Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.
Subscribe to magazine

Portable DVD Player Doubles as Storage Device

Beng's DVD Gem plays videos on your PC or TV, while also functioning as an external DVD-ROM drive.

Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

Taiwanese hardware maker Benq plans to introduce a portable DVD player, called DVD Gem, that can function as an external DVD-ROM drive and play CDs and music files in MP3 format, the company said this week.

Weighing in at 1.2 pounds and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, the DVD Gem can be used with either a PC or a television set and offers the option of viewing DVD video in a widescreen 16:9 format.

When connected with a PC via a USB 2.0 connection, the device can function as an external storage device, operating as either a 6-speed DVD-ROM drive or 24-speed CD-ROM drive. It will be available next month, the company says.

Disc formats supported by the DVD Gem include CD-Audio, CD-ROM, CD-Plus, Video CD (VCD), S-VCD, Photo CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-Video, and DVD-Audio. In addition, the device can play discs that contain music files in MP3 format.

Making Connections

The DVD Gem supports Composite Video and S-Video connections to a television and offers a coaxial digital audio output for Digital Theater Systems sound and a Dolby AC-3 decoder. In addition to a USB 2.0 connection that can support USB 1.1, the DVD Gem also offers optional Firewire and PCMCIA connections.

The DVD Gem will begin shipping in Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan, during September for around $213, company officials say.

While Benq does not plan to sell the device under its own brand, the company is negotiating with undisclosed sales channel partners to sell the device under their brand names, it says.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No

Dell End of Year Deals

People who read this also read:

  • 15 Minutes to a Secure Business Get the Secure in 15 toolkit starting with the "15 Minutes Month-at-a-Glance" calendar. McAfee will send you additional tools and tricks to stay protected around the clock.
  • A Buyer's Guide to Data Protection Implementing data protection products and processes can be daunting. Make the right decisions by exploring what is available and what makes sense for your organization. Use this simple guide to evaluate different vendor offerings.

Sponsored Links