I-O Display Systems

I-O Display Systems (also known as IOD) was an American technology company that specialized in the development and manufacture of head-mounted displays (HMDs) for virtual reality and personal viewing applications. The company was known for its flagship product line, the i-glasses brand, which became one of the pioneering consumer-level HMDs during the early development of the virtual reality industry in the 1990s and early 2000s.

I-O Display Systems
Information
Type	Private
Industry	Virtual Reality, Head-mounted Displays
Founded	1997, United States
Founder	Joint venture between Ilixco, Inc. and Liberty Media Group
Headquarters	United States
Products	i-glasses series (i-glasses PC, i-glasses SVGA, i-glasses HRV)

History

I-O Display Systems was formed in 1997 as a joint venture between Ilixco, Inc. and Liberty Media Group. The company positioned itself as a manufacturer of personal display devices, focusing on head-mounted displays for both video and computer applications.

I-O Display Systems emerged during an important transitional period in the history of virtual reality technology. The 1990s saw the first commercial attempts to bring VR technology to consumers, and I-O Display Systems was among the pioneering companies to enter this market with relatively affordable HMD products.

The company became known for its i-glasses brand, which offered consumers an accessible entry point into virtual display technology compared to more expensive professional VR systems of the era. Throughout its existence, I-O Display Systems continued to develop and refine its product line to keep pace with advancements in display technology and changing consumer demands.

Products

i-glasses PC

The original i-glasses personal display system was designed to be compatible with PCs and video devices. These early models featured dual displays that presented color video images with a resolution of 640×480 pixels.

Key features of the i-glasses PC included:

Feature	Specification
Display Type	Color LCD
Resolution	640×480 pixels
Field of View	Approximately equivalent to viewing an 80-inch screen from 13 feet
Audio	Built-in stereo sound
Special Features	VideoMute feature (see-through capability)

The i-glasses PC models were promoted as providing a large-screen viewing experience in a portable format. Marketing materials often compared the experience to viewing an 80-inch screen. A distinctive feature was the "VideoMute" capability, which allowed users to see through the display when desired, making it an early implementation of what would later evolve into augmented reality.

i-glasses SVGA

The i-glasses SVGA represented an advancement in the company's product line, offering higher resolution displays to meet increasing demands for better visual quality. These models were designed to accept SVGA (800×600) input from computer sources.

Feature	Specification
Display Type	High-resolution color LCD
Resolution	Support for up to 800×600 pixels
Compatibility	Plug and Play portable monitor
3D Support	Optional stereoscopic 3D version available
Refresh Rate	Double the input refresh rate up to 60Hz; above 60Hz equals input refresh rate

The SVGA models were available in both 2D and 3D-capable versions, with the stereoscopic 3D models supporting frame sequential stereo supplied by nVidia graphics card drivers or compatible applications. The i-glasses SVGA also featured an On-Screen-Display (OSD) system that allowed users to adjust settings such as brightness, contrast, audio balance, and color settings.

i-glasses HRV Pro

Introduced in April 2003, the i-glasses HRV Pro represented the company's more advanced offering. According to product information, the i-glasses SVGA Pro (part of this line) accepted VGA or higher input from computer sources and featured displays with 800×600 resolution, providing 1.44 million pixels per display. The viewing experience was described as similar to watching a 70-inch monitor from a distance of 13 feet.

The SVGA Pro models were available in both 2D and 3D-capable versions, with prices starting at $1,199 for the 2D version and $1,499 for the 3D-capable version in 2003. The displays utilized Three Five Systems Z86D-3 microdisplays and were compatible with Nvidia-based graphics cards with stereo drivers.

Technology

I-O Display Systems implemented various technologies in their HMD products that were innovative for consumer-level devices at the time:

• Optical Design: The i-glasses utilized an optical system that allowed for both immersive viewing and see-through capability (via the VideoMute feature).
• Display Technology: Over the years, the company transitioned from lower-resolution displays to SVGA-compatible microdisplays.
• Stereoscopic 3D: Some models supported stereoscopic 3D viewing, which was compatible with specific graphics cards and software.
• Audio Integration: Built-in stereo sound was a standard feature across the product line.
• Ergonomics: The designs aimed to provide a comfortable viewing experience despite the technological limitations of the era.

Market Position and Competition

I-O Display Systems positioned itself in the consumer and prosumer segments of the early virtual reality market. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the company competed with other HMD manufacturers such as:

• Forte Technologies with their VFX1 headset
• Virtual Research Systems
• Sony with the Glasstron series
• Olympus with the Eye-Trek displays
• Canon with their HMDs

The i-glasses products were generally positioned as more affordable alternatives to high-end professional VR systems while offering better quality than the most basic HMDs. Contemporary reviews often compared the i-glasses favorably to competitors like the VFX1 in terms of comfort and ease of use, though sometimes noting trade-offs in display quality or immersion.

Legacy

I-O Display Systems was one of the longest-running companies in the early consumer HMD market. The company was described as "one of the longest, most tenacious companies in this business" that "pioneered wearable, semi-comfortable headsets" designed to work with both PCs and video sources.

While I-O Display Systems is no longer in operation, its products represented an important step in the evolution of consumer virtual reality technology. The company's efforts to create accessible HMDs helped introduce the concept of personal virtual displays to a broader audience during a period when the technology was still in its early stages of development.

I-O Display Systems' products can be seen as precursors to the more advanced VR and AR headsets that would emerge in later years, such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and various augmented reality glasses. The challenges and innovations addressed by I-O Display Systems and its contemporaries helped pave the way for the more sophisticated immersive technologies available today.