

ZVUE's $99 Video and MP3 Player 202
blackmonday writes "Hand Held Entertainment's ZVUE is an MP3 player, video and photo viewer with a color screen. At the price of $99, I think it might be worth the investment for the hacking potential alone. Uses Secure Digital/MMC cards rather than Compact Flash, but looks very cool. The funniest part - you can buy cartridges (apparently in some propietary format) of low budget wrestling movies and wannabe rapper videos."
Awsome gadget! (Score:4, Interesting)
Maybe I could use it for the OBD-II [obdii.com] display?
Re:Awsome gadget! (Score:2, Interesting)
PCMag Review link - also, it plays DivX (Score:5, Informative)
Re:PCMag Review link - also, it plays DivX (Score:2, Informative)
Anyone know what the screen resolution on this thing is & what video output options it has?
Re:PCMag Review link - also, it plays DivX (Score:2)
If you buy one now hoping for the promise of DivX "someday," then I wish you the best of luck.
YEAH! It's been re-affirmed! (Score:2)
"Content is King"
These 'z-card' folks have found a formula that can't fail.
My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:5, Funny)
I' think I must be dyin,
Today sure hits the spot
cuz I got my first article posted on slashdot!
Can I get a hell yeah?
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:3, Funny)
but for now you better get in line.
I've had a few [slashdot.org] in my day,
but the hall of fame [slashdot.org] is still far away.
Congrats! Be sure to show off the addition to the bottom of your user page [slashdot.org] to all your buddies.
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:4, Funny)
My web server is die'n
The CPU's too hot
cuz my site got posted on slashdot!
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:3, Funny)
Where did the haiku's go to?
Oh the good old days.
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:2)
No, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:2)
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:2)
Re:My Own Low Budget Rap... (Score:2)
Too much hype... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yet another memory card format to contend with, ugh.
Pretty hyped site. Little on useful information. :-/
Re:Too much hype... (Score:5, Informative)
Yet another memory card format to contend with, ugh.
va? SD/MMC have been out for a LONG time - its not news that they are being used within handhelds or portable equipment. they have been in use in both palm and pocket pc devices for well over two years now - not to mention that there are many cameras, mp3 players that use this format as well. if your going to bitch about a new format, try bitching about XD
But I've already got CF (Score:2)
I'd like to be able to use my current flock of cards with any future purchases.
Re:But I've already got CF (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Six inch floppies? (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't be so kind. There have never been "six inch floppy disks" - though there have been three inch floppy disks.
However, consider that we still have people referring to 3.5" floppy disks as hard disks, to their monitor as their computer, and the actual tower case just as "that thing that you plug the printer into" and I'm not surprised.
Re:Six inch floppies? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Six inch floppies? (Score:2)
Re:Too much hype... (Score:2)
Re:Too much hype... (Score:2)
Re:Too much hype... (Score:2)
Re:Too much hype... (Score:4, Insightful)
SD is great when the card has to be as small as possible. Some devices that use SD would have to be quite a bit larger in order to use CF instead.
CF is "memory for the masses." If space is not the issue, then CF fits the bill. Because it is larger, you can fit a microdrive in the case. And if you want solid state, the case will hold a larger die and/or multiple dies in one package for storage galore.
If both SD and CF were almost the same size, I could see the reason for your gripe. But one is smaller/expensive and the other is larger/versatile/cheaper.
Re:Too much hype... (Score:2, Insightful)
It's not a battle, really. It's a question of the device. Sure, it would be nice to have a single [cross-platform] standard that everyone can play with. But, a CF card would almost double the size of my MP3 player (MPIO FL100). In the case of small devices (no innuendos, pls.) the US postage stamp-sized SD is the way to go.
xD (Score:2)
Seriously, xD isn't a bad format at all. Sure, it lacks an onboard controller, but the pins on xD readers break a lot less than the ones on SD readers (at least in the equipment I work on) and it doesn't have any of that annoying space-eating encryption stuff.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Too much hype... (Score:3, Funny)
Because even beyond the flavor of embedded OS or Ogg support, the portable device deal breaker for the true geek is whether or not it can be added to the "belt arsenal".
Re:Too much hype... (Score:4, Informative)
6-8 hours video (Score:2, Informative)
Doesnt suck power. It is hard to run a flashlight for 6-8 hours and the backlight is just as bright as one- so it uses an expensive LED backlight.
Specs are 200 MHZ ARM9 with 160x234 screen at 24 bit color. The screen uses fast fluid for video unlike most PDA screens.
It probably runs linux already.
Pretty easy to re-encode videos to the DIVX Handheld or portable profile if
Re:Too much hype... (Score:2)
$40 Game Boy add-on (Score:2)
Well if you want to stick to CompactFlash, and you've got a Game Boy Advance, you can get the $40 GBA Video Player [i4u.com].
