Still a huge list of MP3 players, PMP’s, PVP’s and other similar acronymed portable music and video players that we havn’t had time to mention from the CES gadget fest last week. Koreans iAudio/Cowon ( JetAudio in the USA) had a bunch of funky looking new models–new to the USA that is, some of these have been floating around the Far East for a while– on show in Las Vegas. The iAudio5 (pictured below) has a choice of flash memory ranging from 256MB right up to 2GB. It has a color screen, USB 2.0, support for Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WMA and the newer secure Janus/WMA (see PlayForSure.com, better known as PayForMore amongst digital cynics). Other Flash memory players included the G3, and the U2. Cowon were also showing off the 20GB hard drive big brother M5 and the unexpected A2 portable media player.

Elsewhere there was the Korean Enox EMX 830 said to be the worlds smallest and lightest MP3 player and featuring capacity ranging from 256MB to 1GB.

LG had the 20GB MF-HE 700 with color screen and MP3, Ogg, WMA and video playback function, FM tuner/recorder and voice recording capabilities. And another name new to these shores was Koreans Ezav who were showing off the smooth looking EMP 500 flash player, with the usual 256MB-1GB range, color display and direct MP3 encoding feature.

Related Links

iAudio Cowon Forums [iAudiophile.net]
CES 2005 Portable Audio and Video [CNet]
DAP Review [DAPReview.net]

If you want to see just why there are so many manufacturers fighting for the digital portable audio market right now, aside from all the iPod hype, sales of MP3 players more than doubled in 2004, to 6.9 million units, with dollar sales nearly tripling to $1.2 billion, according to data released by the Consumer Electronics Association. The CEA (organisers of the CES) projects that MP3 player sales in 2005 will reach 10 million units and $1.7 billion in dollar sales.

So another tidal wave of MP3 and multi media devices to mention from CES this week, some of them we’ve mentioned before but its the first US appearance for most of them here. Panasonic had four new flash players on show including the SV-SD100 (pictured above) with 256MB and an OLED screen MP3, WMA and AAC playback. Unremarkable judging by the spec but some unusual shapes in the 512MB units the SV-MP120V and the SV-SW120V.

The SAFA SR-M800 model we highlighted last month. There are four models, the 128mb M800F , 256mb M820F , 512mb M850F and the 1GB capacity M890F . The players are available in four colours, blue, red, black and silver. Besides having an integrated FM tuner, line-in recording, and built-in speakers, it also has a 1.5-inch 65,000 color LCD screen you can use to look at your digital photos.

Taiwanese ASmart Technology have some unusual flash models including the weird looking SU-745 and the U-538 (pictured above) both in 128 and 256 sizes and with SD/MMC slots for expansion. RCA/ Thomson introduced the 5 GB Lyra Mini Photo with a 1.5inch LCD screen (where everyone else is already moving to OLED) and a $270 price tag (more than the iPod Mini benchmark of $249).

Related CES News

DAP Review [DAPReview.com]
Report: 2004 U.S. MP3 Player Sales Double to 6.9 Million [CE.org]
I4U CES 2005 News Coverage [i4U.com]

As well as all the usual leading audio manufacturers displaying new MP3 players at this years CES that market is set to get decidedly busier in 2005 with a whole raft of new names (at least to the US) showing off an interesting (though not exactly ground breaking) group of new models. The Mobiblu brand from Korean firm Hyun Won Inc. have some sharp looking players on show.

Three flash models are making their US debut, the DAH 1000 and 1200 both come in choices of 128/256 and 512MB while the 1400 has a 256/512 and 1GB memory option. The DHH-100-5 has a 5GB HDD and is compatible with MP3 and WMA and also the newer DRM’ed WMA format. The feature rich unit has built in voice recorder, USB 2.0, an SD/MMC memory card slot and built in stereo speakers and direct MP3 plug and play encoding (rip without a PC) and retails for $229.

Related Reading

MobiBlu DHH 100-5GB Review [Cnet Reviews]
I4U CES 2005 News Coverage
[i4U.com]
CES 2005 Daily Updates [CrutchfieldAdvisor.com]
Portable Audio and Video CES 2005 [CNet News]
Engadget at CES [Engadget.com]

Dont know a whole lot about Korean gadget manufacturer IOPS but they have a handful of nice but quite generic looking flash players. At CES they are showing off the F4 model which plays WMA, MP3 and Ogg, has USB 1.1, comes in four colors and four memory sizes, the pretty standard 128/256/512 and 1GB flavors. There’s FM receiver and recording, voice recorder, direct encoding feature and OLED display. No details on price or availability. The model is marketed in Europe via Czech Republic based brand Emgeton.

Related Reading
Global Gadget Sales Seen Up 11 Percent in 2005 [Reuters.com]
2005 International CES:Audio [CESWeb.org]

There’s an overused buzz word, the PVP, or the Portable Video Player, or PMP, the Portable Media Player. Whatever. Chicago based Ovideon are better known for their LCD TV screens though they have jumped on the increasingly crowded PVP/PMP bandwagon with the promising looking Aviah portable media player/recorder.

