Samsung SC-MX20 Flash Camcorder = PMP

Samsung SC-MX20 flash camcorder can be used as a PMP. The following video explains how it works with PMP.

Multifunctional MP3 player from Samsung

Canada.com reviewed YP-P2. Please check:
http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=ad651192-b598-4d36-b0c1-04ffa5575437&k=88499

Murray Hill , The StarPhoenix, Published: Monday, March 17, 2008

The King of the Hill in terms of MP3 players is Apple's iPod line; however, not everyone wants an iPod or a Zune, for that matter.

Samsung's new YP-P2 is designed to compete with an interface similar to the Touch, but at a lower price and a much more svelte look.

At first glance, the YP-P2 looks a lot like a smaller version of the Touch -- its entire front panel is a flat glass screen with a single LED below it. It looks clean, and the smaller size is quite appealing (52mm L x 10mm W x 86mm H). It weighs 86g, and fits very comfortably in your hand.

It's a flash based device, which means no onboard hard drive to skip or break down. Supported audio formats include ASF, MPEG4, MP3, WAV, WMA, and supported video formats include AVI, ASF, MPEG-4, WMV, and JPEGs are the picture file of choice.

Unlike iPods, this MP3 player will play a wide variety of different audio and video formats, saving users the pain of converting their files to something appropriate for an iPod.

The Lithium-ion battery with a full charge offers up to 30 hours of music play and five hours of movie play.
One of the unfortunate things about the YP-P2 is that it only works with a PC -- Windows XP and Vista. I think all devices like this should work with both Macs and PCs, so this, to me, is a serious limitation.
The three-inch widescreen is in the 16:9 format and at 480 x 272 resolution displays movies at 30 frames per second quite easily.

A big plus to the YP-P2 is that it has Bluetooth 2.0 compatibility. This enables users to take advantage of some of the excellent Bluetooth wireless headphones on the market and free themselves from cumbersome headphone wires that always seem to catch on something.

It's very easy to get your music onto the YP-P2 -- it's simple as drag and drop on your PC.
I had trouble with the touch interface -- it's not as intuitive as I'm used to with my Touch and my hands are just too big to operate it properly. I had trouble getting the device to do what I wanted because my touch wasn't accurate enough and I kept trying to repeat gestures I've taken for granted on my Touch.

You can save up to 30 presets for the FM radio on the YP-P2, and video, and text can be loaded; however, you need to use the Media Studio software that comes with the device to load and convert these files.
Is the Samsung YP-P2 a replacement for the iPod Touch? No; it is an inexpensive alternative. It is widely available, and the 8GB version sells for $270 at Futureshop.ca.

PROS: Small, but with a nice sized widescreen, plays MP3s -- so you aren't slaved to iTunes for your music. Bluetooth 2.0 and an FM radio make this more multifunctional than an iPod.

CONS: Only works on a PC. The touch commands are difficult to use and you can only charge the P2 when it's connected to a computer. Video is not very easy to load, and the largest capacity you can get is only 16GB.
E-mail Hill at: mhill@sp.canwest.com, and find past columns on the web at: http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/columnists/hill.html

Review: Samsung YP-P2

PCWorld.com posted an article of YP-P2. Please check:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,143687-page,1/article.html

Equipped with Bluetooth and a 3-inch touch screen, the YP-P2 shines at video and delivers top-notch, tweakable sound.
Samsung's YP-P2 multimedia player is the Whopper Jr. to the Apple iPod Touch's Whopper. The YP-P2 looks like a slightly smaller and skinnier version of Apple's flagship MP3 player; and like the Touch, it provides a touch screen for navigation.

Available in 4GB ($200) and 8GB ($250) flavors, the YP-P2 features a crisp and colorful 3-inch wide-screen (480-by-272-pixel) display, which makes video viewing a pseudo-cinematic experience. Its abundant EQ settings and audio presets are ideal for people who love tweaking audio settings.

Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity lets you pair the YP-P2 with a set of Bluetooth headsets or speakers. Unfortunately, the player's FM radio doesn't support Bluetooth 2.0, so you can use Bluetooth only for digital audio and video playback.

We tested the YP-P2's wireless performance with Samsung's own portable BS300 Bluetooth speakers, and the device demonstrated good wireless range. Given a clear line of sight to the speakers, audio streamed without interruption from about 85 feet away. Through a closed door, audio streamed uninterrupted from about 30 feet away.

Though menu navigation is clean and intuitive, it took me a little while to get used to the YP-P2's touch-screen control. When you turn it on, the main screen displays three options: videos, music, and pictures. But more menu options lurk below those; to see them, you must swipe your finger downward on the screen. Doing so brings up the Bluetooth menu, settings options, a file browser, an FM radio with 30 presets, and podcasts (which Samsung calls "datacasts").
File support is a bit limited. The YP-P2 works with WMV and MPEG-4 video, MP3 and WMA music files, and JPEG images. Digital video download/rental service support is restricted to CinemaNow and Vongo.

