Smart glasses are the official death of displays and (Ultra HD) Blu-ray?!

[BijouMan]

Lately, I have heard reports that Apple could be releasing a pair of smart glasses as early as this year. Now I'm searching online and people are saying Apple wants them to one day replace every piece of equipment that has a screen on it. What does this mean for the future of the iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Apple Watch, and even TVs and projectors?! How would I use my credit cards when I won't have a phone or watch to use with an EMV contactless reader?! By staring inches away from the reader?! How would I play my (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Discs through my glasses at their full bitrates with HDR10+/Dolby Vision?! Will I not even get to own discs anymore and be stuck with the inferior quality of streaming?! Will there even be such a thing as a movie theater?!

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Lately, I have heard reports that Apple could be releasing a pair of smart glasses as early as this year. Now I'm searching online and people are saying Apple wants them to one day replace every piece of equipment that has a screen on it. What does this mean for the future of the iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Apple Watch, and even TVs and projectors?! How would I use my credit cards when I won't have a phone or watch to use with an EMV contactless reader?! By staring inches away from the reader?! How would I play my (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Discs through my glasses at their full bitrates with HDR10+/Dolby Vision?! Will I not even get to own discs anymore and be stuck with the inferior quality of streaming?! Will there even be such a thing as a movie theater?!

I made a similar thread in the new display section. Good luck with responses because I didn’t get many.

The glasses won’t be out this year. Not a chance. VR headset is first, probably 2022 followed by actual smart glasses around 2024-2025.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I made a similar thread in the new display section. Good luck with responses because I didn’t get many.

The glasses won’t be out this year. Not a chance. VR headset is first, probably 2022 followed by actual smart glasses around 2024-2025.

I'm talking a half a decade to a decade from now. I like things the way they are and I feel this is the peak, so I don't want them to go away. Likewise, I don't want to not be able to get gas anymore in the future and be stuck with driving (or more accurately, just lazily riding in) a car that has no taste. I almost wish I was Phil from Groundhog Day. I would have much rather had the future depicted in Back to the Future Part II.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

I'm talking a half a decade to a decade from now. I like things the way they are and I feel this is the peak, so I don't want them to go away. Likewise, I don't want to not be able to get gas anymore in the future and be stuck with driving (or more accurately, just lazily riding in) a car that has no taste. I almost wish I was Phil from Groundhog Day. I would have much rather had the future depicted in Back to the Future Part II.

I’m also one of those guys that thinks ahead too much. Realistically, projectors and TVs will still be here in 15 years. Even if smart glasses did replace them it would take a long time for things to move in that direction. Plus you have the gigantic hurdle of convincing the population to wear glasses. Considering thousands spend a fortune on laser surgery or hundreds of thousands who wear contacts, that’s no easy task.

[Anthony P]

I think smart glasses can have their place in this world: having a pop up "Joe is calling"; arrows painted on the street to show you directions....Do I think they will replace every display? No.

As for what does it mean for smart phones? Maybe nothing much, at least for the time being they will be like a smart watch or a bluetooth headset, an add on that is better then the default in some ways.

As for physical media? why would it mean anything? physical media is a content distribution method smart glasses are a display method. I can choose to watch my Bds on my TV or my Projector, I can choose to watch on either of them my UHD BDs ,, BDs DVDs, VHS....... Why do you assume you will be able to send a signal many miles from the server to the glasses but you won't be able to do the same from a player a few feet away?

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by Anthony P

I think smart glasses can have their place in this world: having a pop up "Joe is calling"; arrows painted on the street to show you directions....Do I think they will replace every display? No.

As for what does it mean for smart phones? Maybe nothing much, at least for the time being they will be like a smart watch or a bluetooth headset, an add on that is better then the default in some ways.

As for physical media? why would it mean anything? physical media is a content distribution method smart glasses are a display method. I can choose to watch my Bds on my TV or my Projector, I can choose to watch on either of them my UHD BDs ,, BDs DVDs, VHS....... Why do you assume you will be able to send a signal many miles from the server to the glasses but you won't be able to do the same from a player a few feet away?

Because in order to play discs through the glasses, you would need an HDCP-compliant method of sending full-bitrate video and audio wirelessly to the glasses and headphones that can both replicate the surround effect and decode PCM/Dolby TrueHD (with Atmos data)/DTS-HD Master Audio (with DTS:X data). Maybe the player could do this over your home network?!

[reanimator]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I made a similar thread in the new display section. Good luck with responses because I didn’t get many.

Steeldeel what's the scoop on Quest 2? Is there a thread here for that device? I couldn't locate. I think I would mainly use it to watch movies -- is it up to snuff? Screen resolution, sound, etc?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by reanimator

Steeldeel what's the scoop on Quest 2? Is there a thread here for that device? I couldn't locate. I think I would mainly use it to watch movies -- is it up to snuff? Screen resolution, sound, etc?

I don’t think there is a thread. The Quest 2 is said to be a very capable headset. The main advantages are wireless obviously. That’s a huge plus not to have wires wrapping around your person or a chair etc..
one thing I have noticed is that it’s getting a lot of gaming support. Some big titles and quite a few developers are getting onboard. The next step will be to bridge the gap with PC headsets graphically.
I think my advice would be to wait for the Quest 3 which is bound to offer slightly better resolution for movie watching. It’s hard for me to recommend these headsets as purely movie watching devices because VR gaming is so immersive and a huge part of its appeal.
Next gen PSVR is probably going to be one single wire (wired) but will no doubt be impressive graphically. Obviously you need to be a gamer to get the full benefit though.

To summarise, I wouldn’t really recommend any headset for just watching movies, you will have a better experience just watching on a large OLED or projector.

