The MyVu visor lets you watch you iPod's movies behind a dark visor with deep in-ear headphones. Was it an immersive experience?
Review summary of the MyVu Personal Media Viewer:
 |
| Gallery » |
 Perhaps the best feature of the MyVu viewer is that they send a clear signal to those around you that you are watching something and you don't want to be bothered. They don't offer an immersing viewing experience, or impressive sound, but they do make it a bit more comfortable to kick back on a long plane ride and watch a movie. Or maybe a short plane ride, since you won't make it through two movies before the battery dies. We'd like a more immersing experience, like IMAX right before our faces, with great sound that tries hard to mimic surround. Also, we're picky about video quality, and our iPod has a better screen, so we'll probably just stick with that. Release: March 2006. Price: $200.
Pros: Comfortable option for watching video for long stretches. Good picture quality. Setup couldn't be easier.
Cons: Picture still seems small, not at all immersing . Headphones are bass-heavy, not accurate enough for high-quality movie sound. Shortens battery life significantly.
| Poor |
Mediocre |
62%
GOOD |
Very good |
Excellent |
|
|
|
Full review of the MyVu Personal Media Viewer:
|
Design - Good
The MyVu Personal Media Viewer is a small, lightweight visor, somewhat reminiscent of the contraption Geordie on Star Trek wore. It is thin enough that it gives you plenty of room to see over and under the unit. The earbuds dangle from the right spot on the arms, and the entire unit relies on a single cord that connects to the dock connector port on your iPod. We like that the unit draws power this way, which cuts down on cords and batteries, but could cause problems for battery performance on the iPod. In the middle of the cord, a remote offers basic controls for video and volume. The MyVu was light enough that it was comfortable to wear through a few television shows.
The MyVu is very light, and the thin visors allow plenty of light to seep in while you are viewing. Though this didn't hurt the picture directly, it distracted from the immersing experience for which we were hoping. Also, the MyVu screens seemed very small, and without yet commenting on video quality, the overall presentation reminded us of watching an old Sony Watchman. We were hoping for something more immersing that completely filled our field of view, instead of the small rectangle we got.
Video quality - Mediocre
Video on the MyVu viewer did appear larger than video on our iPod screen did when held at a comfortable distance. Also, the MyVu's two screens created a picture that seemed larger than our 32-inch LCD television at a distance of eight feet. Still, the lower resolution of the MyVu screen was obvious, and a screen door effect was noticeable. Though the simple controls allowed us to tweak "Ronin" enough to expose the bright, wide-open landscapes and tight car chases, video still had better sharpness, clarity and contrast on both our iPod and hi-def LCD, running the video from our 80GB iPod.
Unfortunately, the screens in the MyVu viewer just feel small. Though we were hoping for the benefit of a close-up video, the feeling of watching the video is closer to sitting on a couch at a distance from a television than sitting in a theater surrounded by the screen. Except in very bright conditions, light leaking in didn't hurt the picture, and in some cases (when light came from directly behind the screens) made the picture seem brighter. Still, we can imagine situations in which the MyVu would be a more comfortable way to watch a movie from an iPod, but it certainly shouldn't be considered the optimal viewing experience in terms of picture quality.
Sound - Good
The MyVu uses in-ear buds for sound, similar to Sony's popular MDR-EX70 earbuds. They do a fine job of blocking external noise, and most soundtracks are clear, if a little bass-heavy, as is the nature of this sort of headphone. The headphones don't do a great job creating a sound stage, so don't expect to be wowed by panning effects or subtle, surround sound-like nuance. The headphones on the MyVu did a better job blocking out the noise from the train we were on than recreating the sounds from the video we were watching.
Odds and ends
Setup couldn't be easier. You simply plug the device into your iPod, set the video on the iPod to "TV Out," and that's it. You can adjust brightness, contrast and volume with the in-line remote. A port in the bottom of the dock connector allows you to connect a mini-USB cord, with which you can sync your iPod with the MyVu attached. Of course, you can't watch videos while synchronizing, but this also provides an external power option. That option is necessary, as the MyVu reduces battery life on the iPod by half. We got about two and a half hours of video, mainly because the iPod was powering the MyVu. Without the MyVu, our iPod has topped five hours of movie playback. MyVu does make a battery pack for the iPod, however, which the company claims will give you eight hours of video playback. The viewer isn't too pricey, either, at $200. The battery pack will run you $80 extra, but can also be used without the viewer for longer music playback.
Price and availability
The MyVu personal media viewer made just for iPods is available now for $200. A bundle, which includes the additional battery pack and travel case available for $300.
|
|
|
|
|
Archive