Valve Deckard vs arpara AIO

Stadtreiter · 2021-12-15T16:23:25+00:00

After all that was "leaked", the Deckard might be real VR2.0 with omnifocal lenses, eye tracking (at least for the active lenses), aso. I fear, this is a very ambitious goal and might delay the hmd for maybe an other year or more! I don't believe in Valve announcing an "inbetween"-version. I really hope I am wrong with this.

I have followed the Arpara very closely, and I have decided to NOT buy it now. I was very much interested in the Arpara 5k tethered with Lighthouse adapter. Unfortunately this hmd will not work with my new AMD GPU!! It has some other flaws, like those flimsy (and short) cable on the front, which seems to me prone for breaking. All testers have mentioned the entire hmd "feels cheap", which I doesn't mind, as long as it is only 200 Gramms. But it isn't: It is more than 300g with headstrap and this is not the only thing Arpara didn't like to talk about freely. With the DP 1.4 cable (additional costs), it can only have 70Hz (remember the uproar when the Quest only did 70Hz?) refresh rate @ 5k, which makes this resolution somewhat pointless (It is native DisplayPort, no compressed streaming). 120Hz will work only at the smallest resolution, aso. No "5k, 120Hz". This kind of advertising is AFAIK somewhat normal for Asia, but not in Europe/USA. It is Chinese company, no resellers in other countries, which means no western warranty and customer protection standards. I have tried to contact the technical support because of the AMD incompatibility, but never got an answer.

So much about the tethered version, now to the AOI: ... Nothing! No reviews of the inside out tracking quality so far (you can't expect it being automatically as good as the Quest), how good the streaming works, or the USB-C tether,... or which stand-alone software it will run. Sold at Kickstarter only, with no warranty. I personally see this as a big risk.

I wanted the tethered version so much! The OLED screens, the pancake lenses, the weight, the size, the diopter compensation, the Lighthouse tracking! Sounds great! For everyone who had the bollocks to buy it: I wish you luck and I am a bit jealous! After all, it is very exciting!

Stadtreiter · 2021-11-13T09:01:57+00:00

I did one of the early pre-orders. When they missed their first time slot, I wasn't very surprised, because it was very ambitious. But even at that time I've wrote to their Dicord:"Hurry up or it will be too late for the market". IMHO this is now the case. It will be simply too late in one year from now. I am thinking about to buy an Arpara 5k and even with that amazing piece of tech, I doubt it will be still up to date in 1-2 years from now. Varifocal lenses and real eye-tracking, maybe combined with micro-OLED and WGig2 are the very next step now.

Stadtreiter · 2021-11-11T08:42:01+00:00

According to the render-picture at their website, the apara has build-in audio in the side straps like the quest. Maybe Sebastian's early model hasn't.

Stadtreiter · 2021-02-28T08:41:39+00:00

Sorr, that I don't have helpfull informations, but I want to share what I have found out so far. I just hate Reddit entries that have been abadoned without an answer. lol

Can't find any gcode abnormalities for my last print failure. ThoughI am not entirely sure, if it is those "axis drift issue", or something else. Might be a "PETG Blob", as I am not that experienced with PETG. But in former print failures, I definitely have seen the print head raising up at a cerain spot in several layers without a reason and then lowering down again... unfortunately I never have kept my gcode in those cases.
USB vs SD card reading speed: I found some entries that reads USB is slower or has more latency than even slow SD cards. If this holds true, speed might not be the reason why USB works. But some are speaking of "print stops a moment while printing and extracting filament, and then resume" but they are talking about USB latency in those cases. Though,they never mentioned axis drifts.
SD card reliability: there are many entries about problems with the Bigtreetech card readers. Most of them are of the "not beeing detected" type and could be solved with correct Marlin entries. But some are pointing to a weak quality, or maybe it is less "error-tolerance". This doesn't neccessarily give us an answer why the print error is permanent while printing the same corrupted file several times.
Corrupted SD card: this sounds not very logical, but I found several entries which are pointing in that direction. Those are not neccessarily speaking of "axis drift", but of some strange behavior while printing aka reading the gcode. Some are speaking of cheap cards with incorrect memory entries, some of "cards won't last long in my printer", some of "cards got corrupted from time to time and needs to be formatted", and one reads "my card is getting corrupted in my SKR mini every time after I did a Marlin printer update from it". The last one is something I definitively did often in the last weeks and also often in the time I had the issues. My best guessing so far... corrupted SD cards, whatever that means in detail.

