Microsoft HoloLens [Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Holograms]

[Rodéric]

Augmented Reality as so many interesting aspects (and privacy concerns ^^)... can't wait !

 

[eastmen]

Not everyone goes to //Build/. I was there, when they actively told me this is for industry, not looking at consumer as a market yet.

The device has no release date, gaming and living room entertainment applications are the easiest for most people to understand. I'm sure if a company had a Hololens solution in place, they would likely air that on TV. There's really no such solution in place at all.

I don't blame you for feeling this way, but we've got to be realistic, the device has absolutely no legs to stand on, much like kinect. It needs people to think out of the box and create those solutions. At the end of the day, Hololens is just another method of consuming content. In some situations I think it can provide a better experience than others, and in other situations I think there are more preferable formats.

I bring up museums and exhibits, and tours because I think those are natural experiences that can enhance your standard tour. Like say I take a tour in a city I do not understand the language in. I can pay an additional $50 and rent this hololens unit, switch the language to something I understand and get this amazing AR, audio tour as I walk around the Forbidden City or something. See how people lived there and used the area, get more detailed info about a piece of jewellery that I would never get from a small card on the side etc. I love this concept, because I really would pay for such an experience.

It gets easier to understand when you look at it as Hololens is future of your cell phone and not a new product.

I know i'd prefer a slimed down hololens compared to my current phone.

 

[hughJ]

...and then Moore's Law comes to an abrupt end and we're stuck with clunky AR and VR products that aren't quite miniaturized or powerful enough to be broadly useful. Stuck with the AR/VR equivalent of 80s brick mobile phones for the next couple decades. D:

 

[eastmen]

...and then Moore's Law comes to an abrupt end and we're stuck with clunky AR and VR products that aren't quite miniaturized or powerful enough to be broadly useful. Stuck with the AR/VR equivalent of 80s brick mobile phones for the next couple decades. D:

graphite will save us !

 

[Shifty Geezer]

This ad is a concept, marketed towards companies, developers, and marketing groups. It's meant to show you what could be possible.

I think that's where ti falls down. It isn't showing a realistic application for corporate activities. Why not show architectural and engineering applications rather than dudes at home watching impossible NFL feeds because, as others say, the data source isn't there? It's a video that excites with possibilities that you have to think about to appreciate they aren't real, and then you're left with a question mark over what actually is possible. I agree with the others making the Milo connection.

I think a better campaign would be cool stuff you can more realistically do with a first gen Hololens. Overselling always comes with disappointment, as per all the games that get downgrades, and all the console 'concept renders'. Be honest up front - it's not like Hololens isn't clever enough to have intrinsic appeal without

 

[orangpelupa]

There's also a problem whether Microsoft sticking with it for long enough.

See kinect. The vision still not fully realized in x1 and they no longer sticking tight with it

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Arguably, Hololens is Kinect 3.0. And I don't mean that in a bad way, it's the technology in a more advanced and potentially more usable state.

 

[iroboto]

I think that's where ti falls down. It isn't showing a realistic application for corporate activities. Why not show architectural and engineering applications rather than dudes at home watching impossible NFL feeds because, as others say, the data source isn't there? It's a video that excites with possibilities that you have to think about to appreciate they aren't real, and then you're left with a question mark over what actually is possible. I agree with the others making the Milo connection.

Right. So I'm not going to defend MS here like a shill, but from a marketing POV, with Super Bowl around the corner this Sunday, and MS being the Official partner of the NFL - I see why they created a NFL themed Hololens. It's important that they still market the device, they want people to know that it exists. Whether it will exist in that manner in the near future (doubtful), is something else, but I think it's clear to me that they are piggybacking off the biggest day in television in North America.

I would consider this somewhat standard quo. As many companies and official sponsors will attempt to tie in their products with important sporting events.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Well, it's a good job they're not using that advert in the EU because it'd break all kinds of regulations and directives.

 

[iroboto]

We'll, it's a good job they're not using that advert in the EU because it'd break all kinds of regulations and directives.

Lol, To be fair they weren't selling anything.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

You and I know the hardware isn't capable of what was shown in that video, but if you showed it to a technically naive person and asked them "Do you anticipate the Hololens to have the functionality shown in the video?". I'm fairly sure they'll believe it's feasible, despite the obvious impossibility. I'm not convinced some of that stuff will ever be feasible, not unless Microsoft want to kit out every stadium with incredible amounts of 3D cameras while obscuring live spectators' views in the process.

Personally I think that if they're showing a genuine product, which Hololens will likely be, then they should be restricted to showing valid capability. Not outlandish impossible imagery.

It would be like the Virtual Boy advertising including full body capture mocap and Oculus Rift visuals. In fact, I'd go as far as to says that's closer to reality than this NFL advert/commercial/trailer/whatever-it-is.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Some of cool stuff in that video definitely is possible with the current technology, like the score and stats being on the table, or the dude breaking through the wall (as daft as it is). I think that's the stuff that should be concentrated on.

