eMagin's EyeBud for the iPod

We're pretty sure it's unfair to characterize any wearable display as a "big-screen, movie-screen, home-theater experience," no matter how good the resolution, but that certainly isn't stopping those crazy kooks over at eMagin from launching their latest headset -- this one intended for use with the iPod (with video) -- the EyeBud (props for not making it the iBud). If you're ready to throw down $600 for what's perhaps the ultimate (or at least the most ultimately expensive) iPod accessory that isn't diamond encrusted, you too can rock a 105-inch "sized" screen in your field of vision while managing to look merely like some bizarre technomad, a marked improvement from previously straight up creepifying HUDs.

[Via iLounge]

[JJ @ Jan 2nd 2006 10:17AM]

Who needs a 27 inch HDTV when you can get this for almost the same ammount?



Seriously, if you're going to buy this, sell your N-Gage first.

[amoo3 @ Jan 2nd 2006 10:53AM]

hm.... It would be nice if it was a little less noticable. Sunglasses perhaps?

[Dave Zatz @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:14AM]

320x240 at 105" would look pretty bad. Not to mention the person wearing this device would look pretty bad. I like the idea of HMDs, but don't see any value in this particular model.

[Obscura @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:27AM]

That guy looks like a Borg.

[EnricoFermi @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:29AM]

Looks pretty sweet.



IPod does MPEG4 at much higher resolutions (480x480), and as companies like this produce external displays capable of resolutions such as 800x600, I'd expect Apple to support them. Besides, there are some other video players with 640x480 output or higher.

[sracer @ Jan 2nd 2006 11:42AM]

They didn't call it iBud because it is not iPOD specific. They're just trying to cash in by associating their product with the iPOD... but if this thing is simply plugging in to the video-out of the iPOD, then it could be used with ANY device that has a video-out.



I'd like to see a high-quality dual-screen model that includes surround sound headphones... maybe even a "Home Theatre in a Helmet"(tm).

[Nick @ Jan 2nd 2006 12:20PM]

$600 and you too could look like a confused middle-aged twat.

[DAN @ Jan 2nd 2006 4:17PM]

I AM LOQUTUS OF BORG!

YOUR INSULTS ARE IRRELEVANT!

[Jason @ Jan 2nd 2006 5:41PM]

My god, is that thing ugly. And what's that giant black brick he's trying to hide behind that poor iPod?

[EnricoFermi @ Jan 2nd 2006 8:59PM]

Those are OLED (Organic light emitting diodes), not LCD, by the way, and 800x600 resolution.

[Dave Zatz @ Jan 2nd 2006 9:22PM]

The vidPod only supports up to 480x480 and currently shows purchased through iTunes are only 320x240. So a native resolution of 800x600 doesn't matter so much unless they're provide adapters for other devices.



If I'm going to splurge on a HMD display (of questionable usefulness) I want a visor covering both eyes. Darwin votes for stereoscopic vision, I'm sure.



PS It looks like there's two cables (where's the second one going?) involved and either a large shadow or some sort of external box (battery pack?).

[submachine @ Jan 2nd 2006 10:13PM]

Look at all these negative-nellies, you sound like a bunch of old ladies chastising a youngster for wearing that silly walkman in the 80s...



To dumb it down a bit: The walkman replaced the boombox. The HMD will replace the PMP, these visors will be as ubiquitous as headphones.

[VJ DVDreams @ Jan 3rd 2006 6:59AM]

For those of you looking for some content for the ipod video visit my site and feel free to download my videomixes.



http://homepage.mac.com/dvdreams/



VJ DVDreams

[DJ @ Jan 3rd 2006 10:41AM]

I guess we have to see what happens to people's eye sight after wearing these..just like that movie with Steve Martin in it, where he made the handle for the eyeglasses and everyone was happy...until they all became cross eyed.lol

[SteveJ @ Jan 3rd 2006 12:58PM]

The 480x480 thing is confusing. Actually the vPod supports MPEG4 (not H.264) resolutions higher than 480x480, at least in one direction at a time, which is fine because movies, except for silent ones, aren't usually square! The trick is that the total number of pixels can not be more than 480*480=230400. I.e. you can play 720x320, 640x360, etc, etc, on the vPod. The vPods screen is 320x240 so they get scaled down to that when played on it, but when played on a TV you get the full resolution. 640x360, incidentally, is 16:9. I've encoded and played a number of DVDs into iPod format at maximum possible resolution for the given aspect ratio and they look quite good on a TV. Resolution wise you'd be hard pressed to find any difference between it and a DVD. However, MPEG4 leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to shadow details - you tend to get gradations in shadows. How much this is noticeable depends on the scene.