Valve hmd and by then the next nvidia generation will be out and eye tracking might be a thing by then
if they sync that with knuckeles and HL VR a lot of people might loose interest in vr or the all in one units will take over (the Oculus ques has some potential and facebook has the money to make that happen)
lets hope Valve release knuckels and HL VR without the new hmd

[burstingtops]

There’s a strong enough brand following for the other headset makers that just being newer will be enough to displace sales from Pimax even if it’s technically more advanced. Add plug-and-playability and better support, features like wireless and foveated rendering, and many people may still give Pimax a pass who wouldn’t if it was the only alternative to 1 gen HMDs.

[sk1]

I dont know what to think about this.

Whether or not this is true m I think we can all be quite sure one of the big boys is going to come up with something soonish to compete with Pimax, and that thing is annoyingly likely to have smaller FOV (probably around 130 horizontal) but better distortion, colours, blacks etc.

And this is why I don’t know what to think.

Right now the decision is easy: there is nothing on the market that even comes close to the awesomeness of the Pimax FOV. It is enough of a stepup to mitigate the LCD panels, shit software, distortion etc etc… so the decision is easy. We buy it and we ignore the flaws, just how we ignored the flaws of the Rift/Vive because we had no choice.

But when these things start coming out 2019/2020 we will have more of a dilemma. Can we accept the poor blacks, shit software and edge distortion of the Pimax for an extra few degrees of FOV or will be start sacrificing the lovely FOV so we get better blacks etc…

I don’t want that day to come! I hate choices! Having said that it’s good for VR, and also I hope Pimax will be working on a much better OLED RGB 8K+ which will remain a fair bit ahead of the competition.

One thing is clear: Pimax have made a massive impact but they have NOT won the war yet. It has just started. If they think they can hire a few people and start mass marketing the 5K+ and win a big chunk of the VR market they will likely be wrong. What will happen is these other more highly polished systems will come out, people will not want to risk a Pimax for simply a few extra FOV degrees and Pimax will be as irrelevant as they always have been and they will have done enough to cover their costs and make a bit of profit.

The ball is in their court though. If they capitalise on being the industry leaders at the moment and invest in VERY good PR, marketing, sales, customer service and most importantly stay ahead of the competition by ploughing money into R and D, paying for the best optics scientists out there and spending a bit of money trialling several lenses until they get it right then they will remain out of reach. If they do this and produce an awesome 8K+ with zero distortion, RGB OLED with great blacks and colours and let’s say 160-170 FOV (it doesn’t quite have to be Starting VR levels of FOV) then they will stay out of reach and really cement themselves as big players in the VR world.

What I’m saying is I think what worries me is that this sort of HMD by their competitors may close the gap too much.

[Heliosurge]

Plug N Play is the Windows 10 idea with Microsoft Sponsored headsets (WMR). Prior to this was the OSVR idea. Now HTC has taken steps likely with Valves urgings has code in the linux kernel.

[Frc]

@burstingtops

There’s a strong enough brand following for the other headset makers that just being newer will be enough to displace sales from Pimax even if it’s technically more advanced.

Sorry to disagree here but Pimax it’s not so more technically advanced, they are just one cycle early and it’s because they are targeting a niche market of power home users in which other makers don’t see a profit in the near term. Pimax is pushing Gen1 specs to its limits making it a border line Gen2 headset

Very happy for us but objectively we can say that. HTC, Valve, Oculus, Google could build a Pimax Headsets in just a few months if they wishes too but this product wouldn’t fit well in the port folio of a big corporate cie like them.

Pimax Technical advances

Tracking : Third party, no valve
Oled Hi-res : no
4K LCD :Third party, would not say “enthusiasm” about the one in the 8K
Lens : yes somewhat an advancement if we forget distortion at the edges on the 170 degrees FOV
Brain Warp : ??
Chip driving the LCD : Third party, the same as the Vive Pro
Ergonomic : remain to be seen
Hand motion sensors: Third party
Eyes tracking : Third party, remain to be seen
Motion Controller : remain to be seen
GPU ; Third party Nivdia

This doesn’t remove any credit from Pimax doing a good integration job, but can’t call it major technical advancements from Pimax

[Heliosurge]

That’s why I would say if not gen 2 & Vive Pro 1.5, than pimax is 1.75

[Frc]

@Heliosurge

That’s why I would say if not gen 2 & Vive Pro 1.5, than pimax is 1.75

Ok just for bitching a little maybe HTC wouldn’t be able to build a 5K+ on their own

[Heliosurge]

Yeah but then we"d have to complain it’s not 5k it’s half. lol

is it Dell that has the real $1k 5k Pro Monitor?

[D3Pixel]

@sk1

What I’m saying is I think what worries me is that this sort of HMD by their competitors may close the gap too much.

Easy solution, just lower the price.

[Davobkk]

Interesting!! Is that confrence call from earler this year or more recent? No dobut it’s Valve their refering to

So far theres two different stories being reported. Upload claim 135FOV with Vive resolution. Then you have Valve news claiming 150FOV with even higher res. Both these reports claim to have credible sources… One of them must be talking shit

Perhaps your right that they might release a CV1 first and their seting up supply lines with for a future CV2 model although it doesnt make sense they would flood the market with this low spec crap were used to

Aparently their hardware team and manufacturing plant is now bigger than their software department. If their going to release anything Im sure it will be huge. Perhaps they might use those 1200ppi Samsung screens in the meantime. Who knows

[burstingtops]

I don’t think we can say exactly where Pimax 5K/8K falls in the generation range until more companies release their next offerings.

[Frc]

@burstingtops

I don’t think we can say exactly where Pimax 5K/8K falls in the generation range until more companies release their next offerings.

In a way it’s purely a question of definition, in my book gen 2 should included eyes tracking and wider FOV. In that sens StarVr One is NextGen when it hit the market

[D3Pixel]

That critical review about the Pimax HMD, the guy has Knuckle EV3 controllers and is hinting about waiting for GDC 2019

So we can probably assume a new HMD. A new HMD with Knuckles and wide FOV.
And with the leaked photo’s…
And Alan Yates from Valve follows his Twitter channel.