PortableMediaPlayer
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Cowon J3 PMP looks cool in its brushed metal case
Hot on the heels of giving our opinion on Cowon's (relatively) big-screened V5 media player we have some news on the next player in line from the company. It's called the J3 and, while Cowon has officially acknowledged its existence, its specifications have only been unveiled thanks to what looks to be an internationally coordinated effort on behalf of gadget lovers everywhere. The J3 is said to have a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a resolution of 480 x 272, pulling content from 4, 8, or 16GB of internal storage -- content that can also be routed to a TV. There'll be Bluetooth to pump tunes wirelessly and a new metal case that's said to improve the quality feel of the player. That, of course, we won't know about until we can feel one of the things, and according to the company some folks will be able to do just that before the month is through.
Cowon V5 review
Cowon's V5 has been out and about in South Korea for just over two months now, but thankfully for the Yanks who are downright flustered with the existing PMP options here in the States, the company has decided to bring this beaut stateside. Boasting a 4.8-inch resistive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution), a Windows CE 6.0 underlying OS, HDMI / USB sockets (via adapters from a proprietary socket), a voice recorder, integrated speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, 8/16/32GB of internal storage, an SDHC expansion slot, a battery good for 45 hours of music playback (or 10 hours with video) and a format support list that would drive you batty to read, there's a lot (lot!) to love about this thing on paper. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on one of the first units to ship to America, so hop on past the break for our two pennies. %Gallery-88214%
Mio stuns at CeBIT with ultra-sleek Moov V780 MID
Uh, folks -- we've an identity crisis on our hands. Is this a MID with a penchant for navigating? Is this a PMP with pre-loaded maps? Is it an ultra-sleek navigator that just so happens to play music? There's a fair chance the world will never know, but we'll soon be stopping by Mio's booth at CeBIT in order to get a view of things ourselves. At any rate, the Moov V780 is undoubtedly one of the most appealing things to come from the outfit in quite some time, offering up 720p multimedia playback, an HDMI output, digital TV support, a 7-inch (800 x 480 resolution) display, 600MHz CPU, 512MB of memory, 4GB of onboard flash and a pretty tremendous list of supported file formats. Sadly, it's humming along on Windows CE (rather than, say, Android), but at least it ships with WiFi and optional WiMAX. There's no mention of a price or release date, but we'll be on the hunt for those tidbits as soon as the show floor opens up.
Ask Engadget: Best no-frills portable media player?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Cam, who don't need no stinkin' app store for his next digital audio player. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm getting quite sick of my Sansa Clip, with it deciding when and when it doesn't want to work. I'm looking for a new PMP. The only requirement is that it has at least 4GB of storage, and supports FLAC files. Expandable memory would be cool too." We appreciate the brevity, Cam. In your spirit, we'll skip the usual coaxing and just demand that those with lovable gym-certified PMPs drop some knowledge in comments below. And... go!
Window G85HD PMP is somewhere between awesome and awkward
You know, the vast majority of Chinese PMPs are underwhelming, and we can't say for sure that the Windows G85HD is any different, but the video walkthrough of the user interface has us interested at the very lease. Reportedly, the all-white, touchscreen-centric device packs a Rockchip RK2806 processor, a 4.3-inch panel (800 x 480), 3.5mm headphone jack, 720p video output, 8GB or 16GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, FM radio tuner, a Chinese-English dictionary and support for a multitude of file formats. There's nary a word on when and where you'll be able to find this, but if you find yourself situated in Shenzhen, feel free to scope things out at the local market and fill us in. [Thanks, Sere83]
MyRacer serves up 5-inch Lisse H10 portable media player
It's been a hot minute since we've seen a new entrant in MyRacer's lisse line of portable media players, but the H10 looks to be changing all that with its 16GB of internal storage space and expansive display. You'll notice a familiar design here externally, and within you'll find a 5-inch panel (1,280 x 720 resolution), an HDMI output, FM tuner / transmitter, a microSD expansion slot, voice recorder and support for just about any file format known to man. Mum's the word on a price and release date, but we doubt it'll be long before it's roaming the streets of Seoul.
Samsung R0 not-so-boldly goes where most PMPs have gone before it
Samsung's certainly got the portable media player design down to a cold, cold science. There isn't much in the way of artistic license here, so let's get on with the specs, shall we? 2.6-inch TFT LCD, microSD slot, FM radio, second-language acquisition programs, text / photo viewer, and video codec support including DivX, XviD, and H.264. Your color choices, with the appropriately inappropriate adjectives, are Indie Black, Techno Silver, and Rap Pink. Korean-only, this little guy will line shelves at KRW139,000 (US $120) with 4GB internal memory, and KRW179,000 (US $155) for 8GB.