Hmmmm..... (Score:5, Interesting)
TWO WORDS: CASE MOD (Score:2)
What would it take to cut a zvue-sized hole in the front of a humidor and run wires it to a mini-itx inside?
Or is this painfully obvious? Has someone who Really Knows done something a lot better already?
Why can't you just USE the damned thing?? (Score:5, Funny)
I bet it could be used as a pretty neat MP3 and video player too!
Low Budget Porn Cards (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Low Budget Porn Cards (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Low Budget Porn Cards (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, and I need 'em both.
LK
Re:Low Budget Porn Cards (Score:2)
Yes.
I just don get it... (Score:5, Funny)
Hot new music videos, extreme radical sports, wild, action videos that wreak havoc and lay waste
Who the hell uses the word "radical" anymore? WTF are "wild, action video that wreak havoc and lay waste"
Ugh.. just lame...
--D3X
NeoX3.com: The One Site for Free Adult Entertainment... [neox3.com]
Awesome. Awesome to the MAX. (Score:2)
Gag me with a spoon! (Score:2)
[rubs eyes] damnit! I hate when I transmogrify into a Valley Girl!
Finally ! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Finally ! (Score:2)
I hope their video players... (Score:3, Funny)
Five comments, and already slashdotted. Sigh.
=)
Re:I hope their video players... (Score:2)
OK, now that we've got that out of the way, anyone else got any info on these things? I found a review [go.com] but it has no pics.
a bit small? (Score:1, Interesting)
Does not the detail as such become less apparent. Maybe when it has a bulit in projection device it may become fully useful. So far it just seems a mp3 player.
Re:a bit small? (Score:2, Interesting)
zvue announced DivX and MP4 compatibility (Score:5, Informative)
Re:zvue announced DivX and MP4 compatibility (Score:5, Informative)
Re:zvue announced DivX and MP4 compatibility (Score:4, Informative)
In reality, we subjected the ZVue player to our full battery of DivX Certified tests. There are several dozen test cases that use a large sample of representative DivX video content downloaded from the Internet. We make sure that every DivX Certified device meets minimum standards of quality (e.g., no freezes on high motion scenes, good ff and rew performance, and of course high-visual-quality DivX video playback) before we allow the product to be marketed using the DivX name. A typical product goes through several rounds of testing (with major and minor tweaks to hardware, firmware, etc. along the way) before it passes all the tests.
Re:zvue announced DivX and MP4 compatibility (Score:2)
great... (Score:5, Funny)
---
How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on.
Re:great... (Score:2)
** apologizes for the mental image **
Re:great... (Score:2)
You must be new here.
You can be first to get a new ZVUE! (Score:1)
Full Color! High-Res! on a 2" x 2" screen :( (Score:2)
I'd rather have a bigger screen at the cost of some color and video quality. Does it atleast allow me to stream video out to a bigger monitor/TV? The FAQs and other pages don't say anything about it.
Re:Full Color! High-Res! on a 2" x 2" screen :( (Score:4, Funny)
I'd rather have a bigger screen at the cost of some color and video quality.
Hmm.... Looks like I've found a buyer for my 5 year old 10" black and white TV. In fact, I'll sell it to you for the same price as this gadget, just 100 bucks.
Re:Full Color! High-Res! on a 2" x 2" screen :( (Score:2)
Here's your answer: It costs $99.
Hmm.. (Score:2)
<p>
How would these be any different from big budget wrestling movies and non-wannabe rapper videos?
<p>
Though I'm imaging somewhere at a demonic alter representatives of the RIAA/MPAA are asking for guidance on how they can let out the lawyer dogs on this thing. I can see it now... "Well, it can view video and play muisc and well we control all things video and music, but we don't control this, therefore it must be ablitera
Re:Hmm.. (Score:2)
Loading ... (Score:4, Funny)
Are they using this gadget to power their site?
A CD-based device? (Score:4, Interesting)
Imagine one of those little round MP3-CD players, except it has a small color screen instead of 2 line LCD-readout, and it property display video files,
Does such exist? Am I the only one who would be interested in it?
Re:A CD-based device? (Score:2)
Probably. The rest of us would be more interested in a portable DVD player, which they have already, and you can actually SEE the screen on. They're getting really cheap too.
Of course, you can also get a 300 MHz 12" ibook for about $400, and you can do whatever you want with that...
Re:A CD-based device? (Score:2)
A custom chip and plug in card converts the securemedia requests to cdrom accesses and bammm, you're in business! Seeing how most cd players can be powered by a AA or 2, power shouldn't be an issue.
