myvu Universal edition brings a big screen experience to your portable media player

Late last year I had a chance to check out the myvu Made for iPod Fully Loaded package and thought it was an excellent way to view video content on the iPod. Unfortunately, I didn't own an iPod and had to just borrow one for the review so I didn't move forward with a purchase of the myvu personal media viewer. Thankfully, myvu contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know about their latest product, the myvu Universal Edition personal media viewer that allows you to view video content from just about any media player that supports external displays. The myvu Universal Edition is available for ordering for US$199.95. They sent me a review sample just before I departed on a week long business trip so I couldn't wait to plug them in and try them out on my flight from Seattle to D.C.

	Image Gallery: Check out product photos of the myvu Universal Edition.

Unfortunately, I learned that you may want to check to see if your media player supports the product first before getting all geared up. I thought I could just plug in the myvu Universal Edition to the HTC Advantage's 3.5mm headset jack and activate TV-out on the device. Unfortunately, unlike many other media players the Advantage TV-out actually works through the proprietary HTC port and associated cable. After landing in D.C. I then transferred some video content to my Nokia N95 to test out the myvu Universal Edition and am happy to report that the N95 does work very well with the media viewer goggles. The myvu Universal Edition is primarily targeted for media players like the iPod, Zune, portable DVD players, etc. so I may be pushing it a bit trying to use my smartphones with the device. I actually just bought a black Zune 30GB unit for US$99 last week so I will have that device to test out with the myvu Universal Edition very soon as well.

The retail box contains the myvu Personal Media Viewer, microfiber sleeve and lens cloth to carry the unit, 2 pairs of earbud pads, 2 additional nose pads, a USB cable to charge the device, connectivity kits to connect to your media player, and a Quick Start Guide. The cables/adapters included are iPod cable, Archos player cable, standard DV AV cable, Philips/Insignia adapter, Dynex/Toshiba camcorder adapter, and LG/Zenith/Audiovox adapter. I thought the standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm iPod cable would work with the Nokia N95, but I kept trying and nothing was happening. I then tried the Archos cable since it also had a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable and it worked like a champ. There must be some internal differences with the cable. The new iPod 6th generation devices will also be supported through an additional special iPod cable, but 5th generation iPod video players are supported out of the box. There is no support at this time for the iPhone, but the firmware may eventually change and allow you to use the myvu. There are a couple of other iPod myvu options available as well that you may want to check out.

The Nokia N95 actually is a perfect device for video content for the myvu since it is so powerful and has so many video content options. I watched a movie, Slingbox content through SlingPlayer for S60, and video podcasts. The experience was enjoyable and video appeared to be clear on the myvu. It was like watching a TV display (something like a 19 or 20+ inch display) that was better than the small smartphone display. You could also use the myvu connected to the N95 as an external display where you attach a Bluetooth keyboard to the N95 and type documents with a larger display experience. The myvu earbuds did a good job of blocking out surrounding noise and the viewer was very comfortable to wear throughout the entire movie.

I plan to try this pair out on the airplane home where I can lie back in my seat without having to hold anything in my hand. The experience is also a private viewing session and your fellow passengers won't be peaking over your shoulder to watch your movie or check out what documents you are reading. With a long trip planned in November I think I will use the Zune to watch video podcasts and movies as well.