Archos 3 Vision PMP given one-handed shakeycam review
Curious about how well the new Archos 3 Vision portable media player stacks up to its bulkier, more voluminous predecessors? Perhaps the video review after the break courtesy of Archos Fans forum user roylovelock will satiate your curiosity -- it will, at least, make you a bit queasy thanks to the handheld camerawork. Placed next to an Archos 5 the thing looks positively lilliputian, but its 3-inch touchscreen seems more than adequate and, while 8GB of storage may not be much, microSDHC expansion offsets that. The review praises the device's functionality, including integrated FM receiving and broadcasting as well as its seemingly solid hardware design and upwards of five hours of video battery life. Not so highly regarded is the non-responsive UI, with a curious on-screen thumbwheel that looks highly unintuitive -- at least when used by this particular thumb. The video below is informative but a bit painful to watch, so feel free to skip straight to roylovelock's written impressions on the other end of that read link, which are rather more easy to take in on a Monday morning.[Via Archos Fans]
Samsung YP-R1 get first unboxing, approving review
You should already be familiar with (or able to guess) the YP-R1's specs and pricing, so we'll just head straight to the good stuff. Our colleagues at MovePlayer handled a pink sample of the device and liked its 720 x 480 uncompressed video playback, slim casing, DJ utility (your use of which will be inversely proportional to your age), and the host of extra features like FM radio, voice recording and photo organizer. Their one major gripe related to scrolling around in landscape mode, but all in all they found it a very competent, sophisticated-looking entry into the PMP market. [Via PMP Today]
Newsmy A8HD probably looks better than it really is
After the lustrous ManMan and retro Cool Man, Newsmy has now surprised us with a straight-laced number in the form of the 8GB 4.3-inch A8HD. Packing a pair of serious-looking speakers and a "high definition" microphone, this has all the intent in the world to break away from the cheap knockoff label, but you already know what you're gonna get: a shiny pretty paintjob outside and someone's leftover parts on the inside. Common audio and video formats are supported, and there's even a rather dubious claim of 720p playback. Maybe once the price and release date are cleared up, we'll saunter over to China and check it out for ourselves. Or not. [Via Akihabara News]
RAmos T6 PMP don't need no buttons
Ah, if it isn't RAmos again. The only Chinese PMP maker that cranks out wares that aren't chock full of KIRF. The outfit's latest endeavor is the T6 icon, a sleek, simplistic media player that isn't apt to head stateside anytime soon. Packing a 4.3-inch LCD (800 x 480 resolution) and a frame that's just ten millimeters thick, the HD-capable device also boasts an HDMI output and nary a button on the front face. 'Course, the assortment of rockers around the edges ensures that your volume level and track selection isn't solely controlled by a touchscreen, but we definitely appreciate the clean look.
iriver officially recognizes E200 PMP, does it proud in glorious press shots
It wasn't like iriver's E200 was really hiding from anyone, but it's still swell to see the parent company take some initiative and create a dedicated place on the web for its newest OLED-infused portable media player. Said device looks better than ever in the company's press shots, but we're still not convinced that it stands a chance in the oversaturated market without a delightfully low MSRP. Feel free to hit the read link if you're into eye candy, but don't mind those user interface shots if you're a fan of revolutionary coding.[Via PMP Today]
7Digital to debut BlackBerry direct music downloads
Even if no one's ever bought a BlackBerry (or, for that matter, a BlockBerry) for its multimedia prowess, things are starting to get a little interesting for the rock'n'rollers over at RIM. According to the Telegraph (UK), the music download site 7Digital will be launching a service for U2's new favorite handset this September. Based around an application that will be available in BlackBerry's App World, customers will be able to download music (with "most" tracks being DRM-free) directly to their phone for 79 cents a pop. Are you excited? No? Well, RIM CEO Jim Balsillie sure is. According to the article, he believes that the market's experiencing nothing less than the "birth of digital music 2.0." What do you think?