In the future if we get AR glasses that double as VR, I dare say the film experience will be incredible with adjustable screens.

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by reanimator

Steeldeel what's the scoop on Quest 2? Is there a thread here for that device? I couldn't locate. I think I would mainly use it to watch movies -- is it up to snuff? Screen resolution, sound, etc?

Here you go!

[reanimator]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

I think my advice would be to wait for the Quest 3 which is bound to offer slightly better resolution for movie watching. It’s hard for me to recommend these headsets as purely movie watching devices because VR gaming is so immersive and a huge part of its appeal.

Good note. I've got a front projector and big screen that I'm very happy with, so am not in any big rush to get a VR headset. And while movies are my main interest, I anticipate they would be a gateway-drug into VR gaming.

Will keep an eye on developments for next-gen headsets.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Because in order to play discs through the glasses, you would need an HDCP-compliant method of sending full-bitrate video and audio wirelessly to the glasses and headphones that can both replicate the surround effect and decode PCM/Dolby TrueHD (with Atmos data)/DTS-HD Master Audio (with DTS:X data). Maybe the player could do this over your home network?!

1) There is a lot of BS about headphones with 3d sound but you will never be able to truly replicate the surround effect. Every person's ears and hearing is different and so only true directionally can give true surround sound.

2) There are many wireless AV distribution formats out there and they have existed for many years now, some built into devices, others can be accessed with add-ons.

3) Like you said "Maybe the player could do this over your home network?" that could always be an other option. In stead of decoding and sending AV a player could just stream the content as it exists over the network (don't know of anything does that now in that way.)

[SleazyForWeasley]

There will eventually come a time when tech companies out-tech themselves. I'm not interested wearing smart glasses for pretty much anything. Hell, I consider going back to a flip phone 2 or 3 times a year!

[mrr1]

Screens forever for me. I am not wearing any stupid glasses.

I know I am not alone - the reason 3D stays a niche market is because of the stupid glasses you have to wear.

[dontpokethebear3893]

Originally Posted by BijouMan

Lately, I have heard reports that Apple could be releasing a pair of smart glasses as early as this year. Now I'm searching online and people are saying Apple wants them to one day replace every piece of equipment that has a screen on it. What does this mean for the future of the iPhone, iPad, Mac and even Apple Watch, and even TVs and projectors?! How would I use my credit cards when I won't have a phone or watch to use with an EMV contactless reader?! By staring inches away from the reader?! How would I play my (Ultra HD) Blu-ray Discs through my glasses at their full bitrates with HDR10+/Dolby Vision?! Will I not even get to own discs anymore and be stuck with the inferior quality of streaming?! Will there even be such a thing as a movie theater?!

it's going to be a while before OYF (On your face) displays can match the quality of a real screen. People forget that 300 is considered Retina when held a foot from your face. For right in front of your eyes you'll probably need closer to 3000 DPI to match that level of perceived sharpness. To simulate a large screen for film watching, you'd need a pretty sharp display to have a native 4k image take up 30 degrees of your field of view. I think the era of the virtual home cinema is a decade away at least.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by mrr1

Screens forever for me. I am not wearing any stupid glasses.

I know I am not alone - the reason 3D stays a niche market is because of the stupid glasses you have to wear.

AR glasses wouldn’t block out the light though, they would be the same as regular glasses. Also, people will wear what they are told if it becomes mainstream. Humans are sheep. Remember years ago when younger people scoffed at the idea of dating agencies? Now, a vast majority have used a app to find romance or whatever.
Also, decades ago you were a nerd or geek if you played PC games, now almost the entire world are at it.

If you can have meet ups with virtual avatars, have work meetings with AR diagrams and slides, play whatever games you desire (pool, chess, Monopoly, Beat sabre, ten pin bowling) just by downloading a app and having it appear in your home/outside), watch a film on a 100 inch virtual screen, shop virtually with a view of the items you are buying), get demonstrations in your view of how to fix something, get in-view directions for a specific location, appear to others as whatever crazy filter you like, get cooking instructions directly to your eyes, watch a virtual mini theatre production, watch a AR tv show or play, have your favourite film star or pop star as a virtual assistant, learn by having a visual display of whatever object you need (human skeleton, body organs, animals, planets whatever, etc..

I think the benefits would outweigh having to wear glasses, especially if they are designer glasses that Apple release.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by dontpokethebear3893

it's going to be a while before OYF (On your face) displays can match the quality of a real screen. People forget that 300 is considered Retina when held a foot from your face. For right in front of your eyes you'll probably need closer to 3000 DPI to match that level of perceived sharpness. To simulate a large screen for film watching, you'd need a pretty sharp display to have a native 4k image take up 30 degrees of your field of view. I think the era of the virtual home cinema is a decade away at least.

for me that is not the biggest issue is power. If the assumption is that you use it all day (like your cell phone) then I don't care when I come home to plug in the phone (it can still do the job a few feet away and I can hear and run to it when it rings) but I would not want to de the same with AR glasses that do the job of a cell and my TV/Movie display. Since you can't use it while it is charging.

[Anthony P]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Also, people will wear what they are told if it becomes mainstream.

Lol no one tells me what to wear. At some point I used to work at a financial institution and even though there was a written rule that everyone must be in a suit and tie and someone complained that I was not following the dress code with me in front of the CEO. The CEO looked at me and replied "what he is waring is OK. I am the guy that if you drive by my place in the winter you can see me outdoors shoveling the snow in shorts, T-shirt and gloves. Don get me wrong, some people in some circumstances are sheep and will blindly follow trends, but that only affects those people in those circumstances.