Toshiba Gigabeat S previewed
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Feb 8th 2006 8:01PM
posted Feb 8th 2006 8:01PM
Looks like we aren't alone in our jones for the March release of the Toshiba Gigabeat S Series. CNET needs their
fix so bad that they published a preview of the new player sportin' Microsoft's Portable Media Center software. The praise comes in heaps for
Toshiba's ability to deliver the "brilliantly simple" PMC software in a compact form factor. They also dig on
the player's range of supported audio and video formats which includes DivX, its support for WMA subscription services
like MTV's upcoming Urge, and
compatibility with TivoToGo, Media Center recordings, and that
new all-you-can-eat Starz
Vongo subscription movie download service. However, CNET feels the screen and controller are just
"decent" and the small buttons along the side are "confusing" causing some practice to master
navigation. We share their hopes that the Gigabeat S might finally be a successful PMC device.
Wow, a company looking to compete against Apple that actually makes something decent to look. And no, I'm not an Apple fanboy, but seriously some of the things Creative, Dell, etc., produce are just butt-ugly, and they can't understand why people don't buy them.
Not trying to be snarky, just an honest question...
The iPod Video is clearly a huge success. And it does play pics, vids, and tunes. So is it not classified as a 'PMC'? Or are we using PMC to mean *only* Microsoft-based devices?
I generally use 'PMC' as a generic term like 'PC.'
Being an owner of the current line of the Gigabeat, I can say that toshiba has done a horrible job of keeping the customers happy. We were expecting a firmware update last august, and now they have told us (US/UK/CA) users that they dont plan to release it at all.
I really hope they do better with this one
Toshiba has said that firmware updates for the Gigabeat S will be handled by Microsoft - take that as you will.
Either way, I'm F'in drooling over this baby. Birthday + tax refund = Gigabeat S!
Yes Microsoft will handle all updates for the S Series. I think Toshiba realized their "problems" in that area. They should stick to making hardware!
The S Series is getting alot of praise, and my experience with it at CES was very positive!
Hopefully I'll get my hands on one to review at my blog.
Matt, you may use PMC as a generic term, but PMC means "Portable Media Center" and refers to the specific version of the Windows Mobile OS (with the copy of the 10ft interface used on Windows Media Center).
PMC devices are, PlayForSure compliant devices, and have full support for Media Center recorded TV and Videos. Calling a 5G iPod a PMC would be incorrect, as it cannot sync recorded TV from a Windows Media Center PC (without having to add in format transcoding step), nor can it play WMA or WMV with Microsoft DRM, a PMC can.
#2 Matt,
From what I have read, I have seen people using PMP for the generic term meaning "portable media player" and using PMC for "portable media center" to represent a portable version of Windows Media Center (like Trojan said)
I'll wait about 4-5 months after till I make a decision of buying it. Microsoft and firmware...thats very questionable.
Its awesome that it does support DivX (XviD as well?), but it needs to support .ogg vorbis and as well as FLAC. Then it'd be almost complete.
Wow, also, CNet mentions iPod once in the review! OMG!
I take what I said back. I'll wait until new players from Sigmatel come out. Sigmatel is the company that bought out Rio IIRC. Their new players should be awesome. Until then, I will still enjoy my 30gb X5.
Well, I hope this is a legitimate competitor to the ipod. As much as I like apple, it is kind of sad to see so many companies fall flat. Maybe this will push them to really start innovating rather than just riding on brand recognition.
Cnet being impressed by a Microsoft product? Whatever next, ZDNet liking Windows too? I'm so surprised.
Anyway, well done Toshiba. Finally a product that looks as good as you-know-who and with some great features. Let's just hope they've got their sync software sorted and it's not just WMP.
these Gigabeat MP3 players look like a piece of crap. I recently went into Best Buy and they had something that looked simiar to this and I thought how ugly they are. I would not even want to think of how differently you would have to put media on these things. What the hell is this Tall Screen format. I much more like the 3 * 4 ratio screen size on the iPod.
Isn't the whole "blue sky + green rolling hills" visual so, I dunno, 5 years ago???
Personally I love the design and the UI looks fresh and relaxing. Physically it looks well-built and is around the same size (if not smaller) than a 5G iPod. Being a PMC device it'll probably have drag and drop too, and it supports more formats than the iPod.
Despite this, you guys are still using the 'Microsoft can't make software' excuse to bash this; just give it a rest.
So does it support USB Mass storage? Or only the PlaysForSure device interface?
And as for formats. Where's non-DRM AAC, OGG? Why can't it play more common video formats natively? Do we really need to have .mov "transcoded by Windows Media player"?
#13, gigabeats are designed with tall screens for a reason. The whole point of the design is that you can hold it sideways to see things horizontally and the interface cross still works the same way it did when it was held vertically. You get the best of both worlds: a vertical screen for going through playlists, and a horizontal screen for pictures/video. It is in my opinion the cleverest design/interface on any dap/pmp yet.
