20GB portable video recorder from nowhere
Yes, we know you guys are able to catch your latest DVDs on your hyper-PDA these days, but there are just some things it won’t do. Like being able to record cable programming right off the box without bringing along your hyper-notebook. And view it back off any regular TV or even a LCD projector. No sirree … For that you need one of them super-duper portable multimedia machines that are all the rage these days.
We have heard of Archos and Creative, being the dominant manufacturers for PMCs, or personal multimedia centers. But Hammacher Schlemmer, the established catalog retailer came out of the blue with this 20-Gigabyte Video and Audio Jukebox, $399.95. Heck, it hasn’t even got a brand … But its features sure sound good, and the price is really enticing even if its specs fail due to the generous 20GB hard drive space humming in this baby.
What we like about it? USB2.0 connection to your PC, regular RCA-type input recording capability (although the format is uncertain), RCA-type outputs, CompactFlash card slot, the 20GB capacity, and gosh: 4 hours of playtime off a 3-hour fast charge??
Hammacher Schlemmer apologizes for no longer selling it off their online store - inexcusable! - but suggests that you try calling their New York or Chicago stores.