Thursday, December 15, 2011
HTC EVO 3D
HTC EVO 3D
The HTC EVO 3D is amazing!
Take a short 3D video, with the 3D camera on your EVO 3D, of something interesting , like your family, friends, pets, flowers... and when you show it in 3D on the no-glasses 3D screen of the EVO 3D to anyone and everyone you meet, they'll say, "Hey! That's aMAzing!"
In addition to having amazing 3D, it's a solid smart-phone, with the Android operating system and 4G access from Sprint.
Here are some notes on the phone:
BASIC INFO:
The OS for the HTC EVO 3D is the Android operating system, with HTC Sense (a good front-end from HTC on top of Android). The EVO 3D has a nice, large, clear screen which shows 2D or glasses-free 3D.
It comes with a special App for viewing 2D or 3D videos from YouTube.
3D games and 3D movies that run on the HTC EVO 3D glasses-free video screen can be purchased.
For taking pictures and videos, it has a pair of lenses for 2D or 3D still photographs or videos.
There are a few controls -- adding a light, zooming in 2D -- but this is basically a point and shoot camera, with auto-focus and auto-exposure.
There are a few controls -- adding a light, zooming in 2D -- but this is basically a point and shoot camera, with auto-focus and auto-exposure.
It has more or less standard Android smart-phone applications.
The User Guide and customer support applications on the HTC site are quite good.
The quality of Sprint stores varies widely in their knowledge of the HTC EVO 3D and their support, and inventory of accessories. Some (but not all) of the Sprint stores I've been to have been excellent.
Here are some specs:
SPECS:
Size: 126.1mm x 65.4mm x 11.3mm 4.96" x 2.57" x 0.44"
Weight: 170 grams (6.0 ounces) with battery
Display: 4.3-inch 3D touch screen
Screen: 109 mm (4.3")
Camera
Dual 5 megapixel color camera:
•Capture 2D photos with up to 5 megapixel resolution
•Capture 3D photos with up to 2 megapixel resolution
•Auto focus, flash, camera light
Front camera:
•1.3 megapixel fixed focus color camera
HD video recording:
•Record 2D/3D videos with up to 720p resolution
SOME DRAWBACKS (and some remedies):
The HTC EVO 3D is very sensitive to the touch, so it is very easy to navigate away from what you want to do, or even start an application when you really just wanted to scroll to another screen. A little practice holding and handling the phone can help avoid this problem.
When working with a browser as well as other applications, it can be difficult to navigate. In particular, it can be difficult to type correctly, and the problems with navigation can interfere with correcting the errors. More practice helps. (Note: the BACK button is hidden and you must push the MENU key -- the one with lots of parallel lines -- first.)
The volume is rather soft. (There may be an App or upgrade fix for this... check with HTC/Sprint.)
While it is amazingly fantastic to easily take 3D pix and videos and view them glasses-free, consumer 3D is still a work in progress; this is 3D for early adopters, or for simple uses. Using 3D is not for everyone's eyes. Fatigue, headaches and other issues bother some people, especially if you edit them offline and work on them for long periods. (3D in films like Avatar is very carefully made and carefully projected for maximum comfort. 3D on a smart-phone is not yet that good.)
(More on 3D below.)
The battery life is not too long, especially when Wi-Fi and 4G are on and the camera is in use. (Charge every night. Always try to start any project with a fully charged battery.)
There are not a whole lot of accessories. For example I wanted to get an adapter to hold and attach the phone to a tripod, but I have not been able to get one yet. The pouch I bought for carrying the phone on my belt seemed secure, but twice fell off my belt and I almost lost the phone.
SUMMARY
On the whole, I very strongly recommend the HTC EVO 3D for early adopters of 3D. You will have a chance to create 3D pictures and videos now that will be amazing! In addition, I recommend the phone as a solid, capable, 4G, general purpose smart-phone. There are negatives, but they are minor and there are fixes.
LINKS:
THE HTC EVO 3D AND OTHER 3D AND RELATED PRODUCTS FROM AMAZON:
Note: I just got an e-mail from Amazon, that there is a special promotion in effect 'til the end of the year. Make sure you take advantage of this offer if you do get the HTC EVO 3D, and your purchase qualifies for this:
"For a limited time, buy a hotspot-ready smartphone from Verizon or Sprint and receive a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card on select devices. Phones from AT&T and T-Mobile do not qualify. (Note: The HTC EVO 3D should qualify if you activate the Hotspot feature.) Offer valid between midnight PDT November 11, 2011 through 11:59 p.m. PDT December 31, 2011, for new lines of service and upgrade customers. Gift card codes will be sent via e-mail within 60 days of purchase, one per customer. Hotspot feature must be activated at time of purchase to qualify."
BOOKS
Shop Amazon's Kindle Accessories Store
HTC EVO 3D INFO
OVERVIEW
COMPLETE SPECS
SOME SIMPLE HOW-TO's ILLUSTRATING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HTC EVO 3D
HTC ETO 3D USER GUIDE (about 3.75 MB!)
WIKIPEDIA
ABOUT 3D
The HTC EVO 3D (I'll call it HE3 for short) captures 3D video and 3D photographs in fairly high resolution by using two parallel lenses that record from slightly different positions. The two images then represent the picture as seen from the right and left eyes. When combined, the picture is three dimensional.
The screen of the HE3 displays three dimensional images by using a "lenticular" screen: The screen has finely striped material that alternately directs a strip of video for the left eye to that eye, next to a strip that sends video for the right eye to the right eye. Each eye sees only the video from the image intended for that eye. No glasses are necessary because the screen does all the work of sending the correct image to each eye.
