iriver PMC120 20 GB Portable Media Center Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The PMC-120 is the player for you IF you happen to own a computer running Windows XP Media Center Edition - a recent creature that turns your computer into a kind of TiVo, recording TV programs directly onto your hard drive.I do in fact own a Dell MCE model, and have scads of TV shows I'd like to take on the road with me, as well as vacation photos (*.jpg), music, etc.

Pros: The PMC syncs neatly with Window Media Player 10 to convert my TV files (*.dvr-ms) to a format playable by the portable player.Installation and translation of files is straightforward - you just build a playlist and hit "synchronize."The portable's screen is bright and the controls are much more intuitive than I-River's other model, the PMP-120 (P not C).There is a USB port built in so, if your digicam also has a port, presumably you could send photos right to the player without going home to your computer.It's a nice way to show people your snapshots.

Cons:The PMC is so reliant on Windows Media Player that other files formats are not so easilyhandled (how to translate DVDs, for example, is not clear - presumably it's possible if you use third-party translation software).So if you don't have a Media Center computer you are better off with the PMP or with another brand.Translation is slow and doesn't always work: of the first three files I tried, one got corrupted in the process and two worked ok but have some minor problems in syncing the audio and video.

Finally, I-River support is more-or-less non-existent.Thus, although I'm happy to own one, if you wait for another year to buy one you'll probably get better (faster, cheaper, easier) results.Although I'm fond of mine, it's very much a first-generation contraption at this point.

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Product Description:
The iRiver PMC 120 is a mobile media powerhouse, featuring a 20 GB hard drive that can store up to 80 hours of video or 600 hours of CD-quality music. It also has a vivid 3.5-inch LCD for playing your favorite video footage on the go and a TV-out for displaying video and images through a television or display. The USB 2.0 connectivity makes it fast and easy to transfer songs, photos and videos from the computer to the 9.6-ounce device. Other features include a built-in speaker, a "kickstand" support for positioning the device, and USB mass storage capability--enabling you to transfer important documents and presentations to the PMC 120's memory. The rechargeable, replaceable lithium-ion battery offers up to 14 hours of battery life when playing back audio, or up to 5 hours with video.
It runs Microsoft's Portable Media Center (PMC) operating system, which is essentially a portable version of the familiar and intuitive Windows Media Player found on your PC. Use Windows Media Player's AutoSync feature to synchronize content stored on your PC with the PMC-120. It will also play recorded TV programs transferred from a Windows XP Media Center Edition PC.
The PMC-120 supports Windows Media DRM 10 and the ability to play back digitally protected Windows Media Audio and Video files, providing access to the more than 1 million tracks available in Windows Media Audio format from more than 60 online music stores as well as content from the CinemaNow.com online movie site and Major League Baseball's MLB.com.
What's in the Box
iRiver PMC 120, iRiver earphones, quality carrying case, USB 2.0 cable, TV out cable, installation CD-ROM, and AC adapter

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