Listen to - and Watch - the Hand By Darryl Wilkinson October 24, 2005 — Pity those poor manufacturers of portable audio and video devices whose names don't begin with an "A" and who don't make gadgets with a model numbers starting with a lower-case "i". HandHeld Entertainment, makers of one of those "not an iPod audio/video" portables, sees an avenue to fame and success in offering a handheld portable player that costs significantly less than an iPod from Apple. Prior to Apple's much ballyhooed introduction earlier this month, HandHeld Entertainment announced plans for the next generation of their digital video/audio/photo media players.

The ZVUE MP4 Video Player, first introduced in 2003, is a portable device with a 2.5-inch color screen (240 x 160), which the company says can deliver full-motion video at 15 frames-per-second. The ZVUE stores and plays videos, MP3 audio, and JPEG digital still photos using SD or MMC flash memory card media. Digital content can be loaded onto one of the removable memory cards or downloaded directly to the unit itself from a PC with a USB 1.1 connection.

HandHeld Entertainment offers ZFLICKS, a free software program that allows users to create ZVUE-compatible videos from external video sources such as camcorders or DVD recorders. The company also offers free video content for ZVUE players on its web site, www.zvue.com.

The next-generation ZVUE players - slated to sell for between $149 and $199 MSRP - will feature on-board flash memory, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and be compatible with Windows Media Video (WMV) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) through the use of Microsoft's secure Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. Microsoft DRM support will give users the ability to download audio and video content purchased from online providers, such as Walmart.com, Rhapsody, and Yahoo! Music, as well as from ZVUE's own web site. HandHeld Entertainment says this feature will make them the first company to offer a Windows DRM-enabled portable media player for less than $200.

The youth market is a primary target for the ZVUE. "Since price is still a concern for most young consumers, you can be sure that when the next generation ZVUE hits store shelves, it will still cost a lot less than any video-iPod," said Jeff Oscodar, president and CEO of HandHeld Entertainment.

But it probably won't have a fancy, star-studded intro covered by media from around the world…