Just caught this over at PDAbuzz, just thought I'd post it over here and see what people though... It's a hard drive based portable video player that one assumes would integrate with a Replay. As the "only software people left at sonic blue", one wonders if the empeg guys have anything to do with it?

Sonicblue Developing Portable Video Player

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As the "only software people left at sonic blue", one wonders if the empeg guys have anything to do with it?

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I saw a comment from Rob saying they were the only *Audio* software guys at SB now.

I'm sure there are lots of other Software people at SB, how else would the software for the Replay TV and other devices get designed and/or written?

re: PVP, thats next years release - think CES2003 for a release.

Rob mentioned over on the Rio Central and Receiver BBS recently that they had some new products coming out "Real soon now".

I think a cool handheld mp3 player that does a better job than the Riot would be a good start - a sort of iPod for the non-Apple population out there.

Theres also a Rio Receiver replacement - maybe a modified ReplayTV that can play Video/TV and well as (or instead, can play) MP3 music perhaps?

a sort of iPod for the non-Apple population out there.

Kinda like the iPod for Windows? :-)

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a sort of iPod for the non-Apple population out there.

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Kinda like the iPod for Windows? :-)

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Well not quite, kinda like a device with USB2.0 not firewire, something that like the iPod recharges while docked,
But comes with emplode software in the box, not as some artermarket afterthought (which the iPod for Windows is) to make up/downloading so much better.
And of course, doesn't come encumbered with DRM crappola.

But other than that sure.

Hmm, would USB 2 be able to provide enough power to charge a device like this decently?

And for it to match the iPod, it would have to be able to act as a hard drive as well. This is one of my many reasons for eyeing an iPod right now, the best portable player on the market, and a portable hard drive to boot.

USB 1.0 can supply 500ma down the USB bus lines [part of the spec] and i'm sure USB2.0 would supply at least that, if not more.

500ma while not a lot and shared across multiple devices would allow at least a reasonable charge rate while still running the device - especially if like the empeg the disks are only running when the unit is playing music.
And if you leave it docked all day, it should be able to charge it up enough to run it during the [long] trip home on the bus or train or whatever.

If you need more current a external USB hub will be able to supply such power - I have a Belkin USB (1.0) hub thing at home that comes with a wall wart that enables it to supply 500ma down each of the 4 USB ports it has on it.

If you plug your emPod* to your USB bus on a dedicated port, then I would think the system can supply it with enough juice for it to run and charge the batteries even if a trickle charge.
Over 8 hours that would be enough to keep it topped up I think.






*emPod name and associated logos are Trade Marks of Everyman Enterprises :-)))

You can obtain a PCI firewire card for around 10-15UKP now and since many PC users don't have USB2 yet, it's not too much of an inconvienience to fit an extra card (apart from laptop users maybe).

The iPod doesn't really have any DRM. It doesn't allow you to download your music to another Mac, but not only is that easily circumvented, but it isn't much of an issue anyway.