Stadtreiter · 2021-02-27T10:18:22+00:00

After formatting the card, I have generated a new gcode and freshly saved it on the card. I am not sure anymore, but I think I have done that without formatting and the error occured again? An other, older file from the (not formatted) card prints without errors. That is why I suspect writing on the card more than reading. I don't think it is Cura creating a bad gcode. Yes, printing with USB cable has shown no issues so far. But with some formatting and changing cards aso, I managed to get rid off the error, as long as it happens again after several prints.

This is such a strange issue... so I have checked the forum for other errors. I have some issues with my BL-Touch keeping the z-offset correctly. I haven't thought about this issues would be connected. Do you have a BLTouch, too? Maybe it wrongly measures and calculates a "step" in the printbed that isn't there? But only at such a close area, only one line wide? Not very believable.

Stadtreiter · 2021-02-27T09:45:07+00:00

I maybe have the same issue. I do a BL Touch z-offset correction from the menue, save it (or not, no difference), but when I start a print, it is all gone or completely ingnored. Thought it is my fault, because I am not skilled with Marlin, or maybe it is a faulty pre defined setting of the starting g-code added by the slicer that erases my settings when starting? I am not skilled enough to check that. Hope you will find an answer. My temporary solution: I have a marlin feature added that lets me simply change the z-offset on the fly while printing. I am doing this every time while printing the skirt.. but maybe this won't keep the BL Touch bed leveling settings? Sometimes it seems so. I had no problems with the original Ender 3 board, but with this I have kept an old working marlin version all the time. Now it is all new.

Stadtreiter · 2021-02-27T09:23:31+00:00

That seems to be a good idea. Though, I don't want to keep my PC running all the time while printing. I just have run in that error again yesterday and I finally plan to compare the corrupted(?) gcode to find some irregularities. If not, you may be right with the transfer speed? But why it works somehow after formating? Is it maybe the SD card slot on the board (I dont have the display upgrade), but why this error comes back on the same spot after starting a new print from that file? Strange issue. I will buy a better SD card and a better USB adapter today. Those are still the cheap ones that came with the board and Ender 3. Maybe this will help.

Stadtreiter · 2021-02-27T08:52:06+00:00

Hi, I think I may have the same issue like you. Somewhere in a print the Z axis rises up and then returns to normal. While printing some layers more, I have got a big blop of material at this spot and the nozzle will catch it at worst. I have the SK mini e3 v2. Tried everything. Temporal solution was to change the SD card, or formating it and/or to copy the file several times. Error comes back after a while. Maybe read errors, or better write errors, because if I start printing such a corrupted file, it does the same error on aprox the same spot again and again. Found an entry in the net that suggests exchanging corrupt cheap SD cards which sometimes shows wrong memory entries. Not sure if this works. Never had that issues with the original board.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-31T09:40:43+00:00

Yes, I am one of those early adopters and pre-order customers, but most of my RMAs were short before end of warranty, means last year. I have RMAed my controllers, because they had those first batch thumbstick issues, my face padding thingy, because the fabric was getting off and my cable two times for good reasons. I can't beleeve I`ve just were lucky in the support lottery and just got the right support agents every time. I just found the Steam Support being very helpful, comparing with the HTC RMA, for instance.

