PortableMediaPlayer
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IOGEAR's Portable Media Player skips the whole "portable" part
If you need a handy way to tote around your digital movie collection, and can overlook the aesthetic criminality of this product, IOGEAR's Portable Media Player maybe, just maybe, could be meant for you. The $350 unit can play back standard def videos and upconvert them to 720p over its component outputs -- or just sacrifice quality altogether and output over composite. There room for 50 hours of "DVD-quality video," which we're guessing means about 120GB of storage, but we're still waiting for word on codec support. Obviously without a screen you won't be watching any of this stuff on the go, but if none of that deters you, the unit is available now. Update: Codecs include AVI, DivX, XviD, MP3, MPEG-2 and so forth, and the capacity is indeed 120GB.
Epoq readying Nextgen 4GB portable media player
Epoq's no (complete) stranger to the portable media player realm, and apparently, the firm is gearing up to crank out another of its own at CES 2008. The Nextgen 4GB will reportedly sport a 3-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 4GB of internal storage space, USB connectivity, an SD expansion slot, FM radio / audio recorder and support for RMVB, AVI, DAT, FLV, JPG, GIF, BMP, MP3 and WMA files. Admittedly, we're a bit bummed the likes of AAC, OGG, APE, FLAC and DivX / XviD were seemingly disregarded, but nevertheless, it should be available in the not-too-distant future for around $250.[Via PMPToday]
Toshiba intros WiFi-less Gigabeat T400
While there's still no official word of a North American release of Toshiba's WiFi-packin' Gigabeat T401, it looks like those round these parts can now get their hands on its slightly less-capable counterpart: the WiFi-less Gigabeat T400. Apart from the lack of WiFi, this one looks to be identical to the T401, with it packing 4GB of NAND flash memory, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, and support for WMV video, along with MP3, WMA, WAV and WMA Lossless audio. According to Toshiba, you can also expect about 16 hours of audio playback and 5 hours of video playback from the player's rechargeable battery. It also looks like Toshiba's decided to tone down the color options from the Japanese release, with the player now only available with your choice of blue, pink, or orange trims, each of which will set you back $120.
NT220 PMP does DVB-T, upgrades easily
Nothing too special here, just another no-name portable media player that happens to do DVB-T TV. Taiwan based Newtrend Electronics is the manufacturer of this NT220 7-inch LCD, 480x234 pixel display toting player with slots for CF, SD, MMC, MS, xD, and SMC cards -- just in case this wasn't enough of a hint, it doesn't come with any built-in storage. No pricing or availability as yet, unfortunately.[Via PMPToday]
Polaroid readying pocket-friendly budget PMP?
While Polaroid has certainly dabbled in the PMP realm before, the elusive black handheld that you see above could be its next foray. Reportedly, the not-yet-named (or at least we hope, as "Portable Media Player" would be laughable at best) device will boast a 2.2-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, USB 2.0 connectivity, 512MB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, built-in FM tuner, voice recorder, and somewhere close to 20-hours of battery life. Additionally, it's mentioned that we could see a stopwatch and a few mini-games thrown in too, and while pricing and availability details aren't confirmed, word on the street suggests that this thing will run users just under £99 ($198) -- if it ever comes out, that is.
Shenzhen Powtele rolls out touchscreen-based PMP-400
If KindyElec's China-centric PMP wasn't your thing, then perhaps this new button-less wonder from Shenzhen Powtele will be more to your liking. Boasting a 4-inch 480x272 touchscreen, this one's available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB varieties, with an SD/MMC slot provided for further expansion. You'll also get support for just about every audio/video format you could ask for, including DivX, Xvid, and OGG, along with some rudimentary e-book support, and a TV output for some bigger screen viewing. No word on a price, although it's apparently intended for markets "worldwide" -- under a number of different brand names, no doubt.[Via PMP Today]
KindyElec brings analog, digital TV together in new PMP
KindyElec's latest PMP may not be much to look at (to say the least) but it does appear to boast some fairly decent specs, including both analog and DVB-T TV tuners. Other than that, you'll get an LED-backlit 7-inch screen, along with a 40GB hard drive, a multi-format memory card reader, a promised two hours of battery life, and support for all the usual audio/video formats (including DivX). No word on a price, but if you're looking to order direct from KindyElec you're likely going to be out of luck, as they apparently won't take any orders for less than 200 units.[Via PMP Today]
X-Micro rolls out EVA 220, X-VDO F510 portable media players
