3D displays have been pretty good over the past few years, though they are still rare. The first sets only released three years ago, and every year since has only seen two or three new models. In late 2011 ASUS released the first 27″ 3D monitor, the VG278H, which is the best thing for 3D. The only way to really improve the quality of your 3D gaming at home is to increase the size of your screen.

As far as monitors go, aside from built-in 3D Vision support, the VG278H is pretty bland. It has high-end specs like 400cd/m2 brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, internal speakers and a 2ms grey-to-grey response time, but that’s all powering a 1920×1080 resolution. For a 27″ panel, that’s pretty low, and it’s noticeable, especially if like me you have at least one other monitor. But let’s take an organized look at the display.

Hardware

As mentioned, this ASUS is a high-end gaming display. Response times are fast, the screen gets deathly bright, and the speakers are pretty good to boot. Not as good as the Playstation 3D Display‘s, mostly from muffled bass and some tinny highs, but otherwise good.

Let’s talk about screen resolution. Today, widescreen (16:9) is the standard for most PC displays, though few still sell as 16:10. My opinion on the matter is that 16:10 is better, and that if you’re going to have multiple displays, the best way to do it is to have them side by side vertically, so you get a 3600×1920 display, instead of 5760×1200. That’s just more sensical to me, and if that’s the case, why is it any different with two monitors? Especially for gaming.

That said, at 27″ most displays in the past have bumped up the resolution to 2560×1600 or 2560×1440, depending on the aspect ratio. The VG278H does neither, and likely for two reasons: reduced cost and less stressful for gaming. Because of how hard processing 3D is (or rather, how it basically requires twice the graphics computing power because it’s doubling the image), running a game in 3D is already twice as hard. Upping the display from 1080p, or even 1200p, to (in this widescreen case) 2560×1440 is a big step, one most gamers don’t go to.

There is an unwritten expectation from screen sizes, one that ASUS is disrupting under the guise of 3D. Acer will release their own 27″ 3D display as well, also 1080p. I don’t like this decrease in pixel density. It only works if players sit farther away from the display, and in this case, that doesn’t happen. I’ve tested a number of games in 3D (with more write-ups, like Skyrim, to come), and yes, sometimes pixels are visible. They’re more visible when not in-game, and impossible when playing in 3D, but dropping to 1080p isn’t progress. Keep the stupid widescreen, but leave the resolution where it belongs.

The VG278H has an HDMI 1.4, Dual-DVI and VGA port, as well as audio in and audio out. Menu navigation is conducted through four buttons, plus a preset button and power button. The buttons are all easy to press, but not nearly as simple as the touch-sensitive buttons on BenQ’s XL2420TX or Dell’s Alienware OptX from two years ago. There’s also a dedicated display switch between HDMI, DVI and VGA.

Finally there’s the Vision 2 built-in IR transceiver, which sits at the very top of the relatively small bezel. It’s adjustable about 40 degrees, which is very convenient for gamers who like to kick back and stay below the monitor.

Color Reproduction and 3D

I’ve tested the VG278H in a number of ways, including picture editing, vision-based benchmarks, everyday use, and gaming. Out of the box the VG278H is pretty accurate, and required minimal adjustment and calibration. As mentioned, the display gets uncomfortably bright, which is especially good for games. I tested all of Skyrim on the VG278H and even with Lightboost (built into the monitor) not active, at max brightness the active shutter glasses couldn’t drown out that much light. After 30 minutes my eyes were watering.

Video and game quality is great, but would be better if the display were glossy. Glossy screens are troublesome for a few reasons, mostly that they are highly reflective. I thought it might be a problem, especially while wearing reflective glasses, but as I found with both the Playstation 3D Display and the VG278H, that’s not the case. 3D gaming on the VG278H during daytime, however, was infinitely easier than on Sony’s display.

The built-in presets are also very well calibrated for their intended uses. Theater Mode is bright but manages colors very well except for a slight green hue (especially in darks), while game mode has slightly higher color saturation and vibrancy. With Skyrim, though there isn’t such incredible color in the game, the VG278H did help bring the world to life with color oversaturation and incredible brightness. And, of course, 3D and the larger 27″ size.

Image from PC World

Though in my rant above about regressing in screen density, with the VG278H I was able to really sit back and chill out while 3D gaming. The 22″ displays are too small and 24″ screens are big, but not enough to kick back with a gamepad. The 27″ is big enough to pull that office chair lever and lean back after a hard day’s work. That extra distance, of course, makes it more difficult to notice the lower screen density.

3D quality is also very solid, though that’s more of a software issue versus hardware. I noticed no screen slowdown when playing in 3D (except for occasional graphical hiccups, from the GPU strain). Built-in Lightboost is convenient, though I only found it helpful when playing in a room with plenty of sunlight.

The real benefit of the VG278H over other 3D displays specifically for 3D is the adjustable 3D Emitter. The 20 degrees of rotation is a huge improvement over the standalone emitter, which has to be set for however you’re sitting. For players like me who change how they sit based on the game, mood, or time of day, that’s a lot of hassle gone out the window.

Conclusion

For the retail price of $680 (available for as low as $620), including one set of 3D Vision 2 glasses (retail $150, available for around $70), the VG278H is an expensive panel, even at the lower prices. Then again, I haven’t found a single 3D display that can provide the same high-quality 3D gaming. There simply isn’t one. BenQ’s offering is still a 24″ panel, and we’ll have to wait and see how Acer’s upcoming 27″ competitor stacks up. But considering their last penny-pinching display, it may save on price but skimp out on quality. We’ll have to wait and see.

Right now, there is no better 3D display than the ASUS VG278H. It provides excellent picture quality straight out of the box, is easy to use, and provides almost all of the amenities one can hope for in a monitor. For the price, I’d have expected touch-sensitive buttons and a better swivel stand, which while adjustable tends to turn the whole stand instead of just the screen.

Editor’s Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Great

Bottom Line: Excellent picture quality right out of the box. Very bright, very big, and with a built-in 3D emitter, very convenient.

Pros:

• Great picture quality
• Very bright, even in sunlight
• Larger size makes 3D gaming way more fun
• Swivel 3D emitter is a gift from the heavens

With such a good price available on HDTVs and even the blu-ray players and surround sound systems to go along with them the usefulness of receivers is steadily climbing. As a result we’re seeing some great price drops on them, like this Pioneer system from Newegg with a coupon code which brings the price down to just $134.99. This receiver includes 4 HDMI inputs for plenty of device connectivity, and thanks to full 3D support and a plethora of audio encoders including Dolby Digital and DTS you have all the potential you need to fill even the latest systems. It’s very easy to setup, but for power users there are many tweaks and features for ultimate sound control, and for those music fans out there Bluetooth connectivity is built-in for connection to iPhones and other Smartphones so you can pump out some quality music to fill the room.

