Showing posts with label 3D. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3D. Show all posts

Thursday, 6 February 2014

M709 Native 3D apps integration

3 x pre-installed apps focussing on 3D
3DP View, a 3D photo viewer
3DV Player, a 3D video player
3DV Games Centre, a store front for free games that support the M709's 3D screen

3D, ver 1.3 a 3D photo viewer
Supports playback of locally stored MPO and JPS format 3D images.

Every time opening the app, we are first presented with a web hosted gallery of 3D images. I haven't figured out which sites they are specifically pointing to. The main menu to the left has English titled tabs, but the image sub categories have thumbnails with Chinese text. The resolution of the 3D sample images is quite variable, some are looking very low resolution at significantly less than 720p. Upon tapping on the desired thumbnails, files are downloaded from the internet into a temp directory, which I notice are in JPS format and commonly the vertical resolution is just 540 pixels (QHD), which is fine for lesser 3D screens, but is not enough to show of the M709 800p 3D to it's full potential. I don't know how often the web samples in this gallery will be updated, but in the 2 weeks I've spent with this app, the images have not changed. I doubt very much that I will be returning regularly to check for new images posted here. Nor can I find a way to post my own 3D pics to share with others via this app. I wish there were a way to hide away the web gallery tabs altogether. Last but by no means least, the "Local Image" tab lets you browse 3D photos stored locally. The "scan path" is easily customisable to point to the internal storage, a mounted micro SD card or an OTG mounted storage device. "Local Image" is easily the most useful part of the app and I wish it was configurable to be the default when starting the app. You are able to browse 2D thumbnails of the MPO an JPS files on your tablet, then load the file you want to see. The image will initially be displayed in 2D by default. A large bright blue label at the bottom center of the screen indicating the current display mode is "2D". Tap on it, or the soft menu key to switch view to "3D" engaging the parallax barrier. The superfluous 2D/3D indicator is thankfully automatically hidden after 3 seconds. I notice this app did not boost the brightness when switching to 3D mode so you may want to l do that in advance yourself as full brightness helps compensate for the activated parallax barier that blocks out some light. There are also < and > signs left and right on screen allowing for navigation to the next or previous image in the gallery sequence. A finger swipe across the screen in either direction performs the same operation. That's all there is to the UI no slideshow options to speak of. I updated to the latest version 1.32 from within the app (menu key>about>version info>update) but could not see any notable differences afterwards.

Observed that the Android black bar soft key menu at the bottom of the screen does not hide itself when viewing images. While this might be fine for 16x9 images (since the screen's native resolution gives enough space to accommodate, it is a criminal waste of vertical screen space when displaying 4x3 images.

3DV Player, a 3D video player
Supports playback of locally stored mp4 SBS half width 1080p 3D video

3DV Games Centre, a store front of free games that support the M709's 3D screen
Mostly casual games such as 3D Darts. Surprisingly, there is a licensed Disney Toy Story game called "Smash It".
Real Steel boxing is another title I'd heard of before. in both cases, I doubt the developers wrote code to specifically support 3Dscreens. Indeed, the same titles if downloaded from the Google PlayStore are missing the 3D display support. I am not so familiar with the numerous other titles on offer.
Nothing from big developers such as Electronic Arts nor Game Loft. Once installed, these 3D games launch with an added "3D" cog button at the top left of the screen. Tap it to extend a slider bar to set the desired 3D depth. From all the way left to turn off the parallax barrier (ie just plain 2D). Slide to the far right for the maximum 3D depth setting. It works well for the games they've chosen! A genuine sense if depth is seen for the rendered 3D polygons and screen elements such as health bars in Real Steel float as a layer separately from the background action. This is like LG's 3D app converter that came with their Optimus 3D phones, only with less options.








Megafeis M709 3D tablet, 3rd party app support

The following apps are available from the Google Play store.


YouTube: ver 5.3.32 A massive ever growing worldwide resource of 3D video content shared freely online. Indispensibly, users can upload and build their own personal repository of 3D videos that is then easily accessed by any bigger screened 3D smart connected TV. However, after installing the current version of the official app from the Play Store it became disappointingly clear that 3D videos simply would not trigger the M709's 3D screen, and instead played them in the plain SBS format.

Phereo: ver 1.8 a very useful app for 3D photo sharing for free! Again users can build their own personal repository of 3D photos and review them from any web browser with user selectable anaglyph, wiggle, free view or plain 2D. Crucially, it supports many glasses free Android devices with parallax barrier screens. Disappointingly, with the M709, when attempting to change the 3D view mode from within the Phereo settings to "native 3D", we are presented with a pop-up exclaiming "you device does not support this mode."

3D Steroid and 3D SteroidPro: ver 3.04 browse and uniquely to re-edit locally stored 3D photos with support for many glasses free Android devices equipped with parallax barrier screens. Not the M709 though...

