http://www.myvu.comhttp://www.myvu.com

I had wanted to try out one of these ever since I had first seen them on the Apple site. At the time, I did not have a video-enabled iPod, and when I finally had the iPod, I was too broke to buy the glasses. In fact, I wanted these so much that I went out and got fitted for contact lenses in anticipation of a future purchase because they do not work with eyeglasses, though there is an prescription adaptor that can be custom-made. The vendor, Myvu, has kindly provided me with a pair on a thirty-day review loaner. The first pair that I received from them was not working properly, but their support department was helpful and quickly sent me a new pair. However, the help number is not toll-free. I did not try email support, so I cannot comment on how speedy or helpful that would have been.

Included Parts

The product comes nicely packaged and includes a pair of glasses with attached earbuds, carrying case, power and picture control dongle, and charging cable. The finish and quality are flattering, especially considering the price point. Additionally there are several sizes of earbuds and nose clips to customize the fit. The small size option on both of those items fit me perfectly, but the nose clip could definitely use padding. I tested the unit using my iPod Touch, so all of my observations are limited to that combination. The unit is stated to be compatible with the iPod Touch, Classic, 5G Video iPod, and 3G Nano, but not the iPhone. However, I have read on several review sites and blogs that users have found that it did work with their iPhones. It is lightweight and folds compactly which is a good feature for travel. The battery life will last for about two movies.

The included documentation consisted of a four-step quick start guide which was slickly produced and easy to follow. A full user manual can be found at the vendor’s website. However, I found the manual lacking in detail and several options I had to find on my own through trial and error. One notable example would be that the quick-start guide does not tell you to charge the unit, and it is quite reasonable to initially assume, as I did, that it pulled power from the iPod. I also had to play hide and go-seek with the charging port which is covered by a rubber flap. I hate those rubber flaps. My camera has one as well, and it is completely useless.

Chick with glasses on

The viewer has a low profile so that the user can still see his surroundings above and below allowing activities such as walking on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike. Obviously, driving is not one of the recommended activities. What it is ideal for is any form of long passenger travel such as airplane, train, bus, or subway in order to view videos in private, as long as you don’t mind looking like you walked off a science fiction B-movie set. Although the vendor does claim that the glasses work well in daylight, I did not find them to do so, with an ideal viewing situation being semi-dark or at least out of direct lighting. The viewing experience is a floating image with the illusion of a 27-inch screen viewed at about eight feet. The image floats in the center of the glasses, which is not what I expected as I had gotten the impression that it somehow filled the whole viewing area. Now having used the product, I see how that simply would not work. The image also seems to appear in a brown “frame” almost like a photograph.

I was happy with the sound, but I am by no means an audiophile. The really fussy audio person will likely not be satisfied, but the average will be. The picture was mid-quality with some fuzziness yet still very viewable. Most movies can be viewed in letterbox or full screen mode, though the instructions do not explain how. I discovered this by playing with the video settings on my Touch. I expect that the same settings would work on the iPhone as well. If video mode is set to “widescreen - off” it will letterbox the image, and if it is set to “widescreen - on” the image will fill the whole screen.

One thing to be kept in mind is the price point of $199.95 for this product which is very reasonable. I had read some unfavourable reviews which seemed to be based on expectations not in line with the product value and the newness of the technology.

Myvu did inform me that two new models will soon be out which are the Crystal offering “premium quality image with VGA resolution” and the Shade 301 which is an upgrade to this model. I hope to be able to obtain a review loaner of one of those products to do a comparison in the future. I am still too broke to buy a pair. :(

The Breakdown
Pros: Perfect for long passenger commutes, privacy, high geek-factor, compact, does not block viewing surroundings, reasonable price point
Cons: Mid-quality picture, nose clip is uncomfortable, does not work with eyeglasses, sparse user manual, poor picture in sunlight or direct lighting
The Verdict: A great gadget for those who want privacy in viewing videos and perfect for commuting or the gym. I would buy it.