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The evolution of the TV might be ongoing, but one thing that’s constant is the desire for as big an image as possible. Granted that we’re all spoiled with our flat panels and front projection systems, compared to the days of the 19-inch TV tube, but “bigger is better,” continues to dominate our minds. The biggest barrier between “bigger” TVs and us is having to buy a new display — you can’t “upgrade” from a 42-inch to a 55, 60 or larger. And if your recently purchased HDTV doesn’t do 3D and you want it — again you’re stuck with buying a new set or going without.

Okay, there’s a third alternative: the Sony Personal 3D Viewer. It’s a headset that brings any video being fed to it up close and personal, giving you the equivalent of a 750-inch screen from 65 feet away to glom at. And not just a high-definition image either because it also does 3D. Difficult to use? Nah.

Physically setting up the Viewer is simple: to start, you plug a video source (like a Blu-ray player) into the HDMI input on the back of the stand-alone box that houses all the electronics, with another HDMI cable going into an output to go back to your display (if you want). The box is about the size of one of those audio amps you place in a car’s trunk and only has a single light to verify that the power is active; there are no controls on it.

A 12 foot cable is permanently attached to the Viewer and goes into a connector on the front of the box; it’s a proprietary type, which explains the cable’s length since you can’t extend it. Then you insert the AC cord in to its corresponding socket and plug it into the wall outlet.

All the controls are on the right underside of the Viewer, consisting of a click wheel with a center button and two smaller buttons side-by-side for volume. The power button is farther away so as to avoid it being accidentally pressed. Because of its placement, I recommend you press it prior to putting on the Viewer (a red light on the box will change to green to indicate “On”).

Putting the Sony on for the first time is a bit involved because a correct fit is vital to seeing a uniform image. Place it on your head as if it was a catcher’s mitt or, for those less sports inclined, as if you were putting on a baseball cap starting from behind the crown of your head. Pull the Viewer forward and down until your nose meets the bridge at the front. Now you make two adjustments — one changing the distance between the two lenses and the front of your eyes using push-in tabs for forward/backward movement; then readjusting the clips attached to a plastic strap framework that grips the side of your head. Once this is done, look straight ahead at the “Welcome” screen that now consumes your view. Reach under each eye and move the protruding tab on the Viewer in/out until the text is in focus. Then press the wheel’s center button to move to the next screen and confirm another image, this one of horizontal and vertical lines. Continue on through a warning screen, disengage the menus and see whatever video is being received.

In my case, I’m using a switcher to start with HD television through a Dish Network satellite receiver. I’ll now adjust the Viewer’s settings to “average” and go from there. The menus include an information screen, which shows the controls the Sony uses and a “Lens-span adjustment” for physically readjusting the two lens panels you’re looking. The “3D” setting lets you set the 3D so that it kicks in automatically or not just when a signal is received, while the “Picture” menu lets you adjust brightness, contrast, color temperature and the like (leave the digital noise reduction off unless you are viewing standard-definition video, is my recommendation). The “Audio” setting lets you set the multichannel controls for surround, along with treble and bass levels. There’s also a general menu to do such things as turn off the Viewer if you remove it or activate/deactivate the HDMI pass-through.

Once all this is done, you’re ready to enjoy a humongously big picture. I don’t know how to measure it, but it’s certainly bigger in perception compared to my 100-inch projection screen when I stood before it and flipped the Viewer on/off my head.

That picture you’re seeing is really something too, especially when watching high-definition (you get an indicator of the resolution feed when it first appears at the screen’s upper left corner). It might be 720p, not 1080p,  as far as your eyes go — but does that matter? No. There’s no light fall off from the corners as the entire image is uniformly lit and, obviously, you’re always seated in the “sweet spot” in relationship to the lenses.

The Viewer uses OLED panels, rather than LCD, resulting in what is, to me, an obvious improvement in the clarity, color intensity and brightness (I’ve worn a lot of these LCD glasses over the years so I feel comfortable making this assessment). While the Viewer is fairly lightweight, there is some discernible strain on the bridge of the nose to get used to. This is especially true for those of us who wear eyeglasses, as there aren’t optical adjustments to eliminate the need for prescription lenses. Here’s a tip — patient adjustment of the two earphone cups can help in reducing the pressure on the nose.

Switching from the Dish to my PlayStation 3 (which does 3D), I brought up Netflix to see how a streaming video would look. I had expected to run a few minutes of “Iron Man 2,” but an hour went by before I put the brakes on. The image was rock-solid 2D and there wasn’t any smearing when the iron guys flew across the screen. To say streaming looks impressive through the Viewer, even though it’s not high-def, would be an understatement. I also ran a cartoon to check out whether solid panels of color were bleeding, but again had no complaints.

Keeping with the super hero thing, I popped in the 3D disc of Green Lantern and powered through some of the scenes that I’ve watched many times on my 3D TV. Besides having a much bigger view, the 3D effects were much more obvious to my eye; not to say that there was a lack of subtlety at times, just that tracking the 3D didn’t require any effort — it was just there “in my face.” I also found the 3D version of Toy Story 3 a good exercise in catching the 3D “moments” and for fans of the series, 3D is really a much better way to watch (“the claw, the claw!”).  Colors were outstanding too and I never ran across any noticeable image flickering either. Yes you should take it off every now and then to rest both your eyes and face, but once the viewing starts, you pretty much forget all of that.

The Bottom Line: It’s not hard to tout the obvious benefit of the Sony Personal 3D Viewer, even at a $800 price tag: you get your own movie theater screen without needing a “man-cave” or having to readjust your living room. For those without 3D in the home, this and a sub-$300 3D-capable Blu-ray player are all you need. Those already invested in 3D can up their viewing size without having to buy new equipment. And in both cases, the one wearing the Viewer will be enjoying themselves immensely. Plus the front of it has a cool blue glow to impress anyone looking your way.

  Editor’s Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Great

Pros:

• OLED panels provide clear, bright and colorful video
• High-resolution view that is many times bigger than most home theaters
• 3D-capable

Cons:

• Expensive
• Proprietary cable permanently attached to the Viewer
• Headset weight will be uncomfortable to some

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Skyrim is the biggest game to release in 2011. It may not have the sales numbers of, say, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but it didn’t suffer with over 10 million copies sold. And with over 100 hours of gameplay in a single run, it’s by far one of the deepest and literally biggest games to ever come out. So I did what any sane man would do: I put in 100 hours in 3D.

