ViewSonic VPD400 Review.

Although ViewSonic has proven to be a reliable source for monitors and related electronics, I was surprised to come across their 4.3" HD MovieBook at amazon.com. It comes in Black, White, or Pink. It comes with 8gb of internal memory and also supports microSD memory cards up to 8gb (so far).

It does NOT have a touchscreen. Control is managed using assorted buttons along the top of the frame or the include IR remote control. The left end is where you'll find a standard mini-usb port and the microSD slot. There are speaker grills on both ends for stereo audio output. The headphone and HDTV jacks are on the right end. So is a Volume Control rocker.

The User Manual in PDF form can be found: HERE.

The VPD400 certainly lives up to it's "MovieBook" nickname. It will play almost any video file you put on it, including these formats: AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, MP4, MOV, PMP, MPG, VOB, DAT, H.264, and H.263. It comes with component video and L/R audio cables so you can hook it directly into most HDTVs. It includes it's own remote control and AC power adapter. You can park it next to your HDTV, plug it in to both power and the TV, and control viewing of 720p video right from your sofa. Or watch those videos on the beautiful 800 x 480, 4.3" LCD screen.

Audio playback isn't shabby either, with MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, and OGG formats supported. You'll enjoy more detail from your JPEG, BMP, PNG, or GIF photos as well. They've thrown in a microphone so you can record voice memos, and there is also a text reader.

For the money it's a great video player. Battery duration is barely acceptable but perhaps mine will improve after a few charging cycles.

Music playback is great. Sound quality (with good headphones) is excellent. Getting to the sort options using the external controls is cumbersome and frustrating though. Using the remote is far more efficient. The internal speakers are almost pointless, but can be cranked up to entertain you if no headphones are available. There will be no appreciable bass frequencies from them though.

My conclusion? It's a great player for what it costs. Touchscreens are far more efficient in getting to your media. I'll give it a B.

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4D

iriver P7 Dock

If you enjoy watching movies off a 4.3" screen, the iriver P7 is a great little device for you. The hardest part though is holding the blocky player at a good viewing angle. Iriver teased us when first showing off the P7 by showing it with it's own speaker/charging/syncing dock that holds it up at the perfect angle for viewing. You can now buy that dock, and the price is reasonable. You can find it at iriverinc.com ($49.99) or Warehouse123.com ($36). Both include an AC adapter with it now.

The speaker output isn't loud, but fine for your own enjoyment in a quiet space. The headphone jack of the P7 is still accessible and active if you need louder audio. The Dock has a built-in Li-Polymer 2000mAh battery. You can charge your P7 from the dock's battery. You can charge both using the include adapter while the P7 is in the dock and the AC adapter is powering the dock. To charge the dock you need the AC adapter. It will not recharge over USB.

At $36 I find it a great deal. It makes my P7 seem complete.

4D