Im more concerned with how it interacts with a pc....how long it takes to sync, what it uses to sync, battery life and the quality of the screen than how it looks aesthetically.
When will the S series be available to purchase?
For all I care, an media player can look like a pile of vomit.
They're not fashion accessories.
Neither are computers.
LOL. This is an Ipod. Correct me if I am wrong, but don't the ipods use the same Toshiba hard drive. Strange Toshiba is able to get 20 hours out of the same equipment
#8 (Kyu):
It should support XviD -- from the XviD Wikipedia page:
"Since XviD uses MPEG-4 Advanced Simple Profile (ASP) compression, video encoded with XviD can be decoded with other MPEG-4 compliant decoders as well."
21 --->> You actually raise an interesting point. Someone else might be able to confirm this, but I'm thinking that AAC/mp3 is more power hungry than whatever bit-rate/format they used to get the play time for Toshiba gigabeat s. My guess is that the gigabeat s probably has an average playback of about 17 hours or something (though I don't really know for sure). People rip on Sony's atrac3 format, but the truth is that it takes so much less power to decode that they get like 1.5 times the friggen battery life of anyone else in a reasonably small player.
Have they released specs on the size yet? Or am I blind . . .
It seems like a nice device, i like the design.
I just really, really hope that they'll make the software mac compatible. Please, Microsoft, I will buy this, but you have to make it so I can use it!
The question remains unanswered: Does this thing support USB mass storage? That is, does it have hard drive storage capabilities like the ipod? Life's not all about music and videos.. If the Gigabeat S can store my other data, I would definitely dump my faithful old ipod for one.
how much will it cost?
#25 From what I hear, $300.00 for the S30 and $400.00 for the S60. The difference is in capacities; 30GB and 60GB
#2: iPods are ovverated. And you overrate them too. iPods are still media centers, it is not "The MP3 player" or a whole new category of music playing devices, which many Americans think of them as.
#13: You can upload your own wallpapers onto your gigabeat.
#Anything related to firmware problems: You don't HAVE to use the firmware proviced (gigabeat room). You can just let it appear as a USB Storage device and drag and drop it in...
#12, 20: You are probably one of those iPod loving Americans that refer to all MP3s as iPods(like people who say "Can I listen to my iPod" to teachers...thats just as stupid as asking a friend, "Do you have a Dr. Grip .5mm lead mechanical pencil on you?")Like I said, iPods are overrated, and some of you need to stop thinking iPods are some sort of special divine item or whatever. Also, you should research more, not just saying whatever you thought. I personally have a Gigabeat folder in my Favourites with a dozen Gigabeat related links. Research. You wouldnt want a teacher talking about the Normans using Sidewinder missiles in the Battle of Hastings. We don't want you talking about something you dont know anything about.
Thanks goodness - finally ONE other portable device that can handle WMA Lossless! Finally I can be free of the compressed sound of 320 CBR WMA and Mp3s. The portable future is starting to look a little better for audiohiles and lovers of ACOUSTIC music.
Thank goodness. Finally there's ONE other portable device besides the iRiver PMP 140 that can handle WMA Lossless! Unfortunately the iRiver is too large for my travels. Hopefully I'll eventually be free of the compressed sound of 320 CBR WMA and Mp3s. The portable future is starting to look a little better for audiophiles and lovers of music featuring ACOUSTIC instruments. I've got my eyes on the 60 GB model but I'd love something closer to 200 GB to allow me to cary around most of my entire Lossless-ripped music collection. Also if it recorded at least 16 bit/44 Khz WAV files via an external microphone input I'd buy it in a heart beat.
This puppy actulaly uses the new Freescale MX31 (comparable processors are the new Intel PXA270 sucessor or teh TI OMAP 2430). Wonder if it runs at teh full 500+ Mhz ? So
it should be programmable to play multiple video
and audio formats. In fact it has enough MIPS to
encode VGA video at 25 fps in MPEG-4 - all it needs is a sensor ! Processor has one of the best power management around, hence the battery life. I wonder if there is a way to add your own codecs. Will Toshiba please release a Linux version that is user accessible !!!
I think I'll wait for the next iPod... or for Microsoft's real answer to Apple's player. (X-Box Portable, anyone?)
To maybe state the obvious, the 30GB white should be in stock on the 1st of April. You can reserve your gigabeat in Crutchfield's store.
It looks like the 30GB will also be available in blue and the 60GB will be available in black. I have a Creative Zen Vision M that I just bought, but I'm thinking of trading it in for this puppy. Your thoughts?
Maybe this is off subject, but I'm not a big video user, but a huge music guy who loves Rhapsody-to-go and lots of storage space on my mp3 player. What do you think the best mp3 player is for someone like me? Thanks.
ok, now Crutchfield is saying the ETA is May 31st. My mistake.
I am thinking of buying one of these and was wandering if they play video? It would be great if someone would let me know.