The unofficial
StereoGraphics
CrystalEYES CE2 page





Quick info: The CrystalEyes 2 by StereoGraphics are synonymous for professional glasses. Whenever you see pros at work they wear CrystalEyes. The glasses itself are the best I've ever worn. The hi-quality LCD-panels are gigantic and make them the right choice for 21" monitors and even large projection based VR-systems. Comfort is great and the CrystalEyes fit over any prescribed glasses.
There are several controllers to choose from. The 'ENT'-controller has a VESA mini-DIN-3 jack. The 'EPC2'-controller has a sync-doubler which is controlled manually. Apart from that the EPC2 also syncs to interlace and page-flipping modes, but only as long as SimulEyes White Line Code is present at the bottom of the screen. This is a huge drawback in terms of compatibility. There is no line-blanker mode.

The sync-doubler which handles the popular above-below splitscreen 3D format enables the CE2-glasses + EPC2 to work with a large range of professional applications, as well as with the Wicked3D eyeSCREAM drivers.

CrystalEyes2 usually don't work with ASUS or ELSA drivers. It should be possible however to connect the CrystalEyes ENT-emitter to a 'Revelator-type' VGA-to-DIN-3 cable and make use of the Revelator drivers. Another option would be to combine the CrystalEyes2 glasses with the NuVision 60GX-NSR controller/emitter-unit.

The verdict:

The CrystalEyes 2 is an outstanding shutterglasses system. The glasses itself are the best money can buy. The controllers should be more flexible though.

The biggest problem is the price. At $795 for the glasses plus $400 for the sync-douber-emitter or $200 for the DIN-3-emitter any shutter-system would be overpriced - no matter how good.
But... the CrystalEyes are used in million-Dollar projects by organizations such as NASA or General Motors. No professional cares about the price whether it's just $10 or a $1000 and that's what StereoGraphics counts on. Industrial goods are always expensive.

What's not taken into consideration here is the amount of support which is granted to professional users by StereoGraphics and its partners. I hope it's good, but I can't testify on that.


CrystalEyes3

Update: In 1st half of 2000 StereoGraphics introduced the CrystalEyes3, which is very similar to it's predecessor.
The controller technology and connectors remained the same. IR code should also be the same.

Differences: slightly lighter, slightly more rugged, longer battery life, battery-indicator-LED.
 
 

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

Related Links:

VRT GmbH, Germany
StereoGraphics
NuVision 60GX review
Wicked3D review
Wicked3D
 

This page was innitially released on Sept. 25, 1999,
last update: August 19, 2000

Content:
Pro & Con
The Controllers
Flicker
The Glasses
Hardware compatibility
Software compatibility
 


 

 Test configuration:

Matrox Mystique 220
IDEK Iiyama Vision Master 17 monitor (86 kHz max. hor., 160 Hz max. vert.)

Pro & Con
 
Pro
Con
Glasses
Glasses
+ extremely large & clear panels
+ very comfortable with and w/o prescribed glasses
+ shutters are off and clear in stand-by mode (opposed to 60GX)
+ good nose piece (superior to 60GX)
+ headtracking version (CrystalEyes VR) available (the CE-VR seems to have vanished from the SG-website, I hope it's not discontinued)
+ activated by bows
 
ENT-controller
ENT-controller
+ VESA compliant mini-DIN-3 stereo connector
+ connects to DIN 3, 5, 7, DB9, 3.5 mm  (ask for proper adaptor)
- user has to decide between ENT and EPC2 controller --> expensive
(no 2-in-1 as 60GX-NSR)
- no reverse button (not neccessary)
EPC2-controller
EPC2-controller
+ supports above-below with manual control
+ suppors interlace and page-flipping (with WLC only)
+ WLC (white line code) provides automatic control and prevents stereo-reverse conditions
+ also covers the functionality of the ENT-controller (with homemade cable)
- no page-flipping or interlace support if WLC is not present
- emitter & controller in one box
- switches hard to reach on the back of the IR-emitter
- fluctuations in sync-doubled signal (I had problems with my monitor- Iiyama which is very vulnerable to fluctuations, screen went black from time to time due to sync-problems, I had no probs with the H3D, 3DTV and 60GX sync-doublers
- doesn't support ELSA- or ASUS-drivers, since they lack WLC - of course
- no line-blanker
- external power supply only
- VGA-dongle may block other connectors on graphics board (for example: Voodoo2 VGA-in, ELSA Erazor III video cable)
Misc
Misc
+ optional long range IR-emitter available
+ high prestige: used by NASA and other top organizations and companies
- expensive
 
The Controllers
 

The ENT controller/emitter (VESA miniDIN-3)
 


ENT front
 
 

The ENT (emitter for Windows NT) with fixed cable and VESA mini-DIN-3 stereo jack. No buttons, no external power required.

