I have to admit that I have never been a fan of watching video on my mobile device. There are a number of problems with this format. First, video takes up a lot of space on my device, which could be used for other things. Second, videos use a lot of battery power in a short period of time. Third, the screen on a mobile device is typically extremely small. This screen is simply not conducive to watching a big screen movie or even a television show. So, as much as I enjoy watching movies and videos, I have never found my mobile device to offer an adequate viewing environment.

Now, however, MyVu is offering a personal media viewer, which promises to change all of that (or almost all of it). Not enough battery power? The MyVu includes an expansion battery which will power your iPod and the MyVu viewer for up to six hours. The screen is too small? This is where the MyVu viewer really excels. It projects a screen in front of your eyes which will simulate a big screen television, creating a considerably more comfortable viewing environment. Of course, that problem with the memory on your device is up to you. MyVu cannot help you there, however, it will work with any video iPod, including the 80GB version. In short, MyVu allows you to carry your own digital media experience in your pocket. Pretty cool, if you ask me. It also offers exceptional privacy, even in the most public places.

So, by now, you are probably wondering what exactly is the MyVu personal media viewer. Well, if you haven’t done so already, go back and check out my unboxing photos. Essentially, MyVu is a pair of glasses with earbud headphones and a viewscreen attached. The MyVu plugs into your iPod video (any iPod video will work, however, the current version of the MyVu will not work with any other devices), and acts as an external viewscreen for your video content.

What’s In the Box: I have to say, I was fairly impressed with the package which is included with the MyVu system. In addition to the MyVu viewer, which has earbud headphones and a pendant control attached, you also receive:

• 6 hour Lithium battery pack with an iPod sleeve
• AC adaptor
• car adaptor
• hard travel case with room for your iPod
• soft microfiber pouch and lens cloth
• replacement nose clips
• replacement earbuds in various sizes
• user guide, quick start guide, and documentation

Setup: Getting started with the MyVu is extremely easy. Much easier than you would expect. Simple slide your iPod into the battery pack, and connect the battery to your iPod. Now, connect the wire from the MyVu system into the top of the battery pack. You may need to charge the battery for your first use. Don’t worry though, you can still use the MyVu system while it is plugged in or charging.

On your iPod, simply turn on the TV Out on your video settings, select the content you want to watch and you are ready to go. Put on the MyVu glasses and enjoy. This is so easy, even a two year old (like the one pictured above) could do it!

Comfort and Feel: Imagine that you have your own personal media room. It includes a large screen digital television, Dolby surround sound speakers, and an endless supply of videos and media. Sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? Now, imagine this entire system was small enough to carry everywhere you go. That, essentially, is the premise behind the MyVu personal media viewer. Simply place the glasses on your face and watch as your video content is projected in front of your eyes, centered within your field of vision. Frankly, I was amazed by this phenomenon. As I mentioned, one of my biggest problems with watching video or movies on a portable device is the size of the screen; and the MyVu is designed to work only with an iPod which has a particularly small screen. So, taking the video content from that tiny screen and projecting it in front of your eyes…this is the device for which we have all been waiting.

The glasses themselves were extremely light on my face. Once they were on, you hardly noticed them. I also really appreciated the fact that the earbuds hung from the stem of the glasses. This significantly helped reduce the potential for tangled wires. It also meant that the earbuds were always easily accessible if I had to pop them out for any reason.

Additionally, since the screen is attached to the glasses, when you are wearing the unit, it will move with your face. This means that the screen is always oriented in the same direction as your eyes. This is a fantastic bonus. You can do a complete somersault (though I do not recommend this) without missing a second of your favorite episode of Heroes.

Video: I wish there was a way that I could show you what you see when you view an image on the MyVu personal media viewer. I really cannot describe it, except to say that it is simply amazing, like something you might have read about in a science fiction novel. Just slip on the glasses and you enter your own private movie screening theater. Anytime. Anyplace.

Essentially, the image you see is projected onto a small screen inside of the glasses. By using perspective and mirrors, however, the system is able to simulate a much larger screen.

I admit when I began testing the MyVu, I had some doubts. Sure it looks cool, but would it really work? Would the picture be degraded? Or too small to see? After testing this device for several weeks, I can truly say, “Yes, no, and no.”

Not only does the MyVu system work, it works better than any expectations I might have had. Remarkably, the screen suffered from absolutely no degradation or pixelation. The picture is crisp, sharp, and clear. Much better than my 27-inch Sony; and because the picture is constantly fixed in front of your eyes, it also always appears to fill most of your field of vision. By blocking out all (or most) external visual distractions, the MyVu is able to simulate an even larger screen than expected.

One drawback I did notice, however, was that only the media content is transmitted to the viewscreen. The iPod menus are not transmitted, which means you have to take the glasses off in order to scroll through the menus and select your movie or video. It would have been considerably more convenient if the menus would also transfer to the viewscreen, so you could scroll through the menus while wearing the glasses. However, I was not clear whether this limitation was a result of the MyVu itself or the iPod transmitting the signal.

Audio: In order to complete the illusion of your own private movie theater, the MyVu personal media viewer offers silicone ear buds. These ear buds dangle on a short cord from both stems of the glasses. By attaching them to such a short wire, MyVu has ensured that they will never become tangled, which is always a significant concern for users of wired headphones; or lost.

