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Taiwan based network equipment manufacturer, Alpha Networks has recently announced the release of its BitTorrent Media Player. It’s a sophisticated media player with a built-in hard disk drive to store all the digital entertainment stuff and carry along anywhere. The speciality of BitTorrent Media Player is that it allows the users to download files without switching ON their PC or notebook. The player itself is capable of streaming content using BitTorrent Tracker Sites and saves them in the integrated hard disk. You can then play the downloaded content on a TV.

Using the BitTorrent Media Player you can decode audio/video of all popular media formats. It supports RMVB/RM, WMV, MPEG-4, DivX, H.264, MKV, Avi, Asf, Vob, MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC and other file formats. You can connect the player to a high definition television and enjoy videos at full HD 1080p resolution via HDMI. The player looks a lot like the Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade console with its curvaceous body and sleek design. You can easily carry it anywhere you want. It’s an easy to use Plug n Play device. So you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand its installation and operations.

BitTorrent Media Player Key Features

• HDMI support for 720p/1080i Video Resolution
• All popular media formats supported
• Plug n Play functionality
• Peer to peer downloading
• Composite video output
• Supports RMVB
• 10/100M Ethernet LAN Port
• Easy to use GUI based software
• High speed SoC

With iAudio D2 Cowon has dipped its toe into the ultra portable player market. This is the company’s first touch screen media player that packs lots of exciting features into its sleek body. This player is so small that you can easily hide it in your fist. Everything is smooth on the player except the plastic frame that is slightly rugged to give the player optimum strength. But the touch interface is very smooth and easy to use. Although the company claims that the screen will not attract scratches easily it is highly recommended to use a screen protector for maximum safety.

That was about the overall styling of the device. Coming to the performance, the iAudio D2 lives up to the reputation the Cowon has in the market. This compact media player gives you a plethora of high-tech options and uses Cowon’s cutting edge technology to deliver supreme quality videos and outstanding acoustics. It’s a MSC/UMS compliant device and thus it can be used with Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS 9/OS X, Linux and some other forthcoming operating systems. The Cowon iAudio D2’s UI is easy to use because of the presence of intuitive navigational controls. Both the main screen as well as the inside menus offer an easy access to all the functions of the iAudio D2. Moreover, this player has got extreme capabilities with regards to battery run time, file compatibility and audio/video technologies.

Cowon iAudio D2 major selling points

• 2.5 inch TFT touchscreen
• Audio formats: MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, FLAC, APE, WAV and AAC
• Video formats: All MPEG4-SP and WMV9
• JPEG photos supported
• 52 hours audio playback, 10 hrs video playback
• SD/SDHC card slot, TV out port, FM radio, vice recorder, EQ and BBE sound enhancements

V-sport is the latest digital media player by California based Visual Land, the company known for its award winning media players. It’s a robust PMP targeted at those who want to enjoy bass filled music and crisp videos on the go. If you are hunting for a highly functional portable media player then the Visual Land V-Sport is definitely for you.

This player has got awesome playback capabilities and special graphics processing unit that renders razor sharp images and plays fluid videos in high definition. You can load variety of files in it and take it along anywhere you want. It supports variety of audio/video codecs. Besides providing support for multiple file formats the V-sport also sports a built in FM radio, which is honestly nothing special and found in countless other PMP like the Sony NWZ-E436F 4GB. The fairly average Visual Land V-Sport comes with all the necessary accessories, charger, headphones etc. and a 1 year limited warranty.

Visual Land V-sport main attractions

• 3.5 inch coloured TFT display
• Supported video files: FLV, AVI, RM, RMVB, DivX and Xvid
• Audio files supported: MP3, WMA, RA, OGG, FLAC, AAC and WAV
• Supported image files: JPG, GIF and BMP
• Compatible with TXT E-books
• TV out port
• Features internal flash memory (4GB or 8GB)
• microSD card support up to 16GB
• Built in speaker
• FM radio
• Voice recording
• Excellent sound and stunning videos
• Compact and easy to slip into the pocket or purse
• Comes with removable stand

The gadgets and gizmo blogs have been creating quite a buzz regarding the coming of the successor of the Samsung P2 media player recently. However, this is buzz is no longer mere speculation, as Samsung has recently unveiled the Slick P3 Media Player at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2009. According to Samsung, the new portable media player has been substantially enhanced, as far as the touch screen interface and sound quality is concerned.

