PRNewswire: Toshiba, Tatung and LG are building a wide range of Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Centers…
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Jan 4, 2006 21:30 ET
New Windows Mobile-Based Portable Media Centers Show Off Latest Features, Popular Movies and Sleek New Devices
Toshiba, Tatung and LG are building a wide range of Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Centers, new devices first to get Vongo – newly launched Starz online movie service.
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — In his keynote address today at the 2006 International CES, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates announced three new partners — Toshiba America Inc., Tatung Co. and LG Electronics — delivering Windows Mobile(R)- based Portable Media Centers this year and highlighted a mobile version of Vongo, the new movie service from Starz Entertainment Group LLC that offers premium full-length movies and other video selections for playback on new Portable Media Centers. These next-generation devices are packed with features such as extended battery life, support for new higher-resolution displays and wide screens, direct audio/video recording, and direct connections to digital cameras; prices begin at $299 (U.S.) MSRP. The new devices and the mobile version of Vongo, coming first to Portable Media Centers, will be available in early 2006.
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According to JupiterResearch, 58 percent of online consumers would prefer to watch full-length movies (owned or rented) on portable media players and 23 percent of consumers would also be interested in watching prerecorded television shows on such a device(1). Vongo gives people a full-length and premium mobile-movie experience for Portable Media Centers, with more than 1,000 first-run movies and video selections via a subscription service that provides unlimited access for $9.99 (U.S.) per month, plus additional pay-per- view movies from the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States.
“Sleeker form factors, improved playback features and a new subscription movie service show that Microsoft is taking the next step to give people more choice in how they experience media on a portable device in a way that fits their lifestyle,” said Pieter Knook, senior vice president of the Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft. “We’ve worked closely with our hardware and content partners to deliver the best options for people to access their digital entertainment, anywhere at any time.”
With the addition of full-length, popular movies and other video selections such as extreme sports and concerts from Vongo, there are now more than 100 companies providing a diverse and compelling collection of entertainment choices for owners of Microsoft(R) Windows Mobile-based devices. Whether they want music to exercise by or the latest blockbuster to be entertained in the airport, customers can enjoy their favorite songs or videos on the go, selecting from news highlights and sporting events to music videos and audio books from top brands such as Audible.com, MSNBC, Comedy Central, Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc., FOX Sports, MTV Networks, Napster and TiVo Inc.
“We strongly believe that consumers want the convenience of taking their movies with them wherever they go just like they do with their music,” said Bob Greene, senior vice president of Advanced Services at Starz Entertainment Group. “Portable Media Centers allow Vongo subscribers to easily and securely transfer their downloaded movies to these great devices with a robust digital rights management solution from Microsoft built in for protecting the security of the content.”
Sleek Devices Packed With New Features
Key features in new devices being announced today include these:
* The stylish and sleek Toshiba S Series gigabeat Portable Media Center
includes an extended battery life for movies and a 2.4-inch high-
resolution screen with more than 260,000 colors for a vivid and sharp
picture. The S Series will come in two varieties: The 30GB gigabeat S30
will have an MSRP of $299 (U.S.), and the 60GB gigabeat S60 will have an
MSRP of $399 (U.S.). Both are scheduled to be available in March 2006.
* The Tatung V620 Portable Media Center has a 20GB hard drive with a 3.5-
inch QVGA (320×240) LCD screen for watching up to five hours of movies
and television shows. Availability and pricing is scheduled to be
announced in 2006.
* The LG Electronics PM70 Portable Media Center has a 30GB hard drive that
connects directly to a television to capture favorite music or shows
immediately on the QVGA widescreen. Availability is scheduled for the
first half of 2006.
A Complete Entertainment Package
Built on Windows Mobile software, the Portable Media Center platform is designed so that device-makers can choose the features and form factors that are best for their customers. Windows Media(R) Player 10 makes it simple to synchronize music, video and pictures from any Windows(R) XP-based PC to Windows Mobile-based devices. Portable Media Centers also synchronize well with PCs running Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, software that accounted for more than 47 percent of PC sales in December 2005, according to Current Analysis. Next-generation Portable Media Centers provide these features:
* More power. New Portable Media Centers are smaller and offer extensive
battery life — keeping people entertained for several full-length
movies, not just a few short preview clips.
* Consumers’ content in their preferred format. Consumers can get access
to a greater variety of content with support for direct audio/video
recording and popular codecs, including native file support for Windows
Media Video (WMV), Windows Media Audio (WMA), WMA Lossless, MP3, JPEG,
DivX, MPEG2 and others.
* Capturing memories. People can now quickly transfer and capture their
vacation memories on their Portable Media Center without the need for a
PC. Once they are back home or at the office, people can transfer those
files back to the PC for permanent storage.
* Rocking the Xbox 360. Portable Media Centers also provide new levels of
connectivity with Xbox 360(TM), allowing people to control and play back
their favorite music while they compete with friends and against
opponents.
New Windows Mobile Media Portal
People using Windows Mobile-based devices have a wide variety of content options for personalizing their digital experience on the go. A new Windows Mobile Media portal, available today, will make it simpler to get great content onto devices. This portal has a directory of Windows Mobile content providers, media samples, third-party media applications and how-to articles on topics from podcasting to loading a device with any television show saved to a TiVo or Windows XP-based PC.
More information on Portable Media Centers can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/media .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
(1) JupiterResearch, Portable Media Players: Competing in an Evolving Market, August 2005
NOTE: Microsoft, Windows Mobile, Windows Media, Windows and Xbox 360 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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More Windows Portable Media Centers, which work with TiVoToGo.
