DGI Goggles vs Epson Moverio BT-300

[TMB Aerial]

Epson Moverio BT-300 FPV Smart Glasses

I may be getting ahead of things here but couldn't contain myself. I just came across the Moverio BT-300's yesterday and I must have them, so I ordered them (arriving on Friday). I had the DJI Goggles on pre-order with no firm date so I just cancelled that order and here's why.

#1 The FAA has to the best of my knowledge "outlawed" flying drones with immersive FPV goggles. The BT-300's should be "legal". I know this is a touchy subject but hear me out. I fly commercially so I would rarely use the DJI goggles other then maybe getting a pair to hand to the client(s) to wear while I fly. (that would be pretty cool). So I may go back to them once someone has them in stock.

#2 I fly most of my commercial missions in bright sunlight and 89% of the time I cannot see the screen (iPad pro 9.7). Most of the sun shades are just cumbersom. I had also pre-ordered the CrystalSky Ultra but cancelled that as well mainly because of the price. I want to see how these glasses perform. From the reviews I've see, bright sunlight is not an issue as the glasses come with shades.

I fly from a strictly cinematic standpoint. I'm there to capture the best footage I can. I worry that I won't see enough detail in the image to dial it in so I'm curious if anyone else out there has the BT-300's and uses them with footage quality as your priority. I would love to hear about your experience. I will definitely post some video of my experience this weekend.

thanks,
Dave

 

[Anthony Viscomi]

If viewing great detail is a high priority, then I would shy away for the Moverios. Do a Forum search and you'll find a detail review that I did a while back. IMO that achieve the goal of VLOS, but can't compare to the image quality of the DJI goggles.

 

[TMB Aerial]

If viewing great detail is a high priority, then I would shy away for the Moverios. Do a Forum search and you'll find a detail review that I did a while back. IMO that achieve the goal of VLOS, but can't compare to the image quality of the DJI goggles.

Thanks! I'm going to give them a try. I understand the image quality won't compare but like I said in the OP what good do the DJI goggles do me if they are illegal to fly with?

 

[Anthony Viscomi]

I hate that word "illegal".

 

[TMB Aerial]

I hate that word "illegal".

me too!!

 

[Srcrain]

This comparison has been discussed and debated at length is another thread. So check that out if you want.

I have both and my opinion is that the Moverio's are an indispensable part of my kit that I bring everywhere. The DJI goggles are great for what they do, but I can leave them at home and never miss them. The Moverio's are a must have when flying outside in sunlight. I actually use them regardless of where/when I am flying. They only provide 720p resolution and a much narrower FOV, so you don't get anything close to an immersive feel. But that is not what they are used for. You can wear them in public without drawing much attention, and set up your shots while having a clear view of the screen. They are a bit pricey, but I think they are very much worth it.

This is a link to what I think is the best video that shows what it is like looking in the glasses -

 

[TMB Aerial]

This comparison has been discussed and debated at length is another thread. So check that out if you want.

I have both and my opinion is that the Moverio's are an indispensable part of my kit that I bring everywhere. The DJI goggles are great for what they do, but I can leave them at home and never miss them. The Moverio's are a must have when flying outside in sunlight. I actually use them regardless of where/when I am flying. They only provide 720p resolution and a much narrower FOV, so you don't get anything close to an immersive feel. But that is not what they are used for. You can wear them in public without drawing much attention, and set up your shots while having a clear view of the screen. They are a bit pricey, but I think they are very much worth it.

This is a link to what I think is the best video that shows what it is like looking in the glasses -

Thanks for that. The immersive experience is not a priority to me. I just want to be able to see the screen and adjust my focus and exposure. I struggle with that now at times in bright sunlight. There are of course work-arounds/things I can do but these just seem like the perfect all-around solution. I hope they work for me.

 

[TMB Aerial]

The "Tap to Mute" feature is right on point!!

1:40 in

 

[Srcrain]

It took a while to figure out the tap to mute function (mine is on the top left side, not right), but I use it frequently for take-off and landing. You also have to use a fairly firm tap, not a light touch. It is a nice feature to have, especially since I use the prescription inserts from Rochester Optical and just taking the glasses off I wouldn't be able to see without putting on my regular glasses.

 

[TMB Aerial]

G'head, ask me a question about the future.

 

[charlestwesco]

I absolutely love my BT 300 Epson goggles. I returned the bt200 last year because they were outdated hardware. I also have the Rochester glasses to use along with my contacts for correcting the ipd to make the screen a little clearer since my IP did not fit their standard. Then I have the Rochester darker Shades and the salt Eres. The darker Shades also come in a variation that magnetically pops on and off the Rochester Optical saltaire Ace. The Soltaire Ace gives a completely enclosed fpv experience and I think I will just leave them on all the time and just take off the magnetic front and switch it for Shades as the main way I like to use them. You will want to be sure you purchase a 3D print to hold the BT 300 base station on to your radio.