The noticeable upgrade that the Slick P3 has got is the Samsung’s EmoTrue technology that makes the touch interface intuitive and exciting to work with. EmoTrue senses whenever the user taps his finger on the touch screen and gives back a sensational feedback to the finger so that the user knows that the instructions are received by the player successfully. This is something that the P3’s predecessor, the Samsung YP-P2J, did not do. What makes the EmoTrue so important is its intelligent gesture recognition system. It gives a different type of physical reaction for different types of touchscreen operations. There is a different physical feedback for swiping the finger, tapping the screen just once, holding down the finger for few seconds etc.

Another enhancement that this media player has received is the Samsung’s DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement. It offers excellent listening environment and natural sound effects. Other goodies include 3 inch display with 16:9 aspect ratio, photo album, voice recorder and FM radio. You will be able to pick up one for you in the first half of 2009. The Slick P3 will come in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB storage capacities.

The T80 portable media player (PMP) is the latest addition to the LG’s family of hi-fi music players. It is simply designed for those who love to listen to quality music and aspire to watch videos with uncompromised quality and smoothness. The T80 closely resembles the Apple iPhone and is touch screen enabled. It has got a bar type form factor and the overall body is slim and sleek. The front panel has got a shiny finish that does unfortunately act as a magnet for fingerprints. But still due to its awesome features and capabilities the LG T80 cannot be left ignored.

This PMP has got a big 3 inch 260k colour TFT touchscreen (420×240 pixels) which delivers razor sharp images and mind blowing videos with optimum brightness and contrast. The LG T80’s user interface also is very friendly and offers simple to use options. All you have to do is just tap your fingers on the screen and the device will respond intuitively. Above all this the LG T80 has got a unique capability of catching TV signals via DVB-T function.

LG T80 specifications

• Supported formats: MPEG, MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, ASF, JPEG
• 4 GB storage capacity
• Equalizer, 3D sound and Bass-boost function
• 5.5 hours of video playback and 3 hours of TV playback
• Excellent sound quality
• Supplied accessories: Headset, USB data cable, manual and LG Media Centre software

SlingCatcher is the latest universal media player to come from SlingMedia and it is specially designed for televisions. The user can now access the video from a variety of sources. Using this elegant player, users now have the convenience of effortlessly broadcasting video, internet and multimedia content to your television. It is equipped with a remote control that is capable of controlling any device that is connected to this SlingCatcher. In order to stream entertainment files for playback, this SlingCatcher media player also supports flash drives and USB hard drives.

SlingCatcher has another unique advantage to offer to all its users. It allows all its sling box customers to watch their home Television on some other Television, something that all the people had been longing for. The Sling Media SlingCatcher has this unique feature of catching and displaying video from all the sources such as multimedia, video and internet onto whatever television you connect it to, it could be another TV in your home or in some remote location while you are travelling.

It also incorporates both standard as well as high definition outputs such as component video, HDMI, composite video and S-video along with both digital and analogue connectors. For connecting this multimedia device to the home network this device come with a pre-installed Ethernet cable. For ensuring unparalleled control over the home television, this device comes with three applications such as SlingProjector, SlingPlayer for TV and My Media. It supports various media formats such as MPEG-2, WMA, MPEG-4, Xvid and H.264 and is compatible with other sources such as camcorders, personal DVD recordings and digital cameras.

No need to leave your mobile phones, iPods, MP3 players or any other portable gadgets at home while going out for jogging, sky diving or for any other type of physical workout. The i-Nique GeeBee 4 in 1 MP3 player Sports Armband is one of the coolest MP3 player accessories ever.

It can accommodate your ultra portable devices so safely that you can access them even during sky diving. The i-nique GeeBee 4 in 1 MP3 Player Sports Armband is fit for all types of MP3 players, DAPs, audio players and mobile phones measuring up to 105 x 65 x 22 cm.

The i-Nique GeeBee key features:

• Soft material for maximum comfort. You can wear it for long hours without any sort of irritation.
• Hard stitched to ensure complete safety. It won’t get loose even after years of usage.
• Contains two earphone ports (left and right) to house any MP3 player.
• The front is made from clear and durable plastic which let you see your MP3 display.
• Headphone cord wrapping is also offered to avoid mess and increase the manageability.
• Toughened to perform in different environmental conditions.
• Fits on any arm.
• Sporty look and groovy design.
• Night reflective material allows you to carry it in less illuminated areas too.
• Light weight.
• Available in two colours, i.e. Black and Pink.
• Life time warranty.

