XBox Solution

I get to see a lot of the newest electronics to hit the market during trade shows and through other contacts. Over the years I have seen these eye glasses or units that promise great things but wind up either giving me a massive headache or just being lame. We had a topic hit out on the forums several months back about the Headplay “PCS” system and, of course, I wanted to voice my thoughts. After years of experiencing sales reps, PR guys and show girls forcing strange looking things over my head and say watch and you’ll be amazed, I always ended up taking the darn thing off my head or eyes then after adjusting to the real life surroundings and getting mad that I even agreed to try it. Of course having that “gadget freak” in me I would try the next thing to show up and the cycle continued.

I have seen the demo videos of the Headplay “PCS” and the ads on the demo discs that come with OXM magazine. I also read very positive things in the magazines. I simply was not impressed with the whole “PCS” systems in the past. For years they have been trying to perfect it or at least get it to work as promised. Funny thing happened then after the topic was up on the forums. I happened to be contacted by Headplay. They even joined our forums to read the comments and they wanted to talk about a review of their product. I spoke with the person and while polite and seemed very cool, I still told him I would need time with the unit and I would be honest with the review. He agreed saying “we want to let people like you who have used other systems in the past to see why we are proud of our unit”. So after a lengthy period of time with Headplay’s Personal Cinema System, I am ready to tell you how it stacks up. Read the full review and you may be surprised at what I have to say.

First Impressions of the Headplay Personal Cinema System

I normally don’t write long intros to my reviews but I want to give the full story on how this review came about. These systems have shown up in reincarnations of past attempts all the way back to the Virtual Boy which I bought. And yes I had a massive headache each time I would sit with that unit for more than 10 minutes. Given that these “PCS” systems are not cheap and with the way the economy is, I wanted to give the real facts. So let’s get into the real details of the Headplay “PCS” System. When the unit arrived at my door, I opened it to see a very well-designed box inside. The whole system is in a foam case. I unpacked each item and looked at the instructions. I read about the great 52-inch screen simulated view and the high resolution of the 2D and 3D graphics. I will have the specs and the full list of items that come with the systems at the end of the review. Setting up the unit was a breeze. The unit is well-designed, fit my head easily and focused quicker than any other unit I have ever tried. The visor isn’t heavy and while it looks like someone took a military night vision unit, modified it and added a black golf hat, it was pretty comfortable. The unit has a remote that is connected right to the visor that plugs into it and the liberator. This is the media hub that holds the flash memory card, USB port and all the other jacks for use with the system.

The visor uses easy-to-use sliders for focusing and for fitting. Even if you wear glasses, the unit can fit right over them without feeling like your face is being forced into something uncomfortable. I will say it takes a few times of using the Headplay “PCS” until you get it focused to your eyes just right. It’s not a natural thing to need to move sliders to focus but it gets easier and soon you’ll get it just right for your own eye settings. I was concerned that I would have to readjust it each time I used it. While I may have needed to tweak one slider, they stay in place due to the way they are positioned on the visor. Old systems would use a method of forcing both of your eyes to actually fix on only one image and this would cause several things including sore eyes, headaches and, of course, a bad image making it not enjoyable to use. Headplay thought their system out well and I was getting the hang of the unit in no time. I had several things I wanted to test, but the first impressions from watching from the USB Key and flash card were pleasant. Headplay claimed the unit could be used for the PC, Gaming consoles, and even for those who are into RC planes and helicopters. So it needed to be tested on a few things before I was sold on it.

Impressions of the Headplay “PCS” During Gaming

Since we are a game site, I wanted to test it on my Xbox 360 and after getting the right adapter (see list at end for what is included and what you need to buy additionally) and a few adjustments, I plugged in the headphones to the remote turned on the Xbox 360 and started to test out the claims Headplay made on their site and to me personally. Please note when I mentioned the headphones, I did not mean the Xbox 360 headset. They provide earbuds which are great sounding, and while I prefer my own set, the jack is located in a great spot which allows you to use the remote that is attached to the visor. The remote tells the liberator what connection you want and from then on besides volume you really won’t need to touch it much. Gaming with the Headplay system on your head will take a little time to get used to. I tried several games in single-player mode and it looked great. You are going to get a component video quality but when looking at a 52″ virtual view, it looks great. I have seen pictures and even a few short videos of people wearing the visor while gaming and it is a bit odd looking, but it’s for personal use so you’re not going to be looking around to see if the wife, siblings or your friends are looking at you strangely.

