Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Take a look at the soon-to-be released ViewSonic MovieBook, a personal media player with a MSRP of $149.99 (which probably means around $100 street).  So why talk about this media player over others?  The ViewSonic MovieBook can play lots of video and audio formats at a low price.  Take a look at the list: AVI, FLV, MPA, MOV, PMP, MPG, VOG, DAT, RM/RMVB, H.264 and H.263 and MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG and DTS/AC3.

If you have a video collection on your PC that is encoded in various formats and you don’t feel like re-encoding everything, the ViewSonic MovieBook starts to look a lot more interesting.  ViewSonic does not make you install any software to add files as that is done by drag and drop.  Also, if you’re having a hard time justifying the cost of an external battery pack for your super-cell phone, maybe carrying another PMP is the solution?

Apart from movies, the device can play music and display photos on its 4.3-inch screen at a resolution of 800 x 480.  The MovieBook also has a HD out and can display 720p video using component video cables.  There is even a remote control included so you can control the MovieBook from afar.  This version of the MovieBook does not have a touch screen, but ViewSonic is looking to bring that feature to a later version in the future. 

There is 8GB of internal storage which is expandable using the Micro SD port.  Battery life is expected to be at around five hours for video and six hours for audio.  The MovieBook will come in three colors: pink, white, and black. 

The interface is very similar to the Sony cross-navigation on the PSP and PS3.  The layout of the interface was clear, although a redesign of the hard buttons could help the navigation.  Video looked good on that 4.3-inch screen and the player was surprisingly light.  It weighs about the same as a BlackBerry at around 10 ounces (300 grams).  If this device becomes available at a $99 price point, it might do very well.

Company Site: [ViewSonic]

Check out the gallery: Hands on with the ViewSonic VPD400 MovieBook PMP and first impressions