Is watching sport in VR worth a shot?

I don’t follow football, but I don’t see what UN and a rant about ladies in M&S has got to do with the topic.

We find all sorts of ways to enhance pleasure and will continue to do so. That is why tv was invented. Some pleasurable inventions will be more successful than others. VR is a great tool for exploration of things and sights you could not otherwise achieve easily. If it enhances a fan’s enjoyment of a game I see no problem, as long as they do not wander into the road while their mind and eyes are elsewhere.

We have a VR system and although it’s comparatively early days, yet, what it can already do is quite astonishing. I might be tempted to watch downhill skiing or ski jumping in VR, as well as Luge and Toboggan.

And what on earth is ‘UN reality’?

I think that was a misprint for ‘unreality’. I was confused at first.

There are obviously three concepts – ‘reality’, ‘virtual reality’, and ‘unreality’. But on a TV screen they are all distortions of the actuality [just look at the way the goal nets change shape when the replays are shown from different angles]. The amazing thing is that our brains can cope with this and compensate for it.

I used to work with someone who, when he wanted his view accepted, would begin “The reality is….” As he was MD he virtually always got his own way anyway. Some of his pronouncements were unreal…………………

Its also amazing how the NHS Ophthalmology Dept,s. are crowded with patients after trying out “modern methods ” ,many brains cant cope a well as irises and optic nerves .

D’you mean brains can’t work as well as Irises and optic nerves? Not sure what the Iris has to do with anything, but the optic nerves and the brain are really extensions of each other.

Or are you saying that VR is a dreadfully bad thing? If it was I would expect the makers of such devices to be paying billions for damage caused, unless there’s some conspiracy preventing us from getting to know…

If you had read my links you would find out the effect of expanded irises while watching VR effects the brain . I am not saying its a “terrible bad thing ” but they said the same years ago about -new operation to cure eye problems removing the need for glasses and ,of course ,many did and now years later end up in NHS Ophthalmologists clinics having a hard time getting help because a chunk was cut out of their cornea .

Scarring of corneas was always a potential problem when they were reshaped. one reason I avoided it and stick with contact lenses. However there have, I believe, been many successful operations, including lens replacement, particularly good for those who had cataracts

I take it malcolm you have not been following my replies to posters in the Heath convo section to which I have went to great length detailing nearly 3 years of eye tests operations including BOTH eyes IOL lens replacement in which I talked to staff at length including a Professor of Ophthalmology who is the Consultant of two hospitals and who operated on my right eye talking to me as he did so. NONE and I repeat NONE of the doctors/ consultant/ nurses in BOTH hospitals would have that cornea operation preferring glasses as the results a decade or more later cause major surgical problems to correct . I also having spent those years in waiting areas relating to both clinics – glaucoma and cataract units in two hospitals where I spoke to the patients who got that operation and now had eye problems . Read all the posters in Which health convo who got the same operation and are blazing mad at Optical Express . Read all my replies .

duncan lucas says:Today 15:52If you had read my links you would find out the effect of expanded irises while watching VR effects the brain . I am not saying its a “terrible bad thing ” …etc.

I did read your links, Duncan, but they’re three years out of date which, in an industry as fast moving as the VR industry is a lifetime. And they say nothing new. We have known for a long time that any close screen work causes blink rate to decline rather quickly, and that’s not pleasant for the eyes, causing tiredness and discomfort.

It makes sense (and the warnings are clear on this) to use the headsets for only short periods at a time. And they’re not that pleasant to use for extended periods, certainly, but they’re not demanding anything of the eyes or primary visual cortex that hasn’t been asked throughout the ages.

But the fact is that the learning potential of the VR systems – once they get a decent FOV – is almost limitless and the sheer pleasure of using a set will, one hopes, only increase.

And drawing a comparison between a potentially dangerous eye operation with only 50% success rate even now, and a completely non-invasive entertainment system such as VR shows a seriously flawed understanding of comparative risk.

I was not suggesting Optical Express were a reliable operator, duncan. Yes, I have followed those Convos.

The 50 % success rate is only a “success ” for an ephemeral length of time most of the people with eye problems are older ( with exceptions of course ) and what they got done earlier in life because of vanity in not wanting to wear glasses has come back to haunt them later in life . How do you think consultants know –from experience of course and those patients passing through their clinics , by the way its like bus station ,a never ending amount of people needing help . I just thank God I can see exceptionally well now. Unless you experience blindness or near blindness its hard to put yourself in other peoples shoes including mine. Was it you or John who had heart trouble ? you dont see me commenting on it as I dont ( thank God ) have that problem and I never will comment on it unless I actually experience it but in eye matters I have now been given a lot of real information straight from the only people that really matter the NHS employees . Three years out of date Ian how about ONLY ONE year -does that pass inspection or has a miracle occurred in that time -see https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/wearables/health-warning-as-immersive-virtual-reality-craze-linked-to-vision-problems/news-story/a67849532e82d857be7a3524c91ef11e remember what I said about LONG term effects .

Part of the link says ““There’s not been a lot of research done in the field and that’s the concern because it is unknown,” he said.

“Virtual reality is wonderful technology and will play a big role in our future, but the reality is that we just don’t know yet what the impact it will have on people’s eyes in the long run.”

And it’s 18 months old, Duncan, which is nowhere near as recent as we need studies to be.

Practical application of a study – something that is investigated over a long period , how can you expect an instant -9-7-2018 version Ian.

One issue is that VR sets have not been in use by the public long enough to form definitive opinions on the dangers, if indeed there are any. But meanwhile we have vast numbers of ‘experts’ willing to tell anyone who will listen of he possible dangers. Often, I imagine the same ‘experts’ who blamed children’s TV shows for the ‘moral decline’ in youngsters.

And are the “experts” wrong when it comes to extremely loud (perceived ) cinema noise Ian when the industry states using warped audio formula to justify it ? Bleeding ears – ringing in ears – long term deafness etc posted on this website by many UK citizens . Do you not see the medical connection ? We are organisms not computer generated Bots.

re VR – Just like mobile phone dangers were “possible”. Proper research needs to decide when possible dangers become very possible or unlikely. Scaremongering is of no help, unless someone knows something crucial that no one else has picked up.

There has been extensive research on noise over many leading to, for example, H&S requirements.

Duncan: you cannot compare the potential (and real) dangers associated with excessive noise levels, on which a massive amount of research has been done and the dangers of which have been known for many years, with the possible effects of using VR systems, where the visual cortex is not being obviously strained and damaged the way the auditory system is by vibrations. Sound and vision work in entirely different ways; the very nature of sound is potentially damaging, since it employs rarefaction and compression in the air to produce what we know as ‘sounds’, and which are the same processes which have long been known to cause partial or total deafness. Light and vision work in utterly different ways.

Would you rather go deaf or blind Ian ? I know which one I would chose , being deaf anyway.

I would rather go neither.