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Toshiba's 80GB Gigabeat V801: the last Portable Media Center
In what constitutes a death rattle for Portable Media Center devices, Toshiba just sputtered forth the latest in the V Series of Gigabeat players: the 40GB V401 (¥49,800 / $409) and 80GB V801 (¥59,800 / $491). Each packs a new 4-inch, 24-bit color, 480 x 272 pixel display with built-in brightness sensor for automatic adjustment to local lighting conditions. In addition to supporting WM DRM10 and WMA 9 Lossless as you'd expect in a Microsoft PMC, the device also packs an improved 1Seg tuner and EPG for plenty of digital TV viewing (and recording) while on the go. The latest Gigabeat also features improved sound quality and 24-mm thickness and a battery capable of 28/10/8 hours of playback audio/video/1Seg TV, respectively. Available June 1st in Japan.[Via Impress]
Clarion MAX9700DT all-in-one does in-car NAV, 1Seg, and MiniDisc
Oh how we wish it were all just a horrific dream, but somehow, the engineers behind Clarion's flashy new MAX9700DT in-car navigation unit still felt it necessary to include support for a format that just refuses to die. Granted, the system is loaded to the hilt with features and supported formats, but we have a hard time believing that even the Japanese really still find MiniDisc and ATRAC all that attractive. Nevertheless, the unit also boasts a seven-inch touchscreen display, built-in 1Seg TV tuner, DVD player, a 40GB hard drive, iPod compatibility, 50-watt x 4 amplifier, AM / FM radio, and support for a whole host of audio formats including WMA and MP3. Getting around shouldn't be too difficult given the expansive screen and "3D maps," and just in case that 40GB of internal storage isn't quite enough, you can cram an SD card or Memory Stick into it for a bit more space. As nice as all this sounds, few from crowds other than the elite will be pondering a purchase, as ¥341,250 ($2,868) isn't exactly bargain basement (or even "good deal") territory.[Via NaviGadget]
Sanyo bumps the memory on its 1seg-equipped GPS receivers
When it comes to spec bumps, there's not much that's less exciting than a simple capacity boost, so you'll have to excuse our lack of excitement over Sanyo's new NV-SB250DT and NV-SD200DT Gorilla-brand personal navigation devices. Both models share almost the exact same feature sets as their predecessor, the NV-SD10DT -- 4.5-inch, 400 x 234 pixel touchscreen, built-in 1seg tuners with EPG, and 2GB of storage (up from 1GB on the SD10DT) -- and only differ in that the SB250DT sports a rechargeable battery where the SD200DT (pictured) takes replaceable ones (Eneloops, hopes Sanyo). April 24th is when these two 'new' models will hit Japan, with the 250 marked at ¥99,750 ($833.91) and the 200 sporting an open price. [Via Impress]
Sony announces XDV-100 portable 1seg TV
Even though 1seg digital TV hasn't really taken off as some might have hoped -- poor reception underground and in moving vehicles renders it nearly useless for Japanese commuters -- manufacturers keep on stuffing this feature into cellphones, PMPs, and portable GPS receivers. Most times the extra tuner is little more than a "value-added" function, but with Sony's new XDV-100 modern-day Watchman, 1seg is the main attraction. At 2.8 inches, though, the screen isn't much bigger than some of your larger smartphones, and the 320 x 240 resolution is certainly nothing you wouldn't find on any number of other devices. Your 40,000 yen also get you a docking cradle and AM / FM radio, which would seem to be the least they could throw in for almost $340. If for some reason you feel like dropping serious cash for a tiny set that you'll only be watching near the window of your Japanese hotel room, April 10th is when the black-or-silver XDV-100 hits stores.
Panasonic's TU-DTX300: a world's first 4 tuner/antenna in-car kit
Panasonic just uveiled the TU-DTX300 in-car tuner, a world's first to pack 4 tuners and 4 antennas for maximizing digital terrestrial television reception while scootin' through Japan. According to Panny, reception along the 12 segments of each channel used to broadcast HDTV is improved by 1.8 times while reception of that 13th segment dedicated to mobile TV -- 1Seg, get it? -- is twice as good. The device switches automatically from terrestrial digital broadcasts to mobile 1Seg reception when the signal deteriorates with the car's increasing speed. The TU-DTX300 works with Panasonic's Strada F class car navigation/entertainment system with support for an EPG and alerts from Japan's EWS (emergency warning system). It measures just 178×130×27-mm (7×5.1×1.1-inches) and costs ¥94,290 (about $780) when this pup hits February 23rd. [Via Impress]
Bluedot's 4-inch portable TV with 1Seg and a whole bunch of slim
While the new BTV-400K from Bluedot might lack the common accouterments of its peers, like an SD card reader, GPS or other such functions, the player does seems to do the whole 1Seg thing quite well. The 4-inch display rocks 480 x 272 pixels, and the whole unit is a mere 0.43-inches thick. The three hour battery life is a little on the weak end, but there's also a bulkier option that can offer up 10 hours of juice. With that complete lack of he player won't have much to do with your PC, but you can charge it via USB. This one should be hitting Japan in February for around 30,000 yen ($253 US). Peep another pic after the break.
G-force's tiny 1Seg video recorder
Japan is currently flooding with 1seg mobile digital TV tuners after rolling out the service some 6 months ago. Most external tuners ship as USB sticks for watching TV on the go from your laptop. The G-force G-WWT-1201B 1seg tuner, however, is meant to be connected your portable DVD player or any other display with composite input. What's a bit novel here, is that this tuner also boasts 512MB of flash for recording 2 to 3 hours of highly compressed video. Just about right since you'll only get about 3 hours off rechargeables anyway. Expected to hit Japan tomorrow for ¥26,040 (about $220).