First, the test rig. My PC isn’t anything special, but it’s powerful enough to get the job done. Here are the specs:

• 3GHz Quad-Core AMD Athlon Black Edition
• 8GB RAM
• ASUS P5N-e Motherboard
• Zotac GTX 580 (courtesy of Nvidia)
• ASUS VG278H 3D display (courtesy of Nvidia)
• Seagate 7200RPM 1TB

• Mouse: Logitech G700
• Keyboard: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Stealth
• Gamepad (used to play Skyrim [in full lean-back mode]): Wired Xbox 360 Controller
• Speakers: Razer Mako 2.1
• Headset: Logitech G930 (my main headset, though I switched between several tested headsets as well)

Technically speaking, there are 115 hours of logged play time (though roughly 10 hours is unplayed, just me leaving the game on while doing chores or grabbing a bite, while another five are my brother giving it a try). 33/50 achievements have been unlocked, and the majority of the game has been completed. The only main quests I haven’t done are joining a side in the civil war, joining the Dark Brotherhood (when given a choice to join, I chose to kill the Brotherhood interviewer and then kill the rest of the Brotherhood), and actually completing the few last major missions. For all intents and purposes, the game is nearly complete; I expect roughly 10-15 hours to finish, if I complete all additional missions without picking a side in the civil war.

I played countless hours with the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 glasses, which in many respects proved to be one of the best 3D gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I believe this is for two reasons: first, the larger 27″ display is better suited for 3D (the bigger the screen, the better the 3D effects). Second, the world of Skyrim is extremely well done for 3D. It’s not perfect (far from it), but all too often I was left impressed with the quality of 3D employed in the game.

To get the full 3D effect, several adjustments must be made to Skyrim. First, depending on your hardware, turn down the performance. Without 3D enabled I could almost max out the game, but with 3D enabled I turned it down to high spec, turned off antialiasing and anisotropic filtering, lowered texture quality to medium, and turned of FXAA. I hate radial blur, so I turned it down to low (though for performance it wasn’t necessary). I left all viewing distances at max. The screen resolution was 1920×1080.

Next, in Skyrim itself, I did two things immediately after trying to play. First was remove the in-game crosshairs, and second was to lower the HUD opacity. Other players may want to do more to remove static and non-3D artifacts, such as subtitles and navigation arrows as well. All of these take away from the 3D effect because they are in 2D. If you’re feeling especially hardcore, turn the HUD opacity off completely and rough the game without a HUD. With the opacity low enough the HUD bars won’t mess with your vision.

3D Quality

Once you’re all set, the world of Skyrim looks pretty fantastic in 3D. Depth is very subtle, and it doesn’t strain the eyes. It’s one of the few games I’ve been able to play for hours on end looking about and, when I took the glasses off, realized just how far I was focusing into the screen.

Because Skyrim is such a giant open world, 3D helps in several key ways. First is enemy distance. While distance can generally be measured by the size of enemies, those sizes vary greatly in Skyrim. Giants, Dragons and Mammoths are huge, bears are pretty big, people are mid-sized, and there’s a ton of smaller creatures. But when a Dragon attacks and it’s flying around, trying to shoot it with an arrow is tough because it’s hard to gauge the distance. 3D actually helps here.

For combat, 3D is mostly helpful for archery. It makes distance less tricky to determine. While I generally played as a heavy armor combatant, with 3D it actually proved easier to play the part of a thief, sneaking around and closing in on the kill, or keeping enough distance to never be spotted. Distance is extremely important in this sort of gameplay.

Coming back from Vegas, I can safely say that if you ever go, don’t walk to a hotel that looks like it’s a few blocks away. It’s not New York; a block is a mile walk. The reason we have trouble telling that is because of how massive the hotels and buildings are. Then again, most people don’t pay attention to depth perception in Sin City.

In Skyrim, depth perception proved helpful as well. Some distances are just too hard to tell properly playing in 2D. I’ve tried scaling mountains and climbing 90 degree walls (on my horse, of course), and sometimes it’s just impossible to get up a certain path. From a distance, it’s nearly impossible to see  just how far they are.

Throw on those 3D glasses and after adjusting to the depth, suddenly that distance becomes clear. It still takes some practice; after all, we make the mistake in everyday life, so we’re just as likely to make the same mistake in a game. But I will say that with the 3D glasses I was able to avoid trying to scale some ridiculous mountains because, as I looked from a distance and getting closer, it was very clear how far they were (and that the fast travel feature would save me some time and hassle), and that some things just were not meant to be climbed.

Flaws in Skyrim’s 3D

The 3D isn’t perfect though. My biggest complaint is the night sky. Stars appear in 2D, so they appear in double with 3D enabled. And because they’re each tiny specks, that turns out to be a pretty big problem (though how often do we stare up at the night sky, let alone in a game?). The 3D crosshairs (not the in-game, but NVidia’s) aren’t perfectly tuned and jump in and out of focus, especially when the object aimed at is very close.

Additionally, as mentioned above, the HUD layout is completely flat, so when focusing on something very far, health, stamina, magic, and navigation all appear in double. Especially for health this proves to be very troublesome, and I found myself bouncing between focusing on something far and close, but only a few centimeters apart. To feel that experience, imagine sitting on a laptop and staring at the very top, and then focusing on something 20 feet away just above the laptop from your point of view. Then go back and forth a few times. It’s exhausting.

A final issue is depth, or rather too much of it. I turned my depth setting down as far as they went because even focusing on distant objects, I’d have double vision. This generally occurred with static objects, like walls or buildings. Moveable objects appear to be more malleable, but if you look at a chair or wall, very often it appears in duplicate form.

Final Thoughts

Skyrim is definitely a winner for 3D, with several precautions to be taken first. With a powerful GPU it will certainly be a lot of fun, and I think it makes the nature of the game – the entire world as a playground, a second life in an ancient Nord world – more real. More exciting. During my testing I went through several versions of NVidia drivers as well, each offering better performance than the last and fixing minor gripes here and there, so there’s no doubt it’ll look and feel better as time goes one.

3D monitors are still a rarity in the world of PC gaming, even though as of October 2011 over 500,000 pairs of Nvidia’s 3D Vision glasses have been sold, and with each at least one 3D display. Though the likes of Viewsonic, Acer, ASUS and Dell have all taken their go at it – some more successfully than others – this third wave of high-end 3D gaming monitors is looking very well. We’ll have a full review of ASUS’ latest display soon after CES, but at the show BenQ revealed not one, but two 3D-ready displays.

