ZM-M215W In Action

Before we take a look at the monitor in action with both movies and gaming, I want to point out that the back-light is somewhat uneven around the edges. This issue is not noticeable when something is happening on the screen, but may be visible during dark movie or game scenes. This is not a big issue and it is present with many displays out there, as the lighting cathode in the edge tends to be the culprit in such scenarios. Such a setup is widely used in the industry.

Movies

Click on image above for a full size view of a full size 1920 x 1080 screenshot

There is not much to say about movies. They work well with the Stereoscopic Player. The only downside is the small vertical viewing angle, which you need to stay in to get everything in focus and the fact, that there is very little 3D content out there. Even with that small choice of clips and movies, there is no guarantee that it supports the employed type of 3D rendering - in this case circular polarization.

Gaming

Well, let me be completely honest here. I did not expect a lot of additional fun when playing a game in 3D. Having seen Avatar in the third dimension, I was entertained but not blown away by it. But being an active part of the 3D experience really changes things. You feel a lot more immersed into the action. Just remember when you played your favorite 3D first person shooter in the dark with headphones on. That added to the creepy experience. 3D tends to do exactly that, you end up panicking faster when blood spatters your screen while you frantically try to gain control of the situation. In other words: the 3D aspect really is another dimension to make gaming a bit more fun.

That said, it is not all glamour with the Zalman ZM-M215W. While the viewing angle is not an issue in 2D, it is extremely small when gaming in 3D. A 90° horizontal viewing angle is perfectly fine, but the 10° vertical one is hard to stay in. As long as you do, all is well and everything is perfectly in focus, with bullets and blood hitting you right in the face so to speak. If you happen to drop your head slightly or raise it during game play, maybe to look at your HUD or to find something which is not in your sight at the moment, things become out of focus. Your eyes then automatically try to find a "layer" in the 3D environment which is not blurred out and instead of focusing on the action you look at that point. That does put a bit of a strain on the eyes and adds a bit of tension to your neck and shoulders. This in turn could mean that you may find yourself cutting your gaming session short, because your body is taxed more than usual. Like everything new, this is probably just something one has to get used to, but I am sure that future 3D monitors will have a better viewing angle.