The NWZ-A829 is the latest sleek slim line Sony Walkman MP3 player to offer high quality photo, audio and video playback, in addition to wireless freedom when paired with Bluetooth enabled headphones. It provides phenomenal sound quality and a high resolution 2.4 inch screen for an amazing video output, both in landscape and portrait mode. This small Walkman MP3 player successfully provides the widest variety of multimedia entertainment with 16GB of built-in memory which is capable of storing around 3800 songs, hundreds of pictures and 62 hours of video.

This sleek and stylish MP3 player from Sony is enclosed in a square shaped metallic body and measures 2 x 3.75 x 0.4 inches with a high resolution 2.4 inch QVGA LCD screen. The bottom of the MP3 player is equipped with a proprietary USB connection and an output for plugging in headphones. All the buttons are confined to the right side of the Sony NWZ A829, and include mainly a button for Bluetooth activation, a rocker switch for controlling the volume and a hold switch. This MP3 player has been designed to support a variety of audio formats such as MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC and the DRM protected music files so that you do not get locked into one format.

The Sony NWZ-A829 allows you to playback your favourite videos at 30 frames per second using its M4V and MPEG 4 profile. It has a phenomenal battery life with around 36 hours of audio and 9 hours of video playback. The Sony NWZ-A829 is the best sounding and looking walkman series to date and debuts built-in Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to stream music wirelessly. As a result of all these fantastic features, the player is a top choice for all audio enthusiasts, especially those who hate the very concept of hanging cables.

The iAudio A2 is an outstanding quality MP3 player with some of the most advanced features to come from Cowon. The three factors responsible for making this MP3 player stand out among the rest, include its sleek and stylish design, vast array of features, and, last but not least, its simplicity. This MP3 player unit, which weighs only 350 grams, is capable of doing the most unexpected functions, even without the use of a computer.

Its sleek design features a 4 inch LCD screen along with silver navigation buttons mounted on a charcoal grey coloured face, while the rest of the player is coated in a pearl white finish. There are input and the output ports on the left side of the unit and a power button on the right side for switching it on and off. The control buttons provided on the MP3 player are highly intuitive and easy to operate. The IAudio A2 supports an attractive, simple and excellent user interface which makes it easily accessible. The iAudio A2 also features the unique capability of recording video directly from TVs, and DVDs.

In addition to the aforementioned features, this MP3 player is an accomplished audio performer, wherein it can not only record music or voice directly on to the device, but is also capable of recording your favourite radio shows with the help of built-in FM receiver. The Cowon iAudio A2 30GB’s beauty is its screen which is capable of displaying everything thrown on it without a loss in quality, and is very bright with a high contrast ratio and consistency. This powerful MP3 player from Cowon supports almost all audio formats including MP3, WMA and many more. The device is also an adept audio jukebox, which is capable of delivering 20 hours of continuous audio playback and 10 hours of video. All these features make it a priceless or invaluable digital entertainment accessory and companion.

The Archos 605 is a Wi-Fi portable media player with a 160GB capacity that bridges the gap between televisions, computers, digital entertainment and portability. This Wi-Fi music player allows you to easily download movies, music, and your favourite TV shows, without using any Mac or PC. You just need to have a Wi-Fi connection and you are all set to download all the media content from the Archos content portal.

The Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player features a full colour 4.3” touch screen with a high quality 800 x 480 picture resolution. This music player also features robust playback music functions and supports WAV, WMA, MP3, CBR and VBR files. The Archos 605 also features photo viewing capabilities and can also pull up PDFs for portable reviewing. It therefore provides users an excellent solution for taking bigger documents and e-books in the PDF format while travelling. The Archos 605 is a sleek portable media player with a lightweight of approximately 9.17 ounces and measures 4.8 x 3.2 x 0.6 inches.

The Archos 605 Wi-Fi portable media player is USB compatible and therefore enables the quick and easy transfer of files to any device, even in the absence of a Wi-Fi or internet connection. The device can be easily charged, either using the active USB connection, or the separately available AC connector. In addition to above stated features, it also supports one 3.5mm headphone jack, mass storage capabilities and automatic firmware downloads. This portable media player supports an advanced and high end Li-Poly battery which provides approximately seventeen hours of continuous music playback and 5.5 hours of continuous video playback.