Vimeo and Zeiss were together at NAB to promote the availability of VR videos and the Zeiss VR headset, the VR One. Zeiss spokesman Dave Hodgson said that the company got into the VR headset market with a phone-based solution with higher quality optics than others were delivering. The lenses do seem to be better than most, but when demoed with an iPhone, the image was nearly unwatchable. iPhone 6 and 7 models were not intended for VR use, said Hodgson, but the newer models are expected to be better.
The first batch of 50K units quickly sold out at $129 after their August 2016 launch, so more were produced. They are now being distributed by Target, BestBuy, B&H Photo and Kmart. These now have trays that are designed to fit a variety of phones.
Zeiss VR One exploits Zeiss’ skills in optics
Hodgson said that new models are in development and he said that a hybrid solution is coming before the end of the year. This means the headset will have its own displays and accelerometers, but still rely on the user’s phone for connectivity and processing power. The resolution of the image is likely to improve too. – CC
