# Headphones are to Ears as \_\_\_\_ are to Eyes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968 "2008-12-28T16:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/1 "2008-12-28T16:24:56Z")
I remember being in a Sharper Image store in Miami many years ago, and one of the products in the store was a gizmo that looked sort of like a very large pair of sunglasses. Inside were tiny TV screens, one for each eye, and they were arranged in such a way that the brain could coherently combine the two images to make a single picture. Pretty advanced technology for 1995, I would think, and the price tag reflected it (around $750, IIRC). Has the technology advanced that this thing would now be affordable? Does any company make it? And what would such a thing be called? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/2 "2008-12-28T16:36:15Z")
Here’s an example: [http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/from-froogle.asp?id=964727618&rf=froogle&dfdate=12\_26\_2008](http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/from-froogle.asp?id=964727618&rf=froogle&dfdate=12_26_2008) “ipod glasses” ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/3 "2008-12-28T16:41:26Z")
If it’s an SAT _x:y_ analogy we’re looking for, headphones are analogous to things like viewports, eyepieces, or [viewfinder visors](http://www.big13.net/Jule%20McGee/WMAZ%20Jule%20TV%20cameraman%201962.jpg), such as used on TV cameras. The headphone is made so only one person can hear it; the viewport so only one person can see it. Of course, you don’t _wear_ the viewport. The most precise analogy would be to virtual reality goggles, but they’re nowhere near as common as headphones, and don’t have nearly so many applications. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/4 "2008-12-28T16:42:10Z")
[iPod video goggles](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/mp3/98d3/) Shouda previewed. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/5 "2008-12-28T18:11:07Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > And what would such a thing be called? The generic term is “[head-mounted display](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-mounted_display)”. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/6 "2008-12-28T19:07:40Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [iPod video goggles](http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/mp3/98d3/) Aw man. I wish they made those for the Zune! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/7 "2008-12-29T03:51:04Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Has the technology advanced that this thing would now be affordable? Does any company make it? And what would such a thing be called? I saw one at Brookstone last week. [Here they are](http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?product_code=vuzix_video_glasses&search_type=search&search_words=view%20video&prodtemp=t2&cm_re=Result*R1C2*T) for $200. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/8 "2008-12-29T21:40:50Z")
If by headphones you mean stereo headphones then the correct answer would be a stereo viewer. That allows for 3 dimensional viewing of images. I’ve made stereo views using digital cameras and it’s many times easier than using film cameras. All the cropping, pasting and printing are done on the computer. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/headphones-are-to-ears-as-____-are-to-eyes/478968/9 "2008-12-30T00:20:47Z")
FWIW, headmounted displays have never really taken off because they end up causing headaches and nausea after prolonged use. Human eyes have two different focusing mechanisms, [accomodation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accommodation_(eye)) & [Vergence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergence). With HMDs, the two signals no longer agree with each other which causes the brain to continually try and refocus as the two cues battle it out.