LG rolls out 8GB MFJM53 PMP

LG has just launched one of the personal media players they announced at CES earlier this year. The MFJM53 has an 8GB drive, a 1.77-inch touch-sensitive OLED screen, and measures a slight 10.1 x 4.8 x 1.4cm, weighing 88g. And while it certainly meets the definition of a PMP, LG seems to be downplaying that aspect of the device, referring to it simply as an MP3 player on their website. In addition to MP3s, it'll handle PlaysForSure WMA files, WAV, Ogg, MPEG-4 AVI, and JPEG files. The device also has an FM radio, built-in microphone, and line-in port for audio recording, and the battery should give you about 30 hours of music playback or 4 hours of video, according to LG. They also list something called "Music Therapy" in the specs but don't give any details. Whatever it is, it sounds like Mac users will have to get their therapy fix elsewhere.

[Thanks, Alan]

[idude135 @ May 22nd 2006 5:47PM]

iWould buy it if it cost under $250

[Justice @ May 22nd 2006 5:48PM]

Touch screen is always a plus...

[Jonathan Greene @ May 22nd 2006 6:00PM]

they say its not video because it only does 15fps, which sucks. ever watch video at 15fps? even the big lebowski looks choppy.

[Larry Ge @ May 22nd 2006 6:16PM]

Another david trying to take down the ipod goliath...... Well, lets see how it turns out, looks promising

[Alan Westbrook @ May 22nd 2006 7:07PM]

It's not on the US site, and there are some spelling errors in the description, perhaps it's not supposed to have 'gone live'?

Damn, it's just so tasty looking!

[Zach @ May 22nd 2006 7:29PM]

hey, it works on macs too with the help of an intel processor and boot camp

[Cloud @ May 22nd 2006 8:16PM]

When your watching tv, your viewing at about 24fps so 15fps isn't that bad. it's still choppy but still good concidering its only a pocket sized handheld. Since when do you watch high-end tv on a 1.77 inch screen? I'll be keeping my eye on this lil thing.

btw that thing is sooo PMP!

[DS @ May 22nd 2006 8:39PM]

These guys have a *LONG* way to go before they are anywhere near Apple design wise. Nice try but like every other POS I think Ill pass....

DS

[jinni @ May 22nd 2006 8:46PM]

LG MFJM53... more pic...

http://www.popco.net/zboard/view.php?id=just_arrived&no=12

[Jonathan Greene @ May 22nd 2006 8:57PM]

I've watched a ton of 15fps videos(have an old crappy mp3 player), its really not good at all, slow scenes are ok, but anything of an actor even walking briskly gets choppy and just loses all of its fluidity. I just cant stand watching it.

[Arochone @ May 22nd 2006 9:02PM]

Looks verrry nice. Much better than an iPod. The question is, will the hardware stand up? That's been my biggest problem. RCA Lyra's have 10 times the features of an iPod (I'd even take one over a Linux iPod, even a Linux VIDEO iPod), but the hardware they use is crap. My brother had one...and the harddrive died after a few months. Meanwhile, my 3rd gen iPod that I got for $15 (it was 'broken'...bad firmware) is still going strong...and I know for a fact it's at least 4 years old.

[dlee @ May 22nd 2006 9:45PM]

Erm -- touch-sensitive screen? I looked at the pictures at the UK LG website and there clearly is a glass cover over the actual screen making me doubt the touch-sensitivity of it. The UK website also lists it as index navigation -- which to me sounds more like some kind of jog dial like the crackberry. I think that touch sensitive feature is a toss-out.

[Josh @ May 22nd 2006 10:41PM]

Wow this is gorgeous, I think I'm going to pick one up when available.

[JehovaHimself @ May 23rd 2006 2:53AM]

Way to be so ahead of the curve Engadget!

http://www.cnet.com/4831-11405_1-6412824.html

And to add insult to injury, there is no touch screen present. The JM53 instead has "a unique controller system that blends a rocker switch and buttons." check out the link to the pics posted by Jinni. There are navigation buttons present.

You *can* touch the screen but it won't do much.

Friggin Engadget 'Tards!

[Adrian @ May 23rd 2006 2:54AM]

It looks like they've been selling these at Future Shop here in Canada since May 1st (or maybe earlier) for $300 CDN.

I think the description is wrong though - it doesn't have a touch screen. None of the spec pages I've looked at have mentioned anything like that; not to mention with a small screen like that, a touch screen would be hard for most people to use.

It looks like it could be a decent player, but the few reviews up on Future Shop's site don't look too promising. They complain about some oggs crashing it, as well as other interface weirdnesses. It does however have mass storage device support, which is nice for us non-windows users.

I think I might get one and give it a go.

[paritosh @ May 23rd 2006 8:11AM]

thia would be truly amazing thing to have!!

[LordJezo @ May 23rd 2006 8:16AM]

Nothing can take down the iPod at this point. It’s so integrated into society now that no one would consider buying anything else, jeans have iPod hookups, cars have iPod ports, toilet paper dispensers have speakers and iPod ports on them. None of these other devices can hook up to any of them. The iPod connection is the standard for everything now and until that port is opened up to other devices you won’t be able to bring it down.

[paritosh @ May 23rd 2006 11:35AM]

cute small and i hope not as expensive as i pod .....then it shud be an irresistible!!

[E @ May 24th 2006 2:39PM]

Cloud

"When your watching tv, your viewing at about 24fps so 15fps isn't that bad."

NTSC is 29.97 FPS, PAL is 25fps, Film is 24fps.