EchoStar Communications Corp. on Tuesday unveiled PocketDISH, a new line of portable media companions designed to work hand-in-hand with the company’s DISH Network satellite TV service. Three devices have been introduced, with prices ranging from US$329 to $599, and they’re all Mac and PC-compatible.
The PocketDISH features a 2.2-inch, 4-inch or 7-inch screen, and can store from 20 to 40GB worth of content. In addition to working with select DISH Network digital video recorders (DVRs) equipped with USB 2.0 connections, they can also download and record content from Macs, PCs, digital cameras, mass storage devices and other equipment. It takes about five minutes to transfer an hour of DISH Network programming to a PocketDISH, according to the company.
Each PocketDISH comes equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts for up to four hours of video and 12 hours of music playback. Stereo headphones, USB cable, adapter cable, A/V cables, an AC/DC power adapter and a carrying case are also included.
The 2.2-inch PocketDISH uses a 4:3 aspect ratio screen, while the 4- and 7-inch models have 16:9 displays. EchoStar estimates than one hour of DISH Network programming takes up approximately 1GB of PocketDISH hard disk space. The mid-range and high-end models can also record video from other sources. The 2.2-inch system is capable of recording audio from other sources only, though all of them can also be used to store digital photos, MP3, WMA and WAV audio files.