It's not often X-Micro pops up on our radar, but it looks like the company is still kicking it at the PMP game, with it recently introducing another pair of new players you'll likely have trouble distinguishing from the multitude of similar devices competing for your tunes. On the low(er) end, the company's got its EVA 220 MP3 player, available in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB varieties, and boasting a 128x64 blue blacklit display, a built-in FM radio, and support for nothing more than plain old WMA and MP3 audio. Offering a few more capabilities than that its the company's new X-VDO F510 PMP, which is available in the same 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB varieties, but adds a 1.8-inch TFT display and support for video playback, among other minor upgrades. No word on pricing or availability for either of 'em just yet though, so you'll have to somehow curb your enthusiasm for the time being.Read - LetsGoDigital, X-Micro EVA 220 MP3 playerRead - LetsGoDigital, X-Micro X-VDO F510 MP4 player
odd-i stuffs DMB, GPS into P480DN portable media player
While this iteration of the P480 looks mighty similar to the one we caught at CES, it looks like odd-i decided to just stick with the same enclosure and bump up the internals in the P480DN. The Windows CE-powered handheld sports a widescreen display, built-in e-dictionary, GPS, DMB TV tuner, an SD expansion slot, and a 30GB or 60GB hard drive to boot. Unfortunately, details surrounding price and availability for the 60GB variety are nowhere to be found, but it was noted that the 30GB edition should land sometime this month for a currently undisclosed amount.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Memup's 30GB Orizon PMP looks oh-so-sleek
Mmm, nothing like a sleek, glossy black PMP to get your juices flowin'. If you tend to agree with that sentiment, Memup's Orizon should suit your fancy quite well, as the 30GB unit comes in an ebony outfit, sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution display, and even includes an SD / MMC card slot to watch media clips stored on your flash memory. You'll also find a text viewer and built-in FM tuner to complement the obligatory MP3, WMA, MPEG4, JPEG, BMP, and GIF file support, but the ability to play nice with Motion JPEG and XviD are welcome extras. Unfortunately, you're going to have to love the looks some kind of fierce in order to find value in the purported $378 pricetag. [Warning: PDF read link][Via AnythingButiPod]UPDATE: Looks like this creature may actually be a straight up rip of another. Check out Coby's PMP4330 to see for yourself.
iriver's elegant P10 PMP espied on teaser site
We've yet to really grasp what iriver is trying to show us with its perpetual stream of sexy new gizmos that we know next to nothing about, but you've got to give its marketing team a hearty round of applause as we come to the (expected) end of the series. Today we're getting a glimpse at the elusive P10 portable media player, which looks to sport a trendy white enclosure, kickstand for extended viewing sessions, expansive widescreen display, and stately integrated controls on the bezel. Interestingly, it is noted that this here rendition is a prototype of some sort, but the actual P10 should be launching "sometime this year" for a currently undisclosed price.%Gallery-4177%
Tomato rolls out U24 portable media player
South Korea's Tomato may have to endure more than a few snickers as a result of its curious choice of name, but it doesn't seem to be letting that hold it back from keeping up a steady pace with its PMPs, now adding the U24 model to its lineup. Apart from the less-than-intuitive interface, this one looks to be pretty standard fare, packing a 2.4-inch display, a built-in voice recorder, an e-book reader, a promised 15 hours of battery life, and support for Xvid movies (presumably among other formats). You'll also be able to get your choice of two variations of this particular Tomato, with both 2GB and 4GB models available, each also packing a miniSD slot for further expansion. Not surprisingly, both are only available in Korea, where they'll set you back 79,000 and 99,000 won, respectively, or approximately $85 and $107.[Via AVING]
CEA announces connection standard for portable media players
The Consumer Electronics Association's Mobile Electronics Committee looks set to shake up the portable media player industry a bit, today announcing a new connection standard for PMPs that'll extend to vehicles in addition to in-home use. While details are somewhat light, the standard (otherwise known as CEA-2017) describes a single connector that'll let you both play and charge a portable media player in conjunction with any in-home or in-vehicle audio/video device sporting the same common connector. From the looks of it, the newly-standardized connector would also seem to be well on its way to acceptance, with more than 100 companies having a hand in its development, which apparently includes a number of automakers and accessory-makers in addition to PMP manufacturers. Not so clear, however, is when we might actually start seeing devices with the connector, although we're guessing that it'll still quite a while before it truly becomes "standard."
Archos roadmap reveals fifth generation plans
The folks at Archos Lounge have managed to get a peek into the future of their raison d'être, turning up Archos's roadmap for their fifth generation of products. As you can sorta see above (a bigger version's available at the link below), the company has quite a few things in store for its ever-expanding line of portable media players, including support for BitTorrent, Flickr, and YouTube, which would also seem to make Flash support all but confirmed. From the looks of it, the 5G devices will also boast some VoIP capabilities courtesy of Skype and, most importantly for some, they'll even let you get your MySpace fix on the go. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, you'll only have to hold out a bit longer to get the complete rundown on the new devices, as Archos has already pegged June 14th as the date for the official announcement.
