logo vuzix by moo_bit, on Flickr


MUSTARD PR by moo_bit, on Flickr



Hi all,

It’s time for another tech review, but now instead of just a YouTube video, you get a video AND written review… two for the price of one you lucky, lucky people!

This time, courtesy of our friends at Vuzix and MustardPR we give you a look into the future… a Buck Rogers/early Sci-Fi B-movie inspired future where sentient Mecca-Hamsters have become the masters of Earth, forcing us all to live on city sized Spaceships, and lounging around our living quarters wearing these:


vuzix 920 wrap image by moo_bit, on Flickr

The Vuzix Wrap 920 Video Eyewear.

For those of you who don’t know me very well-I am an uber-tech Geek. There. I said it… I’m out and I’m proud! I LOVE cutting edge tech. Now this may at first seem a little contradictory to some of you, as you may know I run the Retro Gaming side of things for the Gamerdads Network-the two things cannot surely gel together can they??

The truth is I love retro gaming and retro consoles BECAUSE I’m a tech geek. The obvious example is that I owned most of the retro consoles/games I babble on about in the chat box the first time round… they WERE cutting edge tech at one point!

The real reason though is that there’s nothing I like better than to trace the technology we use today back to its roots… its origins… its component parts if you will. There’s nothing more fascinating than seeing how an original concept/piece of technology grows, develops and improves over time…

…A perfect example of this is the frankly brilliant concept of the wearable video display unit.


life wearable TV by moo_bit, on Flickr
TV Glasses: Inventor Hugo Gernsback (1963)
Photographer: Alfred Eisenstaedt

As you can see above, the concept of the Personal Video Eyewear or wearable display is not a new one, and the practicalities of such a device in today’s fast moving, multimedia society do make logical sense as we travel more frequently, our business commutes become longer and our new build housing gets smaller.

Also from a pure consumer level, as our appetite for cutting edge tech grows, we are increasingly looking for companies that offer new ideas and the latest “must-have” gadgets…

One such company that as a tech geek, I personally have been following quite closely over that last couple of years is New York based company Vuzix.


logo vuzix by moo_bit, on Flickr

Ever since I first came across their Vuzix Eyewear AV230’s by accident whilst surfing the net a few years ago, I have been keeping an eye on their website and the Gadget/Tech press for their latest products. From the evolution of the AV line, through its development of Medical and Military applications of the technology, Vuzix always seem to try to tweak and improve their products and every iteration seems to be better than the last.


Review:

This brings me to one of their latest products-the Vuzix Wrap 920 Video Eyewear, which is their latest consumer solution to the problem of watching films and media on the go-the small screens found on a portable device…


vuzix wrap 920 box by moo_bit, on Flickr

These glasses allow you to plug any media input you like into them and watch your content as if viewing it on a 67 inch flat screen TV from 10 feet away. They can also handle just about any 3D content you pump into them without breaking a sweat!

Sounds good on paper, but are they actually any good??

In a word… yes.


Vital Statistics:

•   Equivalent to a 67-inch screen as viewed from ten feet (approximately 3 m)
•   Twin high-resolution 640 x 480 LCD displays
•   60Hz progressive scan update rate
•   Ultra-low video distortion
•   31 degree diagonal field of view
•   24-bit true colour (16 million colours)
•   Independent +2 to -5 diopter focus adjustment
•   Weighs less than three ounces
•   Adjustable brightness, contrast, hue and colour saturation
•   Works with 2D and common 3D video formats including side-by-side and anaglyph
•   NTSC and PAL compatible
•   Six hours use with 2 AA alkaline batteries
•   Onscreen display for video display adjustment
•   Includes Wrap multi-connect port for optional Adapters offering expanded compatibility
•   Wearable over many prescription eyeglasses
•   Adjustable, hypoallergenic nosepiece
•   Ultra-thin cabling
•   Two AA alkaline batteries will power the device for up to six hours


Now I must admit being a little apprehensive about this review, as explained above I have been following Vuzix as a company for a few years now and am absolutely thrilled that we at Gamerdads are now able to work with our friends at MustardPR and review this product, but at the same time I thought that this may turn out to be a classic case of “never meet your heroes”

It turns out I was wrong.


Yes, these things are by no means perfect-there are a few little niggles that my geek brain still has problems with- the lack of HDMI/Component connection out of the box, even considering the product itself was first developed on 2009, still annoys (this can be fixed somewhat by a Multi-Connector HDMI Adapter, soon to be sold separately via the Vuzix website), and the initial setup that I would recommend upon first receiving these from the shop may be found by some to be “fiddly”, but it is a necessary inconvenience...

I’m talking of course about the fact that each Human being, in the infinite wisdom of a Deity/Genetics is unique-no two faces are exactly the same… great for the continued diversity and evolution of the Human species, but an absolute nightmare for manufacturers of wearable tech...

When you first put these on your face, they can initially feel uncomfortable and a little heavy-especially to a person who is not used to wearing glasses themselves. However once you realise that the Wrap 920s nose bridge can be adjusted by pulling it closer or further away from the main unit and the metal nose bridge can be bent slightly to fit your nose shape, these issues quickly subside.

I would definitely recommend you taking the time upon first trying these to adjust the nose bridge to fit your own facial contours-you’ll only need to do it once and one you do, you’ll realise that these, whilst noticeably heavier than a pair of normal sunglasses during long viewing sessions (you HAVE got the equivalent of a 67 inch TV strapped to your face after all), are actually quite comfortable to wear, and whilst immersed in your favourite game, you eventually forget they are there for a while.

Those of you who may be a little concerned that you cannot plug your own ear buds into these glasses also needn’t worry-the sound quality on the noise isolating ear buds included in the box is absolutely brilliant and can easily handle the high Trebles and low bass of any film/game you throw at them.


