The unofficial
NuVision 60GX page

Quick info:

The 60GX by NuVision is a professional wireless shutterglasses system. It's very similar to the StereoGraphics CrystalEyes2 glasses and controllers.  In a nutshell: The NuVision 60GX controller has some advantages over the StereoGraphics units, while the glasses - although good - can't beat the CrystalEyes2. The LCD-panels are about as large as those of the CrystalEyes, which is excellent.

The 60GX comes in two versions:

1) SR: IR-emitter with mini-DIN-3 plug for stereo-ready graphics board and workstations

2) NSR: IR-emitter with mini-DIN-3 plug plus external VGA-pass-through box with sync-doubling and auto-sync (a two-in-one package)

The sync-doubler of the NSR version which handles the popular above-below splitscreen 3D format enables the 60GX to work with the largest range of professional applications available as well as with the Wicked3D range of consumer 3D-accelerators and drivers.
Unlike the StereoGraphics sync-doubler the 60GX doesn't require 'SimulEyes white line code' in page-flipping mode. Due to this fact the 60GX is compatible to all known interlace and page-flipping drivers available including LCD-BIOS, VR-BIOS, SSDI, 3D-Win. The 60GX-NSR also works for the new ELSA graphics boards and ELSA Revelator drivers. There is no 'line-blanker' mode of course.

This review isn't intended for beginners.  Please consult the Basics and FAQ pages if questions arise.

This page was innitially released on July 10, 1999
last update:

Related Links:

NuVision
StereoGraphics
CrystalEyes2 review
ELSA
Wicked3D review
Wicked3D

The IR-emitter (VESA miniDIN-3)

The controller for stereo ready workstations is just an IR-emitter with fixed cable and VESA mini-DIN-3 stereo jack. No external power required. It's small, steady and the incliniation can be altered. There's also a little stereo-reverse-switch on the back, which hasn't to be used often on a DIN-3 system.

The emitter just plugs into a stereo ready workstation or hi-end gfx-board with mini-DIN-3 stereo connector. There are adaptors for other stereo-ready systems available, i.e. DIN-5, DIN-7, DB9, 3.5 mm stereo jack. I found adaptors for DIN-7 and DB9 in the package already. I suggest to ask NuVision for the proper adaptor when ordering.
 
 

The NSR controller/emitter

The controller for non-sterero-ready systems (NSR) can be connected to any standard VGA-connector via a VGA-pass-through cable. All buttons are on the front of the box where they belong (opposed to the StereoGraphics EPC2).
 
 

The VGA-pass-through dongle of the 60GX. The cable on the side can cause problems with other connectors on the VGA-board, i.e. with the pass-through connector of Voodoo boards or special video-connectors as on the Erazor 3.
The impact on the VGA-signal-quality is low.

DIN-3 outlet on the back of the box

On the back you'll find a power socket which isn't required in all cases, since the NSR is able to draw power directly from newer VGA-boards. You'll also find a VESA compliant mini-DIN-3 outlet. The DIN-3 IR-emitter can be plugged in here appart from any other DIN-3 emitters or glasses. That's what makes the 60GX an all-in-one solution. The NSR package connects to anything.

The mode button switches between sync-doubler and page-flipping mode. The refresh rate is doubled in sync-doubler mode which eliminates flicker in all cases, but may cause trouble on some monitors. This technology doesn't require any driver software and works for any operating system. The only thing you need is some above-below stereo format software, such as professional applications or Wicked3D powered stereo games.

The NSR sync-doubler controller also reacts to field-sequential modes (i.e. interlace or page-flipping). Unlike it's StereoGraphics counterpart (EPC2) it doesn't require White Line Code. If WLC is present it's just ignored. Although WLC is usually a pain in the...    it has advantages. It controls the stereo-orientation automatically and the user hasn't to reach for the reverse-button every now and then. Since WLC is so rarely used in software it's not a major drawback for the 60GX not to support it.
Field-sequential modes require a gfx-chipset-specific driver software. The 60GX-NSR supports all of them. Some are only available as a bundle with some hardware, like the eyeSCREAM drivers or VR-BIOS. Others are available for Download on the web, like LCD-BIOS. Just check the Driver-page. There is no driver delivered with the 60GX.