Tobidale 3D: ver 4.1.1 browse and uniquely zoom into locally stored 3D photos with support for many glasses free Android devices equipped with parallax barrier screens. Not the M709.

Stereoscope: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.stereoscopie.stereoscope

browse locally stored 3D photos and a selection of 3D Web galleries with support for many glasses free Android devices equipped with parallax barrier screens. The M709 could display 3D images if the barrier is stuck in 3D mode. I managed this by playing a 3D video with 3DV Player and switching apps. Set the Stereoscopic mode to vertically interlaced. A clumsy kludge for sure and I count this as a fail too.

continue reading...

Friday, 31 January 2014

Megafeis continued

Megafeis M709
http://store.megafeis.com/tablet-pc/megafeis-m709-3d-tablet-pc.html

Far as I can tell, the following 7 " glasses free tablets are the same as the WiFi Megafeis I have here. I conclude this having examined the very similar hardware specs and that they seem to share the same silver earpiece at the front (if the images can be trusted). Note that some distributors (such as Marvel Digital) also offer a version with an additional internal sim slot for 3G voice and data. Otherwise its the same tablet as the WiFi only unit.

Potsworld M08
http://dx.com/p/portworld-m08-7-dual-core-android4-2-3d-display-3g-tablet-pc-w-1gb-ram-8gb-rom-tf-otg-white-244665#.Ut_AlnqwrqA

Kings ASIN:B00H1X9NI4
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00H1X9NI4/ref=mw_dp_mpd?pd=1

Marvel Digital T3D07-AD01
http://www.marveldigital.com/glasses-free-3d-tablet/

An Allwinner A20, a dual core Coretex A7 at 1.2GHz, 1GB DDR3 SDRAM memory and a Mali-400 MP graphics chip. This means very little to me. All I really care about is the resulting functionality. Ideally it would be using part of the graphics chip for more energy efficient hardware video decoding rather than a battery draining software codec with just the main processor. So how well can it playback 1080p SBS half width 3D video files without dropped frames. Fortunately with the included 3DV Player, it manages just fine. The reference file is downloaded from YouTube via TubeMate. A 1080p SBS half width 3D video in MP4 format at MB lasting 1min so MB/S. How about playback of 3D video that you may have recorded yourself? Can it playback W3's uniquely formatted 3D video recordings. Note that if it can't, this counts as only a minor fault since to date, neither can any other 3D screened tablet.
How about the more standard video formats output when recording from a Panasonic 3D1, a Sony Bloggie 3D, both at 1080p SBS half width MP4. And how  about 3D video from a sharp SH12-c, an LG Thrill, AKA the Optimus 3D phones, and the HTC Evo 3D all at 720p SBS half width MP4.
Need a table to show the fps, bitrate, file format and resolutions.

The 5 point capacitive touchscreen was proven to work with the pre-installed Fruit Ninja.
The screen, In 2D mode there is nothing to tell it apart from any other "normal" 2D tablet. It looks fine to me. Visibility, colors, contrast and brightness are quite consistent when I tilt the screen at a wide range of angles. One tell tail sign that this is a glasses free screen is the noticeable 2mm or so air space between the glass front and the surface LCD display itself. I personally like that many modern 2D smartphone displays glue the LCD, the touch panel layer and glass front into a single combined unit. However this tablet's screen is not built like that. To be fair, it is of a similar construction to all the other switchable parallax barrier screens I have encountered so far (including the Truly and Marvel Digital 10" 1920x1200 3D tablets). Perhaps such an assembly is required for current switchable parallax barriers to work their 3D magic... Who knows? Let me have your insights if you have any.

continue reading...

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Megafeis M709 7" glasses free 3D screen tablet M709 8G review

Started 29th Jan 2014

This post is a work in progress and will be updated often...

Specs highlights:
7" 1280x800 switchable parallax barrier screen
334g (weighed by my own digital scales, the Magafeis site incorrectly indicated 309g)
3000mah internal battery
WiFi b,g and n flavours (n works fine in my house)
Android 4.2.2
8G internal memory (16G option available)
Empty MicroSD slot (works fine with my 32G class 10)
Micro USB socket for data transfer with a PC, support for OTG (tested fine with USB card reader) and charging (tested fine)
Mini HDMI out socket (Magafeis site does not mention this port!)
Headphone socket 3.5mm
Dedicated 2.5mm DC charging socket for the supplied 2 pin wall charger 100-240v 50-60Hz 5v at 2A (works fine)
Bluetooth 3
0.3 mp front camera and a 2.0 mp rear facing camera (both work but are not neither are great performers)
Physical buttons for power and volume up / down

