The TV-Hat is waiting for you

SUBHEAD: In search of the perfect balance of form and function; today's contender is the TV-Hat.  


By Francis Cardino on 8 January 2011 for Gear Diary -  
 (http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/08/in-search-of-the-perfect-balance-of-form-and-function-todays-contender-is-the-tv-hat/)


 
Image above: Francis Cardino wearing TV-Hat in his Los Vegas hotel room. Reason enough to be blinded. From original article.

[IB Publisher's note: Last night watching the Colbert Report I was amused by a skit mocking what I assumed was a made-up product - The TV-Hat! But the satire seemed to elaborate to be wasted on something without a basis in reality. To check this possibility I googled "TV Hat" and immediately found the "TV Hat Official Site" at (https://www.buytvhatnow.com). On the site was a promo video for the hat that was the source for the Colbert clip (see below). Further research revealed the following gadget review by Francis Cardino, an early adopter who discovered the TV Hat at the January 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Nevada. Luckily, there is still time to buy TV Hats as Xmas stocking stuffers for the ones you love most - just $29.95 each] 



We have seen a wide range of new and improved gadgets this week at CES. Some impressed us while others left us cold. And there were a few that made us laugh. This review is about one of those items.

Yes, the TV Hat looks… well… It looks interesting. We drew straws to see who would write the review and Francis drew the short one. (Shhhh don’t tell him but they were all short.)

Oh, and make sure to check out the end of the review since there are tons of extra shots to enjoy.

So…. Here’s Francis…

Ok, so day 1 my first time here at CES. And as you all can imagine it is a serious amount of information to take in. We trolled the floor today meeting with vendors and catching a glimpse of this years new products that will all hopefully see the store shelves soon. I have only been writing for GearDiary for about a year now but I am pleased to say that this is the pinnacle of my short lived career in tech reviews and news. Today I was introduced to such a product that makes it all worth it. With thousands of new tech related products I am pleased to give my first on site CES review of the TV Hat.

The TV Hat is probably what caught my eye the most during my running through Gadget Gauntlet and being the fantastic editors that they are made proper arrangements to get me a review sample. So without further ado, here is my hands on experience of the personal theater known as the TV Hat.

Upon initial un-bagging and inspection it’s clear that this hat can be worn and enjoyed by anyone. Just because it’s stamped with the coveted “As Seen On TV” logo doesn’t mean that you’re not in for a treat. The quality one size fits all hat has an extended brim and front face hood that keeps extra light from leaking in and ruining your theatrical production. When not in use the hood has a patented snap which makes for easy and convenient for travel without taking up valuable space in your carry-on or backpack. The extended brim is great for all occasions, with the hood snapped up it does a fine job of keeping the sun out of your eyes and also prevents other from invading the personal space in front of you.

The business side of the hat (underneath) has a fully adjustable plastic magnifying glass and clear plastic pouch that holds your video playing device (mobile phone or iPod). The screen magnifier is fully movable and runs on a click lock rail system. It easily adjusts to anyone wearing the hat while providing maximum viewing pleasure by increasing the virtual screen size of your mobile device. The plastic magnifier was covered in protective plastic but was still scratched upon first removal. This is no doubt an added feature of the hat to make it look more broken in and not so new. I was also worried that with the added weight of the mobile movie device that the hat would cause a large amount of neck strain and stress, but surprisingly the hat is built well enough that after a whole 5 minutes of wearing I felt no added fatigue or discomfort.

With all the great new products here at CES I truly believe I found a diamond in the rough. Whether you’re at home on the porch or in Las Vegas trying to escape from the daily grind this hat puts you in your own personal movie theater. Powered by your mobile device This little gem will set you back about $30 and can be found at AsSeenOnTVHat.com. It’s only been one day here for me but I think I may have found the winner for gadget of CES 2011 award. Be sure to check out the site for more info.
The TV Hat blocks out sound and light, turning and ordinary experience into an extraordinary theater experience. You will be engrossed in your favorite TV show or YouTube movie in no time. Try it, and you won’t put TV Hat down.
Summary
What I like:
  • No batteries required
  • One size fits all
  • Full theater experience from a mobile device
  • packs up neatly for travel and storage
What needs improvement:
  • Comes in black color only (now available in many colors - including camo)
  • side flaps may not block enough light for people with large heads
  • should have come out sooner

Video above: Official Promotional info-ad for the TV-Hat. From (http://youtu.be/9SJsk1L2RUg). .

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