I bought a Sony Glasstron for $500 back in 2000...have only used it a few times. It gives me mild headaches after a while. Not one of my better purchases. I haven't used it in several years.

Barion

"The technology is good enough and cheap enough for the entire tech-buying world to be watching movies on simulated 40-inch screens"

What the hell? Did these come out and I missed it? You mean there are glasses that don't weigh 5 pounds, don't require a nuclear power source, have a decent resolution *and* don't cost 10x as much as an HDTV?

In case you didn't get it, I checked 'quality/price' as the reason.

-j

hilobird

I think they'd actually catch on pretty well if they just made them more stylish. Like sunglasses with a display that only shows when needed. Then they could give it bluthooth and like it's sync with your car and show you your speed and stuff. There's loads of applications for it, someone just needs to create the product so it doesn't look like a visor or some ish like that.

DJTripleRRR

@Mobius:

Git Em SteveDave

Give me the ol' Levar Burtan treatment! I'm already a dork nothing can harm me!

Well nothing can make me more of a dork.

One way to fix the opaqueness problem. . . cameras. You know, facing out? Then just superimpose graphics for Augmented Reality goodness. And that way you can watch a movie and not bump into things. I think it would be so cool to have a completely opaque visor over your eyes and not be bumping into things.

The biggest problem would be a lack of peripheral vision. Thats it, I'm just going to go make my own. Did I mention I'm a dork?

Castle1914

Headphones with volume up or noise-cancellation, or speakers beyond a certain volume, and VR goggles don't make a good combo, psychologically. You have the most important senses cut off, like GeekyNerdGuy said, being oblivious to the outside world, anyone could sneak up on you. Even a helicopter.

I can't sit on the can listening to music at work because I get paranoid. With headphones, at least you have your eyes. Don't tell me you feel safe enough even at your own home to go blind and deaf.

Transparent displays would fix that. Bring 'em on, I know it's feasible!

Bitstuff

If Apple made them, people would stand in line to buy them no matter how ridiculous or expensive they looked because that's just how Apple fans are. It could even look like the eHelmet from Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Mobius

Okay, if women are fucking allowed to wear glasses that make them look like beetles, why can't we put monitors on the inside of them?!

It would actually give those stupid-looking glasses a purpose.

MastaFalse

@Kaiser-Machead: I forgot a sentence in that post. The disturbing part was going to a Xena convention.

Git Em SteveDave

My job is takeing aerial photographs from a uav (unmanned aerial vechile) i used to use a normal lcd display to see what the camera sees from the skies however sunshine made this very difficult as you can imagine. Video glasses solved this issue very well i might add

bishop24

Ok... For all those who like anime... you should totally check out Appleseed Ex Machina. In this movie there is a killer pair of a gadget that i'd love to have. It's called a conexsis. Basically it's like having two bluetooth headsets, that display an optic image across both eyes, and allows you to view and make calls, watch video, music... It's like the iPhone blown out of the water and into the sun to never return. Yeah...

Tezlan

Not being able to see anything else (safety, vulnerability)
+ being absorbed by the video (missing your bus stop/flight/luggage being stolen)
+ looking like a dork
+ motion sickness
= most people would not want to wear these glasses in a public place

It could be more desirable in a "boring" private/safe environment where you can do nothing else but sit and where it may be too dark to read: sitting in a plane (no one can run away, it's sealed until landing) or in bed (to avoid disturbing your partner with your bright laptop screen). Barfing in bed because of motion sickness would disturb your partner though.

Apart from these limited uses, squinting eyes on an ipod/iphone will remain more desirable.

