MyVu LCD goggles for iPod reviewed

We know not everyone is down with the idea of wearing goggles like the myvu to watch a movie or video, but it seems there are some people that like them, as evidinced by this very positive review from Mobility Site. They found the myvu to pretty much deliver on what it promises, with a watchable video image, long battery life (over six hours), and a comfortable design. Of course, people's definition of acceptable video quality will no doubt vary; the myvu just gives you iPod-native 320x240 resolution. And, as you can probably guess, while it's marketed towards the iPod video, it'll work with just about any video source. You'll have to decide if the $270 price tag is worth it to rock it Geordi LaForge-style.

[Ben Brenker @ May 18th 2006 12:45PM]

Sounds great, does it come with a barf bag and some motion sickness pills? There's a reason display goggles haven't caught on in 20 some odd years...

[Jason @ May 18th 2006 12:50PM]

...and look like a complete idiot on the street for $270? No thanks. I can do that for free.

[Scabies @ May 18th 2006 12:55PM]

Maybe if they could get it in >1024x768.. I'd be a dork for hi-def on my face.

[consumer_q @ May 18th 2006 1:25PM]

It would be cool if the Apple Store carried these, if only because I do want to try them out. I would not spend that much money on such things, but it would be neat to try them out.

[int @ May 18th 2006 1:33PM]

This may not just be for people on the move. As someone that shares the primary interface with the rest of the world with the rest of the family .. aka the TV .. a set of these opens up all sorts of alternatives.. iPod with 500GB HDD and a Digital TV tuner roll on !

[retsel @ May 18th 2006 1:41PM]

what about enhanced reality...
i pinhole camera in the center and a processor on the hip and what we can see could be annotated and when we all get rfid chips u can look as someone myspace profile by looking at them and double blinking...

[Bob @ May 18th 2006 1:44PM]

To #1: No, that would be the prohibitve cost of microdisplays. I have never once suffered motionsickness from an HMD.

To #2: People thought that headphones would make them look like idiots when the first portable cassette tapes players came out. A decade or so later they had become totally commonplace.

To #4: The price increase beyond 640*480 is sharp indeed. An XGA headset will run you in excess of two thousand dollars, if you're lucky.

[Sean @ May 18th 2006 2:00PM]

Check out the ICUITI DV920 as well:

http://www.icuiti.com/index.php?page_id=10

[Chris @ May 18th 2006 2:01PM]

These are completly awesome, i would wear these forsure, brings new meaning to personal video source, and with the possibilty of it being hooked up to either my IPOD or my ARCHOS AV400, there is no doubt these will sell.

[Ben Brenker @ May 18th 2006 2:01PM]

#8, I'm very happy for you not getting sick using these toys, but I, and many others have. Count your blessings that you can be the dork of the future while the rest of us are stuck looking throwing up in the past.

[Bob @ May 18th 2006 2:20PM]

To #11: Hurrrr, and I guess I should strap a fake horse to the front of my automobile so it doesn't spook your horses when I go out for my sunday drive?

Pretty much every technological advance looks silly, and there are people too concerned with their self image to use it until everyone else does, at which point they give up their bitchy whining and join in.

You wear headphones, don't you?

[Wolfrain @ May 18th 2006 2:20PM]

Will it work with the Nintendo Wii?
Will it work with the Sony PlayStation 3

Does it really accept any source of video? How do you connect it? I wonder.

[PEZ @ May 18th 2006 2:22PM]

Did you boneheads assume any type of technology other than the iPod itself could increase, not to mention IMPTROVE on the video resolution of the Ipod screen.

Surely you jest. Idiots.

[Scabies @ May 18th 2006 2:24PM]

anyone else heard of that head mounted personal pacman game that was being tinkered with in some asian country? no?
That DV920 reports 1024x768 for about $600... now, if only my honking tower were as compact...

No more screen-lookers at Xbox LAN parties! What? no one does those anymore?