To say that they are two different monitors is almost a lie. The two are identical in all ways but one: the XL2420TX and XL2420T share all of the same specs but one: the TX model has 3D Vision built directly into the display. Both have the same 2ms grey-to-grey response time, the same 120Hz refresh rate, the same 24″ displays, the same specs entirely except for built-in Vision. If you’re confused, I was too, until I looked at the price: the TX model, with Vision, will retail for $500, while the non-Vision model currently retails for $400.

Now that may seem like a big difference for a display, but having tested and used Nvidia’s 3D Vision glasses for possibly longer than anyone outside of the company, I can state as a fact that using 3D Vision with an external IR reader to work with the glasses is a hassle. It’s far more convenient to have it built directly into the monitor for two reasons: first, the IR transmitter is near eye-level (and can be adjusted to point higher or lower), and second, because it doesn’t take up an extra USB port and contribute to your current table clutter.

Of course, anyone who already owns a 3D Vision set with the external IR transmitter can save some money for themselves and buy the display without the built in emitter. The only loss is convenience, though the BenQ representative told me that their current customers in Europe, who have had both displays available, requested a display without 3D Vision built in. And that both models have sold well.

Convenience is a surprisingly important factor, one I always say is perhaps the most important piece to the product puzzle, because it gets right into the users feelings on said product. They create an emotional attachment because hey, it feels like the phone or computer monitor was made with them in mind. The same holds true with the XL2420T models, both of which come with two (yes, everything comes in pairs) unique features available solely for the purpose of convenience. First is a glasses holder attached to the back of the display, as you can see in the image above.

Second is a mouse-like controller that magnetically attaches to the base of the display, on either side, and can be pre-programmed with three different display settings. Three numbered buttons can automatically change the display settings. It may seem silly, especially since the buttons on both XL2420T models are all touch sensitive, similar to the Dell Alienware OptX display, but even with very fluid controls and an intuitive and simply menu system having the ability to automatically change the display settings is huge. Most gaming displays today have a dedicated button to scroll through presets, which are generally defaults made by the manufacturer (and usually prior to someone actively calibrating the display altogether), but even that’s not as convenient as you can get. The button to do so is still attached to the display wherever the buttons are located. With the XL2420T, those preset buttons can be literally wherever you want. They can be magnetically attached to the base on the left or right side, or above your keyboard, by the mouse, or wherever the hell the cable will reach.

Simply put, it’s ingenious. I know for myself that I always change the presets on my display. I have a preset for standard computing (ie typing up articles like this), watching video, playing games, and for editing pictures. Being able to swap between even three of these presets at anytime with a simple extendable control that can at anytime be docked is…it solves a longtime problem that most people didn’t even know existed.

I’ll need some more face time with the XL2420T and XL2420TX to know how good they actually are and the video quality reproduction, but there was one impressive note I made during my hands-on. For 3D gameplay, the image doesn’t move. That means that if you weave and bob your head, in any way, the image won’t move with you. This typically happens on 3D displays (and most people see something similar occur when watching 3D movies), and it’s annoying. I walked around with my 3D glasses on and didn’t see any change, even at weird and extreme angles. I’ll need to test it more in the field, but thus far I haven’t found anywhere that the image moves with the glasses.

The XL2420T is currently available now in the US, for purchase directly from BenQ and some retailers, for $399. The XL2420TX will be available shortly in the US for $499, and is available for pre-order now from BenQ directly.

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3D Tech is slowly taking hold. Most TVs sold today support 3D in the smallest sense, with refresh rates of 120Hz or more. 3D can be found on cameras, phones, and game consoles, and this holiday is the best time to get into 3D if you haven’t already. And if you have some 3D hardware already, be it at your media center, your workstation, or even in your pocket, now is the perfect time to upgrade. Take a look at some of our favorite, must-have 3D hardware!

ASUS VG278 3D Monitor + 3D Vision 2

3D needs to make its way into the home, and while most new TVs support 3D in some respect, most computer monitors don’t. Yet, with smartphones and 3D cameras growing in number, handling all that 3D media is going to have to be done somewhere. That somewhere starts, and ends, with the computer. 3D monitors have been available for a few years, but the ASUS VG278 is the first with NVidia’s 3D Vision built directly into the hardware. No need for extra cables and accessories spewing across the desk, just a monitor and your glasses to enjoy all the 3D content you can get, right at your PC. And thanks to the larger 27″ screen size, the 3D effects are easier to see than ever. Add onto that NVidia’s latest version of their 3D glasses, the 3D Vision 2, and you get bigger lenses that cover more space and block more external light, and a better, lightweight design that is easier on the face for longer periods of play. At the same time they still fit over glasses, still last 10-12 hours of continuous use, and now charge with a MicroUSB cable, so your cell phone charger will work with the glasses.

LG Thrill (AT&T)

The Thrill is the second 3D-ready smartphone in the US, and the first to feature a Nintendo 3DS-like depth slider. Compared to the Evo 3D, the Thrill has some very neat 3D options, such as instantly turning 3D pictures and video into 2D, and automatically adjusting the depth when both shooting and viewing pictures. Plus it’s the only 3D-ready phone on AT&T, so if going into the 3rd dimension is your thing and you have a contract to fulfill/upgrade, the Thrill is your phone.

HTC Evo 3D (Sprint)

The HTC Evo 3D may be the only 3D smartphone on Sprint, but it’s also a powerful phone that easily replaces the very popular Evo 4G. It includes not only a handful of excellent features like a powerful processor, an improved 4G antenna and a more ergonomic design, but two 5MP cameras and the ability to shoot 720p 3D video. After we reviewed and enjoyed it, the Evo 3D is a solid phone, with or without the 3D. And the 3D is good to boot.

Playstation 3D Display + Extra Glasses

There are too many potential 3DTVs gamers can choose from, but only one that is built from the ground up for 3D gaming, and even more specifically, for the Playstation 3. The Playstation 3D Display may be small at 24″, but this 1080p TV has two things no other TVs have: SimulView and the Playstation guarantee. The latter means you know the quality is up to snuff (and in my time playing with it, that is absolutely true). The former allows for two players to wear their 3D glasses, watch the same screen, but see two completely different pictures. That’s thanks to the display’s 240Hz refresh rate, which can switch between two different pictures – one for each player – 120 times a second. That means no more splitscreen, and the 24″ monitor will suddenly seem twice as large for two players. The 3D effect really comes to live with scaling multi-leveled platforms and giant levels, and so many games on the Playstation 3 already have far reaching games like that. God of War 3, Infamous 2, Killzone 3…these are all games that really take advantage of the 3D effect, and with this display – built from the ground up by the Playstation team – you get every bit of that.