... or it has to evolve and allow variable opacity and other features as in previous comments.

nachomaans

"computer mediated reality".. as its called at eyetap.
eyetap is a pretty small camera/screen thingy that goes over one eye(in their pics... for now :P )
[eyetap.org]

Gilliam

As soon as they also sport some augmented reality features, look like regular glasses, and don't cost more than my eee PC, sure. Until then, I'll just have to deal with lugging around an LCD screen connected to a laptop, or phone.

electrikecho

i am actually thinking to get one for my xbox

bookmark

@smashingparadox: We'll finally be safe from the ill effects of displays in close proximity, when the video is projected straight to our brains.

"From around the globe to your frontal lobe....."

Kaiser-Machead

They used to say sitting too close to the TV was bad for your eyes.

Now everyone sits about 2 feet from their computers. Now we're expected to watch a screen centimeters from our retinas? No one else gets a sense of a myopia epidemic?

smashingparadox

Will Mankind ever wear HEPA filter goggles?

strider_mt2k

Once they figure out how to stop me from throwing up because my vision and inner ear don't match up, I'll be all for it.

karmaghost

@Git Em SteveDave: Xena was actually passable in the beginning, and of course Lucy Lawless' physique was a mitigating agent against the goofiness of the show. Flat Earth productions started jumping sharks left and right really quick though.

Kaiser-Machead

@Monoplex: As someone who can drop a few of his teeth off, and come back for them later, I can assure you, you NEVER want this.

@LindsayJoy: One of my Ex's was into Xena. Hardcore. THAT was disturbing. Trekkers are pretty cool in my book. Now, have you ever thought of crossing the outfit you mentioned in the tennis ball discussion w/ the Jadzia makeup? THAT would be the opposite of disturbing.

Git Em SteveDave

@LindsayJoy: So it's true. I CAN smile.

Kaiser-Machead

@tehronin: They zoom. Who WOULDN'T want that?

Kaiser-Machead

I think the day will come... but probably not so soon.

I see it this way: When OLEDs evolve enough, we'll be able to have normal glasses with a thin extra layer... which will be the OLED screen.

This way, it's possible to use it like a HUD or something.
Using something like a presenter, and a pinpoint camera to track your finger positions and translate it into keyboard input, there you have it.

This is the only way I think video glasses will really become popular... glasses that completely blocks your normal view will keep on the "gimmick" sector. They've been around for a long long time now, and no one seems to pay attention to it.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

I want the contacts... and I don't even wear glasses...

tehronin

@ripfire4:

Hey wait. What are *you* confused about starboy???

LindsayJoy

@Git Em SteveDave: @ripfire4: @Git Em SteveDave:

You know, that was one of my most non-sexual posts. Cant help that I'm a geek with blonde hair and big boobs!

Most guys find the fact that I dress up for Trek conventions very disturbing. I am truly among my kind!

LindsayJoy

Video glasses? - No.
Glasses used for AR gaming? - Hell yeah!

VirreVojj

Unless we are able to not go blind after a month from the video glasses.... not going to work. Look at Virtual Boy, i blame nintendo for my shitty vision

Cuban__B

When people have a long appointment at our dental office, they watch a movie on a pair of video glasses.

People say it's as close to being able to drop off your teeth and come back from them later as they hope they ever get.

Monoplex

@LindsayJoy: BTW, Jadzia was awesome. She was good with both the Bat'leth and mek'leth(my fav), was smart, and could lay down the law. Ezra was ok, but no Jadzia.

Git Em SteveDave

How about full field of view in steroscopic HD for $299? I'd buy that!

floman

@ripfire4: [i51.photobucket.com]

92BuickLeSabre

Wouldn't they be terrible for your eyes?

man_in_gauze

@LindsayJoy: Whhuuuaaaa??

ripfire4

@LindsayJoy: Lindsay, do you enjoy teasing all of these men w/your geekiness?

Git Em SteveDave

Take a look, its in a book, The Reading Rainbow!

Sorry...can't help myself.

I was to much of a trekkie, dressing up in Lieutenant Commander uniform (Data's color) and painting on trill marks (like Jadzia Dax from DS9) when I was 13.

And from the RTFA point, they always seem to hurt my eyes...so, I donno...

