Virtual Reality

Vuzix Wrap 920 3-D glasses promise big screen experience

Vuzix Wrap 920 3-D glasses promise big screen experience
The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses are compatible with many video devices to deliver a virtual cinema experience
The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses are compatible with many video devices to deliver a virtual cinema experience
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The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses
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The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses
The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses
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The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses
The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses are compatible with many video devices to deliver a virtual cinema experience
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The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses are compatible with many video devices to deliver a virtual cinema experience
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Can’t afford a big screen TV or projector but still want to experience that cinema feeling when watching a movie? The Vuzix Wrap 920 video eyewear is a sunglass-style display that delivers a virtual 67-inch screen as seen from 10ft away, displays 2D and 3D video and is claimed to be the most advanced wearable display available. It also features removable noise-isolating earbuds, an adjustable nose bridge and weighs less than 3oz.

The Vuzix Wrap 920 connects to all NTSC or PAL audio/video devices with video-out capabilities and composite video connections. The eyewear comes with a composite A/V adapter for iPod/iPhone for simple plug ‘n’ play connection to your portable media player. There are optional Wrap Adapter connections for HDMI-equipped devices and even desktop PC and laptops for watching movies.

We can think of a few scenarios where these glasses would be quite handy – like in bed when your partner is trying to sleep but you want to watch a movie, or when you can’t focus on the tiny airplane screen with matching poor quality sound.

Vuzix says that with support for standard 2D movies as well as virtually all common 3D video formats, you’ll be able to watch all the latest movie releases, as they were meant to be seen.

The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses deliver the equivalent image of a 67-inch screen as viewed from 10ft via twin high-resolution 640 x 480 LCD displays, 60Hz progressive scan update rate with ultra-low video distortion and 24-bit true color (16 million colors).

The unit is compatible with iPods, iPhones, portable DVD players, cell phones with video out, all composite video devices, digital cameras and camcorders, PCs and laptops with a VGA port. It also works with video sources equipped with HDMI connectors, such as set-top boxes, video game consoles and Blu-ray players.

The glasses onscreen display can be adjusted for brightness, contrast, hue and color saturation and they also feature removable noise-isolating earbuds, an adjustable nose bridge and are wearable over prescription glasses.

Two AA alkaline batteries will power the device for up to six hours according to Vuzix.

Accessories include a Wrap Lightshield: that blocks distracting outside light, and changeable lens that allow you to pop out the standard dark grey lens for alternates to match your mood or style.

The Vuzix range is also set to expand with the Wrap 920AR augmented reality glasses we tried at this year's CES. This platform incorporates a Stereo Camera that mounts to the front of Wrap eyewear and captures real-life images that can be combined with mixed reality software to overlay computer-generated graphics.

There's also the Wrap 6DoF Tracker/Compass that, when connected to a supporting device, transforms your Wrap eyewear into a virtual reality system that senses 6° of head movement and compass direction.

The Vuzix Wrap 920 glasses cost US$349.95 and are available online.

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8 comments
8 comments
davem2
Looks like the fastest way to develop myopia
bas
Finally we can get rid of that ugly box, or nowadays plate, the TV! I´ve always put the audioviual stuff in a cupboard and to see tv had to open the door. I never wanted to get one of those huge screens for cost reasons but more importantly did not want something that big cluttering up my living room. The only place would have been having it nailed to the ceiling in the bedroom. Or a separate room, but that is an option for the six-figures-plus-income crowd or aficionados. Now that´s all over. Sixtyseven inches wherever you want it. Add the seethrough virtual reality option (two camera´s for true stereo - there already are two screens), add gps, and the myrad of options offered by today´s smartphones and the sky is the limit. Literally. Never lose your way and not having to look away from whats happening in front of you, to look at a nav-screen. IR (radar?) sight enhancement for night/bad visibility situations. Walking down the aisle in the supermarket you can home in on the stuff you want (RFID tagged merchandise) by saying simply where´s the whisky? Now what vuzix need to do is wrap that sort of stuff into something maximally wearable, manageable and connected to the world. And maybe to the visually impaired?
doliver
When are we going to get a 1920x1080P set of Stereo Glasses at any price that is reasonable?
Gruph Norgle
If you wear these too long your eyesight will deteriorate because your eyes remain focused on a single object at a fixed distance, this is the same as staring at a computer screen non-stop for hours on end; the end result is short-sightedness.
jdrucza
Not sure if calling these things \"available\" is accurate: I ordered a pair at the start of last November but hadn\'t received delivery by the estimated maximum and upon enquiring was given no reason for the delay. I continued to follow up and was strung along until the week before Christmas when eventually they said they couldn\'t guarantee a delivery date at all.
At least they gave me a refund. However it is worth noting that I said they could contact me when they could guarantee delivery and I still haven\'t heard from them...
The Skud
Just think - fix one of those \"spy\" cameras to your shirt collar and see who is sneaking up behind you on one lens, and watch ahead with another camera feeding the other lens! Perfect for teachers with unruly students ... or smart-alec kids at home.
windykites
Gruph, does your theory apply to watching television? I am short sighted, as it happens, so I would probably be ok to use these glasses.
Facebook User
They\'d work with a Del Axim X50v or X51v PDA. Those are two of the few Pocket PC PDAs with 640x480 screens, and they have VGA output.