iRiver PMP-120
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iRivers PMP-120 device is classified as a Personal Media Player. While viewing video clips and still images plus playing audio files are the main focus of this piece of kit, you also get a built-in radio and voice recording facilities. The device obviously owes a great deal to the games console style of design with its two hand grips and control buttons on either side of the body plus a centrally mounted viewing area. The hand grips also double as props to hold the player in an upright position when placed on a flat surface.
There is no way to adjust the viewing angle which could cause problems in certain circumstances. While the quality of the devices 3.5 inch TFT LCD (320 x 240) is more than acceptance, a degree of viewing angle adjustment would have been appreciated. However other aspects of the screen display, such as its brightness and video position, can be customised.
As already mentioned, iRiver has positioned the various controls along either side of the device. These controls include a navigation pad plus power, play/pause/stop, record and a NAVI button for accessing general settings. You also get a button for context sensitive help which I was forced to use on many occasions as I struggled to get to grips with the various controls and the idiosyncratic method of working required for the device. This aspect of the PMP-120 definitely needs some work.
iRiver has opted to base its software on Linux rather than any Microsoft offerings. However this does not mean you are cut off from any Windows interaction. When linked to a Windows-based system (it is also compatible with a Mac), the PMP-120 will appear as a detachable hard drive.
In this mode you can carry out various management tasks such as transferring or deleting files. Separate connection sockets are provided for USB 1.1 and USB 2.0. Using the latter option I was able to copy 775MB of MP3 files, spread over 199 files in 26 folders, to the PMP-120 in 1 minute 35 seconds. With such transfer speeds there should be no reason not to regularly change the content on the devices 20GB storage capacity. Other supported audio file formats include WMA, ASF and WAV.
With 20GB capacity you should be able to storage many hours of video or 5,000 music tracks. For those, like me, who do not really fancy watching around five hours of video on a small screen (which is possible using the PMP-120s rechargeable lithium-ion battery), the PMP-120 provides the means of linking to a television for its output. This does negate the portability advantage of the device but at least you do have the option.
The ability to play movies, even on its small screen, on a portable device is an obvious attraction for many users. However you are unable to record direct from a DVD. The necessary files will first have to be ripped to the computer before being transferred to the PMP-120. How this would relate to any legal issues with commercial DVDs is another matter and outside my range of expertise. Video support is provided for AVI, ASF, DivX 3.11, 4.0 and 5.x files. A Picture album feature allows you to store and view JPG and BMP files.
While the device does have a built-in speaker this has rather tinny output and most users will opt for using the supplied ear-bugs or a better quality headset. There is a built-in FM radio with up to 20 pre-set channels and there is also a microphone enabling the PMP-120 to be used as a voice recorder.
The iRiver PMP-120 device does have some obvious attractions in that it can provide video and audio playback with FM radio and voice recording capabilities. Unfortunately it is held back by its rather confusing menu system which makes using the device too much like hard work for me. Pricing should be in the region of £350.
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