Sony Walkman DVE7000
$429
www.sony.com.au

Remember the Walkman? Who could forget! They’re back now as mp3 playing phones, but after the Walkman came the Discman, and there was even a Video Walkman that could play back video from Mini DV tapes (the ones that are used with video cameras).

Recently Sony unleashed a new Walkman – one that plays DVDs and CDs on a screen that’s reminiscent of the PSP – although this screen is even bigger.

It can create 5.1 surround sound, plays discs with mp3s and even DiVX files, so it’s quite a versatile player. There’s no model with a hard drive in just yet, but who knows? Future models with hard drives and a DVD player – perhaps even a DVD recorder – are no doubt being designed in the labs. Why not put a digital and analogue TV tuner into the unit too, and let you record TV right to the hard drive?

While that’s a great idea (even if I do say so myself), it would cost much more than $429 and would likely need some serious battery power. It’d probably cost as much as a cheap laptop.

$429 is certainly more than you’ll pay for much cheaper $250 (or less) DVD players – but this is a Sony product, with the quality build, quality screen and the quality audio experience you expect.  If being able to play DVDs, CDs and discs loaded with mp3s and DiVX video on a portable device with a nice big screen (relative to the iPod Video) is important to you, and you want something more portable (and cheaper) than a laptop, you’ll want to check this unit out.

Alex Zaharov-Reutt

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Entry was posted on Saturday, August 19th, 2006 at 11:18 pm under Media players.

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