Power

The power supply of the NSR-controller is just great. It gets the power from the VGA-card - if available.

What NuVision says about the power supply for the NSR controller:

'Most graphics cards manufactured today are built to a new VESA standard protocol which calls for power (plus other things) on the card.  To distinguish these cards from the older cards the manufacturer is suppose to use a blue molded 15 pin plug.  As you will see from your own inventory, this accounts for about 80% of the cards being manufactured today.  I do not have a list of who does and who does not provide power.  That is why we supply a separate power supply with the product.  Until we feel confident that our customers have or are buying graphics cards that have the VESA standard blue plug we will continue to supply separate power.'

 

taken from the NuVision 60GX manual by permission

Silicon Graphics Workstations
 SUN Workstations
Intergraph and DEC Workstations
Standard PC

 
In sync-doubler mode flicker isn't an issue. Refresh rates start usually at 120 Hz. In page-flipping mode flicker may be a problem. Try to choose higher refresh rates using the windows setup, the utilities which came with your graphics card or some 3rd party utility like Scitech Display Doctor.

 

The glasses got really large LCD-panels, comparable to the CrystalEyes2. The field of view is more than satisfying.
The 60GX glasses are activated by opening the bows, like CE2 and H3D.
The frame is large and fits even over the biggest prescribed glasses. I'm not entirely happy with the nose-piece. It's large and soft, but may become uncomfy after longer use. It also seems to be optimized for use without prescribed glasses, i.e. the nose-piece must sit on the highest point of the nose. When used with prescribed glasses it either rests on them adding to the overall weight, or the 60GX sits on a lower point of the nose and causes some pain.

The pi-cell shutters

NuVision continues to use pi-cell shutterglasses, like they did in the 3D-SPEX product. Pi-cells are said to have some advantages over other LCDs in terms of speed and dynamic range (the difference in light blocking between open- and close-states). The pi-cells have some disadvantages also. While they're shut-off they're not clear. Usually such pi-cell glasses remain dark blue/green, like sunglasses when off. There's a warm-up/cool-down phase also in which the panels become spotty and the vision is impaled. With the old 3D-SPEX consumer pi-cell glasses the users had to live with that. For the 60GX NuVision looked for another solution. They just power the glasses all the time as long as they're worn. While the stereo-mode is deactivated, for example when switching back to the windows-desktop during 3D-sessions the glasses go into some non-synchronized, high-speed shutter-mode. Thus the glasses remain clear all the time and they react immediately without warm-up/cool-down. When looking on a high-refresh windows desktop you may see some artifacts due to the shuttering. The image may show slightly darker areas or some beating/pumping. All in all I'd prefer the clear standard glasses of the CrystalEyes2.

What NuVision says about the clear status:

'...we do cycle the electronics in the glasses in order to maintain the clear state.  You do see some beating against non-stereo monitors.'

What NuVision says about the pi-cell panels:

'The "pi-cell" is a fast switching cell that can support in excess of 180 Hertz refresh rates.  It is a thin cell which contributes to an excellent viewing angle through the glasses.  You do not have to be right in front of the display, nor do you have to look directly through the lenses at a particular angle to get good extinction.  It is the same excellent technology we have used in our passive stereoscopic systems for the last 15 years.  The "pi-cell" is manufactured for NuVision under a license granted by Tektronix.'

Please check the X-RAY Lab for a weight&size comparison of various shutterglasses, including the 60GX.

 
The SR (stereo ready) controller/IR-emitter requires a stereo ready workstation or graphics board with dedicated stereo-connector. Such connectors come in the shape of VESA mini-DIN-3, mini-DIN-5, mini-DIN-7, Sub DB9 or 3.5 mm stereo jack. The 60GX controller has a mini-DIN-3 plug. Adaptors are available. The DIN-7 and DB9 adaptors were already in the test-package.
Special stereo-drivers for your graphics card are obligatory. This isn't in the hands of the glasses manufacturer. Ask your graphics hardware vendor for stereo-driver support. There may be lacking driver support even if there's a dedicated stereo-connector on the board!!!

