WHP22.19_portables_gt

17/1/06

2:50 pm

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GROUP TEST

THE FLAT FACTS

I PRODUCT TYPE:

Mustek PVR-H140

PERSONAL MEDIA PLAYER I 220 I RESOLUTION 320 X 240 I DIMENSIONS W: 110 H: 80 D: 30 (MM) I WEIGHT: 290G I SPEAKERS: MONO

FEATURES

3.6in 4:3 screen; 40GB hard disk; SD/MMC card slot; plays MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, WAV, AVI, JPEG; FM radio; voice recorder; Windows compatible; 20 hours battery life (audio)
CONTACT 2017 www.mustek.de VERDICT ##$$$
he PVR-H140 comes in at the budget end of the personal media player market. Priced at just over 200, it has got a large 40GB hard disk, a better than average 3.6in LCD screen and the ability to record direct from a video or audio source. But, as is often the case with low-cost kit you get very much what you pay for and Mustek appears to have taken a few shortcuts in order to keep the cost down The screen while it has the same resolution as the Archos AV500 (opposite) isnt capable of producing anything approaching that players awesome video quality. It shimmers slightly, and the line structure of the TFT panel is clearly visible. Then there are the format woes. Unlike most PMPs, the PVR-H140 forces you to convert videos to its own special.ASF format. The software for this is bundled with the player. Most
video types will convert successfully, but its a slow and annoying process, especially with larger files. With most of its rivals allowing you to simply drag and drop files into them via Windows Explorer, the Musteks system seems unnecessarily archaic and clunky in comparison.
All that glitters is not gold
While we cant deny that this seems like a bargain, there are simply too many things going against the PVR-H140 for us to recommend it. Even the design is poor this is a chunky, ugly piece of kit that wont attract many admiring looks on the morning commute. Our advice is to save your pennies a bit longer for one of the far superior options in this test. WP

Creative Zen Vision:M

he Vision:M is Creatives answer to the latest iPod, and on paper it looks like a very impressive alternative, especially because of its support for a multitude of video formats, including the DiVX and XviD files that prove so popular with internet file-sharers. In the flesh its not quite so convincing. Its far chunkier than the svelte iPod, and a little heavier too, and the control system is all over the place. Getting to grips with the browser buttons to find a particular track, video or photo isnt easy give us Apples clickwheel any day. The sound quality isnt as good as the iPods either, with WMA tracks sounding incredibly harsh and trebly at higher volumes unless you turn on the Bass Boost feature. This softens it up a little, but the iPod definitely has the edge here.

AUDIO PLAYER 320 X 240

I 240 I RESOLUTION I DIMENSIONS
W: 104 H: 62 D: 19 (MM) I WEIGHT: 163G I SPEAKERS: NONE
2.5in 4:3 screen; 30GB hard disk; plays MP3, WMA, WAV, WMV9, MP1/2/4, DiVX, XviD, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIF, PNG; Windows compatible; FM tuner/recorder; voice recorder; 14/4 hours battery life (audio/video);
Video killed the iPod star
This all changes if video happens to be your thing. While the 4:3 2.5in screen isnt going to rival the larger widescreens on some of the other models here, it surpasses Apples with ease. The resolution is the same, but the colours seem brighter and the whole thing sharper. Factor in the wide file format support and the option to output higher quality video to an external screen, and youve got an iPod beater. But only for video. The thing is, the Vision:M falls between two markets. Music fans will prefer the iPod, while movie lovers would be better off with a dedicated video player. Still, if you think you fit into the grey area between, the Creative might well suit you. WP

26 June 2007

By: Roxana Deduleasa, Gadget News Editor
Yukai And Mustek PVR H240 40GB PMPs Are The Same!
The import PMP raises the question of brand names
You shouldn't be surprised at all, if you ever get to see a Mustek PVR-H240 PMP, or portable media player with a video recorder and a document viewer, all in a single device. As it happens more and more often in the electronic industry, one big company "swallows" a smaller one. Or in this case, the German Mustek company took over another one called Yukai. So, you don't have to worry if you see a media player labeled Yusai or Mustek, or better yet Yusai/Mustek, because the representatives decided so.To give you more information on the Mustek PMPs you should know that the PVR-H240 has a 2.4 inch TFT LCD screen and plays the video content 30fps, which is the same frame speed you can find on your TV. The player is the successor of the PVR-H140. The Yukai PVR H240 features a TV playback through AV Ouput, a high speed USB 2.0 support and adjustable LCD brightness for the display. The integrated voice recorder is quite useful if you want to store your friends' funny memos and keep them in the player with you to be able to listening to them anywhere anytime. The Mustek PVR H240 operates as a portable 7-in-1 multimedia center, which includes a digital voice recorder, MMC/SD card reader, USB pocket drive, Music Player, digital Photo Player, a Digital Video Recorder and a Digital Video Player. It's all digital stuff! The built-in 40 GB capacity storage, assures 125 hours recording time, 10.000 music songs and 280.000 photos, enough for a full day off form your stressful job. All in all, there is no difference between the Yukai and Mustek PVR H240 PMP when it comes to specifications, the only difference is in the name. If you want to know the price of the media player, you should check it on Internet for better price tags than the 130 bucks I hear it costs.This import player also raises a big question of brand names, letting imports like Chinese media players into the U.S., as today we can find a lot of PMP items and also mobile phones that are just copies and clones of branded US models.
Yukai Mustek Media Player Product-reviews
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