Blur Busters Forums

Awesome stuff. Keep us updated. I was looking into the LG Hecto laser projection system, but this seems like something I can play around with for a lot cheaper.

BTW, how are the viewing angles with your screen material and/or others?

flood wrote:because most content is intended to be displayed in the rec709 color space. if you show those content on a wide gamut display, they will be oversaturated and some colors could have the wrong hue.

if you're viewing natural content (i.e. pictures, videos of real life), that's an issue
if you're viewing artificial content like video games, then whatever... just know that what youre seeing is probably not what the creator of the content intended for you to see.
if you're creating content for others, its an issue as viewers of the content will see an image much less saturated than you intend

the advantage of larger gamuts is their ability to display both wide-gamut content and typical content, provided that some sort of color management is available

but laser displays have some complications... http://www.avsforum.com/forum/286-lates ... ction.html

I agree with you 100%
But..
The showwx+ pico projector can do 'typical content' for natural viewing as well with it's on-board software option to clip the peaks of the laser light to natural colors. I use the laser display to check photos taken with my 35mm Kodak Portra film stock. The skin tones look great in showwx's 'normal color mode' and are more accurate than my color calibrated flatscreen monitors.
But for playing NES or Sega games (or any other videogame) the Vibrant mode is unparalleled!

aeliusg wrote: I was looking into the LG Hecto laser projection system, but this seems like something I can play around with for a lot cheaper.

The LG Hecto uses laser light consisting of 36 blue laser diodes embedded in the projection unit. Its phosphor wheel based and is not as nice and wide as the showwx in terms of color gamut. (But its brighter. lol)

aeliusg wrote:BTW, how are the viewing angles with your screen material and/or others?

On the Polaroid Professional Passport Photo Retractable White Screen (Front projected) the brightest viewing angle is square on in the middle. (But everyone can see from all viewing angles better and brighter than just pointing it at a white wall or posterboard.

My other special rear projection screen (black) has wide OLED like viewing angles in contrast.

why did microvision stop making this thing?

They put the ShowWX on the market at a huge loss per unit.
The lasers alone cost over $900 alone.
They sold them at a loss to the public to shop the I.P. around to other companies thinking they could recoup the losses.
They never wanted to sell these to the public but rather to an OEM.
The only way Microvision could get the product in the market was to sell it at a loss. I believe the main value of the ShowWX was to sell Microvision stock.
When no OEM would bite for the expensive untested tech they didn't have any other choice but to sell them as stand alone units and hopefully a company would partner with them.
Apple looked into them for a while but backed ot when they noticed the power consumption was prohibitive to iphones.
Pioneer partnered with them to create the expensive cyber-navi HUD but it was too expensive and could be done for less money using LEDs or LCOS so they dropped Microvision.
Microvision is in so much debt right now that investors have all jump ship. They are not coming out with a new model anytime soon (if ever).
The unfortunate thing is we don't have access to Microvisions new 720p 25 lumen model that was used in the HUD displays and they still own the I.P. so I think they are just going to sit on the patent till it isn't relevant anymore. (Holographic laser light steering via interference pattern gratings is the future anyways, not a resonant MEMS micro mirror like in the showwx. But for now, in late 2014, its the best laser tech we have available to us.)
Maybe one of the 720p units could be savaged from a one of the HUDs?

The ribbon cables from the 720p RGB laser module would probably be plug n play with the previous showwx+ tech. That would solve the HDMI and VGA port hook up problem to the 720p module.

The point about eye safety is a good one. I'm wondering what would happen if one used the SHOWWX+ as a rear projection device, and the mirror scanning stops for some reason; would the laser cut through the film if it stayed on one place? That could be a hazard.

A Singaporean seller on Ebay has these available for $150+$22 shipping with "Iconnect" branding:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IConnect-Laser- ... 35ce43a75d

Is this the real deal?

Amalion wrote: I'm wondering what would happen if one used the SHOWWX+ as a rear projection device, and the mirror scanning stops for some reason; would the laser cut through the film if it stayed on one place?

It has safe guards to make sure that never happens. There is a diode receiver that checks the output. If the mirror gets stuck or any other fault it would shut down.

aeliusg wrote:A Singaporean seller on Ebay has these available for $150+$22 shipping with "Iconnect" branding:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IConnect-Laser- ... 35ce43a75d

Is this the real deal?

Yes it's the real deal BUT I would spend the extra money and get the showwx+ or showwx+ HDMI.
Both of those units have DOUBLE the light output of the showw original (or Iconnect in this case). (All Iconnect is, is a showwx original rebranded for sales outside the states. If it says 'PicoP' then its microvision laser tech.)

The color mixing is better with the showwx+ and showwx+ HDMI than it is with the first gen laser projectors such as showwx, Uniden, Iconnect.

Trust me you will be MUCH happier with your purchase if you get the + or +HDMI model for gaming.

Light23 wrote:showwx+ or showwx+ HDMI.
Both of those units have DOUBLE the light output of the showw original (or Iconnect in this case). (All Iconnect is, is a showwx original rebranded for sales outside the states. If it says 'PicoP' then its microvision laser tech.)

The color mixing is better with the showwx+ and showwx+ HDMI than it is with the first gen laser projectors such as showwx, Uniden, Iconnect.

Trust me you will be MUCH happier with your purchase if you get the + or +HDMI model for gaming

OK, thanks. Wasn't paying enough attention and didn't notice there were two versions.

Light23 wrote:But for playing NES or Sega games (or any other videogame) the Vibrant mode is unparalleled!

OK, I have to know, do you use filters (e.g. NTSC) or straight "RGB" blocky pixels?