Safa rolls out accelerometer-equipped G3 PMP
Safa's PMPs haven't always done that much to distinguish themselves from the masses of nondescript players out there, but it looks to have stepped up its game slightly with its new G3 model, which not only looks decent enough, but packs a still-not-all-that-common accelerometer to boot. Apart from that somewhat notable feature, you can expect to get a 3-inch touchscreen, 4GB or 8GB of storage, a built-in microphone, an FM tuner, support for all the usual audio / video formats, and a promised 15 hours of battery life for audio and four hours for video. No word on a price or release date just yet, but if Safa's past PMPs are any indication, you can expect this one to remain a Korean-exclusive.[Via Le Journal du Geek]
Philips GoGear Opus reviewed: solid audio, but painfully boring
When we had the downright magnificent opportunity to toy with Philips' latest PMP line here in the States, we immediately noticed that the GoGear Opus stood out among the rest. The crew over at TrustedReviews recently spent some quality time with the 8GB version of that very unit, and while they found the audio quality to be "excellent," they seemed rather disappointed -- if not irked -- by everything else in the package. For starters, the whole solution just felt boring, with critics noting that its biggest problem was a lack of "excitement." Granted, none of this would matter at a rock-bottom price point, but for $100, there's an awful lot of competition. As we found during our short time with the player, these folks also noticed that the user interface was simply "old-fashioned," and that video playback was nothing to write home about. The bottom line? Unless you score some kind of spectacular deal, your PMP dollars are probably best spent elsewhere.
Chuwi's W3000 MID comes to life, likely matters not
After spotting renders of this here device last week, we have to say -- the real Chuwi W3000 MID is a looker. Boasting an ARM processor, GPS module, support for MP3, WMA, OGG, AVI and RMVB files (among others) and a built-in WiFi chip, this touchscreen beauty is tailor made to deliver the best of the web without a keyboard. Oh, except for the teeny, tiny fact that someone thought to equip this with WinCE 5.0, thus eliminating any chance whatsoever of it being relevant. Too bad, really.[Via MP4Nation]
RAmos RM990 iOne2 PMP looks surprisingly desirable
RAmos definitely isn't the most respected name in PMPs here in the US, but as of late, it's done a commendable job of staying relevant... at least on the design front, anyway. The firm's latest concoction, which goes by RM990 iOne2, is a touchscreen-heavy media player that's clearly not anorexic. Specs wise, we're told that it features a 3-inch WQVGA touch panel, haptic feedback, a built-in accelerometer, 4GB of internal storage and support for a whole gaggle of file formats. Not bad for the low, low asking price of just 399 yuan (around $58), but it's hardly worth a trip to Shanghai.[Via PMPToday]
Memorex introduces TouchMP portable media player
Memorex's portable media players aren't exactly always attention-grabbers, but it looks like the company's new TouchMP model could be a slight exception, if only for the fact that it's a full-on touchscreen PMP for $99 (and no doubt less after retailers start their usual discounting). For that price, you'll get a 2.8-inch QVGA display, along with 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot for additional expansion, an FM radio, and all the usual media playback options, including podcast support. Somewhat notably, the device is also "adaptable" to both portrait or landscape modes, although it's not clear if it actually makes use of an accelerometer or not. Look for this one to hit all the usual sources sometime in March.
Teclast's upcoming 3.5-inch PMP plays media, is portable
So far it doesn't look like Teclast's OEM is trying to fool anyone with their new as-yet-unbranded media player, which is sort of disappointing -- we know how much you love a good KIRF. Aside from the uncommon (and theoretically stunning) 3.5-inch OLED widescreen display, this seems to be a pretty benign device. Features include capacitive touch controls, support for CMMB and DVB-T broadcasts, and if their past products are any indication you can probably expect output to TV or FM transmitter. You can expect this to ship in China under the Teclast flag eventually, but at the moment we've got no name, no price, no storage capacity, no release date -- just the above facts and one lonely picture to keep you warm on those long winter nights ahead.
Ask Engadget: What's the best HDD-based portable media player out there?
These days, the cool kids are looking to do more than just play back the freshest jams on their portable media player. We're talking video, PVR, WiFi, the works. Have a listen at Marco's question, and if you think you could do one better, send in your inquiry to ask at engadget dawt com: "I'm looking for a new PMP, but I want a unit that can do it all. A large screen, big hard drive, support for lots of codecs, PVR functionality, TV output, etc. I'd also like Bluetooth and / or WiFi if possible. I don't mind units that are somewhat bulky, but I want one with a great user interface and decent battery life. Any help here?" Yeah, he totally just called the Archos / Cowon fanboys from the woodwork, but seriously, what would you recommend to this fellow? Is your current PMP a dream come true? Would you advise against getting whatever you've got? Spill your soul in comments below.