Nintendo 3DS + Starfox 64 3D and Super Mario Land 3D

I wasn’t sold on the 3DS for a long time, for several reasons: the 3D games weren’t up to snuff, there weren’t many games anyways, and the pricing was just obnoxious. Then games like Super Mario Land 3D, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Starfox 64 3D came out; the price dropped from $250 to $170; and now Mario Kart 7 releases on December 4th. Those new games combined, plus some crazy holiday deals (like finding the 3DS for as low as $100…good luck finding it!) are killer reasons to want Nintendo’s newest portable console.

It will be sometime until we start to see 4k movies and tv shows appear.  After all, didn’t 1080p just hit the mainstream?  However, it won’t be long before we can watch 3D sans glasses.  If French isn’t in your lexicon, sans means without, so without glasses.  And Toshiba says they’ve already developed a 55-inch TV that just does that and is set to go on sale at the beginning of next year.

The Toshiba’s REGZA 553X uses a wide array of technology to make this feat possible.  First off, and we’re sure you’re wondering this (we were) this 3D can display a three dimensional image for up to nine people simultaneously, or at least we can only infer so – the linked article says “nine different viewing positions,” so take it as you will.

All this wonderment of TV viewing bliss is possible thanks to a number crunching machines found on the back of the TV.  Toshiba also incorporated a range of lenticular lenslets that guide each respective image to each eye – to achieve 3D they must be slightly offset.  And to ensure the images are delivered to the right spot, they’ve also stuffed in face tracking tech, which supposedly can follow and detect a variety of viewers so the correct left/right image is sent to the correct person.

What makes this particular TV so astounding is not only the resolution and the ability to achieve 3D without glasses, but its sheer size.  Most sets of this ilk, at least up until this point have been less than 32-inches, which is far from practical for a 3D viewing experience.  We have yet to get a hands on with the Toshiba 553X, but we can all but guarantee that we’ll get a preview at CES 2012.

By the way, price is a purported $11,500.  Not too shabby for a glasses free 3D TV.

I don’t know about you, but I’m an AT&T user. Partly because I owned the original iPhone, and partly because Ma Belle has the best local service in my area. While other companies built up their line of Android phones to compete with the iPhone, AT&T waited until their exclusive contract with Apple ended to pile on all the major manufacturers to develop serious handsets for them that are competitive with the Cupertino device. How does AT&T fare? Pretty damn well, with some of the best phones available to date.

And Amazon Wireless has an amazing deal on all AT&T phones that don’t start with the letter “i”: they’re a penny each! Offer ends November 28th at midnight, so don’t wait!

Samsung Galaxy S II

Last yea’rs Galaxy S phones were exceptional, and by far the best competition to the iPhone. This year Samsung’s done it again with the Galaxy S II, a 4.3″ phone with a brilliant Super AMOLED+ display, a great 8MP camera, a brilliantly thin design all in a sleek 3.5G package. The Galaxy S II is truly a sight to behold. There is no better pocket companion from AT&T than this device, with the possible exception of it’s slightly larger brother, the Galaxy S II Skyrocket, which boasts access to AT&T’s LTE network available mostly in the east coast.

Apple iPhone 4S

The iPhone is still the most complete package you can find out of any smartphone. The 4S may not be a gigantic improvement over last year’s model, but the upgraded camera, antenna, processor and the Siri personal secretary are just a few reasons why Apple is the largest company in the world today. And on AT&T versus other carriers, the 4S has access to 3.5G download speeds, which is much faster than typical 3G speeds (albeit nowhere near LTE). If you’re going to get an iPhone 4S, AT&T’s the only company that offers those data transfer rates and the ability to use data and be on a call at the same time.

LG Thrill

The Thrill is the second 3D-ready smartphone in the US, and the first to feature a Nintendo 3DS-like depth slider. Compared to the Evo 3D, the Thrill has some very neat 3D options, such as instantly turning 3D pictures and video into 2D, and automatically adjusting the depth when both shooting and viewing pictures. Plus it’s the only 3D-ready phone on AT&T, so if going into the 3rd dimension is your thing, the Thrill is your phone.

Sprint has been the #3 cell provider in the US for years now, but has somehow managed to have one of the best networks and least dropped calls, which combined with the first nationwide 4G network has made the company adored by business users everywhere. Plus their truly unlimited plan is the only one left, where AT&T and Verizon both only offer limited data and T-Mobile slows down data speeds after 2GB/m. The company hasn’t managed to pick up the pace when it comes to new smartphones, and likewise has been losing ground to LTE networks in data speeds, but more and more customers are switching over, and for good reason. Take a look at the best the company has to offer.

And Amazon Wireless has an amazing deal on all Sprint phones that don’t start with the letter “i”: they’re a penny each! Offer ends November 28th at midnight, so don’t wait!

Apple iPhone 4S

While the other carriers were pretty cut and dry with the best phone, Sprint’s was a doozy, between the iPhone 4S and Epic 4G Touch. The iPhone 4S, while a better overall device than Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S II, doesn’t have 4G or the great design of the S II, but the Epic 4G Touch is literally too big, something that makes it a tad uncomfortable for users. Comfort is extremely important when it comes to the device you use daily, and the iPhone 4S has a tried and true design, even if it lacks the data speed of its closest competitor.

Samsung Epic 4G Touch (Galaxy S II)

Like last year, Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S phone is different from all the others, although this time it’s not because of a slide-out keyboard and 4G connectivity. Instead, the Epic 4G Touch touts a 4.5″ display and very slight modifications over the standard Galaxy S II models. The Epic 4G Touch is a little bit faster, has a lighter better battery, and it’s just a little bit bigger. It’s a great handset, though frankly some users may find the width a bit much. It’s still one of the best phones out there, but make sure it’s comfortable for you.

HTC Evo 3D

The first 3D phone on the market, the Evo 3D had a lot to live up to, and for the most part it does. With two 5MP cameras, the ability to shoot HD and 3D video and stills, the Evo 3D is a solid platform to bring 3D out of the home and into the world. But even if 3D isn’t your thing, HTC based the phone off of their award-winning Evo 4G, and improved on the design, the 4G functionality, battery life and everything else. So don’t worry if you aren’t interested in 3D or any of that mumbo-jumbo extra dimension stuff. The Evo 3D is a great handset without any of that.

