Sony announced a new portable MPEG-2/4 player, equipped with a 3.5 TFT crystal monitor and a 20GB hard disk. The player supports video and still image play back and can be connected to PC through USB 2.0 interface. Availability in the Japanese market is expected June 26, and its price is estimated at Yen 63,000 (EUR 470).
The 20GB hard disk can fit approximately 35 hours of MPEG-4 or 9.5 hours of MPEG-2 compressed video files. The HMP-A1 can be also used as an external hard disk attached in your PC (USB 2.0), and images or video files can be transferred to the device through Sony's software, included in the device retail package. As for the audiophiles, the multi-player supports playback MP3 and WAV files.
The dimensions of the player are about 129.6x22x75.6mm (w x d x h), and its weight is only 250g. The package includes a remote control, a headphone kit, 1.5m USB cable, AV cable, AC adapter, and a stylish carrying bag.