Just in time for the holidays, our review of an item sure to be on the list of every good little girl and boy who likes flying drones FPV, or passes the time during long-distance air travel by watching movies, or is just radically anti-social and looks for any excuse not to make eye contact with people – or maybe all three: it's the Glyph video headset from Avegant.
Of course, tipping the scales at north of $400 from our friends at B&H Photo, your would-be recipient had better have been extremely good all year long if they want to find one of these under the tree. So, is it worth it?
This is one polished piece of kit that delivers excruciatingly sharp video. You haven't flown FPV in HD until you've done it with a Glyph. The problem with doing a video review of a video display system is that there is really no way of showing you what it looks like, but take my word for it: it's clear as a pane of Tiffany crystal tended daily by a professional window washer.
Regarding the form factor, it has one feature I like a lot and one distinct drawback. First of all, what I like: you can look out at the real world by glancing above or below the goggles themselves. Yes, this is less immersive than something like a pair of Fat Shark goggles which completely encloses your eyes, but as a guy who grew up using FPV for practical applications, I like being able to keep an eye on my aircraft and what's happening around me.
Next, the problem: those, big, cushy ear cups sure are comfortable and they do a pretty good job at dampening exterior sounds – which is just fine for a personal cinema display. However, for a FPV flying tool, when you need to be able to hear what your visual observer is saying to you, that could be a problem.
Obviously, we had a bit of fun with that issue in this video. In truth, it's not that big a problem – but I regard any impediment to flight safety as a potentially serious issue.
Before you lift off, work with your spotter to make sure your verbal communication is clear and reliable and in the style of professional pilots everywhere, repeat back every input you are given to make sure you heard it right.
-Lucidity
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