Monday, January 10, 2005

Last year saw the emergence of portable media players, such as the Windows-based Creative Zen portable media player, the Samsung Yepp, the iRiver PMC-100, and the Archos AV400 series among others.

But this year, they are set to get smarter and more connected, to allow people to find more video to watch on them.

"Consumers are showing a great thirst for devices that store all their media in one place for anywhere access," said Henri Crohas, chief of Archos. "And now those consumers can stay connected and productive at the same time."

Microsoft ... has agreed a content deal with personal video recorder company TiVo, which Bill Gates also showcased in his keynote speech at CES.

The TiVo To Go service means that US consumers will be able to take any programmes they record on their TiVos and transfer it for free to watch on any of the Windows-based portable media players or smartphones.

There is a burgeoning market there for commuters to watch news and other programmes on their way to work.