Display (x2):
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 native
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Display Type: 0.74 inch LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon)
- Brightness: 120 cd/m2 (nits)
- Contrast: 1200 at f/2.8
- 10% transparent
Viewing and Audio:
- 2D and 3D-ready
- 45 degrees diagonal field of view
- 100 inches at 10 feet (at 3 m) virtual image
- 240 fps sequential color (80 fps per color)
- 100:1 contrast ratio
- 30 bit RGB color depth (24 bit RGB input)
- 24 bit stereo audio
Size and Weight:
- Goggle
- 6.3 ounces (180 grams)
- 7.1″ x 1.8″ x 7.1″ (180mm x 45mm x 180mm)
- Controller
- 5.6 ounces (160 grams)
- 4.7″ x 2.8″ x 0.6″ – (120mm x 70mm x 15mm)
Power:
- 7 Watts
- USB powered
- 5 hour mobile battery pack
- AC adapter
Inputs and Outputs:
- HDMI Type A and Type D inputs
- 3.5mm stereo audio input
- HMD output
Contents:
- Head-mounted display unit
- Controller unit
- HMD cable
- USB power cable
The ST1080 (180 grams / 0.37 lbs) weights only 28% as much as Sony’s HMZ-T1 (420 grams / 0.93 lbs) [Sony HMZ-T1 specs for comparison]. While that might make it sound like the ST1080 will be far more comfortable than the HMZ-T1, this may not be the case. The ST1080 doesn’t appear to have a very ergonomically designed nose-bridge:
It’s clear the Silicon Micro Display went for comfort-through-weight, while Sony’s approach was comfort-through-structure. We won’t know which is actually the most comfortable for extended HMD viewing until someone gets their hands on both to try! Next week my local Sony store ought to have a pair of HMZ-T1s to try, and I’ll be reporting with my experiences here.
We’ll be watching carefully for the ST1080 price, and we’re hoping that it comes in under $400. The press release points out that companies like MyVu, Vuzi, and eMagin have been in the HMD market before Silicon Micro Display, but failed to find any adoption because of high prices and low-resolution displays. According to the ST1080 press release, Silicon Micro Display “addresses both issues”, which means we can at least hope for a reasonable price. Stay tuned.