RCA MP3/PVP debuts
Thomson, or RCA as it is known this side of the pond, was among the first of the big guys to debut MP3 and personal video players, so it is no surprise then that it has a strong selection of digital audio products in this year’s range. Our favourite is the rather smart looking RD2765, a pretty slim five Gigabyte hard disk based model that sports a slick mirror finish and 1.5 inch colour LCD screen. Like all RCA players it is compatible with the newly minted Playsforsure standard, which means it is compatible with tracks downloaded from the legitimate WMA based music download sites. It is set to debut in April retailing for around $269. RAC is partnering the five Gig model with a 20 Gigabyte personal video player, the RD2782. The device can record directly from a TV or cable/satellite receiver and will store up to eight hours of video. The RD2782 features a programmable timer function that can be set to record different channels at specific times.
Also included are an integrated speaker and a remote control. There’s no word yet though which video formats the device will play, but we are guessing it is MPEG4 and Windows Media compatible. Yours for $449 when it arrives in the US in June. Expect to see it in the UK much later in the year.