These silicone earbuds also satisfy a dual purpose. First, they deliver crystal clear sound directly from the media on your iPod to your ears. The silicone protects your ear canal from being scratched by the earbud, but also leaves an opening through which the sound can be piped directly into your ear. This ensures minimal excess sound which could be heard by those sitting around you. Additionally, the silicone serves as an ear plug while you are listening. This means that the earbuds are able to significantly reduce no ambient noise which is likely to interrupt you while you are listening.

While the primary purpose of the device is, obviously, the video, your viewing experience would be significantly diminished without high quality earphones to complete the illusion of entering your own private movie theater. I was happy to see that MyVu did not ignore this important detail.

Pendant Control: One thing that can get very old very quickly is constantly taking out your iPod to adjust the controls. Once you have the glasses on, it can be somewhat difficult to see beyond the screen. Fortunately, MyVu thought of this, and included a pendant controller with the system.

The pendant is attached to the main wire of the system and has a clip on the back which will attach it to your shirt or belt. The buttons on the pendant can be used to:

• adjust the volume
• control the screen brightness
• control playback (rewind, fast forward, play, or pause)

Battery Pack: The MyVu system can use a lot of power. As such, it comes with a relatively formidable battery pack. This is probably the biggest drawback to the system. While the glasses themselves are relatively light and comfortable, they require a significant amount of power, which must be carried with you.

Fortunately, MyVu has designed a system which makes the battery extremely unobtrusive. Instead of requiring you to carry an entirely separate module, the battery is contained in a sleeve which slides around your iPod (which you must have with you anyway). The battery then connects to your iPod, which means it can supply power not only to the MyVu, but also to your iPod. According to MyVu, this battery can power your device and iPod for 5-6 hours of viewing pleasure. I found nothing to indicate this was inaccurate.

The front of the sleeve has cutouts which allow you to access the controls, screen, and ports on the iPod itself. Additionally, the back of the battery contains a meter which uses four green LED lights to indicate how much battery power remains before you must charge the system, as well as a belt clip, which maks it extremely easy to carry the entire device hands free.

Glasses: If you wear prescription glasses, you may have a problem with the MyVu system. The eyewear provided simply will not fit around the frames of your existing glasses (if you wear contact lenses then you should not expect a problem). To solve this problem, MyVu offers a prescription glasses clip-on kit. The main problem I had with this kit was the fact that it costs an additional $99. After I have paid hundreds of dollars for glasses, then paid $300 for the MyVu system, I was not terribly interested in spending more money on a second pair of glasses designed to clip into the MyVu system. Of course, my eyes are bad enough that the effect of the screen is lost without my glasses. It would be nice if MyVu included the prescription clip-ons at no extra charge, since they can only be used with the MyVu system.

The Case: The MyVu system includes a hard clamshell case. This case seems to be fairly large and bulky, and quite frankly, I did not envision using it. When I did finally get around to testing it, however, I found that the case is actually fairly light, even carrying the entire MyVu system. It fit particularly well in my backpack with all of my other gear, and did not considerably increase the weightload. Additionally, this case is designed to carry the entire MyVu system, the AC or car adaptor, the battery pack, and your iPod. This means everything you need will always be located in one convenient case. Because it is a hard clamshell, it also ensures that drops, dings, and scratches will not harm the MyVu system. For shorter trips, there is also a microfiber pouch which can be used.

The result: This is one of the most amazing devices I have ever used. It takes the idea of a big screen home entertainment system, with Dolby Stereo Surround Sound (THX) and shrinks it down to a size that can fit in your pocket. Just slip on the MyVu eyewear, plug in the silicone earbud headphones, and you are off to your own world where you control the projection booth.

One word of caution that I noted. On either side of the MyVu screen is a polarized lens, through which you can see your surroundings. The literature indicates that this will enable you to wear the MyVu system and watch a movie while walking around town. I would not recommend this. While you can see out through the lens, it is extremely difficult to really walk and watch the screen at the same time. Additionally, the lens is somewhat obstructed, and sits at an odd angle to your line of sight, which means you cannot see everything going on around you.

Instead, the MyVu system is ideally suited for long periods of sitting. For example, I took it on my daily train ride for a few days, and it worked great. I would also envision this being ideal for long plane rides. Imagine going on your next cross-country plane ride carrying your own movie theatre with an endless supply of movies. That is almost enough to wish I had to travel sometime in the near future.

Despite the fact that this model would work only with an iPod (a Universal Edition is currently being reworked and should be available soon), I found this to be an extremely convenient and usable device. Additionally, the idea of shrinking an entire home theatre into something this small, without losing any quality in the audio or video signals is quite an impressive feat, and one which MyVu accomplished with seemingly little effort. Eat your heart out, George Jetson!

Vital Statistics:

Name: MyVu personal media viewer

Platform: iPod

Also Available: Universal Edition coming soon

Developer: MyVu

Available From: MyVu

Price: $299.95

Technorati Tags: MyVu – Personal – Media – Viewer – video – movies – Just – Another – Mobile – Monday

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