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The headset - worn like a pair of glasses - includes a screen for each eye, and uses the company's expertise in optical technology to show video as though it was on a 45" display at just a touch under two metres away. Each display can be individually adjusted between -3.5 and +3.5 diopter to cater for eyesight issues like near and farsightedness.

Several cradles are supplied to hold different iPod models, including the iPod nano, iPod classic and iPod touch introduced last September, as well as older models of iPod with video.

The cable includes an inline remote with a clip

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to attach to clothing, and at the other end of the cable is the headset itself. Headphones are built into it, and both they and the temples are adjustable. The nose pad is also removable; our sample was provided with two different sizes.

Specially-formatted videos can be displayed in 3D. They are split vertically down the middle, with each half containing the image for the corresponding eye. With the headset switched to 3D mode, each eye sees a slightly different image. As the demonstration movie showed a noticeable 3D effect, especially when moving past the rows of a vineyard.

The device will go on sale in Germany in February, with a US and UK launch planned for the second quarter. The suggested price in Germany will be €369, and five colours will be available.

We have received a Cinemizer and will report on the experience once we've given it a more thorough workout. In the meantime, Carl Zeiss is seeking applications for lead users to test Cinemizer and give feedback.