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

The iriver clix is one of the new breed of portable media players with rhe fronmt of the device dedicated to the screen.

From the iRiver clix web page:

PLAYS MUSIC, VIDEO, PHOTOS AND MORE
The beautifully designed iriver clix features a new ultra-intuitive interface that is easily customizable to match your style. Plus, the iriver clix works with both subscription and pay-per-song music services, so millions of songs are available to you.

FEATURES
• Plays music, video, photos and more
• Supports subscription music services
• Ultra-bright, 2.2” color display
• Built-in digital FM tuner
• Plays downloaded games
• Integrated voice recorder
• Up to 25 hours of battery life
• Skip-free listening
• Alarm clock
• Fast USB 2.0 transfers
• 1 year limited warranty

PACKED WITH
• iriver clix 2GB* multimedia player
• iriver earphones
• carry case with screen cleaner
• Easy Start installation CD
• preloaded tracks from eMusic®
• preloaded games
• USB 2.0 cable
• printed manual
• 1 year limited warranty

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• Windows XP (Service Pack 1 or higher)
• Windows Media Player 10 or greater
• CD-ROM drive
• USB port

EDITOR’S NOTE: Most MP3 players will work with Mac OS X and Linux, but there may be some functionality not available on those platforms to enable usage of all media types on the clix.
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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

PC Magazine have rated the Toshiba Gigabit S portable media player a 4/5:

Bottom Line:I’m a little disappointed by the gigabeat’s short battery life and the lack of a voice recorder, but you get your money’s worth with a high-quality, elegant audio/video player that has plenty of style and polish.

Pros: Very good sound quality. Videos and photos look excellent. Interface is polished and easy to use. Very attractive. Supports WMA Lossless.

Cons: Buttons on the side should be on the front or integrated with the cross-shaped controller. No voice recorder. Short battery life for audio playback. No Audible support.

Read complete article: Toshiba gigabeat S review by PC Magazine

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

cNet have reviewed the Creative Zen V Plus portable media player, giving it an excellent, 8.3/10:

The good: The Creative Zen V Plus offers a cute, pocket-friendly design without sacrificing screen real estate, and the vivid OLED display is viewable from any angle. The player is packed to the gills with features, including an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, photo and video playback, and compatibility with subscription WMA tracks. Oh, and the sound quality and battery life are great too.

The bad: The Creative Zen V Plus’s joystick is really small and has a cheap feel to it, and we wish Creative had included all the buttons found on the Vision:M. The screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight, and there’s no UMS support.

The bottom line: The Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated design (or have large thumbs), check out the iRiver Clix instead.

Lookup on Amazon:

“Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Green)” (Creative Labs)

Read complete article: Creative Zen V Plus (2GB, white) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: Creative, creative zen, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

cNet has review the iRiver E10, giving it an excellent 8.4/10

The good: Shockwave Flash support; above-average battery life; intuitive UI; blazing fast transfer speeds; built-in TV remote.
The bad: Limited video format support; lack of bundled video conversion software; proprietary data cable.
The bottom line: At S$449, the 6GB E10 offers astonishing value with a good balance of features and performance.

Read complete article: iriver E10 (6GB) - Review : Music & Play - CNET Asia

Technorati Tags: iRiver, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video

Pocket-lint have taken a look at the Mustek DTV407 portable DVD with digital TV, and been largely unimpressed:

THE GOOD:Not much
THE BAD: Couldn’t find a digital TV reception, cheaply made, big battery
WE SAY:Overall we found little to like about the Mustek model compared to others available on the market

Read complete article: Pocket-lint.co.uk Mustek DTV407 portable DVD player with Digital TV review in DVD & PVR players

Technorati Tags: portable entertainment, portable DVD player

PC Magazine have reviewed the Creative Zen Vision:M and also found it to be a worthy iPod alternative, giving it 4.5/5:

Bottom line: The Zen Vision:M is our new favorite iPod alternative and should appeal to lots of people, but we have a feeling it’s still not going to sway the iPod-loving masses.

Pros: Good design. Excellent screen. Very good audio and video quality. Broad feature set.

Cons: Short battery life. Requires a dongle to sync, charge, and output to TV

Read complete article: Creative Zen Vision:M review by PC Magazine

Lookup on Amazon:

“Creative Zen Vision: M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player Black” (Creative Labs)

Technorati Tags: creative zen vision M, digital audio player, mp3 player, personal video player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video

TrustedReviews have provided an excellent review of the 5G iPod:

There’s also a fairly strong consensus that the iPod is still the best looking MP3 player out there. It’s just beautiful to look at. With its sleek frontage and the silver back it’s a desirable piece of tech jewellery. However, it is susceptible to scratches and finger prints so I’d recommend buying a protective case at the time of purchase – there’s certainly a wide choice available

In the review they do highlight one thing which we’d like to bring attention to - since we totally agree:

While £300 will buy you four times the capacity that you got nearly three years ago, Apple is certainly stingier with the accessories. Way back in early 2003 my 15GB iPod box contained a dock, a Firewire cable, a wired remote and a wall charger. None of that is now included. Where will this end? Will the box for the sixth generation iPod even include an iPod?

Enough said.

Read complete article: TrustedReviews - The UK’s Premier Source for IT Reviews & News

Lookup on Amazon:

“Apple 60 GB iPod with Video Playback Black” (Apple Computer)

Technorati Tags: Apple, digital audio player, ipod, ipod video, mp3 player, personal video player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video

TrustedReviews provide a review of the Creative Zen Vision:M and liek everyone else, are quite impressed:

ou’ve got to hand it to Creative. Or at least feel sorry for it. No sooner had it helped create the portable digital media player market with its Zen Jukebox, when Apple swept in relatively late in the game to sweep up all the plaudits with its iPod, the latest version of which I’ll be looking at tomorrow. To add insult to injury, it turns out that Creative even owns the patent on the interface that Apple used to such good effect - only Apple slapped a nifty wheel on the front of its device and the rest, as they say, is history. The sales figures speak for themselves.

The Zen Vision: M is the best media player Creative has yet released and as such, demands attention. The quality of its display is its biggest asset over the fifth generation iPod, and it offers navigation innovations such as a shortcut button. It’s still not as stylish as Apple’s player or quite as effortless to use, but its the best case yet presented on why you should consider a media player other than an iPod.

Read complete article: TrustedReviews - The UK’s Premier Source for IT Reviews & News

Lookup on Amazon:

“Creative Zen Vision: M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player Black” (Creative Labs)

Technorati Tags: creative zen vision M, digital audio player, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video