One of the items that is expected to make a big splash at CES this year is portable media players – devices that offer both audio and video play back capabilities in form factors as small as the size of a human hand.

And Sigma Designs is in the right place at the right time. The Milpitas, Calif.-based maker of digital media processor chips recently announced that its EM8561 media processor would be included in Digital Cube Inc.'s i-Station device. 

Sigma's media processor provides a single chip solution that includes the video codecs that the Korean-based manufacturer needed for its i-Station device said Ken Lowe, vice president of strategic marketing for Sigma.

Digital Cube is currently offering the device for sale via the web and channels in Korea and other markets, said Lowe, but the company is looking for OEMs and hopes to eventually offer the device on a worldwide basis.

The device will be marketed in the $500 range to the enthusiast user that has been purchasing iPods and other MP3 players, according to Lowe.

The i-Station PMP 1000 offers a video player, music player, and photo viewer, letting users store and play back digital media content from the Internet, a PC, or other sources. It features a 3.5-inch LCD screen with 320X240 pixels and a 20 or 30-gigabit hard drive.  The device has a rechargeable lithium polymer battery pack that allows about 5 and a half hours of video playtime and 10 hours of music playtime.

The device features a touch screen interface and remote control. Video formats include MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, XVID and JPEG for photos. Audio formats include MP3, WMA, AC3, AAC and OGG.

Extended features in the device include an FM radio, voice recording, dictionary, calculator and text viewer.

The device also allows users to send their videos or music to any available television or stereo.

By: DocMemory
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