Sony Corp says it is set to start selling a head-mounted display that provides a 3D theater of music videos, movies and games, targeting people who prefer solitary entertainment rather than sitting in front of a TV with family or friends.
The company said yesterday that the ￥60,000 (US$800) “HMZ personal 3D viewer” is set to go on sale on Nov. 11 in Japan and it is planned for the US and Europe, perhaps in time for Christmas, although dates have not yet been set.
Resembling a futuristic visor, HMZ, which stands for “head-mounted display,” is worn like chunky goggle and earphones in one.
Photo: AFP
The footage before the viewer — a music video of a Japanese singer in the demonstration for reporters in Tokyo — is crystal-clear and feels like peering into a doll’s house in which a real-life tiny singer is moving.
It seems unlikely that most people — or even technology enthusiasts — will want to buy a product that involves sitting alone and wearing a little helmet.
The HMZ might not be Sony’s long-awaited answer to Apple Inc’s iPod or iPad, but just another quirky device packed with cutting-edge technology that is headed for a very limited niche following.
A 3D wearable gaming machine, Virtual Boy from Nintendo Co, which went on sale in the 1990s bombed, partly because of the bulky headgear that was required, as well as the image being all red.
Sony’s latest product is far more sophisticated.
Sony officials said the gadget delivers the immersive experience of home-theater, or the equivalent of sitting in one of the best seats of a movie theater.
The machine, which hooks up to a Blu-ray disc player or a games machine, is targeting people who want to enjoy movies or games alone.
The HMZ is not recommended for people 15 years old or younger because some medical experts believe overly stimulating imagery is not good for teenagers because their brains are still developing, Sony vice president Shigeru Kato said.
On the plus side, consumers are growing more accustomed to 3D these days, with the arrival of 3D TVs and games machines.
Kato noted the most popular movies last year, including Avatar and Toy Story 3, were screened in 3D.
The HMZ uses Sony’s own OLED screen, a relatively new kind of display that relays superb image quality and color, compared with the more prevalent LCD and plasma displays used in laptops and flat-panel TVs.
Kato said the major challenge had been making a very small display without compromising image quality.
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