U.K.-based V-Tec has released the V-MMV Player, a multi-function device that’s slightly larger than Apple’s iPod. V-MMV features a 20GB 1.8-inch hard drive, a two-inch color LCD display, a 13-in-1 card reader and USB 2.0 connectivity. It can run 30fps video at 352 x 240 resolution in MPEG1 and motion JPEG formats as well as play music in MP3, WMA, Audio CD and uncompressed WAV formats, with a six-band equalizer. It can also display JPEG pictures at up to 16 mega-pixel resolution, with the ability to zoom in and out and watch them as a slideshow complete with background music.
The V-MMV also offers two headphone jacks for sharing audio and can be used as an external hard drive. Its built-in interface allows you to organize music playlist, stop, pause, rewind and fast-forward videos and create slideshows. Its rechargeable battery is good for four hours of video playback, but V-Tec doesn’t indicate how long it lasts while listening to music or viewing pictures. The multimedia device ships with a power adapter, a remote control, A/V cables for connecting it to a TV, a USB cable and a carrying case. It sells for 309.50 British Pounds (US$574) and is compatible with Mac OS X v10.0.1.