“Tweak to your heart’s content”

As mentioned in the video review above, the glasses feature a removable rubber panel on the top of the unit that hides a pair of adjuster screws. You can use the included “adjuster tool” (a plastic screwdriver found clipped to the bottom of the battery unit), or any Philips head screwdriver to tweak the screens left or right individually, ensuring the two pictures merge into one, creating the optical illusion of the large screen “floating” in front of you. This is a welcome addition as with the nose bridge, no two sets of eyes are different so this allows you to find the setting that is right for you.

Other tweaking options include the on screen display (OSD), accessed by pressing the Menu button on your remote. This brings up a multitude of settings for you to play with including Hue, Brightness, Saturation etc. and the ability to choose between 2D or multiple 3D setups or simply have 3D set to “auto”. On top of that, you get 4 “Save Slots” and a “PC” settings slot, allowing geeks like me to save different setting depending on which device you have plugged into the glasses at the time (don’t worry-there are auto saves for you to cycle through if you don’t want to play around yourself).

The OSD is easily accessible via a press of one of the nicely convex buttons on the remote unit and easy to understand and cycle through the various options once you start playing around with it.


“AARGH! It’s coming right for us!”

One noticeable feature of the Vuzix Wrap 920s, especially in the current renaissance of 3D films, games, etc. is the ability to play back 3D content in side by side and all the various Anaglyph formats. This is probably the main “killer app” of the glasses out of the box as they offer a similar 3D viewing experience to the £2000 3D TVs out on the market at a fraction of the cost.




Two examples of videos used to test the Vuzix Wrap 920’s 3D capabilities.

Having used the glasses with a variety of 3D videos easily found on the internet and youtube I can say the experience is a lot of fun. The screen offers a good bit of depth and can also handle things popping out of the screen very well. Although true resolution-philes who want to truly compare these to said 3D TVs may want to wait for the release of Vuzix’s next product the Vizix Wrap 1200 (which will offer true 720p 16:9 widescreen HD, rather than the high resolution 4:3 displays found in the Vuzix Wrap 920), I personally found the experience quite satisfactory.


“Time to accessorise!”
  
Accessories for the Vuzix Wrap 920 include:

The Wrap Lightshield - A moulded soft rubber shield that blocks out any distracting light from around the edges of your glasses.

Changeable lenses - allow you to pop out the standard dark grey lens for alternates to match your mood or style.

Wrap VGA Adapter - enables you to connect to a VGA port on a desktop or laptop computer for watching video. When used, it replaces the battery/control box provided with the Wrap video eyewear and draws power from the computer through its USB connection.

Wrap Multi-Connector HDMI Adapter - Connects Wrap model video eyewear to video sources equipped with a HDMI connector, such as set-top boxes, video game consoles and Blu-ray Disc players.

Wrap 6DoF Tracker/Compass – a very cool device that clips onto the Wrap Mini-Port (found on the top right corner of the glasses-see review video). When connected, it transforms your Wrap eyewear into a virtual reality system that senses 6 degrees of head movement and compass direction! This is especially good for you PC FPS players out there as it means your head can be used to look around in real time! (Basically doing the job of the mouse/right thumb stick on a console).


The future:


Vuzix wrap920ar maxreality bundle by moo_bit, on Flickr

The Vuzix range is set to expand with the Wrap 920AR augmented reality glasses, which were revealed at the CES expo. Now I have to say Augmented reality applications really get my geek juices flowing-you may have read about the future of Augmented Reality online or via TV programmes such as The Gadget Show. You may have even watched my review of the Nintendo 3DS, which uses basic AR cards to display a CG image in the “real world”. The Vuzix platform incorporates a pair of Stereo cameras that mount to the front of Wrap eyewear and captures real-life images that can be combined with mixed reality software to overlay computer-generated graphics onto the real world setting that you are looking at.

The possibilities of this technology-especially in the medical world from which I am formally trained are just astounding-especially if used as a training tool. Examples like this explain why I started following the company ion the first place-they tweak, modify, and improve their tech with each iteration, incorporating new developments as they go-it makes for very interesting viewing.


Conclusions:

The Vuzix Wrap 920 Video Eyewear a tech lover’s dream-a gadget just for the sake of being a gadget, yet they still offer a real world purpose. Rather than being a “flash in the pan” product, the Vuzix wraps offer a genuine solution to the problem of watching portable media on the go on a small screen. They also come in handy in many situations, for example in the bedroom when you feel like watching a film and don’t want to disturb your partner, in a flat share situation where you want to watch something different to your flatmates, and when living in for example a tiny flat or houseboat where having a large screen TV is simply not practical. They are also great when traveling as a car passenger or on a plane/train when you just want to be immersed in your own world for a while.


The Good:
Great Screen quality for the price
Excellent sound quality from the included ear buds
Ability to plug into a multitude of sources
Lots of tweaking options
Plays back all major 3D formats for a fraction of the cost of a 3D TV.

The Bad:
Lack of HDMI/Component connection out of the box (available via an optional add-on)     
Can feel a little uncomfortable at first (ensure you tweak the nose bridge to find the right setting for you).

The Geeky:

Vuzix tac in use by moo_bit, on Flickr

Vuizix was founded in 1997 and makes products for the consumer market as well as medical and military applications.
The concept of the “wearable TV is not a new one-prototypes were being developed in the 1960s!
The first mass market “wearable TV” was the Seiko WatchTV-released in 1984 (ominous). It was quickly driven out of the market due to its low quality display and high production cost. Today components are so affordable and the quality is so much better that you can not only wear a video display as a watch, you can incorporate a TV into a pair of glasses.