LG Marquee

This is an odd one. The Marquee is a low-end Android handset that in benchmarks is completely unremarkable in all ways but one: it has excellent battery life. As I discussed in the review of the LG Doubleplay, that’s not such a bad thing, especially if you aren’t interested in graphically-intense apps or heavy-duty processing on the phone, but just need something to get around, stay on calls, and last more than a day. If that sounds like you, the Marquee is an excellent device. It not only will last over a full day of heavy use, the NOVA display is extremely bright, and manages to be completely visible even in direct sunlight and the brightest conditions. It’s a phone first, and that’s what’s important.

The 3Ds may not have been the run away success that Nintendo had hoped for, but that hasn’t stopped the Japanese company from releasing a a special edition Zelda inspired 3Ds.  To commemorate the game’s 25th birthday, Nintendo has finished the portable console with  the Hyrule emblem and gold-colored embellishments.  They’re also tossing in a a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which will feature a special double-sided sleeve: on the front the classic game sleeve design appears, but on the reverse there is a limited edition gold-coloured sleeve.  If you remember, Nintendo has long issued gold editions of this game to celebrate its existence, though we can’t recall how many or when they issued these.

No word on a price, but apparently this release will be limited to the EU, where it will hit store shelves on November 25th…how fitting.

Nintendo announces Limited Edition The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary bundle

8th November 2011 – The Legend of Zelda is regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed video game series of all time. To celebrate its 25th anniversary and to mark this occasion, Nintendo is releasing a special 25th Anniversary limited edition* Nintendo 3DS system, marked with the Hyrule emblem and gold-coloured embellishments. This limited edition system will come bundled exclusively with a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D which was specifically created for the Nintendo 3DS system, and will become available from shops across Europe from 25th November 2011 – just in time for Christmas!

Fully remastered from the original Nintendo 64 title, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is packed with stunning 3D graphics and visual delights for fans, both familiar with and new to the franchise. As part of the bundle your copy of the game will contain a special double-sided sleeve: on the front the classic game sleeve design appears, but on the reverse there is a limited edition gold-coloured sleeve. This double-sided sleeve is only available as part of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary bundle.

Join Link, a heroic young boy, on his quest to save the land of Hyrule from Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves. Interact with many different characters and battle various enemies while exploring vast landscapes, mythical temples, dungeons, towns and villages – all in 3D!

What’s more, make the most of the new control scheme, completely redesigned to make the best use of the Nintendo 3DS system’s capabilities, all of which help you to intuitively guide Link on his journey.

The game’s graphical re-working coupled with the three-dimensional depth provided by Nintendo 3DS breathes new life into this timeless classic. Whether you’re a first-time player or a regular visitor to Hyrule, the limited edition Nintendo 3DS system bundled with The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D offers a magical new experience for all to enjoy, from 25th November 2011.

Amazon has you covered with this new low price for this Sony STRDH720 7.1 Channel 3D AV Receiver!

With the right Receiver you can bring your home theater system into complete focus, and now you can grab this one from Sony at a new low price. This AV Receiver gives you support for 7.1-Channel audio over a wide variety of decoding methods including DTS-HD and Dolby Digital. It allows you to connect with up to 4 different HD sources for plenty of connectivity all around and supports the latest and greatest HD/3D technologies so you can be assured it carries the best signal possible. It’s very easy to setup, thanks to its control menu while calibrating your audio is a breeze. Connectivity with your iPod is also possible, so you can bring your favorite music into the world of surround sound with ease. Grab it while it lasts!

Add this 7.1-channel 3D compatible receiver to your cart to see the low price of $214.16.  Shipping to your pad is free.

3D porn movies are no longer relegated to the professionals.  Now you and your loved one can experience your Gonzo styled exploits in 3D thanks to DXG’s DXG-5F9V.  While we’ll ignore the fact that they’ve placed the brand name directly in the model, we can’t help but oggle the price, which is a mere $299.  Pretty darn cheap for a 3D shooter which captures full HD in 3 dimensions.

Alternatively, you can snap 5 megapixel photos or good old fashioned 2D full HD videos.  A 3.2-inch displays allows you to review your handy work without those pesky 3D glasses, though you’ll need to run to your local Walmart and pick up an SD card, since this bad boy only ships with 128mb of storage built-in.

Now, it’s not clear if you can switch into 2D mode after recoding in 3D, but it’s most certainly viable since we’ve seen this option in other 3D camcorders and in theory the information already exists.  Eitherway, you’ll probably want an HDTV, ideally one that can output a 3D image, since you can jack the DXG-5F9V directly into one using the built-in HDMI port.

Sold?  You can by one today directly from DXG.

4 out of 5 stars

Vuzix has been making video eyewear for a number of years now, but the technology is just now reaching the level of maturity that it is usable for the average consumer. Before now it was prohibitively expensive and the set up process was just too clunky for normal people.

I tested out the Vuzix Wrap 1200 model, which is their newest addition to their video eyewear line. Most people are probably asking themselves just what the heck video eyewear is, and rightly so. Until now, it has been mostly for nerds. Video eyewear is Vuzix’s term for glasses with screens in them. You put on the Wrap 1200 and you feel like you are watching a 75-inch television screen. The effect is pretty impressive when you first put the glasses on.

The glasses themselves are quite sturdy. They feel well-built and don’t feel cheap or overly plastic-y as many gadgets are prone to do. These feel like the expensive piece of technology that they are. That said, they aren’t so heavy that you’ll feel like you’re wearing a lead weight on your face when you put them on.

Getting the glasses set up does take a bit of work. The glasses attach to one end of a small remote control u, the other end of which has a slot for a plug for an adapter which you can use to hook the glasses up to a variety of different electronics. Vuzix is pretty generous with the adapters they include in the box, giving you component, composite and 30 pin dock connector adapters. This box serves as both the remote control and the battery pack for the glasses themselves. The glasses are powered by two rechargeable AA batteries (included in the box) and can last for around 5 hours per charge.

The composite and component adapters allow you to hook the Wrap 1200 up to almost any entertainment device that you might have sitting in your A/V rack, such as a DVD player or television. The 30 pin connector is the most useful, since it can be used to hook the Wrap 1200 up to any Apple device, including the iPod Classic, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

I was pleasantly surprised with how well the glasses work. Once you plug them into a video source, the screens light up and you are treated to a high quality video screen right before your eyes (literally).

The video looked sharp and the contrast ratio and color reproduction were surprisingly good. The only disappointing aspect of the picture quality were the black levels. They weren’t bad, they were just mediocre. It’s not too much of a shock that the black levels were not the best, since having such a small screen makes it hard to keep the light from the individual pixels from bleeding together.

You can adjust the contrast and other video properties from an onscreen menu but the text is blocky and white over a blue background. Anyone who used a VCR in the 1990s will immediately know what I mean.

