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Think
Immersion - You are Part of the Action
The
"goggles" accept a/v signals via standard a/v or S-video
connectors as long as there are in the NTSC format.
We
fed the unit with a variety of images from television, DVD players,
Laserdisc players, a laptop computer (with video-out signal),
and VCR's. The DVD images were the most impressive and wherever
we showed this "demo-bundle" it triggered "wow's
from teens to seniors. Note: don't use the glasses for word
processing on your laptop, its for movies only!
Weighing
in with a little less than 4 ounces, the "Eye-Trek"goggles are
lightweight and comfortable to wear even with glasses and through
a three-hour movie. Adjustments are easily made and accommodate
glasses as well.
Audio
is pumped into your ear channels in surround sound format and
with bass boost. The sound experience is adequate, considering
the set of small ear buds that are clipped to the ends of the
side frame pieces during transport.
As
a result, watching a movie like "Air Force One", "Tomorrow Never
Dies", or "The Matrix", a truly enrapturing environment is created
(which simply can't be really explained until experienced!)
We have never heard so many "wows" and "amazing" during product
tests. We literally "lost" people within minutes watching certain
action sequences in the above mentioned movies, which might
explain a password feature when the device is switched on, and
a warning for wearers younger than 15.
We
even took it on a family field trip taping a college football
game since the control unit (see picture above) accepts camcorder
batteries (more wows)! While the remote-controlled camcorder
was mounted up high on a tripod we watched the image through
the goggles. Sure enough we raised the eye-brows of some of
the by-standers and by handing the Eye-Trek over for a "test
ride" we heard the all so familiar "wow" and "amazing".
Closing Comments:
The Olympus FMD-150W Eye-Trek is clearly the best choice for
the movie buff today. It's the wide-screen image and the outstanding
resolution that sells this device. And since this is the only
wide-screen goggle available, there is no real comparison
with other products possible.
There are different personal entertainment goggles on the market:
the Sony PLM-A35 (2nd release just intro'ed at the CES2000,
looking like the Olympus and replacing the A55 model "Glasstron"
goggles), the Canon GT-270, the Olympus FMD-100 and 200, and
the Olympus FMD-150W, of which only the Sony and the Olympus
FMD-150W are available in the US.
Priced
at about $899.00, this personal home theater will allow you
to crank up the bass and watch your favorite movie while your
significant other - parked next to you - snoozes away.
So
where can you buy one?
Send us e-mail about
what you think about this review, whether we answered all of
your questions, and/or where to get one of these.
PS:
In the coming weeks we will tell you about a bundle package
- an audio product you might consider experiencing together
with the FMD-150W.
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