Mini-review: 3UK: Vuzix 3D headset!

You might remember that I posted not so long ago regarding the "Vuzix iWear AV920 3D headsets" that are now available from 3UK (see here). Following up on that, I've had the chance to play with a set, thanks to Wahid Aziz (Accessories Product Manager at 3). Below is my mini-review on the product!

Kit

So, what do you get in the box? Quite a lot actually - obviously the glasses, a cleaning cloth (which doubles as a bag), USB (charging) lead, 3.5mm AV lead, and instructions - just what you need to get set up - speaking of which….

Setup

… couldn't be easier. Charge the headset via the USB connector, and off you go. Once the unit is turned on, then you can adjust brightness, contrast, and volume (there are in-built headphones, but you can also use your own). It's important to note here that to reduce bulk, there is a separate in-line unit for USB/AV that hangs halfway down the lead to your glasses. The glasses themselves have the aforementioned adjustment controls and also the headphones built-in - check out the pics below:

I think this setup works quite well - you could argue the additional unit makes things a bit weighty, but I think Vuzix have struck a nice balance between size and weight actually.

Usage

So this is the important part - what are they like to use? Well, two key points spring to mind immediately. First is that the way the glasses sit on your head is actually really nice, there is no discomfort as they are far lighter than they appear. Second is that even when you are watching video, it's very easy to see over and under the glasses, so there is no real issue with having your peripheral vision blocked (a potential safety concern to some people).

The sound from the in-built headphones is something I was expecting to be pretty awful - however, it was actually really good! If you are using a mobile device, you will take a feed from the AV ouput of the device, and as such should be able to alter the volume at source on the device, PLUS on the headset - a bonus if you want a rocking soundtrack!

Picture-wise, things are pretty good too - I spent some time tweaking the contrast and brightness to get it how I wanted - once that was done I tested it out with some hi-res movie footage, and it looked great! As I noted before, watching through the headset is supposed to be the equivalent of a 62-inch Plasma - and much cheaper!

Obviously if you choose to use low-quality content, you can expect to see some pixellation, but if you wanted to watch a movie from your mobile (or indeed any Personal Media Player), I think these glasses would be excellent!

Summary

All in all, as basically the first video headset targeted at mobiles in the UK (yes, there are others, but this is the first that has had some decent exposure), I think Vuzix have done a great job - and it speaks volumes that Three have spent the time to get this in to their stores. There is a question as to whether the �199.95 is a bit steep, but I would say it depends on your requirements - if you do a lot of travelling, watching through these is a lot better experience than looking a 2-inch Mobile screen!

Ben

If you'd like to buy a Vuzix headset, you can order online here. Thanks again to Wahid at 3 for the loaner unit!

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