After the first little tests, the Headplay “PCS” lived up to what it claims on their website in every way. Then I tried surfing the web and using the PC with the Headplay unit. The set-up is simple with everything I tried. I liked watching videos and movies and even enjoyed surfing the web. Personally I could not use the unit for work on the PC for long periods of time but that is my own feelings. It performs very well on the PC. I just like to have a full view of my surroundings while working. I could see it coming in handy for certain situations though and my hat goes off to Headplay for making a unit that can be used for more than just watching movies or gaming. PC games I tried looked great, but I had to get used to the view from the visor and it did take longer than when using the Xbox 360 or the PS3. So for gaming overall, the Headplay “PCS” delivers exactly as promised as a personal cinema system with the ability of having the optional use of the battery.

I enjoyed the unit most when I could just move around. The AC adapter had a long cord and the visors cord to the liberator is long enough. I felt more comfortable though while using the rechargeable battery source. The liberator holds the battery and will charge it when using the AC adapter or can be plugged in for a charge. Charging time is short and the battery life is about 5.5 hours. So the Headplay “PCS” has changed my views about using this type of unit and I really enjoyed it. I will mention I took it on the last trip to a community event. I sat back and watched a few videos that I added to the memory card and some other shows. I also like the fact it’s not a major hassle to hook-up and is small enough for use when on a plane or on long car trips.

Final Impressions of the Headplay Personal System

As you could tell from my thoughts and what I have experienced while using the Headplay “PCS”, it is the best one out there, but it’s not a cheap item to buy. The unit with the visor, liberator, USB key, earbuds and case sells for $499.99. You can buy the battery and HD cables separately and now the unit upgrades to accept 720p HD signal with a free firmware download and install which is simple. They also have a new Wireless USB Key that allows streaming movies from your PC to the liberator without hooking it up. I hope to review this as this would really make the Headplay “PCS” the one to beat hands down. I wanted to mention that I have had the upgrade firmware and now seeing it in 720p really makes the viewing from the visor stand out even more. If you look at the virtual screen size versus the cost of the real size LCD or Plasma, the price is reasonable, but you need to ask yourself if you are going to use it. If so then I would say it certainly is worth it, but it is a major investment. I know Headplay makes the system so its upgradable meaning you won’t need to replace the whole unit in 2 years. They are adding new things and they seem dedicated to their customers by offering free upgrade firmware updates and tech support. If this was a component signal system only and not 720p, I would have to think a bit about saying I would recommend it or saying it’s worth the price. After the upgrade, it’s certainly worth the money.

I would have liked the remote to feel less rough. It’s covered in a rubber material and at first makes hitting it right a bit hard. After using it more, that feeling went away, but I still would like to see a different remote style. You can plug the “PCS” into your home stereo system or receiver and I would recommend this for any online play. I know it takes a bit away from the word personal, but you’re going to get one ear of the sound of the game and in the other, the Xbox 360 headset and mike? I just can’t use it this way and don’t recommend anyone try to. Even the guys at Headplay hook theirs up to another sound source so that says a lot.

Anything that costs $500.00+ is not cheap and it’s hard to say go out and buy this now. I have never tried to sell anyone with a review and am not going to start now. It’s good to have had time with the unit and if asked by someone thinking about buying one and had the money, I would say it’s worth it and point out the good things and the not so good. Aside from the remote design, I would like a different cap on the visor but that is being a little fussy. I know if I was thinking of buying one, the new wireless feature is a real plus for me personally and a selling point. I also know they are working on ways of updating new firmware and updates wirelessly and that would be very cool.

Bottom Line

Overall Score: 9.0/10.0

Headplay has set the bar for the “PCS” market and they really have a well- thought out compact unit. It is easy to set-up to use and easy to store when not using it. $500.00+ today especially is not cheap but for what they are offering. If you are in the market for one, this is the one to get. If you are into gadgets like I am and have a need for a personal system, then I recommend it. If you just want it as a neat gadget and then it will sit in the case, I would weigh your decision carefully. The bottom line is I owe Headplay an apology. I have never trashed their system, but I automatically assumed it was like the rest I have seen. With the new wireless features and using it for RC flying, this unit has many uses which shows the company is committed to promoting the value of the product.

Headplay Personal Cinema System Ships With

Links

Headplay Official Website

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