So when I first got my DK2 about two and a half years ago there was a trick going around where you could mitigate the screen door effect by disassembling the headset and applying a high quality matte screen protector to the screen. I did this the second day I had my DK2 because I was one of the people who were really bothered by the SDE. Just like the fresnel lenses this trick diffused the light from each pixel into the negative space between them and did reduce the SDE while also causing a little bit of light refraction from each pixel as a side effect. This trick was discussed on these forums and it was even speculated that when the then unannounced CV1 went into production this would be the method they would use to combat the SDE.
Well as we know they decided to go the fresnel lenses instead, and now having been able to sample both methods I am disappointed that they chose to go this route. In my opinion despite the higher pixel density of the CV1 the image is much more blurry in regards to high contrast scenes or fine detail, and while there is less light refraction per pixel there seems to be more chromatic aberration per pixel. Sure, with the lower pixel density the DK2 was more pixelated, but the pixels were more defined, and with the light diffusing film the screen door effect was mitigated to approximately the same level as it is now. I simply cant get over how blurry everything is on the CV1, no matter how much super sampling/pixel density I apply.
In fact when using Bigscreen with my DK2 (a social app where we people can share their desktops in a VR environment) people who were using Vives or CV1s were amazed that I could actually read text and make out fine details that they could not when observing each others screen. Now that I have the CV1 I can no longer read or make out the fine detail that I previously could. That, combined with the god ray side effect has made my favorite app almost unplayable, and my other preferred apps which require fine detail such as flight sims (all of the instrumentation was actually more readable on my modified DK2) and racing games not impressive as they could be.
This is why I believe the fresnel lenses were the wrong choice, but I dont know all of the details of why they chose them. Perhaps from a production standpoint it was more practical. All I know is that I actually miss my modified DK2. Even with higher pixel density the blurriness of the CV1 negates any advantage in my opinion, and the only reason I don't plug my modified Dk2 back in is because of the excellent immersion of the touch controllers...
This is the exact reason why I sold my CV1 right after release. I think that the god rays from the frensel lenses ruins the main reason I use VR. I'm with you on CV1 ruining Virtual Desktop/Big Screen, those are my main uses of VR and the CV1 is terrible when in an all dark environment.
