Trapped in the laughing stock for the past five years, video goggles are finally slimming down to truly portable sizes - and guess which portable video player they're placing their bets on.
Piggybacking on the popularity surrounding Apple's new
iPod Video, the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas saw the launch of three bids to take the squinting out of watching video on the go. Makers eMagin, Icuiti and MyVu all offer video goggles which connect to the iPod Video - and this time around, wearing a pair won't necessarily snap your neck if you make a sudden move.
eMagin Eyebud 800
First out of the gate is the Eyebud 800 from eMagin, which is a monocular display compatible with any device capable of outputting NTSC or PAL video through a Composite connector - including the iPod Video. Boasting an OLED display with a native resolution of 800 x 600 pixels, it should have no problems accomodating the 320 x 240 pixel output of a certain Apple player, and can also be used with PCs with an optional VGA adapter.
According to eMagin, the Eyebud 800 delivers a viewing experience as if viewing a 105-inch screen from 12 feet, offering a 40-degree field of view of whatever is playing for up to 6 hours. Also, the monocle viewing piece can be worn on either the left or right side, and the goggles come complete with stereo earbuds and a noise-canceling microphone. To be available later this year for $600 USD.
Icuiti DV920
Making the move to stereo is the DV920 Video Eyewear from Icuiti, which - like the Eyebud 800 - also makes a point of its compatibility with the iPod Video, despite also working with devices such as the Creative
Zen Vision:M. Although it only offers a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, it sports dual screens, a 26-degree feld of view and claims a viewing experience as if watching a 42-inch screen at a distance of 11 feet. Also, those who wear glasses will be particularly intrigued byt the DV920's diopters which offer adjustment in the +2/-6 range.
Similar to the Eyebud 800, also the DV920 supports NTSC and PAL but does so in separate versions. Accepted input sources include Composite, S-Video and VGA, whilst the eyewear also comes with stereo headphones and claims a battery life of up to 4.5 hours at most. Priced at $550 USD, the DV920 has another leg up on the Eyebudy 800; it's immediately available.
MyVu Personal Video Player
The dark horse amongst the three, MyVu's Personal Video Player appears to be tailored specifically for the iPod Video with its native resolution of 320 x 240 pixels - identical to the output of the much-coveted player. Sporting dual screens, the goggles are both lighter and smaller than the other two offerings and only accepts Composite video input, albeit with both NTSC and PAL support onboard.
To be available in the first quarter of 2006, no pricing has as of yet been announced for the MyVu Personal Video Player.
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