Virtual VCR in Your Pocket

The palm-sized 20GB RD2780 RCA LYRA Audio/Video Jukebox allows movie and music buffs to transport hours worth of their favorite content in their pocket. About the size of a small picture frame with a 3.5-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD screen, the RCA LYRA Audio/Video Jukebox also acts as a computer storage device, is compatible with multiple audio and video codecs, and can be easily connected to most standard television sets for analog playback. Measuring 5.2 x 3.14 x 1 inches, and weighing only 13 ounces, the RD2780 can play mp3 files can be upgraded with a future download for mp3PRO playback, and is fully compatible with Windows Media Audio files.

The RD2780 contains a built-in MPEG-4 encoder and decoder, enabling consumers to watch up to 80 hours of pre-recorded television shows, feature films, or home videos directly on the 3.5-inch screen. It also can easily connect to a television set via an analog composite video output. With its built-in, separate audio and video recording modes, recording on the device is quick and easy. Since the device is essentially a computer peripheral with a hard drive, the display screen can also be used to organize digital audio music files or other types of stored data, including computer files such as word processing documents and presentations. The RCA LYRA Audio/Video Jukebox is also a portable pocket photo album, since JPEG images can be viewed on the RD2780, by either transferring them directly from the PC using a USB 2.0 high-speed connection or by inserting a Compact Flash memory card. The hard drive in the RCA LYRA Audio/Video Jukebox can accommodate up to 100,000 JPEG photo images.

Using the MusicMatch management software consumers can also organize hundreds of hours of mp3 audio files using ID3 tag song data to display artist, album, song title and genre. Music fans can listen to their collection of mp3 files using one of nine playback modes, including normal play, shuffle and repeat, or by programming their own playlists. While listening to music files, the consumer can also navigate through the library using the interactive on-screen displays and "tag" songs he or she would like to hear later, or delete from the device.

Other features include auto resume, which "remembers" the track location and volume setting when the power was shut off, and returns to that same spot when the power is returned. The RD2780 also includes an AC/DC adapter, "ear bud" style stereo headphones, an audio/video patch cable, and a carrying pouch. The RD2780's car kit provides hours of audio entertainment through a cassette adapter. $449. It will be available late this summer. www.rca.com