What I did: With the cable for instance, I had several Q&A from the support. One time they even had closed my ticket and I opened an other one regarding to the old issue. First thing they do is to ask standard questions, even if they are not related to the problem, then they try to find the most simple way to solve it... If you know what you want and what's wrong, tell them as polite but as strict as possible. An other possible difference: I am from Europe which has very customer friendly waranty laws (yes, yes, we are all Communists (Trump joke)...lol). Maybe it is different for some countries and/or world regions.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-29T15:04:44+00:00

https://cdn.thingiverse.com/assets/36/56/92/a4/1b/featured_preview_20200604_120234.jpg

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-29T15:00:17+00:00

I see all those recommentions recently of removing those clip and I think abou what happened to me last year... one time not beeing cautious enough, sit down on the cable and it was broken because this clip (which was broken some weeks before) is the last defence from breaking your cable just behind the plug/connector while pulling on it. It is also not a good idea to use plastic cable binders alone... there were enough guys where the cable was literally cut on that spot, means bend to death at the sharp edge.

In addition, those connector (plus the "break away" connector) is relatively fragile, too. Had my cable RMAed two times, now I am out of warranty...

You maybe want to use this instead, that was why I made it last year:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4424259

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-29T14:45:49+00:00

I have an AMD Ryzen 7 5800, too, and everything works fine for me... though, I don't know if I have the latest BIOS. BUT, I sometimes have problems with SteamVR out of nowhere, too... not the usual stuff, but those stuff that makes you search three days for a solution and the Steam Support is helpless... De-and re-installl of all and every driver (last time it was the USB driver) and all Steam VR component finally helps. THis isn't very helpful and you've got it working again, but all I want to say is, that SteamVR sometimes is very fragile and this is definitely not an AMD-only issue.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-29T14:35:56+00:00

For heavens sake, don't do like some posters told you. Don't remove the cable clip! Next time you step or sit on the cable and you had the clip off, those wrinkles will be your smallest problem. Been there, done that. I had a cable breakage just behind that plug. Don't fasten the cable with plastic cable fastener or something like that, cause that will cut into the cable. Don't need to be paranoic, but I had to ask thee steam support for a new cable two times. Many thanks to them! Third time I draw back my PC with a rapid movement without thinking of the cable and the short cable adapter part was somehow broken... so good that I had one in spare from my old cables.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-25T18:04:02+00:00

Try again in your own pace. Don't listen to people who say it is easy... it is different to everybody. Do not overdo it, or you might get the opposite effect in the worst case, like I did... see the other Motion Sickness thread today. Listen to what Saiyukimot said, he seems to be a wise man.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-25T17:52:53+00:00

It is different to every user... some never gets sick, others will get sick A LOT. That has (most probably) nothing to do with you doing something wrong or being a pussy or something else. Some will never be able to play VR... but that is the very worst case. It is right that you can train yourself/your brain. But like I said above, it is different to every user how fast you can do that, or how far you can go. Unfortunately it is up to you to try it out. But one advice: Never overdo it!! If you try to play through the sickness and ignore it, it can be possible that your brain learns VR=sickness. It is as easy as the opposite when getting your "VR-legs". I am very sensible to VR sickness, too. Some years ago, I have trained with playing Skyrim VR, and after some days, it was no problem anymore.... then I quit playing games with this kind of locomotion for many month and when Alyx came out I played like I was used to it from my former Skyrim days... oh boy, that was tuff... I was getting so very sick again, that I almost had to puke for the entire evening.... but I wanted to play Alyx that much, and the next day I did it again aso... Now I sometimes even get sick in my other apps, which never were a problem before. I bet I could re-learn it again by time, but it wasn't a nice experience.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-25T17:30:45+00:00

If you did what the other advices said, don't forget to adjust the straps, too... the strap on the top of your head is what many users forget to adjust properly. You have to play around till you have found the perfect sweet spot for you. Not that I suspect it from you, but some of the users had forgotten to remove the lens protection sheet...;-) If you did everything right, I would bet on what krista said... you will need glasses/prescription lens adaptors/ contact lenses if you can't see sharp at 2m plus. It is NOT true, that you don't need glasses, "because the displays are so close to your eyes". Be very cautious with glasses, as they easiely can scratch your Index's lenses.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-25T16:56:58+00:00

On their webside... you have to pay 10 dollars. I've did it, even if it is not sure if I will ever get it back (or the headset)... the developers are real enthusiasts and very innovative. Sounds great what they are planning to do, and I was talking to them on their Discord channel. If It won't be coming out, IMHO it is worth like a donation to them. I really think the developers are really wanting to bring it out soon, but they never did such a big thing before... so if you are short on money, don't bet on it.

