Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Wired News: Movie, TV Fans Ogle Video to Go

Wired News: Movie, TV Fans Ogle Video to Go "The wait at the airport or the train ride downtown may soon seem a whole lot shorter. New portable video players that let you watch TV shows, movies or ballgames anywhere aspire to be digital entertainment's next big thing. Experts predict a rosy future for the devices -- provided worthwhile content is available.
Unlike portable DVD players that require schlepping discs, the new devices can copy content stored on a PC, or record programs directly from TVs or VCRs. Consumer electronics companies including Samsung, Creative Labs, RCA and others are rolling out portable video players that can store 50 full-length movies or thousands of songs.
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"Gartenberg said although Apple fans are craving a video equivalent to the popular iPod music player, he doesn't expect the company to jump in until the market has been established. "It's not about being first to market. Apple wasn't the first to market with the MP3 player. They were first with the best MP3 player," Gartenberg said.
Analyst Bajarin said Apple will let companies like Creative Labs and Samsung "take the arrows" as the market develops before considering developing a portable video player. Bajarin added that Sony, which invented the Walkman 25 years ago, would be "extremely competitive" if it chose to enter the fray. Bajarin expects that another seven or eight portable video players will be available by the end of the year."

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