Everyone always hears about the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Microsoft Hololens. However, there is some great tech from other sources too.

THX has created a new group called the THX Virtual Cinema Display Certification program. As part of the new program, THX has recently recognized and bestowed THX certification on the Osterhout Design Group (ODG) R-9 AR Smartglasses. The ODG R-9 glasses are the very first AR glasses to be THX certified.

THX Virtual Cinema Display Certification program will verify that head-mounted display devices are calibrated to the same color and resolution standards used in professional Hollywood studios as well as to guarantee smooth video playback without stuttering or motion artifacts and includes tests for color accuracy, video processing, grayscale quality, and proper visual geometry.

The ODG R-9 are fully self-contained AR Smartglasses powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 CPU, 1080p resolution and a 50-degree field of view (FOV). The resolution and FOV will appear as if a 100-inch screen is sitting 8 feet in front of you. According to ODG, users have said that "images viewed on the R-9 have no visible pixels and photo-realistic clarity, including the ability to read 8-point text."

This all sounds awesome, right? Is the R-9 for sale at my local Best Buy? After all, this is perfect for movie watching and travel.
Price may be a factor, the flagship R-9 unit from ODG retails for $1,800. The R-9 unit is expected to ship in the second half of 2017.

If you are looking for an AR home theater device today, priced at a more reasonable $799, you may want to try the Royole Moon Mobile Theater.

ODG R-9 TECH SPECS

Click pic to zoom

Hardware

• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835
• 2.45GHz 8-core Processor
• 6GB Pop LP-DDR-4 RAM
• 128GB Storage
• 1400mAh Lithium-Ion Batteries (2 x 700mAh)
• Replaceable, Adjustable Nose Bridge
• Changeable Ear Horns

DISPLAY

• Dual 1080p Stereoscopic See-Thru
• Displays at up to 60fps
• 50° Field-Of-View
• 22:9 & 16:9 Aspect Ratios

COMMUNICATIONS

• Bluetooth® 5.0
• WiFi® 802.11ac
• GNSS (GPS/GLONASS)

SENSORS

• Integrated Inertial Measuring Unit with 3-Axis Accelerometer, 3-Axis Gyroscope, 3-Axis Magnetometer
• Altitude Sensor
• Humidity Sensor
• Ambient Light Sensor
• 13MP Autofocus Camera (1080p @ 120fps, 4k @ 60fps)
• 2x 1080p Front-Facing Cameras for
• Stereo Capture and Depth Sensing
• Ultra Wide-Angle Fisheye Camera for
• Enhanced Environmental Tracking and Positioning
• Expansion Port ( MIPI-CSI)

INPUT/OUTPUT

• Digital Microphones (Environment & User)
• USB Type-C: Charging, Data Transfer,
• Audio and Video Output
• Built-In Stereo Speakers

SOFTWARE

• ReticleOS™, Android Nougat Framework
• Optimized for ODG Smartglasses
• Compatible with a Number of SDKs
• ReticleOS™ Developer Program