Are video headphones a practical idea? One of the longest, most tenacious companies in this business is i-O Display Systems, LLD. The company has pioneered wearable, semi-comfortable headsets that are designed to work with PCs and also with video. The company introduced the i-glasses HRV Pro in April 2003. The i-glasses SVGA Pro accepts VGA or higher input from any computer source and outputs images in 800 x 600 resolution with 1.44 million pixels per display. The company says the effect of wearing the glasses is similar to watching a 70-inch monitor from 13 feet. The glasses can be used in homes, offices, on airplanes, or in other situations where privacy and portability is an asset—and looking kind of strange isn’t a liability.
The i-glasses SVGA Pro are available in 2D- and 3D-capable models enabling users to see stereoscopic 3D. The i-glasses use Three Five Systems Z86D-3 microdisplays. The glasses are compatible with Nvidia-based graphics cards with stereo drivers.
The SVGA Pro 3D glasses are avail-able from i-O Display Systems online for $1,199. The 3D-capable glasses are available for $1,499.
i-O Display Systems was formed as a new venture in 1997 as a joint effort between llixco, Inc., and Liberty Media Group.