Video played back smoothly and there was no motion blur during the actions scenes of That Matrix or Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The Matrix (which was playing from a standard DVD player) looked as good as it does on my HD television. There were some parts of the movie that had a static background for a long period of time and I was able to see the individual pixels, but for the most part, you can’t even tell.

The fact that the you can’t really make out individual pixels is due in part to the two LCD screens that are housed inside the glasses. Each screen has a resolution of 852 by 480 pixels. For comparison, the iPhone 4’s Retina Display has a resolution of 960 by 640 pixels but it is almost twice as large.

The image quality was high from a variety of different sources. I played back clips using an iPod Classic and digital copies of movies from the iTunes Store and video from both Hulu and Netflix running on my iPad 2 and iPhone 4, respectively. Since the Vuzix Wrap 1200 comes with component connectors, I decided to hook it up to my TiVo Premiere to see how well it would handle playing back 1080p content. The text on the menus was crisp and easy to read. Video looked just as good as it would had I played it back through my HDTV.

According to Vuzix, the Wrap 1200 supports 3D. I wasn’t able to test it out, however, since the only 3D-enabled device I own is a PS3 and the Wrap does not use the same type of 3D. Because of that I can’t speak to how well the 3D works.

The Wrap 1200 also includes a pair of earbuds that plug into either side of the glasses. The audio quality is about what you would expect from any bundled headphone set– good enough, but not anything to write home about. If you are using the 30 pin dock adapter and have a more comfortable pair of headphones or just prefer to use your own (as I do), you can simply plug your own headphones into the headphone jack of your iOS device and use them like normal.

There is one other problem with the Vuzix Wrap 1200 though, and that’s the price. They cost $499 for a pair. That’s a pretty hefty price for something that you, quite honestly, won’t use all that much. Why would you use them around the house when you can just turn on the television? I can see how they would be useful for someone who travels a lot and has to sit on airplanes for hours on end– they let you block out the world and just enjoy your video.

The bottom line: The Vuzix Wrap 1200 performs well and is definitely a slick gadget, but $499 is a high price tag to pay. If they could cut the price in half, I would recommend them in a second.

Pros:

• Video looked great
• Lots of pack in items (headphones, adapters and batteries included in the box)
• Works with many iPad apps via display mirroring

Cons:

• Expensive
• You look silly wearing them
• No VGA, DVI or HDMI adapters in the box
• 90s style menus make the glasses feel somewhat cheap

You can get your own pair of Vuzix Wrap 1200s from Amazon for $499.99

LG’s Pentouch Plasma TVs allow users to interact with the onscreen content using, what else, a stylus.  The TVs, available in a 50-inch and 60-inch variant, will ship with 2 pens that can be plugged into the sets rear USB ports for recharging.  A suit of software allows users, as well as kids – the screen is scratch resistant – to draw on the display as well as surf the web.  Attach a PC to one of these rigs and you can take full advantage of its touch capabilities, though Macs aren’t be compatible.  A printer port allows drawings and other creations to be printed and posted for the family to see.

The 60-inch 60PZ850 is 3D capable and will sell for $2,199, while the 60-inch 60PV490 and 50-inch 50PV490 will retail for a suggested price of $1,699 and $1,099.

In terms of PC compaitbility, LG recommends Dual-core 2GHz or better CPU; 1GB or more of memory, graphics card with 1920×1080 (for PZ850 series) or 1024×768 (for PV490 series) connected via an RGB or HDMI output port. The Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit) operating system is recommended due to its support of multi-touch applications. Other supported operating systems: 32 bit Windows XP and 23 and 64 bit Windows Vista. The Windows 7 Starter Edition is not supported.

*This is a sponsored post. Nonetheless, we still think it’s a cool gadget and hence why we posted it.

Paul’s TV via Amazon has a super low price on this impressive Samsung Electronics HT-D5300 Home Theater System!

Building up the perfect home theater system is easier than ever thanks to the combinations that this powerful 5.1-Channel surround sound system provides. This system comes with 5 compact channels and roaring subwoofer for a maximum power output of 1000 Watts, and to bring it all together a fully Wi-Fi and SmartTV ready 3D Blu-Ray player while also sporting support for DVDs and even upscaling them to 1080p! It’s designed for fast booting and loading times do you don’t have to stall in watching your favorites, and thanks to that Wi-Fi connectivity you have no limits to what you can watch, as you can stream from places like YouTube and Netflix while even being able to browse website thanks to Samsung TV apps. It also includes an iPod dock for bringing your music into the picture with a bang and of course has support for Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS-HD.

43% in instant savings cut this home theater in a box from $399.99 to $229.99.  S&H is included

Buydig has a sale price on this LG BD650 Blu-ray Player!

So you have your HDTV all set up, now you just need something that can pump out intense HD content. Bring in this LG Blu-Ray Player for a steal of a price and you have a perfect pairing. Of course as the name implies you can play any Blu-Rays to your heart’s content but also enjoy full 3D content as well if your TV supports it. In addition the player is designed to be fast and load that disks quickly to minimize waiting time while still supporting older DVD formats with 1080p Upscale. It even includes a USB 2.0 port which allows you to view portable content very easily and also includes Wi-Fi connectivity which means Internet content like Netflic, YouTube and more are just a few button pushes away. To top it all off the player also supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio playback for a fully powered experience.

This $5 coupon (BUYDIGCLUB5) cuts it from $109 to $104.  This deal includes S&H

With millions of dollars you might be able to squeeze a 62-foot screen into your mansion’s basement, but that certainly won’t negate the logistical issues.  Do you realize just how big 62-feet is?  Think medium sized sail boat and suddenly you’ll realize how disgusting large that is.  And we’re not talking wide, we’re talking diagonal, as in corner-to-corner.  But that’s what Sony is promising with their recently announced head mounted display, the HMZ-T1.

Inside the device are two .7-inch OLED displays that can produce a 1280×720 resolution image.  Each OLED screen can be tweaked according to your eye, and because each one sits just inches from your field of vision it creates what looks like, or feels like a 750-inch display viewed from 60 feet away.

But that’s not the only fringe benefit of dual OLED screens.  Since the head mounted display uses two separate screens, Sony has adopted something called the “dual Panel 3D Method.”  Each OLED panel can display an independent picture in HD quality to each eye, which allows for exceptionally high quality 3D vision, and creates a “crosstalk” free 3D viewing experience; “crosstalk” is when two images, generally used to display a 3D image in a single screen scenario, get distorted and don’t display properly.

