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Gareth Halfacree · 10th Jan 2013, 10:59

The TV's no longer the limit for the game world.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...0/illumiroom/1

GeorgeStorm · 10th Jan 2013, 11:02

At times that looked incredible, at others more of a gimmick but still, might keep my eye on this.

SchizoFrog · 10th Jan 2013, 11:06

How does it not project across the TV screen and therefore overlay it?

Gareth Halfacree · 10th Jan 2013, 11:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchizoFrog

How does it not project across the TV screen and therefore overlay it?

I'll let the article answer that question:

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Article

The scanning system also detects the size and position of the TV set, ensuring that the projector doesn't attempt to wash out its image with a picture of its own while creating a perfectly-centred illusion of immersion for the player.

Bloody_Pete · 10th Jan 2013, 11:14

I'd find it distracting personally...

SchizoFrog · 10th Jan 2013, 11:15

Right... so I'll ask again. HOW does it not project across the screen? Does it produce white light across it rather than the images? Would that not affect the TV and produce a reflective white light on the TV?

Gareth Halfacree · 10th Jan 2013, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by SchizoFrog

Right... so I'll ask again. HOW does it not project across the screen? Does it produce white light across it rather than the images? Would that not affect the TV and produce a reflective white light on the TV?

It doesn't project anything across the TV - why would it? The projector will use DLP and simply turn a rectangle the size and shape of the TV black.

mi1ez · 10th Jan 2013, 11:29

I like the idea of this, but the amount of extra GPU grunt it must take would surely make it impractical? Certainly for an XBOX.

Would love to give it a try though!

blacko · 10th Jan 2013, 11:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by mi1ez

I like the idea of this, but the amount of extra GPU grunt it must take would surely make it impractical? Certainly for an XBOX.

Would love to give it a try though!

well its running on a 360...so....yeah extra gpu may not be needed.

Gareth Halfacree · 10th Jan 2013, 11:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by mi1ez

I like the idea of this, but the amount of extra GPU grunt it must take would surely make it impractical? Certainly for an XBOX.

Perhaps for an Xbox, but an Xbox 720? One thing that jumps out of the video is that the IllumiRoom image is quite clearly of a lower quality compared to the main picture. As well as running at a lower resolution - as far as you can tell from the video, anyway - the textures are significantly simpler. In some examples - the outline environment, the effects-only section, the snowdrop and star segments - there are no textures at all.

That's likely how the trick is done: after all, if the IllumiRoom could produce an image as good as that of the TV, you wouldn't need the TV at all...

steveo_mcg · 10th Jan 2013, 12:18

Its only filling your peripheral vision, it doesn't need to be hi res or very detailed just enough to blend from the display. It looks very cool but I expect MS will come up with some way of making a mess of it prior to general release.

sniperdude · 10th Jan 2013, 12:22

looks awesome

Guinevere · 10th Jan 2013, 12:29

Wonderful idea because everyone has a hi-def projector aligned to project at the entire wall.

It's a tech demo, with the tech itself a very basic extension and twist on projection mapping tech we've all seen elsewhere, including Sony for their PS3 ads blended with a bit of Philips Ambilight

http://vimeo.com/34605168#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAZcDHIIXDs

This "unveiling" is not a real product and it will never be a real product. It's totally impractical as anything other than a "Aren't we clever" demo.

Flibblebot · 10th Jan 2013, 12:34

If you've got a projector, why not just play games on that...?

GeorgeStorm · 10th Jan 2013, 12:38

Projectors aren't that great to play games on, need a darkish room etc for best performance.

I don't think they're claiming everyone is going to have it tomorrow? It's a potential product?
It's far better than Ambilight, and more realistic than the PS3 thing as far as I can see?

Gareth Halfacree · 10th Jan 2013, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guinevere

Wonderful idea because everyone has a hi-def projector aligned to project at the entire wall.