The ENT controller just plugs into a stereo ready workstation or hi-end gfx-board with mini-DIN-3 stereo connector. There are adaptors for some other stereo connectors available, such as a DIN-3 to DIN-9 adaptor.
The ENT has no manual controls whatsoever and even gets it's power through the DIN-3 cable which is fixed to the box.
 
 

The EPC2 controller/emitter

The EPC2 controller can be connected to any standard VGA-connector via a VGA-pass-through cable. By using the MODE switch it can be manually set to sync-doubler mode which transfers any above-below splitscreen image into a frame-sequential format. The refresh rate is doubled in the process. This 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 back of the EPC2 (emitter for PC 2) sync-doubler controller/emitter
The MODE switch has 3 positions: 1) Bypass (off), 2) WLC autosync 3) sync doubling. The emitter range can be set to high and low. The low setting is important if more than one system is used in the same room. The same feature can also be found on the H3D/Wicked3D emitters.

The VGA-pass-through dongle of the EPC2.




The EPC2 also reacts to interlace or page-flipping modes as long as White Line Code is present. Such functions require a gfx-chipset-specific driver software.
There is no interlace or page-flipping driver delivered with the glasses. An utility which adds White Line Code is also missing. The best driver for the EPC2 would be 3DWin 2.3 by i-Art which supports many and also provides WLC. 3DWin is available as a bundle with i-Art and VR-Joy glasses and as part of the i-Art VRShow! multimedia software package. Another option would be to search the web for old SimulEyes windows drivers, which are hopelessly outdated by now.

The EPC2 also works on a DIN-3 output by using a modified cable.
 
 

Power

The EPC2 controller is powered by an external adaptor.


 

Flicker
 
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
 


 
 




There's not much to say about the glasses. They're just great. The panels are clear and huge. The resulting field of view is more than satisfying. The comfort is outstanding. The excellent panels can't do anything about the usual ghosting, but at least they deliver a bright image, better than the dark, colored glasses of H3D/eyeSCREAM or CrystalEyes-Wired.
The CE2 glasses are activated by opening the bows. An idea which was later adapted by other developers, such as H3D. Although the stability of the construction seems to be above average, the CE2 isn't unbreakable. One unlucky plunge and the bows may brake off from the frame. At 795 $ you'd better be careful.
 
 

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


 

Hardware Compatibility
 
The ENT controller 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 ENT controller has a mini-DIN-3 plug. A DIN-3 to DIN-5 adaptor came with my review sample. Ask StereoGraphics for an appropriate adaptor for your system.
Special stereo-drivers for your graphics card are obligatory. This isn't in the hands of StereoGraphics. 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 EPC-2 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.
 


 

Software compatibility
 
The over-under split-screen stereo format handled by the EPC-2 controller is very popular in professional applications. It's also used in the Metabyte Wicked3D drivers for consumers. The EPC-2 also handles some older drivers, applications and games written for the late SimulEyes consumer glasses (white line code). The latest interlace driver which supports white line code is i-Art's 3D-Win.
Check the StereoGraphics software list for professional titles. Look for programs compatible with 'CrystalEyes'.

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

Incompatibilities:

None of the StereoGraphics Controllers will work with interlace or page-flipping drivers which doesn't provide white-line-code.

Examples for INCOMPATIBILITY:

  • ELSA Direct-3D universal stereo-drivers for consumer VGA-cards (it should be possible to use the ENT-controller plus a Revelator cable though)
  • ASUS-Direct3D universal stereo drivers
  • LCD-BIOS, VR-BIOS
  • H3D-native titles on Voodoo Rush and Rendition cards




  • Please consult the Shutterglasses Comparison Chart for a complete market-overview.
     

    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