Axion's 10-inch portable DVD player with 1Seg TV
There are plenty of 7-inch portable DVD players on the market. However, there are few with 10-inch displays and even fewer with an integrated digital tuner for mobile TV. So if either of these matter to you (and chances are, they don't unless you live in Japan or Korea) check Axion's AXN5109TN with Japanese 1Seg tuner. It packs an 800x480 pixel resolution into the panel and supports standard DVD and music CD playback as well as DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW discs laden with all the MP3s, MPEG-4s, and JPEGs you can muster. The battery only manages a weak-sauce, 2.5-hours of continual playback and the whole kit weighs in at 170-grams / 0.37-pounds and 1.7-inches thick. An external analog tuner (pictured) is also available for capturing legacy terrestrial broadcasts if you must. Watch for it in Japan where it hits December 20th for about ¥38,000 or right around $322. [Via Impress]
Sharp 911SH does one-seg for Softbank
Sharp is showing off a nifty little (if you can call 22 millimeters of thickness "little") one-seg clamshell with a pivoting screen for Softbank customers, the 911SH. The phone apparently looks to displace the outgoing (and similarly-styled) 905SH, though it's not much of an upgrade -- the camera remains unchanged at 2 megapixels, Bluetooth carries over, and the Aquos-branded screen rocks the same 400 x 240 resolution, though it gets upped to 3 inches. The major draws here, then, appear to be the switch from miniSD to microSD expansion (if you can really call that an upgrade) and the availability of seven tasty colors.[Via Mobilewhack]
Greenhouse kicks out 1Seg TV tuner in USB fashion
While we've seen plenty of TV tuning love for the UK / US crowd, it's about time we saw a new rendition to pick up those delightful digital terrestrial broadcasts while cruising through Tokyo. Greenhouse has busted out a silicon-wrapped 1Seg TV tuner for the Japanese market, but upped the ante on the typical USB stick design. By offering 360-degree rotation, you shouldn't have any problems blocking up spare ports while tuning on your laptop, and it also includes a magnetic base / extension cord to place the antenna at the faraway sweet spot. Aside from pulling in ISDB-T signals, this device also touts an electronic program guide and USB 2.0 / 1.1 connectivity, but unfortunately encodes the content as it's recorded so it can only be played back on the PC in which it was brought in on. So if the inability to view your shows on any other device than the one you used to tune with (somehow) doesn't faze you, you can pick up the GH-1ST-U2K now for ¥10,800 ($94).[Via Akihabara News]
Sanyo's NVA-HD1500DT spreads the 1Seg love
If you're one of those people who really needs to watch television all the time, including while driving, then you should both stay off the road and also check out Sanyo's latest top-of-the-line 1Seg product: the NVA-HD1500DT. It comes with a 30GB hard drive, a 1Seg tuner, a DVD player, GPS and a 7-inch screen -- we're assuming that the hard drive is for storing various digital media, but wonder if it could also be used (or hacked) as an over-the-air DTV DVR. You'll be able to cruise the Tohoku Highway decked out with the NVA-HD1500DT beginning on October 25, but only after you drop a cool ¥247,800, (nearly $2,100) for the priv.[Via Akihabara News]
Toshiba's new prototype media player at CEATEC
Speaking of CEATEC, Akihabara News also spotted a new prototype of a Toshiba portable DVD and media player at this year's Japanese trade show. All we know for now is that it supports DivX files and has a 1Seg tuner for your Japanese terrestrial digital broadcasts, but it we're always happy to add more methods of media retrieval to our ho hum standard def optical disc portables. Oh, and it comes in a shiny black casing, if you're so inclined.
Zentek's 1Seg SDIO card
If you're looking for a little TV-on-the-go action of slightly higher quality than plain-old analog broadcasts, and happen to live in Japan, then Zentek may have just the solution for ya. It's just announced what looks to be the first 1Seg (or One-Seg, if you prefer) TV tuner on an SDIO card, which'll let you pick up those sweet terrestrial digital broadcast signals on your SDIO-equipped handheld or cellphone. Although, not unlike early developments in WiFi on SD cards, it looks like you'll have to put up with the card protruding more than just a little bit from your handheld device, as it measures about 2.1-inches long. (Hear that? It's the sound of thousands of these simultaneosly snapping in Japanese pockets). You'll also have to wait a bit to actually get your hands on one, with Zentek set to offer the device to OEMs in the first quarter of 2007.
Japanese gamers want TV on their PSP
While us PSP Fanboys want the ability to play PSone games on our PSPs the most, it appears that Japanese gamers (according to ITmedia) want to watch TV on their's. Support for electronic money (ala PayPal) and the upcoming camera attachment ranked pathetically low at 3% apiece, while the GPS functionality garnered 14% of the vote. The rest of the votes (78%) favored the ability to tune into TV using the crazy technology called "1seg" which allows mobile devices to access television signals. The Nintendo DS already has a 1seg peripheral in the works, so shouldn't Sony's multimedia wonder jump on board?If Sony does support 1seg in Japan, it makes you wonder when the rest of the world will get their hands on such cool tech. I mean, Japan already has P-TV (downloadable TV shows), while the rest of us wait for Sony to "figure out" a DRM.[Via Gamespot]