Interesting to me mostly for it NOT merely being an 8" Gadmei 3D direct re-brand. Something "newer" perhaps? With more up to date hardware?
Purchased this device without really knowing anything about it as there were zero related product reviews to be found on the web at the time. All I could find were some very similar 7" glasses free 3D tablets with different branding. However, I was willing to take a leap of faith, given they offered me a no questions asked return policy within a month. Additional was the 12 month guarantee... which is certainly comforting, even if I would need to pay for the return shipping out of my own pocket. They told me in advance they ship from Shenzhen, mainland China, which isn't too far from Honkers, so would not cost me an arm and a leg to return it if need be. Note I am not at all sponsored by Megafeis for this review... I am a 1st time buyer at their site. Ordering direct from the Megafeis on-line store pagewas remarkably quick and easy, it arrived by courier to my door in a little less than a week. Just in time before the Lunar New Year holidays.
Considering the original price of 199.95USD, I'd caught it on discount and paid a much more reasonable 150USD via PayPal with their worldwide free shipping option. To put this in perspective... A Gadmei 8" e8-3D tablet at the same resolution costs 236USD with standard shipping. So the M709 presents itself as a bit of a bargain right?

Packaging
The tablet travelled well protected in a cardboard carton with foam sheets and further corrugated packing inside.
Within was nestled a sturdy, if generic white box with large Megafeis logo printings and fresh sticker on one side with text indicating the contents which were:
1 x tablet
1 x travel wall socket tablet charger (not USB type)
1 x micro USB to full size USB data cable
1 user manual

Physical build, fit and finish:
Fairly well put together. Not too creaky. No sharp edges. No gaps in the seams between the outer case and the outer bezzel rim and the glass front. I've held much worse tablets in hand. Nothing to write home about it's design looks. Not the ugliest tablet I've set eyes on either. Feels noticeably lighter in a good way vs the Gadmei 8" 3D tablet, but the screen is smaller by an inch and the battery is smaller too. As per most tablets, there's no screws in the casing so I've no idea how to open one of these up to replace the battery myself should I ever need to.

Glass fronted with a black bezel
Small strip of metalic grill for a front "earpiece". There is a small front facing microphone hole in the glass and the bezel rim too. Placement appropriate for the sibling model that has a sim slot and built-in 3G radio so it can double as an oversized cleverphone for making voice calls and data. Just hold the tablet to your face to talk. I have confirmed, the front earpiece on my WiFi only model is not enabled for voice only WiFi Skype type calls... Tested at the same time, plugging in an iPhone wired headset with in-line mic, it was only able to relay the sound to the ear buds but Skype still used the tablet's own built-in mic. Results are similar for the included dedicated sound recording app.
White plastic back with semi-gloss pearl finish (not rubberised)
Perforations on the back at one corner for the speaker
Rear web camoffset on one corner
All ports and buttons are clearly labeled with unambiguous black text/icons
Black plastic power and volume +- buttons on the side near one corner

Out of the box:
A fully charged tablet!
The Android 4.2.2 OS was in Chinese language by default but I managed to switch to English within a few minutes.
WiFi was hooked upwithin a couple more minutes.
Had Google Play Store app pre-installed! (Despite their website stating otherwise)
3 x pre-installed apps focussing on 3D
3DP View, a 3D photo viewer
3DV Player, a 3D video player
3D Games Converter

Note that the image of the wall socket charger is taken by the M709's 2mp rear facing camera in daytime indoors.
continue reading

Monday, 2 December 2013

Free 3D Gameloft games for the LG P920 Optimus 3D!

I just acquired this LG P920 Optimus 3D glasses free 3D screened phone already knowing it comes bundled with three 3D optimised games from Gameloft: N.O.V.A. , Let's Golf 2 and Asphalt 6.
However, what I did not know and was very happy to find that there is also a handy link included on the phone to a special Gameloft page offering O3D owners an additional SEVEN FREE full featured big title games likewise optimised for 3D! Assassins Creed, Spiderman Total Mayhem, GT Racing Acadamy ...
No need to create an account with Gameloft. Just click and download any or all SEVEN of the free 3D games! Who knows how long this offer will last...
Suggest you do so via WiFi and that you have plenty of storage space cleared for the games.

The EVO 3D I have came bundled with three 3D games, Spiderman 3D, The Sims 3D and Need for Speed 3D and that's all so far as I am aware. Some countries also got the Green Hornet 3D movie bundled (mine didn't). Let me know if there are any other EVO 3D specific freebies I should be aware of. Till then I think LG beats HTC on the sheer number of free 3D games on offer!


[url] http://wapshop.gameloft.com/lg3d/?
ms_sid=2405032009&phoneId=4897&fr
om=IGA&igagame=P103&game_type=D
M&emb=1&hitId=8062821699&setCooki
e=true&sv7497=11b358e5b89923e4a0f0
[/url]

I am looking to buy all the remaining Gameloft 3D enhanced titles  to complete my 3D game collection. Avatar and N.O.V.A.2 look especially attractive. Only a bargain basement 10HKD a piece. Very pleased with this Optimus 3D regards these freebies.

