New Gadgets Provide Home Entertainment Centers In Miniature

One of the most fascinating new types of gadgets on the market is the
portable video device. Portable video devices are also called portable
media devices and sometimes portable entertainment devices, and are
direct descendants of the MP3 player. In addition to the digital audio that
MP3 players could provide, portable video devices can play video on built
in color LCD screens, display digital photos on the same screen, and many
models can even be used to play video games as well. These gadgets
have a lot of features built into small packages and come in a tremendous
variety of different models that range from very basic models all the way up
to systems in miniature.

On the lower end of the portable video device spectrum are models that
are about the same size as many audio only digital devices, yet have a
surprising capacity to store video. These gadgets can easily fit in the palm
of one's hand and display video on a screen only an inch or two across,
depending on the model. These gadgets can cost as little as fifty dollars
and are available anywhere.

On the larger end of the spectrum are some really impressive portable
video devices. These gadgets have hard drives that are bigger than the
hard drives in the computers that many of us are still using, and can store
anywhere from dozens to hundreds of hours of video depending on the
format that the video is stored in. Archos is a major manufacturer of these
gadgets and builds a ton of features into its higher end models. For
example, Archos makes one model that has a screen that's over four
inches across that has touchscreen functionality. This model has built in
WiFi capabilities that enable it to access the Internet in a variety of different
locations that have wireless hot spots. It even has a built in Opera web
browser and the ability to zoom in on specific parts of a web page in order
to allow its user to read the page better. It can also display the contents of
its screen on a normal TV set in order to provide better visibility. It can also
display PDF files that it has downloaded from the Internet as well.

Archos also provides an impressive array of accessories for its higher end
portable video gadgets. For example, it's possible to get various docking
stations for the devices that enable them to record video that other devices
play. This, combined with the ability to display video on a TV screen, can
make an Archos portable video device the DVR component of your home
entertainment center. This is especially useful because it provides the
option of watching anything on the gadgets hard drive either on the full
sized TV set or on the go, and the decision can be made on a moment's
notice. Archos also supplies video cameras that can be mounted on bike
helmets so that its portable video devices can essentially be converted into
camcorders. Plus, with options of recording video in MPEG-2 or MPEG-4
formats, these high end gadgets give their users a good deal of control
over how video is recorded.

If you're a busy person who loves TV and video, these entertainment
centers in miniature are the perfect gadgets for you.


About the author:

J. Hall writes articles about the latest developments in technology, electronics, and television. She'd like to inform you about the latest Dish Network
services and how you can find the best Dish Network Promotional Offers.