MovieMask Review: This is not a VR Headset

Who is the MovieMask for?

• Someone who wants an immersive cinematic experience in-flight by blocking out all their surrounding environment from sight
• Those who wants to enjoy their videos privately in-flight, who get annoyed by their neighbors peeking at their screen
• People who consume significant contents on their phone, and want a truly hands-free solution

If you have seen 'Back to the Future II', you will probably remember the scene where middle-aged Marty McFly's family has dinner around the table, but the kids are completely disengaged because they are watching TV on their own headsets. Those were not VR headsets but private TV headsets that were showing them 2D contents. Furthermore, his daughter actually receives a phone call on it, indicating that it was also a phone. While some have claimed that the film predicted the VR headset, the actual product depicted is more like what MovieMask is attempting to achieve.

Instead of VR headsets that allow you to look around a virtual 3D surrounding, MovieMask simply allows you to view your phone screen in a much closer, more immersive way. The product caught my interest because I thought this could be the best travel companion, not only for entertainment, but potentially for work as well. So does it live up to the promise? I went hands-on to find out.

Noise Cancelling for your Eyes

The concept makes complete sense to me. Just as Noise Cancelling headphones became mainstream because people wanted to block out the cabin noise in an airplane to immerse in their music or movie, the MovieMask allows you to block out all light and lets you immerse in the contents played from your phone. Together with some noise cancelling headphones, you're basically in another world.

If you load up Google Docs or Word for Android on your phone, you can even get a private work space going, even in the most chaotic environment. That's actually the possibility that drew my interest to this product, which would make it a game-changer for business travelers.

The hardware

So how does it work? The headset very much follows the ergonomics of a VR headset. The triple elastic strap is worn on the head while the eye-piece covers the top half of the face (Leaving the bottom half open for popcorn and drinks, of course). The eye-piece is very well made as it suits all kinds of face shapes. I confirmed this by testing it on a few colleagues of various ethnicities. It could be worn comfortably and blocked out external light for any user that wore it. A lot of work must have gone into determining the geometry of the shape.

On the inside of the MovieMask is the key component that makes this whole concept possible: a single piece of lens spanning across both eyes that allows the user's eyes to focus on the phone from only a few inches away. The lens has a large surface, and quite different from the dual lens sets on VR headsets, allowing a more immersive experience.

The front flaps down, and two metal hooks grabs your phone with a single elastic band. It's very simple but effective in holding the phone in place. Once you choose your content on your phone (And I suggest setting the screen rotation to automatic), you can zip up the front cover to put your phone in place. I love details in design, and at first I didn't know why there are two zips on the front cover. It was when I started using it I realized that it is to allow for a USB cable to either charge your phone or connect it with a peripheral. This kind of detail shows how much thought went into this product.

There is a simple dial that either locks or unlocks the telescoping mechanism on the bottom of the mask. After wearing the MovieMask, you can telescope out or in the phone according to the comfort of your eyes. I personally found it more comfortable extending it all the way out, and not wearing my prescription glasses.

The experience

The effect of all that hardware is as promised: a cinematic experience on your phone. I would describe it as looking at a 24 inch widescreen monitor close enough that it covers up your whole peripheral vision.

However, at first wearing the MovieMask, I felt some discomfort around my eye muscles. It felt strained and my eyes got tired quite quickly. It felt like I've been crossing my eyes for an extended time, and I had to take the mask off and have a break. When I tried it again, this time, I looked only with one eye at a time, and I realized that each eye can only see around two-thirds of the screen on each side. The strain that I experienced with my eyes came from me trying to look at the regions of the screen where one of the eye could not see, which then causes the strain.

The best way to enjoy the MovieMask I found is to stare straight ahead, and let your peripheral vision catch the outer edges of the screen. Once I did that, I found that my eyes could relax, and I could view the content freely.

This also relates to the word processor idea that I had. When I pulled up Google docs, trying to read the first letter on the left was a pain. The only way I could make it work was by centering all the text, and then it was quite comfortable to work with.

Privacy on the plane

I have a guilty confession to make: whenever I come back from a trip to the bathroom on a flight, I always curiously browsed the myriad of screens at the back of each seat, seeing what movie everyone was watching. Sitting at close proximities on the flight is already a stretch for some in terms of personal space, to have someone else taking a peek at your screen could just be too much invasion of privacy for some people.

If you are someone who wants to guard your privacy, the MovieMask is an ideal solution, because no one will be able to see what's on your screen. Once you put the headset on, all light emitted from your phone screen will be fully contained in the goggle. If you ride on airlines like AA that offers streaming to your phone, you will be able to access all the contents in the airline entertainment system from the privacy of your own space.

Final thoughts

The MovieMask is quite a unique product. The private, immersive experience by using your own phone is really something, and it makes total sense. I've always wondered about the best way to utilize phone screen resolutions these days that's denser than what our retinas can pick up. The MovieMask fully utilizes this resource that's already in our pocket, and provides a unique experience. That's no to say there is no more room for improvement. In the next iteration, if the lens can be somehow improved, and the user is able to look around freely at the large virtual cinema screen without strain their eyes, the MovieMask will be the first thing I pack in my carry-on every time.

David is a tech enthusiast/writer who is often on the move and is on a mission to explore ways to make his overhaul flights more enjoyable. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travellers.