 

[TMB Aerial]

After updating the BT-300s last night I finally got a chance to take a 20 minute flight with them this morning. All I can say is my initial impression is that they kick ***. I can see the screen AND maintain VLOS easily. I just don't get how anyone cannot love these but I guess everyone is physically different *shrug*. As of right now I'm not seeing any major issues. I'm on R1 3.0 and I do see the map in the lower right and it looks as it does normally maybe that was fixed in the last rev or I'm not understanding the issue. The one thing I did notice is the BT-300 controller seems to charge off my P4P controller, I need to figure out how to stop it from doing that if possible as I don't want to drain the P4P controller unnecessarily. Very coool product!! I think my game will be raised substantially. I don't have the adapter for the Mavic yet but I don't see how it would be any different...more on the BT-300s later.....

 

[Phrede]

I was comparing these right before the DJI goggles came out. I ended up going with the Glyphs. My main concern was the distraction by having the Mavic image superimposed. Maybe it's not an issue IDK. I'm happy with the Glyphs and only mention it so others know there is another option for those wanting goggles AND LOS.

 

[Turnerm]

I just ordered the Moverios from Amazon. Should be here on Tuesday. I also have the DJI Goggles and while I love them I can also see the appeal of the Moverios.

I'll try them out and see how they compare for me personally vs the goggles.

 

[mikesher]

I just ordered the Moverios from Amazon. Should be here on Tuesday. I also have the DJI Goggles and while I love them I can also see the appeal of the Moverios.

I'll try them out and see how they compare for me personally vs the goggles.

Leaning that way too. I already have the DJI Goggles and the Avegant Glyph. Although the DJI Goggles have a great image, they are a bit big, and they don't fit that well... The Avegant Glyph hooked up with an wireless HDMI device, has significant latency. This is an expensive hobby!

 

[tcrescon]

I have both. The DJI Goggles and the moverio. and I don't know if want to keep the moverios. This are ok to fly the DJI Mavic but in my case need to have the prescription frame done. So this is an additional investment. The other BIG problem with the moverio, is that this it is not a google certified device and when you try to download apks for HULU or SLING or MAPS and many others won't run so to have an almost $800+ device just to fly my drone and with issues of non diopter and IPD adjustments. Any ideas on how to run his APKS?

 

[Turnerm]

Leaning that way too. I already have the DJI Goggles and the Avegant Glyph. Although the DJI Goggles have a great image, they are a bit big, and they don't fit that well... The Avegant Glyph hooked up with an wireless HDMI device, has significant latency. This is an expensive hobby!

Yea, I'm in the same boat regarding the goggles. I haven't tried the Avegan Glyph though.

The goggles are good and I think the software is pretty well designed but they are just so BIG and cumbersome to carry around. I also find the screen to be a tad dark for my liking but that's probably because of all the light leaking in.

I figured I'd try the Moverios and if they aren't any better than the goggles then I'll send them back. I purchased them through Amazon so returning them will be simple if I do not like them.

 

[Anthony Viscomi]

Yea, I'm in the same boat regarding the goggles. I haven't tried the Avegan Glyph though.

The goggles are good and I think the software is pretty well designed but they are just so BIG and cumbersome to carry around. I also find the screen to be a tad dark for my liking but that's probably because of all the light leaking in.

I figured I'd try the Moverios and if they aren't any better than the goggles then I'll send them back. I purchased them through Amazon so returning them will be simple if I do not like them.

Just keep in mind that the Moverios are a totally separate animal then the DJI goggles.

 

[mikesher]

Yea, I'm in the same boat regarding the goggles. I haven't tried the Avegan Glyph though.

The goggles are good and I think the software is pretty well designed but they are just so BIG and cumbersome to carry around. I also find the screen to be a tad dark for my liking but that's probably because of all the light leaking in.

I figured I'd try the Moverios and if they aren't any better than the goggles then I'll send them back. I purchased them through Amazon so returning them will be simple if I do not like them.

Ordered mine this morning from Amazon for the same reason. I'm pretty confident that the BT-300's will fit my needs better than the DJI Goggles. I'll miss the immersion and the head tracking, but wont miss the bulk and the need for a spotter. As long as the image is clear in bright sunlight and I can toggle off the video (video mute), I'll be happy. I also have aging eyesight, and wear glasses, so fingers crossed. With the DJI Goggles, I had to buy some strong readers (which I don't need for anything else). The Avegant Glyph has diopter adjustments, which worked well. Hoping I can just wear my glasses with the BT-300, or get prescriptions for the inserts (worst case).

 

[Turnerm]

Just keep in mind that the Moverios are a totally separate animal then the DJI goggles.

Indeed! I watched and read your full review (very helpful - thank you!). I know that they won't be nearly as immersive as the goggles. I'm guessing that I'll probably end up keeping both as I'll prefer the glasses sometimes and sometimes I'll prefer the goggles.

One thing I really like about the goggles is the immersion. I feel that I can truly fly lower and in tighter places with them as I have more confidence that I'm fully aware of my surroundings with the goggles on. I don't know if it's a false sense of confidence yet or not.

I'd imagine flying with the Moverios is going to be more like using my iPad mini screen but the image is floating in front of my eyes instead of me having to look down at the screen all the time. The BIG plus will be the elimination of sun issues. When using the iPad mini sun is a major issue for me. I think the glasses will make that issue go away. Another plus for the Moverios is comfort and portability.

I'll know by the end of the week I guess!