A 3D image or video taken by the HE3 camera can then be viewed, immediately, without glasses, on the HE3 screen.
The camera creates a file on the HE3's memory which can be uploaded to YouTube; or it can be uploaded to a computer and edited, or displayed (with the right cables) on a 3DTV.
A 3D video uploaded to YouTube can be viewed in many ways. (YouTube does special processing for 3D videos.) There is a 3D button on the video which allows you to choose the way you want to view it.
Here are some of the options that you can choose when viewing a 3D video on YouTube:
Here are some of the options that you can choose when viewing a 3D video on YouTube:
1 -- It can be downloaded to an HTC EVO 3D and viewed there (in 3D without glasses).
...........(There's a special YouTube App on the HE3 that facilitates viewing YouTube videos.)
2 -- It can be downloaded and viewed on other glasses-free 3D systems.
3 -- It can be viewed on a 3DTV.
4 -- It can be viewed with Red/Cyan glasses.
5 -- It can be viewed with the NVIDIA 3D computer system.
6 -- And it can also be viewed simply as a normal 2D movie.
Here are some tips for shooting 3D:
For best results, shoot in good light that is somewhat contrasty, but not glaring.
For the best stereo effect have objects at a variety of different distances from the camera. (For example, if you shoot one person in the foreground with a mountain far in the background, it may look like a cutout, but if you shoot a few people near each other with something like a bush or plant behand them, the depth effect will be much more natural.)
The viewing screen is very shiny, making it a better mirror than viewer in bright sunlight. A plastic anti-glare overlay (which should be available from Sprint) can help somewhat. You can also shoot "blind," just pointing in the direction of the subject. You could also try to find shade, or even hold an umbrella between the camera and the sun.
When filming, the video can be interrupted by external events (like a phone call or a "roaming" alert). To prevent this, put the phone in airplane-mode.
Still photographs are saved in either of two formats: .MPO or .JPS, which are alternate ways of encoding the right and left eye images in one file. (HE3 has a menu for selecting the format.) Videos are saved as .MP4.
You can easily transfer media files on HE3 to your computer with the same cable you use to charge the phone.
You can easily transfer media files on HE3 to your computer with the same cable you use to charge the phone.
The 3D .MP4 video files you have transferred will play as videos with side-by-side images on most current video players (for example Windows Media Player) enabling you to preview the video on your computer.
The simplest inexpensive editing program I've used comes from MAGIX. The MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX Premium supports editing 3D videos and then exporting the result to YouTube, NVIDIA, and other 3D formats and hosts.
.JPS files are simply two .JPG images side by side. They will display on most photo preview programs. If you are careful, some editing can be done with any photo-editing program. MPO files are a different way of encoding the two images. If the photo editing system supports .MPO files, then the editing will be similar to editing .JPS files.
3D photos can be uploaded to PHEREO (the site is still in Beta and some things are missing ... like English grammar and much of the HELP -- but they seem to respond to forum posts, and most everything is self-evident.) They support both .JPS and .MPO files. They support multiple methods of display including Red/Cyan (anaglyph), NVIDIA, and (with an Android App) displaying on the HTC EVO 3D.
The eco-system for consumer 3D is still developing. As time goes on, the quality of the 3D will improve, there will be more tools to edit it, and more ways to view it.
SOME MORE LINKS:
WIKIPEDIA ON 3D (STEREOSCOPY)
3D PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO HOSTING
SOME EXAMPLES OF 3D VIDEOS
SOME 3D VIDEOS FROM QPORIT3D
A GUIDE TO 3D VIDEOS ON THE WEB
YOUTUBE 3D --3D VIDEO HOSTING AND 3D VIDEO SELECTIONS
PHEREO WILL HOST 3D PHOTOGRAPHS
PHEREO (3D still photo display - currently in beta)
NVIDIA'S 3D VISION SYSTEM FOR COMPUTERS
NVIDIA 3D VISION INFO
MAGIX IS AN INEXPENSIVE YET EXCELLENT 3D VIDEO EDITOR
MAGIX
MAGIX EDITING SOFTWARE FOR 3D
MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX PLUS
MAGIX Movie Edit Pro MX PREMIUM
Notes:
So far, in my experience, (as of 12/12/2011), all the sites above have been safe. But 3D is a rapidly developing frontier and there may be some wildness. I suspect I may have encountered malware on other 3D related sites. I strongly recommend having good anti-virus software before you explore random 3D sites on the web -- especially outside the beaten track and especially, especially, especially if you venture to sites that have any sexual content.
Before you accept any TERMS OF SERVICE or other agreement (for example to upload videos), read the document! Some sites -- especially contest sites or sites that dangle the possibility of your making money -- may have agreements that allow them to use your content -- or even take possession of your content -- to make money for them. If the agreement looks suspicious at all or you have any question check it with a lawyer. The TERMS OF SERVICE could be binding.
As of 12/12/2011 QPORIT has an affiliate agreement with Amazon and one pending with Google; but no relationship (other than that of customer or user) with the other sites mentioned. We have no control over any of the sites we mention; all links are for your convenience; and any transactions are solely between you and the other site.
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SONNETS-BY-SHAKESPEARE -- Sonnets & other works by & about Shakespeare
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D
QPORIT3D - A new blog about consumer 3D
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Labels: 3D, GLASSES-FREE 3D, HTC, HTC EVO 3D, LENTICULAR, Magix, NO-GLASSES 3D, Phereo, QPORIT, qporit3D, STEREOSCOPY, YOUTUBE, YOUTUBE 3D