 

[MrFox]

The most annoying part of these fake videos, besides the FOV, is that current optics-based AR cannot subtract light. It's additive blending, like a semi-transparent mirror. A through-the-lens video would suffice to show what the problem is.

It's ironic that Magic Leap keeps everything secret, yet they have shown a "through-the-lens" video on youtube. We can see the additive blending limitations in that demo, and also that they are significantly more advanced with lightfield capability and a much wider FOV.... but it looks inferior compared to fake videos. The investors are the only ones who know what the technology is, and they are pouring billions into it.

 

[Deleted member 86764]

No, the most ridiculous part of this video starts around the 25 second mark where the person turning their head, also turns the camera POV as if they've full control over the cameraman filming the game.



Sorry, I'll leave this thread in a bit. This video has annoyed me is all.

I'll be happy to get behind Hololens in the future coz it looks cool when I see what it actually does.

Edit: the YouTube comments go to show how gullible people are.

 

[orangpelupa]

I can't play that video. It just zoom in my chrome Android

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Right. So I'm not going to defend MS here like a shill, but from a marketing POV, with Super Bowl around the corner this Sunday, and MS being the Official partner of the NFL - I see why they created a NFL themed Hololens. It's important that they still market the device, they want people to know that it exists. Whether it will exist in that manner in the near future (doubtful), is something else, but I think it's clear to me that they are piggybacking off the biggest day in television in North America.

I would consider this somewhat standard quo. As many companies and official sponsors will attempt to tie in their products with important sporting events.

I didn't know the Superball was just around the corner so appreciate the marketing perspective a little more. However, I'd still rather see a more realistic, commercial tie-in. So maybe designing a new stadium, seeing an AR version, using AR to help construct it (as per the plumbing demo), and finally having AR on the Coach, say, with stats above players and stuff. I'm sure there are lots of Superball related applications that are much more real world.

That said, I imagine MS just palmed the idea off on a marketing firm and they ran with it without consideration for the realities.

 

[orangpelupa]

I didn't know the Superball was just around the corner so appreciate the marketing perspective a little more. However, I'd still rather see a more realistic, commercial tie-in. So maybe designing a new stadium, seeing an AR version, using AR to help construct it (as per the plumbing demo), and finally having AR on the Coach, say, with stats above players and stuff. I'm sure there are lots of Superball related applications that are much more real world.

That said, I imagine MS just palmed the idea off on a marketing firm and they ran with it without consideration for the realities.

Probably the marketing arm doesn't even know the reality

 

[eastmen]

No, the most ridiculous part of this video starts around the 25 second mark where the person turning their head, also turns the camera POV as if they've full control over the cameraman filming the game.

View attachment 1127

Sorry, I'll leave this thread in a bit. This video has annoyed me is all.

I'll be happy to get behind Hololens in the future coz it looks cool when I see what it actually does.

Edit: the YouTube comments go to show how gullible people are.

Oh gosh , Its almost as if a bunch of technology's were all coming out at the same time that would offer head tracking and movement and that Gasp someone might have made technology to take advantage of it.

http://www.wired.com/2016/01/the-cameras-thatll-make-the-super-bowl-way-more-interesting-this-year/

I mean 360 degree viewing ? Is such a thing even possible ?

This new replay camera can freeze on any moment and revolve around the play to provide a first-person point of view of any player on the field. So you can watch from the perspective of the quarterback struggling to stay in the pocket, all captured with stunning 5K resolution cameras, the highest resolution ever used to film the big game.

“So with the higher resolution, when the system renders itself it can zoom in on the screen. And it’s the software in the background giving you the ability to freeze the scene and wrap around it for thatMatrixlook.”

 

[Deleted member 86764]

Cameras setup around the top of the stadium to give a 360 view of the pitch is definitely not the same as controlling a cameraman that's on the pitch. Nor is it giving any other "feature" that's shown in that Hololens video.

Interesting, yes. Benefiting Hololens any more than a standard TV? Probably not.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Oh gosh , Its almost as if a bunch of technology's were all coming out at the same time that would offer head tracking and movement and that Gasp someone might have made technology to take advantage of it.

It's all distant future stuff. Unless there's a feed of all 36 cameras to the end user so the end user can control the view and composition (requiring 180 Mbps at only 5 mbps per camera), there won't be any interactivity from it. It's about as bunk as EA's 'next gen' Madden from 2005. Will we one day get a Madden game that looks like that trailer? Probably. Did we get it last gen? Nope. Will we get it this gen? Probably not. It was a rendition of what a Madden game might one day be, but wasn't in any way indicative of the real product. Same with this Hololens showing, which was little more than a sci-fi short. We can also point to things like Sony's Next-Gen EyeToy concept video for possibilities that still haven't happened yet, revealing a product as far more capable than it ever achieved.