| May 24, 2000 |
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Launch of New Eye-Trek
FMD-700* |
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Top model in the face-mounted display(FMD) Eye-Trek series - |
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Achieves premium picture quality equivalent to 720,000 pixels and high-quality, powerful sound |
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| Eye-Trek FMD-700 |
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| * This news release is for Japanese market. |
| Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. (President: Masatoshi Kishimoto) will release the Eye-Trek FMD-700, the top model in the face-mounted display (FMD) Eye-Trek series, on June 24. The Eye Trek's high-quality images and reproduction of original tones are as close to perfect as it gets. |
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Eye-Trek is a personal display that connects to audio-visual equipment such as DVD player, VCR and game console, and gives a viewer a big-screen impact with the light and easy feel of wearing a pair of sunglasses. The FMD-700 duplicates the look of a conventional 52-inch screen viewed from two meters with an unbelievable picture quality, equivalent to 720,000 pixels (four times better than the current model) and is the top of the range model in the Eye-Trek series. High resolution FMDs and HMDs (head-mounted displays) have been restricted to products for industrial use costing several hundred thousand yen. However, with the adoption of its own newly developed technology called "Optical Super Resolution (OSR)", Olympus has given private users a chance to use this FMD, with a high-quality picture equivalent to 720,000 pixels and a horizontal resolution of over 500 lines. True-to-life images of things like skin, hair and fruit can now be enjoyed by anyone. Increased realism has been achieved in sound as well, with the inclusion of a BBE circuit that allows the reproduction of original tones, a surround function and a high and low frequency adjustment function. Further, it can be connected to a PC to allow enjoyment of movies from DVD-ROM drives, PC games, Internet images and etc.
With the launch of the game console "PlayStation 2" and the rapid proliferation of DVD players, there has been an expansion in the "home-theater" market. The high picture quality, high sound quality FMD-700 from Olympus suggests the concept of a convenient, full-scale "personal theater" as well as further expanding the FMD market together with the existing models, the FMD-150W (wide-screen display) and the FMD-200 (world's lightest model*).
Since the launch of the first generation Eye-Trek FMD011F in June 1998, it has proved a popular series and has consistently boasted the number one market share. According to the domestic POS (point of sales) data, its market share is over 70% as of May 2000. |
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| * |
Excluding the clip-on-glasses type of display. |
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| Main Features |
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| 1. |
Achievement of high picture quality and high image resolution (equivalent to 720,000 pixels) |
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| (1) |
OSR (Optical Super Resolution): Technology which achieves high resolution equivalent to 720,000 pixels and horizontal resolution in excess of 500 lines, by optically producing four pixels from one pixel with the inclusion of special optical device and digital control. It carries out high-speed digital processing of video signals digitally sampled from the original image, displaying it in each optically generated pixel to screen a highly fine image using the specialized video ASIC (a special-purpose integrated circuit) developed by Olympus. (For details, refer to the technical release.) |
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| (2) |
High accuracy free-shaped prism: A special prism developed by Olympus that achieves clear images with few distortions as well as being small and light by using "asymmetric optics" and "free curve optics", two cutting edge optical technologies. With a review of lens design plus a further correction of lens aberrations and increased picture accuracy, Olympus has achieved a clear image with no distortion even in the corners of the screen. |
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High performance optical filter: A filter that produces an even smoother feel to the high accuracy image generated by OSR technology. In addition to improvements to existing optical filters, Olympus has carried out fine tunings with a number of optical technologies to make the pixels invisible. |
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| (4) |
RGB decoder IC: It allows faithful image reproduction and further enhances the feel of visual realism by using a high performance, broad-band video decoder. |
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| 2. |
Achievement of high quality and powerful sound |
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| (1) |
BBE circuit: A sound treatment circuit that allows all reproduced sound to be as close as possible to natural sound (original tones). |
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| (2) |
Surround function: Produces more realistic surround sound. |
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| (3) |
Low and high frequency adjustment function: Allows realism by producing a more powerful sound with the stress on the low frequency range or a sharper sound with the stress on the high frequency range. |
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| (4) |
Stereo terminal for external headphones: A terminal to allow connection of external headphones has been included for those who are very particular about sound. |
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| 3. |
Connection to PC |
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| It includes an RGB input terminal on the external monitor board (HD15) that allows connection to a PC. PC image contents* can be enjoyed on a big screen. |
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| *Note: |
The resolution achieved by the FMD-700 (equivalent to 720,000 pixels) is not perfect to reproduce VGA/SVGA images in their entirety, and it is unsuited to text display in some cases. |
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| 4. |
Large screen equivalent to a 52-inch screen viewed from two meters. |
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It gives the impact of a 52-inch screen viewed from two meters away with the light and easy feel of wearing a pair of sunglasses. |
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| 5. |
Achievement of a small, lightweight 105g |
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Despite the high picture quality, it is small and lightweight, weighing in at only 105g by using small liquid crystal panels and a free-shaped prism. |
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| Warnings |
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| (1) |
Not for use by children under 16. |
| (2) |
Consult a physician before use if you have a heart disorder, high blood pressure, visual field impairment, or an eye movement or alignment disorder. |
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| Main Specifications |
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| Key functions |
| Viewing angle |
30 degrees horizontal, 23 degrees vertical. Equivalent to a standard 52-inch screen at a distance of 2m |
| No. of pixels |
0.55-inch TFT liquid crystal delta array of 180,000 pixels x 2
*Actual number is equivalent to 720,000 by using OSR. |
| Video signal format |
AV video signal (NTSC Japanese and U.S. standard formats)
PC video signal (analog RGB signal) |
| Built-in stereo earphones |
Image Adjustment
Functions |
AV mode: Contrast, Brightness, Color Balance, Color Depth, Sharpness, White Balance (red), White Balance (blue)
PC mode: Contrast, Brightness, Vertical Position, Horizontal Position, Horizontal Size, Resolution |
Audio Adjustment
Functions |
BBE, Surround, Low/High Frequency Adjustment, Left/Right Balance, Volume |
| Weight |
Display unit: Approx. 105g (excluding cable)
Control unit: Approx. 380 g (excluding battery) |
| Dimensions |
Display unit: Approx. 161 (W) x 64 (H) x 54 (D) mm
(excluding cable, with frames folded)
Control unit: Approx. 190 (W) x 23 (H) x 140 (D) mm
(excluding cable and protrusions) |
| Input terminals |
Video/audio input terminal: 4-pin minijack 3.5 Ohm
Video: 1Vp-p/75 Ohm (unbalanced)
Audio: 200mVrms/110k Ohm
S video input terminals: 4-pin mini DIN
RGB input terminals: HD15 (mini D-sub 15)
Video signal: analog RGB (0.7Vp-p/75 Ohm)
Synchronous signal: TTL level
Vertical frequency (refresh sheet): 50 - 75 Hz
Audio input terminals: stereo minijack 3.5 Ohm
200mVrms/110k Ohm |
| Output terminals |
External headphone output terminal
Display unit connection terminal |
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| * Eye-Trek is a registered trademark of Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. |
| * BBE is a registered trademark of BBE Sound Incorporated. |
| * PlayStation 2 is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment. |
| * Other company names and product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of each company. |
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*Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. was changed to OLYMPUS CORPORATION as of October 1, 2003.
- Press releases are company announcements that are directed at the news media.
- Information posted on this site is current and accurate only at the time of their original publication date, and may now be outdated or inaccurate.
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