You can thank me if you have an O3D
and didn't know about this page of free
3D Gameloft games already.

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Shopping for an 3D LED edge lit LCD TV in 2013... Active or Passive

As of writing, there was still no glassess free, living room 3D TV's on display in everyday high-street electical stores. Once those things become common place and their prices come down to an acceptable level, I will surely upgrade whatever my current TV is accordingly :)
For several years I've actively used a selection of 3D capable cameras, we have created a fair sized collection of 3D family/ holiday photo's and a handful of 3D videos. Up to now, the most convenient way to see this content would be for me to transfer it to my LG Optimus 3D phone. It's 4.3" autostereoscopic screen (AKA glasses free 3D) that could then be passed around the room for viewing, one person at a time. The glasses free aspect is truly fantastic in its convenience. The colours are very vibrant. The parallax barrier simultaneously gives separate views to left and right eyes. Your brain then works its magic to fuse the 2 viewd into a single 3D scene. It works! Being a mobile phone screen held in landscape mode, the LG Optimus 3D has 800 x 480 pixels of display area. So at most even in 2D, the vertical resolution is a pretty lowly 480 pixels. In 3D, it can render 400 x 480 3D image per eye, where the horizontal is stretched to maintain a 16:9 format. And given many of my 3D pictures are at least 1080 in height, I did long for a better way to see more resolution from my 3D photos. It is about time I bought home a 3D capable TV so we can enjoy them together at the same time on a big(ish) livingroom screen.

To that end, I recently went to several local showrooms in Causway Bay Hong Kong to help me decide what bespectacled 3D TV I'd be buying in the year 2013.

For the 3D feature, Samsung LCDs are exclusively an active only option. While LG LCD's are similarly exclusively passive. No single TV of any brand supports both active and passive at the same time. You have to make a choice of one or the other.
Noteworthy that both Sony and Panasonic showrooms currently exhibit overlapping sets with either Active or Passive 3D glasses supported from within their own brand. It allowed me to make a what I consider, a fair evaluation of TVs of the same size and same brand, with the only difference being use of either active or passive glasses for 3D. And what a difference I found... from around 2m or closer to a 42" passive 3D display, I simply could not get near the screen. I was seeing very distracting horizontal black lines that would break-up the stereo image. Especially while viewing 3D still photos (the black lines are still there with moving video, just a bit less obvious). The lines introduced heavy step-laddering with curves and diagonal lines in images. I had to get up to some 4m or more from the medium sized 42" screen before the black lines become less noticeable for me. The issue is exaggerated with even bigger 3D displays. You have to be an even greater distance from the screen to resolve the 3D effectively vs same sized active 3D. What's more, the often written claim that passive 3D has no crosstalk or ghosting is nonsense. Covering up one eye, I could still see residual traces of the image intended for the other eye on passive screens. Try it for yourself in any showroom. I was even pleasantly surprised to find that often, the crosstalk was even less apparent for active vs passive sets! This negative experience with passive matched my many demos previously with the commonly found LG's 3D TV's.

Personally for living room photo gallery TV sessions, I tend to view photos from afar to begin with, and then naturally want to get closer to the display for a closer, more detailed look. 3D photos tend to have this power, drawing me into the pic. Unfortunately, when you get close to the current gen 1080HD passive 3D screens, the image simply falls apart. That's why I had to begrudgingly exclude LG's many 3D TV offerings. Begrudgingly because I have an LG 3D Optimus smart phone with 3D camera and 3D glasses free screen which I am very happy to keep using. An inexpensive LG passive 3D TV with cheap, light weight flicker free glasses would have been an awesome match, however, the drawbacks of passive TVs was a deal breaker unfortunately. You'd simply have to keep from getting too up close to the current passive 3D displays. Instead, active 3D glasses, allows you to physically get nearer your 3D display and in return, to appreciate the much greater vertical resolution vs a passive at the same screen size and 2D resolution. Drawbacks of active 3D are with the glasses. They need batteries(they last several dozen hours and replacements are just a few pence each ), need to be turned on, even the lightest active pairs are weightier vs passive, more expensive (around £20 for 2pairs at the time of posting. Much cheaper than they used to be). The greatest hurdle is the flicker. If you are sensitive to active 3D flicker, then go with passive. No arguments there. However, if you are amongst the lucky ones who don't experience any flicker, or are not overly bothered by its presence, you will be rewarded with actives much better vertical resolution 3D that you can get up close to, vs what passive 3D can offer. Try it for yourself before you buy! I did... And am fully confident I made the right choice for getting the most out of my 3D family pics today. Till glasses free 3D TVs arrive...