[shoepal @ May 18th 2006 2:30PM]

I played with these at CTIA. It was a bit disorienting at first but after 15 seconds or so it wasn't that bad and actually kinda fun, though indeed quite dorky.

[Bob @ May 18th 2006 2:36PM]

>>That DV920 reports 1024x768 for about $600... now, if only my honking tower were as compact...

No, the DV920 is 640*480. I know, I own one.

[Bob @ May 18th 2006 2:39PM]

>>Will it work with the Nintendo Wii?
Will it work with the Sony PlayStation 3?


Why would you want to use it with these consoles? You'd be playing them at half of a TV's normal resolution on a screen that appears very small and close to your head. It's better than watching movies on PSP but not by much.

[shmengie @ May 18th 2006 2:47PM]

it's perfect! this way, you don't have to look down at your ipod while you're driving. just put on these bad boys, and drive to work while watching porn. hell, i'd pay $1000. that's u.s. money. cash!!

[rak @ May 18th 2006 2:53PM]

It sounds really great. Its easy to see the movie on the goggles. This is the nice idea.

http://cheap-ipods-review.blogspot.com/2006/04/apple-2-gb-ipod-nano-black-full-ipod.html

[Scabies @ May 18th 2006 3:01PM]

re:17. "No, the DV920 is 640*480. I know, I own one."

Taken from Icuiti dv920 website (http://www.icuiti.com/index.php?page_id=10)
"...
Specifications

Display
- 2 VGA LCD panels (920,000 pixels each)
- 640 by 480 resolution in true color, supports upto 1024x768 on PC's and Laptops
- 26� field of view
- Image appears as if projected at a distance
of 7 feet
- 15 degrees of vertical tilt
- Left/right, independent focus (approx. +2 to -6 diopters)

Video Input Formats
-Decodes both Standard NTSC and PAL

Field Sequential NTSC 3D
- S-Video*
- VGA: 640 by 480 2D at 60Hz
- VGA: 640 by 480 field sequential 3D at 60Hz
* optional cable required
..."

indeed, what is the story here, support for resolutions up to 1024x768 (with more than enough pixels per screen) but inputs limited to 640x480? Note the specs listed in this post do not apply to the device listed in this engadget article.

[Gary Henery @ May 18th 2006 3:43PM]

#18 Are You Insane?

[Bob @ May 18th 2006 3:44PM]

To #21: No, it's bullshit. The unit does not display resolutions higher than 640*480. I am well aware of what the specs claim, but I have one sitting next to me and I can tell you otherwise.

What they are saying is that the actual microdisplays are 640*480, but it's capable of downscaling XGA to VGA, which it actually is not competently capable of in my experience.

[shmengie @ May 18th 2006 4:10PM]

#22: why? do you think it's safer to be looking at your ipod while you're driving? this makes much more sense.

[Tull @ May 18th 2006 4:46PM]

Anyone else worried about i-blivion? Everyone walking around in their own world, it was already started with ipods and now here come the video goggles. People are becoming totally wrapped up in their own little worlds, 1984 please?

[Chris @ May 18th 2006 6:55PM]

To #27, I'd say your i-blivion is more comparable to Fahrenheit 451, with the Television-wall rooms, music 'seashells' always in ear, and overall complete immersion in media.
The current wiretapping controversy and X-box Live/ Eyetoy cameras in every living room seem more 1984ish to me.
I wouldn't mind having these video goggles on campus or in my lab though. Yet doesn't the 30GB ipod video have a video battery life of

[Chris @ May 18th 2006 6:56PM]

less than two hours?

[ben @ May 18th 2006 7:36PM]

http://www.ipodmods.com has great info on repair of the ipod video. They also have reviews of this goggle product. Check it out!

[Dan @ May 18th 2006 8:05PM]

I have been lusting after these things for 2 months. I have contacted MicroOptical- and they keep telling me soon... Last time - they said 2 weeks. It's been over 2 weeks - and still nothing. Now they tell me the 2nd quarter - what gives?

But honestly - can't wait to sit on a plane watching a movie and not have to worry about the 'content'...

