Go Play AV: Portable Audio, Video, Media and Game Players

Digital Trends provide a review of the Microsoft Zune portable media payer and are far from impressed:

The MP3 player market easily has more than 5 years under its belt. So you would think by now most manufacturers have the recipe for success down by now; copy the Apple iPod or create something innovative and new. Microsoft must have missed the company memo or something, because the Zune is nightmare wrapped in pretty packaging.

Read complete article: Microsoft Zune Review - Full Review - MP3 Players - MP3 & Media Players - I4U Reviews provided by Digital Trends

Technorati Tags: microsoft, mp3 players, portable audio, portable video, portable media player, zune

Gizmodo reports Amazon is showing the Zune is not selling too well:

According to Amazon.com’s MP3 player sales charts, the Zune is their 18th most popular portable music player. Ahead of it, unsurprisingly, are 12 varieties of iPod (including the top 5 spots). A bit more surprising is the fact that also selling better than the Zune are three flavors of SanDisk Sansas and the Creative Zen Vision: M. Looks like the social isn’t all that social just yet

MYTEXT

Read complete article: Zune Not Exactly Tearing Up the Sales Charts - Gizmodo

Technorati Tags: mp3 players, portable entertainment

Anything But iPod have review the Toshiba S30 and S60:

The highly anticipated third installment of Toshiba’s hard drive based MP3 player has finally been released after many months of waiting. Released in two different capacities, 30GB and 60GB, this player is graced with an amazing interface, powered by Microsoft’s Portable Windows Media Center. This platform allows for many easy to use features such as FM radio, photo browsing, on-the-go playlists, and video-out. Lacking in the file support area, the Gigabeat S supports MP3, WMA, WMV, and WMA Lossless. This media player is compatible with many different music services and some of the new video services. It also integrates with the Xbox 360, Tivo Series 2, and Windows Media Center.

Read complete article: Toshiba Gigabeat S30 & S60 Review

Technorati Tags: gigabeat, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video, toshiba

cNet reviewed the MusicGremlin MP3 player and music service but came up with a disappointing 6.3:

The good: Lets you download new songs to your portable without a PC; music store has about 2 million tracks; can connect to other MusicGremlins through Wi-Fi or ad-hoc connections and share music; includes an FM radio.

The bad: Music subscriptions cost $14.99 per month (otherwise, songs are 99 cents per track); only subscribers can share songs; poor battery life; merely 8GB of storage for $299; requires open Wi-Fi connection to download songs; FM radio can’t remember presets; no video, photo, or messaging capabilities; doesn’t work with Macs.

The bottom line: The MusicGremlin is a novel first effort and a boon for people who want instant access to downloadable songs, but it probably doesn’t deliver enough value to attract many users.

Read complete article: MusicGremlin (MP3 player/digital music service) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, musicgremlin

MobileMag reviews the new Archos 104 MP3 player and rate it 80%:

Pros:
- large 4GB capacity
- good build quality and materials
- very nice OLED display
- decent battery life
- good sound quality
- song selection by artist, album, genre, etc.

Cons:
- loading times
- can get warm sometimes
- can’t turn off LED when in use
- keypad lock doesn’t lock volume control

Read complete article: Archos 104 digital audio player Reviewed

Technorati Tags: Archos, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Anything But iPod has provided new of two new MP3 players from MSI, the P610 and P630:

Better know for their motherboards, MSI has two new digital audio players. Both of them with pretty much the same functions and features except the P610 is a flash based (512MB/1GB/2GB) and the P640 is micro drive based (8GB).

Read complete article: MSI P610 & P640 MP3 Players

Technorati Tags: mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, MSI

cNet put the MSI Mega Player 536 MP3 player under the microscope, but are less than impressed, giving it only a 5.3/10:

The good: The MSI Mega Player 536 has a sleek design and low price tag, and it supports protected WMA files purchased from online music stores. This MP3 player also offers good sound and high quality line-in and voice recording.

The bad: The MSI Mega Player 536 doesn’t play subscription WMA files, and it offers very limited video and image-file-format support, as well as limited ID3-tag support that’s dependant on Windows Media Player. The player also has a quirky interface, a subpar display, and mediocre battery life.

The bottom line: Attractive and feature packed, the MSI Mega Player 536 has a lot of potential on paper, but its many shortcomings make it difficult to recommend. Go for a Samsung YEPP YH-820MC instead.

Read complete article: MSI Mega Player 536 (4GB, Gray) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Trusted Reviews tell of a new media player from LG with its controller built into its screen, albeit, confusingly named, MFJM53:

Now this may only be a new one on me, but I can’t remember having seen a dedicated MP3 player with touch screen navigation before so a hearty slap on the back to LG for making one.

First, however, some heavy criticism. Why oh why oh why do companies make players with such unmemorable names?! Of Apple’s competitors only Creative can really escape without much blame but really, this device is called the MFJM53! Can you really imagine going into a store and asking for a “Mmmphjuhmmm53” or would you just give up half way through and say “Pass me an iPod”?!

We look forward to seeing how well these go. And are they a clue to how the iPod video will work?

Read complete article: TrustedReviews - LG Makes Touchscreen MP3 Player

Technorati Tags: LG, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Anything But iPod have reviewed the MobiBLU DHH-220 MP3 player:

The user interface is frustrating at first. It does not work intuitively, which makes it the biggest set back to the DHH-200. However, once you get used to it, it becomes less of an issue. Video playback is a nice extra to have, but the performance is sub par due to the poorly encoded audio playback. I really love the size of the DHH-200. It is a great size for an 8GB MP3 player, making it small enough to fit in your pocket but big enough to comfortably use it. This player will appeal to those who love features, as this MobiBLU has plenty. This player also does very well at recording and encoding. Overall it is a decent player and should be considerd if you are looking for a Microdirve based MP3 player.

Read complete article: MobiBLU DHH-200 Review

Technorati Tags: digital audio player, mobiblu, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable video

cNet review the Philips GoGear Jukebox HDD1630 MP3 player, a 6GB little sibling to the HDD6330, giving it on 7/10 although user satisfaction has been higher, at 8/10:

The good: The attractively priced Philips GoGear HDD1630 boasts a sharp, full-color display, and it’s loaded with features such as an FM radio and a voice recorder. The included earbuds are surprisingly decent.

The bad: The Philips GoGear HDD1630’s glossy, black surface is highly smudge prone, and the touch-sensitive controls are ultrasensitive. The player’s processor isn’t always up to speed.

The bottom line: The Philips GoGear Jukebox 6GB (HDD1630) will please penny-pinchers and patient power users alike, but if you demand a speedy processor in your MP3 player, look elsewhere.

Read complete article: Philips GoGear Jukebox HDD1630 (6GB) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Lookup on Amazon:

“Philips HDD1630 6GB GoGear Digital Music Jukebox” (Philips)

Technorati Tags: digital audio player, mp3 player, philips, portable audio, portable entertainment