One of the downfalls to 3D glasses is the extra cable mess about your desktop with dongles and cables and power supplies.  The Eye3D PCI from I-Art tries to remedy the situation by putting the controller, in my opinion where it belongs, inside the PC. Not only are you spared bulky dongles behind the pc but you won't have another wall wart (transformer) to figure out where to plug in as well.  In all the Eye3D PCI is one neat package (pun intended).

This review will cover only information specific to this particular glasses package. Putting the same information in each 3d glasses review would be redundant so for your convenience I have also posted several articles to help you learn more about 3D glasses and how to use them.  If you are new to 3D Glasses I recommend you read our article "3D Glasses How they Work"  so you have a better understanding of the technology behind 3D shutter glasses.  There is also a list of articles at the end of the review that will help you get the most out of your 3D Glasses.

In the Box
The Eye3D PCI package contains at pair of LC Shutter glasses with a 6' cord.  The PCI controller card which doesn't take an IRQ and has outputs for two sets of glasses so you and a friend can view full 3D on the same monitor as well as a VGA in and out jacks.  A Short VGA pass though cable to connect your VGA out on your video card to the PCI controller. The Eye3D driver CD which contains the Wicked3D eyeSCREAM drivers. The I-Art activator CD which contains software for taking 3D Screenshots and viewing 3D images as well as drivers that support the 3 Modes of operation. A head strap to hold the glasses firmly in place on your head. Also included is 3D PowerDVD which will allow you to play 3D movies and DVD's.

Of all the glasses I have tested I have to admit the PCI emitter card is by far the neatest way to go.  With all the other products you end up with a dongle or in some cases two, dangling off the back of your video card. I don't know about your desk but my desk already has a large enough tangle behind it so avoiding adding to the mess is a major plus.  The PCI card basically only gets power from the slot therefore you don't have to worry about conflicts or using up an IRQ. This wasn't an issue as my BE6-II's first PCI slot shares and IRQ with the AGP slot so its typically wasted anyway. Unfortunately if you can't spare the PCI slot then this isn't the 3D Glasses package for you.

Installation
One nice feature of the Eye3D PCI is how easy it is to set up.  Simply install the PCI card in your pc and plug the pass-through cable into your video card and your monitor into the Eye3D PCI. Then complete the hardware installation by plugging the glasses into the Eye3D card.  Because the Eye3D PCI only uses the PCI slot to get power when you boot up don't expect to get the familiar plug and play message asking you to set up your new hardware.  Instead you will simply have to drop in the Eye3D driver CD and install the drivers, which will then require a reboot.  After windows loads back up you will be prompted through a calibration wizard which will finalize the setup of your newly installed eyeSCREAM drivers.  Now you are essentially ready to use your glasses on your favorite Direct3D and Glide games.

Drivers
The drivers on the CD aren't the latest version of eyeSCREAM drivers so you will want to download the latest version from Wicked3D which will require your Eye3D Software CD in order to install. I should also note that I successfully tested the Eye3D PCI configuration with both a GeForce 2 GTS and a Voodoo5 in combination with all the drivers available with great success. If you have an NVIDIA based video card you really owe it to yourself to to try the generic ELSA REVELATOR drivers as they give the absolute best quality picture and have the best features of all the drivers we tested. They also worked great with the VRCaddyME drivers which I was able to test with a beta Full screen page flipping driver that game outstanding quality.

Usage
I have tested literally hundreds of games using the Eye3D PCI with great results and excellent compatibility.  The Eye3D PCI was compatible with ever driver out there so you have maximum flexibility when it comes to choosing the best driver for your game. In fact the only thing that the Eye3D PCI has against it is its lack of Line Blanker feature which is mostly used for viewing 3d images on the web.

The glasses themselves are lightweight and very comfortable to wear.  They do tend to fit a bit on the loose side so the inclusion of the head strap is a welcome feature. Its really easy to forget you have the glasses after a while and they are no problem for long late night gaming sessions.

Problems
The lack of the manual activation button and mode selection means that you have to depend on either the driver to start the glasses or use the activator that is running in the task tray. During my testing there were a few titles which gave me problems and required me to use the activator prior to running the game however this was very rare.

The other problem I had with the Eye3d PCI was more serious.  There are two guides along the left hand bow of the glasses which guide the cable back towards your ear.  The cable around the second guide where the cable bends and goes towards the floor has begun to wear the coating off the wire and there is in fact bare wire coming through. I have stopped the wear by using a dab of silicone to hold the wire taught at the guide and should keep the friction down and prevent any further wear.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• 2 glasses connectors
• supports all drivers
• no cable clutter
• fits over prescription glasses
• Excellent Price

cons

• short cables
• cable patch wear
• activator app

Conclusion
The Eye3D PCI is my current favorite of the different packages I have tested as I am mostly interested in using the 3D Glasses for gaming.  The lack of the line blanker is a bit limiting but seeing as the most you will be missing out on is some web graphics its not really going to effect your gaming.  However the fact that the Eye3D PCI was the least mess and worked with all of the gaming drivers I threw at it means gamers will have no problem getting their moneys worth.  And speaking of money the Eye3D PCI is the cheapest glasses solution I found clocking in at $59.95 with Free ground shipping and 30 day money back guarantee. If your not interested in looking at 3d pictures and are just about gaming with a nice neat workspace then the Eye3D PCI is right up your alley.

Review by: William Gall
Date: April 9, 2001

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Index:

• 3D Glasses How they Work
• Stereo Drivers
• Eye3D PCI 3in1 Wired Glasses
• E-D Wired Glasses Review
• VRJoy 2000 Review
• Eye3D Premium Review
• Roundup Conclusion
• Installing and using the Generic ELSA REVELATOR
• Setting Maximum Refresh Rates
• 3D Glasses Forum

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