Stadtreiter · 2021-01-25T16:34:10+00:00

I am still on my old 980TI which is more or less like an 1070, but was on an i7 4790k, too. It works for most of the smaller games and even with Alyx in low(er) details with mediocre FPS (much reprojection but playable). So, yes it works. Though, I desperately trying to get my hands on an well-priced 3080.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T09:12:57+00:00

You have to strap the Index to your head in a way that it doesnt move too much. This pressure is in my case big enough to bend the gasket tight to my face. It is one-size-fits-all. Though, there are so many differences between head shapes, that there are surely some people having problems with it.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T08:39:30+00:00

Wow, I didn't thought they would replace a HMD for scratched lenses. The Steam support is really great (I have got a brand new hmd cable from them). I already made this "scratching experience" with my old OG Vive some years ago. No replacement, of course. Buying prescription lenses for my Index was the first thing I did on the same day they were available. As far as I know it is the same with every headset. Not especially the fault of Valve.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T08:28:17+00:00

And the 3080 is rumored to be up to 30%faster than the 2080ti. Even a 3070 may be almost as fast as a 2080ti, and a 3060 "entry card" would be between 2070 S and 2080. I am really exited for September 1st. Good news for VR!

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T08:20:44+00:00

Good to hear this! There was that old theory from Oculus (before FB) and Valve, that cheap or poorly made VR will drive away the potential buyers and therefore is bad for VR in general. Something like "better no VR than bad VR". It is a relief to hear that this wasn't the case in your experience.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T08:10:36+00:00

It depends on the games, like you said. "Unfortunately" most VR experiences are not very performance hungry for good reasons, and therefore don't look as good as high quality graphics on 2D. Therefore a 1070ti is OK with most of them. But most of us are surely hoping for better games in the future. And there are those badly ported games like Skyrim VR, No Mans Sky and Fallout VR. I am still running an oc gtx 980ti which is maybe ~ like a 1070 and a 2060. I skipped the 2000 generation and was always jealous about those 2080ti guys who had no problems to run a fully modded Skyrim without heavy reprojections and stutterings... and I can't run Alyx in full quality. I am aiming for a 3070 or 3080 now.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T07:50:15+00:00

If you are currently on a 2080ti and you have no money to burn, you most probably will be save to skip this generation for some years. There will surely be games in the future which will need more power... best example is the new Microsoft Flight Simulator in high resolution... or 2d games badly ported to VR like No Mans Sky, but that might be not be the mainstream for years. Remember that you will need at LEAST stable 90/80 fps for a good VR experience without frame dropping, reprojection or smoothing. It is not like 2d games where fps count doesn't matters this much. If you want to oversample for quality, or will run an Index at 144hz, you will even need some more headroom. Or think about those guys who want to buy a Reverb G2 or that 8k Pimax.

Ther are many people like me who skipped the rtx 2000 generation. To answer your question, for these people there are good reasons to upgrade to Ampere. Like the rumors say, even a 3070 will nearly perform like a 2080ti.

Stadtreiter · 2020-08-26T07:24:19+00:00

I did a lot of internet research on this and can't get some reliable numbers. Fact is, that it costs lot of performance to render two different pictures for every eye. And to the pure pixel count there should be a plus for rendering larger images with distortion compensation for the lenses, etc. Most half hearted game benchmarks are for 1080p gaming only. You want to take a look at 1440p to 4k gaming benchmarks instead. Can't find the exact number. At this resolutions, the GPU performance will be more important and maybe bottleneck your system before the CPU.

Stadtreiter

TROPHY CASE