Yes, because it would be impossible for Microsoft to strap a Kinect sensor - £82 - to a short-throw pico-projector - £75 - and sell it as a £160 add-on product. What madness would that be?!

theshadow2001 · 10th Jan 2013, 13:32

I think the effects coming off the screen look cool. But when it simply extends the screen it looks a bit meh.

schmidtbag · 10th Jan 2013, 13:34

I wouldn't consider this technology to be anywhere near as gimmicky as touchscreens, on the other hand, I'd rather use the object recognition feature for a projector being the main display rather than have a TV along with a projector. That way people can could make a spherical room or something and have their game surround them. It would also allow things like movies to work, not just games. I think this has an awesome potential but I don't see anyone buying a projector (which tends to be more expensive than kinect) JUST so they can see fire and snow flakes out of their peripheral vision.

Blackshark · 10th Jan 2013, 13:48

Gosh have projectors really come down that much in price? What an old fart I am, remembering buying a projector that did 1024 XGA for 1200 GBP 6 or 7 years ago.

I agree with the thinking that some of the effects were great. I especially liked when the flame and laser shots went outside the TV. That was clever. The picture above sucks as did some of the effects. And I am not sure quite how much the marketing department have messed with that end video, I suspect quite a bit. You would also need a pretty 'dark' room - the only way projectors can cope with lighter rooms nowadays are the tech built in to the pull down blinds. Normal home walls and furniture will be a whole mixture of colours, shades, materials, textures ..... A bit like the Philips ambilight TV tech. Its ok, good in a few cases, not great in most.

blacko · 10th Jan 2013, 14:13

i remember seeing this a while back and i thought it was going to be some sort of VR / knightmare.

how wrong was i!

10th Jan 2013, 10:59	#1
Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! bit-tech Staff Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bradford, UK Posts: 1,831	Microsoft unveils IllumiRoom gaming technology The TV's no longer the limit for the game world. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/...0/illumiroom/1 __________________ Co-author, Raspberry Pi User Guide, Meet the Raspberry Pi \| gareth.halfacree.co.uk \| twitter bit-tech news correspondent, Custom PC columnist I'm a filthy freelancer! Hire me!

10th Jan 2013, 11:02	#2
GeorgeStorm Aggressive PC Builder Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,011	At times that looked incredible, at others more of a gimmick but still, might keep my eye on this. __________________ "Anyone who just plays games for fun is a n3rd" - Jörge "I should be in prison for what I'm thinking right now" - Splooshiba My flickr - My blog it'sfilmnotmovie

10th Jan 2013, 11:06	#3
SchizoFrog Ghost In The Machine Join Date: May 2009 Location: East London Posts: 450	How does it not project across the TV screen and therefore overlay it? __________________ Motherboard - ASUS P5K Premium CPU - Q6600 @ 3GHz - Arctic Freezer 13 GPU - Palit 9600GT @ Clock 750MHz - Mem 1100MHz - Shader 1850MHz RAM - 6GB Corsair PC2-6400 DHX @ 960MHz OS - Windows 7 Ultimate (64bit)

10th Jan 2013, 11:14	#5
Bloody_Pete Technophile(and yes, thats 724Mb/s) Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Guildford born, Bristol living Posts: 5,744	I'd find it distracting personally... __________________ i5 3570k @ 4.6GHz (1.28v) on custom water loop/ Watercooling how-to, Asus Maximus 5 Gene, 16GB Corsair Vengence 1600MHz (2 black, 2 red), Sapphire Radeon HD 5870, 128GB Crucial M4, 3 x Samsung F1 1TB in RAID 5, Xigmatek Elysium, Enermax Revolution 85+ 850W, Corsair K60, Corsair SP2500 speakers, Dell U2311H & Asus VK222W.

10th Jan 2013, 11:15	#6
SchizoFrog Ghost In The Machine Join Date: May 2009 Location: East London Posts: 450	Right... so I'll ask again. HOW does it not project across the screen? Does it produce white light across it rather than the images? Would that not affect the TV and produce a reflective white light on the TV? __________________ Motherboard - ASUS P5K Premium CPU - Q6600 @ 3GHz - Arctic Freezer 13 GPU - Palit 9600GT @ Clock 750MHz - Mem 1100MHz - Shader 1850MHz RAM - 6GB Corsair PC2-6400 DHX @ 960MHz OS - Windows 7 Ultimate (64bit)

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10th Jan 2013, 11:29	#8
mi1ez Hypermodder Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Warwickshire, UK Posts: 916	I like the idea of this, but the amount of extra GPU grunt it must take would surely make it impractical? Certainly for an XBOX. Would love to give it a try though! __________________ The Angel Delights?

