IRIVER PMP120: QUICK REVIEW 19/01/2005

The iriver PMP120 is a stylish and feature-packed portable media player for making the most of any journey. Its Linux-based operating system is both PC- and Mac-compatible and supports a wide range of video formats, including AVI in MPEG4, DivX and XviD. Bundled Media Converter software reformats WMV and other video files for optimal playback on a compact screen.

The PMP120 has a tasteful black, charcoal and silver body, in contrast to the unusual champagne-coloured finish of its 40GB PMP140 sibling (£449 inc. VAT). The 3.5-inch display plays video at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at 30fps. While the PMP120 won’t fit into your pocket, it will easily fit into a briefcase or handbag. The sound quality is excellent, enhanced by the Sennheiser-branded bud headphones. You can also tune into the FM radio or listen to MP3, WMA, ASF and WAV song files.

The biggest drawback of the iriver PMP120 is its convoluted user interface. Menu navigation is not as intuitive as it should be and it takes a while to find your way around the different modes and numerous control buttons.

Video, audio and image files are transferred from your computer to the player’s 20GB hard drive using the USB 2.0 port, and music can be recorded directly from the audio source using the line-in port. A USB-on-the-go port connects to peripherals such as a digital camera for downloading shots straight away. Finally, an TV-out port gives you the option of showing videos on the big screen.

Multimedia enthusiasts with the patience to navigate the menus of the iriver PMP120 will find it a well-built device with plenty of useful features.

Contact: www.iriver.com/eu/