Well, there is the VideoNow (Score:3, Informative)
Hasbro has a device called the VideoNow [hasbro.com]
. It's only $50, but the screen is black and white. It uses mini CD's, but from what I understand from a friend who tried to hack it, the CD-Now's have the boot data written on the inside of the CD further in from where normal burners write.Re:A CD-based device? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:A CD-based device? (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.akibalive.com/archives/000524.html#m
That's it! (Score:2)
For $99 it's definitely (Score:4, Interesting)
where's the beef^H^H^H^Hspecs (Score:2, Funny)
Why does the low battery indicator come on after I put in fresh batteries and use them for only a short time?
Depending on the type and brand of battery, the low battery indicator may come on while there are still hours of battery life left. You can continue to use the ZVUE until the batteries actually run down. You should also be aware, that when the batteries are low, the ZVUE may not operate properly.
huh?
Wannabe - not quite (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Wannabe - not quite (Score:3, Funny)
YEEEEEAAHHHHHHH
OKAAAY
What?!
What?!
What?!
What?!
YEAAAAAAHHHHHHH
Re:Wannabe - not quite (Score:2)
Re:Wannabe - not quite (Score:5, Funny)
Lil' Jon : Pardon me, sir, but will this post reflect negatively upon my karma rating?
Mod : It depends on if the other moderators find it funny.
(brief pause)
Lil' Jon : What?
Mod : It depends on if the other moderators find it funny.
Lil' Jon : What?
Mod : It depends on if the other moderators find it funny.
Lil' Jon : What?
Mod: (-1, Troll)
Lil' Jon : OKAYYYYYY!
--riney
(a-skeet skeet skeet skeet)
Re:Wannabe - not quite (Score:3, Funny)
Can we get some specs? (Score:2)
As a side note, this is only good for hacking if the internal components are amenable to it. Would be fun to do stuff with this...
Look here (Score:5, Informative)
Not so good (Score:5, Informative)
Additionally, they sent some of the proprietary cartridges to try out, 2 out of the 3 freebie proprietary cartridges we tested did not work.
I wouldn't pay cash for it.
Regards
Re:Not so good (Score:2)
Sharing photos without a computer (Score:2, Funny)
..low budget wrestling movies ... (Score:3, Funny)
You can play DiVX stuff too... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:You can play DiVX stuff too... (Score:2)
ZVUE Development Community (Score:5, Interesting)
Cybiko is a low-cost, hackable handheld computer released at the end of 2000. Forum leaders may soon expand the boards to officially cover the ZVUE - it's a logical step from the Cybiko computer.
Feel free to discuss the ZVUE in the Development boards. [cydevr.net]
Page text, for those that couldn't read it : (Score:5, Funny)
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
---
Please try the following:
If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.
Open the www.zvue.com home page, and then look for links to the information you want.
Click the Back button to try another link.
Click Search to look for information on the Internet.
HTTP 400 - Bad Request
Internet Explorer
http://www.zvue.com/ Slashdotted (Score:2, Informative)
``You can be first to get a new ZVUE!
The new ZVUE is here now! And it really plays full motion, color video right in the palm of your hand! Order the new ZVUE! and you'll be watching the coolest new music videos, extreme sports and outrageous action entertainment--while you're on the go, anytime, anyplace!
> Order your ZVUE now!
For just $99.00 you can be the first to own a ZVUE--the ho
Trademark security through obscurity (Score:2)
I mean the least they could do in this day and age of barely literate slashdotters is throw us a hyphen for clarity's sake.
Hackable? (Score:4, Interesting)
Here are specs (Score:2, Informative)
ZVue Specs [bmrd.com]
It looks a little cheap to me, but for $99 I guess you can't get burned too bad.
The IMPORTANT question is: (Score:5, Insightful)
...how long will it take for someone to reverse-engineer the format so that we can make our own SD/MMC cards with our own video (space-shifted from our legally-purchased DVD's [yes, I'm serious...] or 'home video'.)?
That is the specific feature that'd make it useful to me. I have no need of a special proprietary-format-only player where the low-quality proprietary video cards cost as much as full DVD's, especially when portable DVD players seem to be obtainable these days for only $50-$100 more than this player is selling for.
(Hmmm...what's the capacity of the SD cards with the proprietary movies on them? Can they be erased and used as normal SD cards for other applications?)
How much memory? (Score:2)
Compgeeks has them for $144.50. CF == minidrive (Score:5, Informative)
Add a Mini Harddrive? (Score:2)
I apologize in advance... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Why not? (Score:4, Insightful)
He didn't say it was hackable, just that the chances were good.
Potential adj.
1. Capable of being but not yet in existence; latent: a potential problem.
2. Having possibility, capability, or power.
3. Grammar. Of, relating to, or being a verbal construction with auxiliaries such as may or can; for example, it may be hackable.
started on it... (Score:2)
Re:0 to Crapdotted in 4 minutes (Score:2)