3D Vision!!!

Ever since we got a free Nvidea demo of their new 3d Vision product at work I’ve been contemplating picking it up.  In fact, I decided immediately I would, it was just a matter of when, since I’m focusing on bringing down my debt (and have finally started to make real progress).

Basically, how it works is you install some new nvidea drivers that take any DirectX game and interpret its z-axis data to create a stereoscopic image.  Your monitor flashes both images several times a second and a pair of glasses syncs up via infrared to the monitor and you get amazing 3d vision.  Some friends and I saw U23D in Imax last year and it was amazing, and this uses the same technology.  You don’t have to wear those stupid red and blue glasses, and the image you see is in full color.  From what I’ve heard it isn’t plagued by the headaches and eye-strain the Imax version came with because it’s on a personal sized monitor viewed head-on.

I’ve wanted it for weeks, but did the smart thing and didn’t buy it.  Because the screen has to flash 2 images at such a fast rate it needs a 120hz monitor to work, and LCD monitors of today are only 60hz (the 120hz monitors give 60hz for each eye), so I’d have to buy a new monitor on top of the glasses.  Nvidea offers an upgrade package that includes a new monitor, but it was expensive.  Fortunately my current graphics card already supports it, so I don’t need to buy a new card.

And then things started working in my favor.  Right after paying a grand to my debt (woot!) I got a letter in the mail from HSBC.  I was worried it was a statement telling me I’d forgotten about some other debt and would owe more, but it was a letter telling me I’d been overpaying a debt that was finished being paid off months ago, so it was a check for the extra money I’d been sinking into it for those months.  Then Dann agreed to buy my current secondary 19 inch widescreen monitor.  AND I filed my income tax return.  So money came flowing.  Enough to buy the upgrade kit with some left over for more debt payment!

So I ordered it last night!  Should take a week or two to arrive from Nvidea.  And now I can’t wait.  I have Fear 2, but I’m going to wait till I get the 3d glasses with monitor and experience the game in 3d!  Gunna be awesome.  All the reviews for both Fear 2 and the 3d glasses technology has been overwhelmingly positive, so I think it’s gunna be a blast.  A 3rd dimension could truly revolutionize gaming now that the technology is available for the home-market.  And it’s a new tech at that, so the price will most likely come down within the next year or two and make it more accessible to the average consumer!