The Aviah player/recorder comes with an integrated TV/Cable Tuner, 5GB 1 inch microdrive, 2.2 inch high res 521 x 218 pixel OLED display, voice recording, Windows Media, DivX, JPEG, MP3 and AVi compatibility and a weight of 5.1 ounces. The device will retail for $599.

Related Reading

Best PVPs [BestPVPs.com]
PVP For You [PVP4U.com]
Portable Video Players [CNet Reviews]

Atlanta based Giant International are at CES showing off some of their Tao brand consumer electronic devices, in particular the Tao WiFi MP3 player and the XM 2Go handheld satellite radio receiver.

The black clad WiFi MP3 unit has a 20GB hard drive and the device lets you download music from anywhere you have WiFi access and can transmit MP3′s to your car or home stereos or any FM radio using the FM transmitter. It’ll be available for around $350 retail.

“The Tao WiFi MP3 once again allows us to deliver on the promise of the Tao brand by bringing wireless downloads to MP3 players,” said Cortlandt Minnich, vice president of marketing for Giant International. “Now, music and audio book lovers with active lifestyles can update their collections whenever they wish and wherever they go.”

Rival gadget maker Soniqcast were the first to market with a wireless MP3 player with the Aireo which appeared February 2004 though was ‘hampered’ by its small 1.5GB drive and chunky size. The sleeker looking 20GB Aireo 2 will follow in mid 2005. Oh, and the Aireo 2 and the Tao WiFi Mp3 look identical, except one’s white, (Aireo) and one is black (Tao).

Related Links

Tao Life [TaoLife.com]
Squeeze Box [SlimDevices.com]
Barix Exstreamer [SmartHome.com]

All the hype may be about the expected Apple anouncements in San Francisco (the much rumoured Flash iPod and 5GB Mini Pod for two) at the Mac World Expo in a few days time (January 10-14th), but a few days earlier–January 6-9th– in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show 2005 there are bound to be a barrage of new MP3 players unveiled, not least from the Far East.

If Apple are going to show off a flash-memory based player, whats it going to be, 512MB, 1GB ? The bar may already have been set and raised by Korean gadgets kings EZMax who are set to unleash the EZMP-4100 at CES. Looking like just another sub 1Gig flash player the 4100 actually boasts a 2GB drive inside which is double the capacity of nearest rival, the 1gb Creative Muvo Micro N200 and also half the physical size.

There is line-in and voice encoding, a dual earphone jack to share your music with a friend, FM tuner/encoder and even support for open source audio codec OGG Vorbis and the usual MP3 and WMA formats. There is an OLED display and fast USB2.0 connection. If the company can compete pricewise (the Muvo N200 retails for $200) this one will certainly create some ripples against the established giants in the US.

Related Links
Creative Muvo Micro N200 (1GB) [Cnet Asia]

Korean MP3 manufacturer Muzio are introducing another new model next month to add to their range of flash-memory based MP3 players. The JM300 comes in 256/512 and 1GB sizes, three colors (black, red and silver), supports MP3, Ogg Vorbis and WMA and weighs 45.5g with dimensions of 70 x 44.5 x 19mm.

The device has a 180 degrees swivelling USB connector, two headphone outs, FM radio and recording, a watch function, 3D sound support, voice recording and direct encoding feature. No news on USA prices or availability as yet. Muzio have also started to branch out into the increasingly popular HDD player market with the JMH 1000 a 1 inch HDD 4GB model, the companies biggest capacity model so far, though already surpassed by the new breed of 5GB mid range players appearing elsewhere.

Related Links

AVing Korea [Aving.co.kr] Google Translation
South Korea Pushes Digital Music Ubiquity [DigitalMusicNews]
South Korea Leads the Way [CNet News]
MPIO Korea [Mpio.com]
iRiver Korea [iRiver.com]

BenQ are Taiwan’s market leading flash-based MP3 player manufacturer with around 20% of local market share and are cashing in on the increased demand for larger capacity players with the release this month of the Joybee 720, which was originally unveiled in prototype form at Japans Createc back in October.

The 99 x 58.4 x 14.7mm, 114gram sized player looks like it’ll be aimed at the UK and Australia outside of the local market where its list price is $9900Taiwan ($311 equiv.). The 5gb player uses a Seagate 1 inch drive and has a slot for SD/MMC cards.It has the standards like WMA and MP3 compatibility, FM radio, 1.8 inch color display, USB 2.0 and 10 hour battery life.

Oddly there is no voice recording facility, something which usually comes as standard on these things. Again, a nice looking, full featured player in the increasingly busy mid sized market, but it’ll take something more to dislodge the iPod mini which is expected to increase capacity early 2005 from 4 to 5GB (using the same Seagate hard drive).

Related Reading

Apple Begins Manufacturing New iPod Mini Player [AppleInsider.com]
Apple Readies 5GB iPod [theRegister.com]
Creative Zen Micro [Creative]
Zen Micro Review [PCMag.com]
5GB MP3 Players [i4u.com]
Micro Hard Drive MP3 Players [CNet Reviews]