Epoq goes small with latest portable media player
Epoq isn't exactly the most well-known name when it comes to portable media players, but it looks to be doing its best to impress with its latest device, keeping things small while still packing in some decent specs. Up front and center is the player's relatively large 2.4-inch QVGA display, which fills up most of the face of the device and should make watching AVIs at least somewhat bearable (albeit at a max 25 fps). Other specs include your choice of 1 or 2GB of storage, with a miniSD slot for further expansion, as well as with an integrated FM radio, voice recorder, and a sure-to-be-booming built-in speaker. If that does it for ya, you can snag the 1GB player now for $100, or drop $40 more for the 2GB version.[Via Ubergizmo]
Aigo's F989 / MP-E817 PMPs are eying your kids
Let's face it, portable media players are no long reserved for the adults out there, as even Aigo has caved to the kiddos' pressures and produced its own duo of youngster-centric PMPs. Following in the footsteps of Disney and Toy Quest (among others), the F989 rocks a kid-friendly design, handheld gaming system motif, a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, SD card slot, 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio, microphone, an e-book reader, photo browser, built-in clock / calendar / stopwatch, calculator, and ten pre-loaded games to boot. Of course, it will also play back SFW / AVI files at 30fps, which should be just fine for those converted Spongebob episodes. The MP-E917 (pictured after the break) boasts a slightly sleeker interface, shares the same color monitor and video playback functionality, comes in 1GB / 2GB editions, and includes a miniSD slot for future expansion. No word just yet on pricing or availability, but we're sure your highly intelligent offspring will let you know the minute they find out.[Via PMPToday]
GeCube's PMP200 / DVRBox portable media players
Hey, we understand the need for a break from the CTIA barrage every now and then, and GeCube is delivering just that with its latest duo of portable media players. The Portable HQV Media Player (or PMP200 for short) boasts a 4.3-inch LCD, AV outputs, built-in microphone, sleek, integrated touch controls, and can reportedly hold quite a bundle of songs depending on the size of 2.5-inch hard disk drive that you cram in it. Reportedly, the PMP200 will also come in a slightly less flush rendition, which means that it'll sport the less attractive, albeit more tactile control scheme. The DVRBox unsurprisingly acts as "a portable DVR," as it records and converts DV, DVD, and TV footage to MPEG4 with "one simple click." Interestingly, this device is of the screenless variety, sports composite / S-Video ins and outs, and also comes begging for a 2.5-inch HDD to call its own. No release dates were readily available, but the sleeker PMP200 should land for around $180, while the chunkier flavor rings up for a few dollars less, and the DVRBox should demand around $139.[Via Inquirer, thanks Dave]
Cowon's D2 PMP hits North America
If you've been digging Cowon's tiny D2 portable media player but weren't quite willing to go to Korea to get one, you can now yourself some airfare (or importing fees), as Cowon America's finally seen fit to release the player over here. While some of the more colorful options have unfortunately been left behind, the player itself is otherwise identical (minus the DMB, of course), with a 2.5-inch touchscreen display, an SD card slot for expansion, TV out, FM radio, and the usual array of PMP functions, including support for less-than-common formats like FLAC, OGG, and APE. Those content with the basic black or white color options can now snag the player in your choice of 2GB or 4GB versions for $190 or $220, respectively.
Qrio intros G4, G7 portable media players
Qrio (the company, not the robot) recently rolled out a pair of new portable media players for the Korean market, offering some pint-sized viewing with its G4 device and some added gaming capabilities with its G7 unit. Opting for the G4 will give you a 2.4-inch screen with 4GB of storage, along with support for MP3, WMA, and WAV audio, as well as XviD video. The G7, on the other hand, packs a 2.5-inch screen and is available in both 2GB and 4GB versions (in either black or white), with the usual array PMP functions, as well as an added FM radio, e-book capabilities, and, of course, those built-in gaming options. Exactly what sort isn't clear, although we're guessing that, like other similar PMPs, it'll take advantage of some of the many readily (if not legally) available games that now seem to be able to run on just about anything. There doesn't appear to be any word on a price for the G7, but it looks like the G4 will set you back the won equivalent of $116.Read - AVING, Qrio G4Read - AVING, Qrio G7
DXG hops on the PMP wagon, kicks out Roadster DXG-521
When you think about DXG (if the name even rings a faint bell), a few off-the-wall digicams could come to mind, but the company best known for kicking out digital imaging products is delving into the ever-popular portable media player realm with its Roadster DXG-521. Looking slightly more like Sega's Game Gear than a sleek, pocket-friendly PMP of the modern era, this relatively unsightly device measures 4.75- x 2.25- x 0.81-inches around and reportedly sports a modest 2.5-inch LCD, 32MB of built-in memory, SD card slot, video-out, USB 2.0 connectivity, FM radio, MP3 playback, a voice recorder, four integrated video games (including Tetris), and a rear five-megapixel camera for snapping pictures on the run. Additionally, users can expect to capture external video into MPEG4 files, and while we can't say it's surprising, you can have your pick of the oh-so-trendy black / gloss white color schemes. Nah, we don't expect the video nor audio quality here to live up to the standards set by more luxurious offerings, but this doesn't look half bad for a couple Benjamins.[Via About]