To further back the immersive experience, Sony has included a set of headphones that can produce 5.1-channel surround sound.  But here is the rub: it’s “virtual 5.1-channel surround.”  Disappointing since full 5.1-channel surround sound, as in no digital signal processing involved to fabricate the surround sound, is possible and found in a few headphones on the market today.  However, it’s our guess that Sony is trying to keep costs down and hence why they opted for this particular sound setup.

The HMZ-T1 can connect to any HDMI equipped Blu-ray player or video game system.  Included is a switch box which allows the head mounted display to be connected to a Blu-ray player at the same time as an HDTV.  A set of controls, found directly on the HMZ-T1, allow you to control any device that uses HDMI CEC control functions.  And in case your power conscious, a sensor disengages the dual OLED screens when it detects that it isn’t being worn.  Did we mention it weighs less than 1lb?

At this time Sony hasn’t announced a price or launch date.  We get the feeling they’re trying to gauge interest.

4 out of 5 stars

Finding a great compact camera is nearly impossible thanks to the overwhelming variety and our incessant need for a very personalized, specific device. It must be at the right price, the right weight, the right level of sophistication, the right speed, etc. Did Sony figure it out with the Cybershot DSC-TX9?

The Cybershot DSC-TX9 (TX9 from here on out) is a tiny 12.2 megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom, a crisp Carl-Zeiss lens, support for both SD and Sony’s Pro-Duo memory cards, and a 3” LCD touchscreen display. It has a uniform build design, a tight metal frame, and a slide-down lens cover which turns the camera on and off. The TX9 can record 720p video in stereo sound, and includes a several picture modes for many situations, and the whole thing is built to work for beginners and professional photographers.

Let’s take a look at the camera’s design.

Build Quality

If you walk into any camera store today, most feel too light and very plastic. They lack sturdiness, that weight we associate with strength. The TX9 is very different. It’s a brilliantly built and designed camera – strong and sturdy for any environment; simple to use for first-time photographers or hardened professionals; and convenient for everyone.

The slide-down cover is great for quick shots. There is no better way to take an instant snapshot of a moment than just sliding down the cover and shooting away. The TX9 takes pictures within 2.5 seconds of sliding the cover in good lighting, and 4 seconds for poor lighting. That’s fast compared to most smartphones and point and shoot cameras, which get the shot in 5-10 seconds. That speed is also under any condition, compared to faster-rated point and shoot cameras, because of how easy it is to activate the camera. Just slide the cover down and shoot. In my testing, I never once missed a shot because I couldn’t activate the camera fast enough.

With a small camera like the TX9, dropping and breaking it is often the greatest fear. That’s why the surrounding metal frame is excellent protection, and should be a requirement for all cameras. We at Gadget Review don’t officially do drop tests on products (testing the product’s build strength by dropping it on various surfaces to see what the breaking point is), but during testing accidents happen. I dropped the TX9 a few times, and the frame always took the brunt of the fall. Besides for one slight paint scratch, it’s still in excellent condition. The metal frame and front metal slider protects the camera excellently.

The TX9 has several main buttons, including the shutter control, a power button, a play media button to view stored pictures and videos, and a picture/camcorder button, which switches stills and video. A corner zoom switch feels odd at first, users will quickly adjust to the placement of the switch. It isn’t well suited for portrait shots.

What’s excellent about the TX9’s size is that it doesn’t change when using zoom. Most point and shoot cameras have lenses which literally come out of the camera, but the TX9’s lens focuses entirely inside the camera, without the lens popping out of the frame. That way the lens is nearly impossible to damage when shooting.

The underbelly of the TX9 houses the SD or Pro Duo media card and battery through a flimsy plastic flap. Beside it is a docking station port and tripod mount. The TX9 does not connect directly and requires a docking station. That docking station is included with the camera, though unfortunately there is no way to connect the TX9 to a PC without the dock, which is very inconvenient. Users can either rely on memory card readers or carry the dock around with them on trips.

Camera Functions and Quality

Sony’s TX9 comes with eight shooting modes: Intelligent Auto Adjustment, an auto mode with facial recognition and controls exposure; Superior Auto Adjustment, which automatically sharpens pictures by reducing blur and noise; iSweep Panorama creates a panorama shot through a composite of five shots by panning the camera from left to right; Program mode uses automatic exposure settings with adjustable white balance and ISO settings; Defocus Background (self-explanatory); Scene Selection offers specific shooting modes based on the environment in the picture. Finally, a 3D shooting mode takes 2D shots and uses the built-in software to make them 3D.

Of these eight modes, only photography aficionados will use more than two modes regularly. Both Intelligent Auto Adjustment and Superior Auto Adjustment modes are powerful, but there isn’t a noticeable difference between the two for most people. The panorama shot requires a supremely steady hand or tripod to not have wavy images. Defocus Background is a neat idea, but often the background is already out of focus, and defocusing backgrounds can be done with many picture editing applications. Scene selection is good for prepared shooting. 3D shooting, however, is almost completely useless because not only can those images not be viewed in 3D properly (the TX9 screen does not support 3D), most computer monitors don’t support 3D either.

Picture quality is excellent. In steady hands pictures are DSLR quality. Colors are accurate and pop, and in strong lighting there is rarely motion blur or inaccuracies. See the pictures below.

Even at full resolution, the TX9 is very clear and crisp. Zooming in beyond the 12MP range will of course pixelate the image, but details aren’t lost except at extremes. All of the pictures seen here have no edited except for cropping (click to see full-size image).

For night shooting, picture quality plummeted because of the slow 3.5-4.6 lens. See below for some good non-flash shots.

Quality of pictures at night is still tremendous, though motion blur is easier to produce. Flash will often eliminate motion blur, but exchange it for washed out colors and too-bright faces and objects.

Video is likewise very good, both during the day and night. The TX9 supports up to 1080p video, and as a camcorder it really is excellent. The stereo microphones accurately record to the right and left channels, and the picture quality is what we except from mid-range standalone video cameras. For anyone who likes shooting video as much as stills, the TX9 is a great option, so long as users don’t mind recording in Sony’s proprietary .MTS format. Don’t worry, YouTube supports .MTS file uploads.

Conclusion

As an everyday camera, the TX9 is pretty great in nearly every way. The sleek design is equally comfortable in the hand and the pocket. The simple button scheme is perfect for any user, and the resistive touchscreen is accurate and tactile. Picture quality is excellent, though low-light shooting lags due to a slow lens. Solid as a rock and twice as powerful, the TX9 is a great, long-lasting point and shoot camera for stills and video. The wide array of shooting modes alone will make it relevant for years to come.