Vuzix iWear AV310 Widescreen video glasses

Have you always harboured a desire to look like a character from the 1990s incarnation of Star Trek? If so, the iWear AV310 is for you.

This piece of eyewear houses a small screen that can play video from any compatible source. It includes a pair of earphones so that the wearer can hear sound as well as see the video, and there’s a single cable leading from one side to a control box. This in turn connects to your video source using one of the three supplied cables.

The front section is fairly heavy and most of its weight is brought to bear on the wearer’s nose. We found that it started to hurt after only half an hour or so on the first go, but it did get easier with use. The AV310 can, in theory, be worn over a pair of glasses, but we found it easier to take the glasses off and use the built-in diopter adjustment instead.

Picture quality was good, although it’s by no means high definition; it can display 3D stereoscopic video if you have suitable clips. Sound was likewise fine, but we didn’t like the built-in earbuds and, although it’s possible to use your own earphones, this takes away from the simplicity of the design and is a hassle.

The picture that you see on screen is fairly small, and because the AV310 is quite narrow from top to bottom, outside light seeps in, so we had to angle ourselves to block out direct sources of light. A dark room would be better, but the AV310 is really designed for travellers, who don’t have much control over such things. A single standard alkaline AA battery will provide about three hours of playing time.

In all, the AV310 is a decent product, and its picture quality does beat watching video on an iPod. But before splashing out, it would be well worth trying them first.