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MediaGate finally launches MG-350HD, MG-35, and MG-25P in the US
This might not be quite as earth-rattling as iTunes getting ported to Windows, but it comes fairly close. MediaGate is finally launching its heralded media serving products here in the US of A, after spending two painstakingly long years parading around and thrilling folks in Japan. The "new" MG lineup are self-proclaimed "convergence products," and have done quite a swell job fusing data / media between the PC and TV, and now we Americans can get a taste of what we've been missing out on (or finding elsewhere). The MG-350HD entertainment server plays nice with Windows, Linux, and OS X-based operating systems, holds your choice of 3.5-inch hard drive, outputs in NTSC and PAL, and includes onboard Ethernet / WiFi, USB 2.0, stereo and digital audio outputs, DVI, S-Video, composite, and component. Moreover, it supports high definition streaming, MPEG1/2/3/4, AVI, M2V, DAT, VOD, XviD, OGG, WMA, BMP, GIF, and JPEG, and that's just to name a few popular formats. Aside from lacking WiFi, the MG-35 mimics its more feature-packed sibling just about to a T, but does tout Ximeta NDAS technology. The miniscule MG-25P boasts the most of the same functionality as its bigger brothers, but makes room for a 2.5-inch HDD, lacks a DVI out / WiFi, resides in a more durable enclosure for tight spots (like vehicles and shirt pockets), and also acts as "instant network storage" when you're done dishing out media. MediaGate's trio of media slingers are all supposedly available right now, with the MG-350HD costing $250, the MG-35 demanding $125, and the diminutive MG-25P running just around $80, all sans hard drives.
Aigo E235 hard drive-based PMP plays VOB, gets reviewed
While Aigo's no stranger to the DAP / PMP universe, the firm typically focuses on flash-based players, but as with its 50-hour A215, F209 wristwatch, and Linux-based units, the E235 sports something that differentiates it from the host of other alternatives. Boasting a 3.5-inch LCD screen, 320 x 240 resolution, black enclosure, and a rather simplified "joystick-based" control mechanism, the E235 comes in 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 100GB, 120GB, and 160GB flavors, all designed to hold quite a vast library of music and media files. The standout feature here, however, is its native ability to play VOB files, which should probably send notorious DVD rippers into fits of elation, but before we all get too excited, it was noted that content laced in Macrovision may not play back at all, and unoptimized (read: not downsized) files may not display properly on the monitor. Regardless, the device handles AVI, DAT, and MPEG files with ease, and also plays nice with MP3, WMA, and WAV on the audio front. Additionally, you'll find an FM tuner for when your own library gets stale, and while the paltry 2.5 hours of battery life proved less than impressive, reviewers suggested that the sheer ability to playback VOB could be a fair tradeoff to many. Overall, the unit ran about par for the course, with nothing in particular garnering major criticism, and if you're a diehard VOB lover in need of a PMP / PVP, Aigo's got you covered.[Thanks, Oracle]
Novac's NV-HV355 Mobile Video HDD
After bringing us the TV for Skype Anywhere product we were kinda hoping for something equally unusual from Novac's next consumer offering. Unfortunately, all we're getting this time around is the NV-HV355 Mobile Video HDD media player in need of a 3.5-inch IDE disk. Once you sort that out, stuff the disk via USB 2.0 with all the DivX 3/4/5, MPEG-1/2/4, XviD, VOB, JPEG, and MP3 files you can muster. Plug 'er into the TV via composite, component, or even SCART, link the coax to your hi-fi and kick back with your Pabst resting on that slim remote coaster content in the knowledge that you're sticking it to the man mkay torrent-boy. On the cheap too at ¥12,800 or about $109 when this drops in fiver. [Via Akihabara News]