10th Jan 2013, 12:18	#11
steveo_mcg STILL ALIVE Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 5,741	Its only filling your peripheral vision, it doesn't need to be hi res or very detailed just enough to blend from the display. It looks very cool but I expect MS will come up with some way of making a mess of it prior to general release. __________________ ook

10th Jan 2013, 12:22	#12
sniperdude Supermodder Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Posts: 371	looks awesome __________________ 2500k @4.1Ghz /BeQuiet Dark rock advanced / Gigabyte Z68 UD4 /8GB Corsair Vengeance /MSI twin frozr GTX 670 /Audigy 4 Platinum Pro /128GB+64GB Crucial M4's /Antec P182 /BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 650W.

10th Jan 2013, 12:29	#13
Guinevere Mega mom Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,360	Wonderful idea because everyone has a hi-def projector aligned to project at the entire wall. It's a tech demo, with the tech itself a very basic extension and twist on projection mapping tech we've all seen elsewhere, including Sony for their PS3 ads blended with a bit of Philips Ambilight http://vimeo.com/34605168# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAZcDHIIXDs This "unveiling" is not a real product and it will never be a real product. It's totally impractical as anything other than a "Aren't we clever" demo.

10th Jan 2013, 12:34	#14
Flibblebot Gimp dog! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nowhere interesting Posts: 3,546	If you've got a projector, why not just play games on that...? __________________ My uber-system: 66Mhz 486DX2, 8Mb RAM, 20Mb hard drive, 256 colour VGA adaptor (goes all the way up to 800x600!), keyboard AND serial mouse

10th Jan 2013, 12:38	#15
GeorgeStorm Aggressive PC Builder Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,011	Projectors aren't that great to play games on, need a darkish room etc for best performance. I don't think they're claiming everyone is going to have it tomorrow? It's a potential product? It's far better than Ambilight, and more realistic than the PS3 thing as far as I can see? __________________ "Anyone who just plays games for fun is a n3rd" - Jörge "I should be in prison for what I'm thinking right now" - Splooshiba My flickr - My blog it'sfilmnotmovie

10th Jan 2013, 13:32	#17
theshadow2001 Ultramodder Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,002	I think the effects coming off the screen look cool. But when it simply extends the screen it looks a bit meh.

10th Jan 2013, 13:34	#18
schmidtbag Supermodder Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 476	I wouldn't consider this technology to be anywhere near as gimmicky as touchscreens, on the other hand, I'd rather use the object recognition feature for a projector being the main display rather than have a TV along with a projector. That way people can could make a spherical room or something and have their game surround them. It would also allow things like movies to work, not just games. I think this has an awesome potential but I don't see anyone buying a projector (which tends to be more expensive than kinect) JUST so they can see fire and snow flakes out of their peripheral vision.

10th Jan 2013, 13:48	#19
Blackshark Multimodder Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: UK Posts: 93	Gosh have projectors really come down that much in price? What an old fart I am, remembering buying a projector that did 1024 XGA for 1200 GBP 6 or 7 years ago. I agree with the thinking that some of the effects were great. I especially liked when the flame and laser shots went outside the TV. That was clever. The picture above sucks as did some of the effects. And I am not sure quite how much the marketing department have messed with that end video, I suspect quite a bit. You would also need a pretty 'dark' room - the only way projectors can cope with lighter rooms nowadays are the tech built in to the pull down blinds. Normal home walls and furniture will be a whole mixture of colours, shades, materials, textures ..... A bit like the Philips ambilight TV tech. Its ok, good in a few cases, not great in most.

10th Jan 2013, 14:13	#20
blacko Multimodder Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 84	i remember seeing this a while back and i thought it was going to be some sort of VR / knightmare. how wrong was i!