Looking for portable LCD system

Hey guys! So, before we begin, a little background!
I was recently inspired for reasons we will not go into here to build an infrared vision set. There was a thread open in this very forum earlier (as expected, no one could help, but it was worth a try).

What I came up with is pretty simple: I have a camera which is IR sensitive and has several IR LEDs around the outer edge to iluminate the area in case of no natural sources It works great! I couldnt be happier with it.

Just one problem: A monitor is about as far form a headset as I can get.

So here is the puzzle:

Convert A/V cables carying data from a camera to an easilly viewed headset/HUD/HMD/hand-held-monitor.

It should be simple. They make relatively cheap mini, portable, monitors specifically to go with this camera. But they are so bulky! If I were to mount this on my head, it would be like taping a small laptop to my face, and I wouldnt be able to focus on it from anywhere within a foot or so anyway.

So here is my question:

If my ipod is less than a quarter of an inch thick, and can not only run an LCD display but also run a number of aps etc, how come the portable LCDs on ebay are ENORMOUS and dont even have a build in power suply? Whats the difference?

It seems ridiculous to me that the driver circuit for everything else is massive, but on all the small lcd devices you see (cell phones, anyone?) they are tiny, efficient, and very clear.


So there you have it. I think I probably rambled and included 4 or 5 questions.

Short version: How can I get a slim LCD that runs V/A input. Doesnt have to be high def or anything, just visible so I dont walk into stuff.


Thanks guys!

Vuzix High Resolution Video Eyewear
glasses man... glasses

Having the LCD in front of your eyes is just half the battle; you need optics to make it so your eyes can focus on the screen. Cheech's solution is probably the best (or something like it), because the glasses already have the optics set for your eyes to focus on the screens in front of you. Get some with an RCA or S-video input and then some other circuitry to convert the signal.

If you want to go more DIY, try getting some LCDs like those at Sparkfun and see if you can get it working.

Remember that Apple specially designed their iPods to do what they do. They have 3D ICs and other specially made stuff to do all the magic. What you're doing is connecting one device to another, and not necessarily designed for portability. If they were designing a single product, then the camera + LCD could be more compact as it wouldn't need interfaces between the separate devices.

Thanks guys! Badger, that was verry clear. Cheech, I was offput by the price tag and how un-DIY it was. Maybe I am just wierd, but I really only take pleasure in something I have made myself. Not that I dont like, say, the laptop I'm using right now, but I am really just chasing that "high" I get when I make something and it works. Like my first laser.

Thanks!

EDIT:

I dont suppose anyone knows how I could hook up something with a camcorder viewfinder do they?