[Virtical @ May 18th 2006 8:24PM]

One: ipods smoke pole.
Two: i think they could become the next gen in media viewing, sure, you may look like a tit being one of the first 500 people to use them, but hell, we cant have EVERY one being labeled as twits when theyre using them can we?
it may take off, it may not, its new technology and you people shitting on it isnt going to help companies making advancements like bluetooth, the compact media player or even the wacked out nintendo Wii.

[mastershake916 @ May 18th 2006 10:03PM]

>>26. Anyone else worried about i-blivion? Everyone >>walking around in their own world, it was already >>started with ipods and now here come the video goggles. >>People are becoming totally wrapped up in their own >>little worlds, 1984 please?

Exactly, even though I have to say that they are some evil geniuses at apple marketing, they have people buying ipods that also ask "what's a toshiba?".

[mavrick @ May 19th 2006 1:27AM]

Yes, these might have crappy resolution but i think soon, its going to get better. Imagine these glasses pared with TrackIR4 in Quake or Flight Simulator X. Now that would be hot.

[Irfaan @ May 19th 2006 3:38AM]

#29 - ArsTechnica talked about the MyVu's back in January (see
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/1/13/2494).

I mention this to highlight my comment to that article:

(quote)
Bah - I don't trust MicroOptical, myself. What happened to their bluetooth headset, the DV-1 from 2002?
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13047

Or their EG-7?
http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/images/product_hmd_microoptical_eg7.jpg

As far as I can tell, all they actually produce are a few pricy ho-hum displays ($1500+, see www.tekgear.ca) and awfully exciting vaporware.
(/quote)

And apparently they were telling folks the MyVu's would be on store shelves in April. It's now May, and still no show. I think MicroOptical could give Infinium Labs a pointer or two on pushing vaporware.

[Frank @ May 19th 2006 4:24AM]

When I use these goggles... can I switch of the iPod screen?

[Ryukuchan @ May 19th 2006 7:51AM]

I don't know about this new one, the specs sound pretty sucky.

But I owned and returned a pair of Icuiti's (the v920)
The dv920 came out shortly after...or something, the v920 only supports 640x480 and the dv920 supposedly supports 1024x768.
I ended up returning mine because I hate how far the "screen" is, I don't like the movie theatre style of immersion, I want full pressed against my eyeball immersion : D
I could never get the stereo mode to work right and composite looked like composite, but the VGA was damn crisp!
The other viable option was the Z800 but it's OLED which will die on me and it was a much larger investment, plus it doesn't support composite which is fun if you want to use all the neat devices that take advantage of it.

So I'm gonna wait for headsets to improve, It's nice that we're moving back toward them, though.

I'd actually suggest this as a tiny-and-huge display to easily take with you.
If you have a small micro-atx and you don't want to lug a crt or a fragile lcd this is pretty great.

[slocko @ May 19th 2006 9:21AM]

this is great for watching porn on the train. that way no one can tell you are a perv. that is until you get so immersed in the experience you start rubbing yourself forgetting their is a 90 year old granny next to you.

[submachine @ May 19th 2006 12:46PM]

Assuming theswe are light and comfortable enough, I would want these for the treadmill. Initially for videos, later for "Interactive Running Environment Display Systems" also known as IREDS.

or I could just jog outside...

[Dan @ May 30th 2006 11:27AM]

I just got my pair last Friday! NO motion sickness - totally slick design and works right out of the box - once you put the batteries in of course... I was wearing them to meet a friend outside my apartment, got stopped by a few people with questions = thought they were just as awesome as I do. Apple should by this company and re-market them as iSee...
LOVE THESE THINGS

[coder @ Sep 25th 2006 7:22AM]

Stick two camera's (with wide angle lenses) on either side of this baby and you can walk around viewing your favorite show (read, internet pr0n) without worrying about getting hit by a car. either have the 'show' in one eye, and reality in the other or have them blend on top of eachother. Add an infrared diode and you've got night vision. hot