Unboxing the Myvu Solo Personal Video Viewer for the IPod

I had heard much about the Myvu video eyewear, designed specifically for viewing videos on the iPod without the little screen. The product's site shows a user wearing it stylishly, and seeing a movie as if they were in a theater. So when the Myvu viewer finally arrived in the mail, I was anxious to see how it worked in the field.

The Myvu kit came with is the Myvu goggles, which make you look a lot like the character Cyclops from those X-men films. The tips of the frames have wired earpads that go right into your ears pretty comfortably. Of course, if the Myvu doesn't fit comfortably, then I had the option of using the included earpieces and noseclips.

Also included with the Myvu kit was a handy pull-tight cloth sack that I suppose would keep them somewhat safe. I have no idea how fragile the Myvu viewer is, and I was surprised they didn't come with a harder plastic case. Speaking of plastic case, the plastic casing that came in the Myvu box also came with a separate pocket just the for silica gel, which I really didn't see a need for.

It also came with only one set of instructions that showed how to sync up the Myvu with the iPod. All I needed to do is tell the iPod to accept it. That turned out to be quite easy, but I didn't get it to work for the first time. Apparently, you have to reset your iPod or something, but it worked afterward.

So how was the Myvu? The Myvu advertises that watching video footage on the myvu is like watching a large screen television from six feet away. I would have to say that I do not think that this experience compares. If anything, it simply takes the small screen on your iPod and puts it right in front of your eyes.

It also doesn't do another thing that I hoped, which is cut me off from the outside world so I can enjoy my movie experience. However, this might be a good thing, because I could walk and watch a movie at the same time, and not worry about walking into a wall. I could probably even drive with the Myvu if the law permitted it, but I'm sure it doesn't. The Myvu allows me to be capable of doing two of my favorite activities simultaneously: watching TV and work. That's pretty good because even as I type this out, I am watching an episode of Lost on my computer.

In summary, the Myvu goes from out of the box to play in just seconds. However, the results may vary. I thought the screen size was not quite what was it looked like it was going to be, but at least you have your video footage exactly where you want it: before your very eyes.