LindsayJoy

Having dealt with the motion sickness that results from playing Half-Life 2 on a huge projection screen, I don't think my inner ear could handle video glasses.

I'm not quite sure how people don't vomit when they use those virtual reality goggles.

fallenturtle

I didn't even know they existed. I'm buying some for my 16h place ride this summer.

puntai

people are stupid already we do not need to look more stupid in this.

But..

if its realy cool to use especially watching prons in it why not?

Amiash

I'll wait for the cybernetic implant that streams information directly into my occipital lobe, thank you very much. I already look dorky enough without DEVO goggles on my block.

russdanger

They'll sell when they can be translucent, and you can use them like a HUD in addition to going full-video, and look half-decent. Even then, the only people that will have them are going to be gadget nerds and people who can use them for their job.

Ethan Allison

@erichg14: Bluetooth?
If video glasses were less pricey, I'd buy myself a pair... But then I'd realize that I don't actually travel that much so they'd probably end up sitting in a drawer for months at a time, being pulled out only to check they still work and attempt, again, the justification of their purchase.

Dunny0

@Rabid Penguin: [i2.iofferphoto.com]

92BuickLeSabre

I really dont get why all the new video glasses sport such shitty resolutions for so much money.

I have prototype glasses that are SIX YEARS OLD that do 60fps at 1024 x 768.

nutbastard

@erichg14: You've apparently never heard of the '80s.

Rabid Penguin

Well, once you can wear them without a) looking like our futuristic friend in the picture and b) make them completely wireless and location-based, I think they'd take off. If, for example, you could project an image on a transparent or semi-transparent lens (such as sunglasses or reading glasses, and have them pick up the image from a source based on your location and proximity to a device, they'd be pretty practical. Wearing your sunglasses in the car could trigger certain details such as speed, fuel, incoming call notices and warnings, but they'd have to put in some kind of fail-safe to keep people from watching movies while driving (imagine your insurance rates :). Watch a flick remotely from a media player while sitting in the sun, or pick up your computer or phone's video output (once they effectively fit computers into phone-sized cases, of course). Just think. Laptops could become candy bar-sized fold-out keyboards with wireless video and pico projectors to share images. We just need another 10 years or so before it happens, but we'll get there.

chuchi78

@erichg14: Or that allows you to not interact w/other people by pretending you're really into what your listening to/watching.

Git Em SteveDave

Nope, my money is on real holographic projections.

@Git Em SteveDave: Haha! That's right!

ripfire4

If they made them look better, people would use them. The masses will never embrace anything that makes them look like a total douche while they use it.

erichg14

Video glasses will have a vendor sponsored logo in the right corner of everything you look at.

Windhawk

Once the price point is low enough, I can wear them without looking too dorky, and the image transparency can be adjusted I'll get a pair.

Dillenger69

@vertigo: Yeah, but it does have a kick ass sound system.

@GeekyNerdGuy: I wonder if he had to go see Crusher to blow out bugs/dust during his tuneups.

Git Em SteveDave

@Git Em SteveDave: That's the first time I ever realized that's exactly what that looks like! lol

GeekyNerdGuy

@Git Em SteveDave: Why? Does you rice burning POS 4 banger of an eyeball lack HP?

vertigo

I always wondered if he just had really hairy eyes.

shamoononon

Screw video glasses, I want the Fram Eye Filter! Or better yet, the K&N cold air eye filter intake.

Git Em SteveDave

@tucker: I wouldn't... They'd probably make you pay $1 for everything you look at through their glasses. Plus all white glasses would be tacky.

Rabid Penguin

It's survival instinct that keeps up from wearing video goggles. The day I put those on and lose myself in a movie is the day a terrorist sneaks up behind me and snaps my neck!

GeekyNerdGuy

ok, hate to be the one to say it, but maybe if Apple came out with video glasses, i might buy a pair.

tucker