The NSR sync-doubler controller connects to any graphics card with 15-pin standard VGA-connector. No drivers for the graphics hardware are required in sync-doubler mode since the flipping of the stereo-images is done by the controller. Stereo-software or stereo-plug-ins are required however.

 
The over-under split-screen stereo format handled by the NSR controller is very popular in professional applications. It's also used in the Metabyte Wicked3D drivers for consumers. The NSR also handles any field-sequential, i.e. interlace or page-flipping software or drivers.

The NSR-controller is compatible with:

ELSA Revelator
H3D
Wicked3D eyeSCREAM
ASUS
LCD-BIOS
VR-BIOS (VR-Surfer)
SSDI
3D-Win
NuvFrag
SimulEyes
CrystalEyes

... and others

Software-page-flipping, as used by ELSA and LCD-BIOS may cause slipups which result in a reverse of the stereo-orientation. Each time this happens the user has to push the reverse-button!

Check the StereoGraphics software list for professional titles. Look for programs compatible with 'CrystalEyes'.

The SR (stereo-ready) package which comes with the IR-emitter only requires special drivers and applications which utilize page-flipping and trigger the dedicated stereo-connector of the graphics hardware. Usually a special combination of stereo-ready hardware, operating system, stereo-ready drivers, applications and plug-ins is required to get the DIN-3 device working.

Check the StereoGraphics software list for professional titles. Look for programs compatible with 'CrystalEyes-Wired' !!!
 

International Distributors

Karcher Group Inc.
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Chantilly, VA  20151-1714
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Tel:  (703) 631-6626
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Territory: United States Government, GSA

The B.I.T. Corporation
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Yokohama, 221     Japan
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Tel:  81-45-440-1211
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Flovel Photonics Corp.
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Nakano-ku
Tokyo 165-0027     Japan
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Tel:   813-3389-5721
Fax:  813-3389-5760
Email:   flovelpc@infotrans.or.jp
URL:    www.flovel.co.jp/
Territory: Japan

 MD Electronic
Via Costantini, 40
19124 La Spezia      Italy
Contact:  Ugo Veronesi
Tel:  39 187 500.370
Fax:  39 187 514.191
Email:     md_electronic@iol.it
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THETAscan
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Tel:  33 1 64 86 78 00
Fax:  33 1 64 86 78 78
Email:    jmm@thetascan.fr
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Territory: France, Belgium
 
 

Wyle Ginsbury Electronics Oy
P.O. Box 121 (Sinikalliontie 3)
FIN-02630 Espoo         Finland
Contact:  Antti Granlund, Pipsa Jauhiainen
Tel:  358-9-5021500
Fax:  358-9-5021510
Email:    antti.granlund@ginsbury.inet.fi
Email:    pipsa.jauhiainen@ginsbury.inet.fi
Territory: Finland

Ginsbury Electronics GmbH
Inselkammerstrasse 5
82008 Unterhaching,     Germany
Contact:  Armin Ladwig
Tel:  49 89 45170 0
Fax:  49 89 45170-100
Email:  al@Ginsbury.de
Territory: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands

Ginsbury Electronics Limited
Ginsbury House
Sir Thomas Longley Road
Rochester     Kent ME2 4DU     England
Contact:  Peter Neate, Neville Milward
Tel; +44 1634 298900
Fax:+44 1634 290904
Email:   gelsales@gel.memec.com
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Ginsbury Electronic Scandinavia AB
Box 1200      Vintergatan 1
S-172 24 SUNDBYBERG      Sweden
Contact:              Rolf Arvidsson, Annelie Johansson
                             Stefan Thelander, Eva Ruuska
Tel:  46 8 296490
Fax:  46 8 296462
Email:   anneli@ginsbury.se, eva@ginsbury.se
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Territory: Sweden, Norway, Denmark

Powerwave Co., Ltd.
Unit D, 20th Floor., CDW Building
388 Castle Peak Road
Tsuen Wan, NT., HK
Contact:  Johnny Wong
Tel:  852 2410 1609
Fax:  852 2410 1530
Email:    jwongsh@powerwave.com.hk
Territory:  Hong Kong, China, Southeast Asia

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Special thanks to NuVision for their support

 

Brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
The author can not guarantee the accuracy or topicality of the information given on this page.
Christoph Bungert, Germany