You can drag and drop files directly onto the player or use the bundled Samsung Media Studio software to put music, movies, photos, and datacasts on the device via the bundled USB cable.
To supplement its touch screen, the YP-P2 has volume buttons (on the right side), a power button (on the left side), and a hold switch You'll definitely want to engage the hold switch while wiping off the screen because, otherwise, accidentally wiping the player with your sleeve can trigger the player's customizable "horizontal swipe" function, resulting in skipped tracks.

I found the touch screen responsive and even a bit better than the one on my Apple iPhone. The screen does smudge more easily, however, and a few navigation shortcomings make the iPhone or iPod Touch's interface slightly more user-friendly.

For one thing, the YP-P2 screen lacks the pinching and multitouch gesturing features of Apple's touch screens. And to select menu items on the YP-P2, you must double-tap them. Though this makes for fewer missteps when you're navigating menus and selecting songs, it adds a frustratingly redundant step for accurate touch-screen touchers.

The YP-P2 is packed with adjustment options, including ten equalizer presets, full manual control (if you want it) over the EQ settings, four manual bass settings, and a "3D sound" control that generally improved audio richness. The bundled earbuds are adequate, but they favor treble while offering a merely serviceable low end.

You can choose any of six on-screen visual options to look at while the music's playing: album art, an animated equalizer graph, artist info, and three trippy animations.
The YP-P2's wide aspect ratio and superb screen support great viewing, while excellent audio quality and an abundance of equalizer options are major draws for serious sound buffs. It's a somewhat pricey option for anyone seeking a better overall experience than the iPod Touch provides, along with integrated Bluetooth connectivity. The navigation, design, and touch-screen experience fall short of Apple's latest, though.

Samsung YP-T10 Review

Here is a review from http://www.markpascua.com/2008/03/09/samsung-yp-t10-review/679/

The Samsung YP-T10 is supposedly the Apple iPod Nano killer. Design-wise, it sure gives the Nano a run for its money. The YP-T10 is one fine looker. It sports a lightweight, clean, and sleek design with aluminum accents. The back-lit, touch sensitive navigational control doesn’t even appear until you boot on the player. However, the buzz surrounding the player is its cute animated menu system, which features “Sammy” the dog. Every menu page is vibrant, seemingly geared towards the young at heart. The only downside that is holding back the YP-T10 is that it only supports MP3 and WMA files. Additionally, video support feels more like an after-thought, supporting MPEG-4 and WMV @ 30 FPS.

Specs:

* 2″ QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) screen

* Bluetooth 2.0

* 3D sound with DNSe support

* USB 2.0* 4GB ($129) and 8GB ($200)

* FM tuner

* Voice recording

* Video playback: SVI, WMV @ 30 fps

* Audio playback: MP3, WMA

* Supports TXT and JPEG viewing

* Battery life: 15 hours audio; 4 hours video

* Dimensions: 3.8 x 1.6 x 0.3 inches* Weight: 1.5 ounces

Good:

+ lightweight, excellent design

+ screen is nice and bright

+ “drag and drop” supported for easy file transfer

+ FM radio is nice+ excellent user interface. Sammy is cute.

+ Bluetooth allows up to two headsets to be connected (listen with a friend).

+ decent battery life

Bad:

- lack luster file support

- too sensitive controls

- a little ‘too touchy’?

- some may prefer more ‘tactile’ buttons- due to lack of file support, converting your video files can be irritating

- no podcast support

The Samsung YP-T10 is a gorgeous MP3 player hands down. However, audiophiles that demand a plethora of file support should probably look elsewhere. For the rest of us that only listen to MP3s and no other obscure audio files…give the YP-10 a look.
The player comes in black, red, white, green, and purple in either 2 or 4GB. $129.99 via

Amazon (4GB).

What A Looker! Samsung Proves It Has The Touch

If I was single and Samsung's 8GB YP-P2 digital music player was a girl, I wouldn't be single very long. I'd marry this little beauty (3.9 x 2.1 x 0.4 inches [HxWxD]) on the spot if she'd have me. Dazzlingly attractive (she comes in red, black, and white), intelligent, multifaceted, cutting-edge, and boasting a glorious singing voice, the P2 has me very much atwitter these days. I don’t even mind she has expensive tastes. I’m way under her spell, and it’s a beautiful place to be.

This cutie has so many fantastic qualities it’s difficult to know where to begin gushing. How about the obvious? The P2’s 3-inch, 16:9 widescreen display (480 x 272 top resolution) not only shows movies, photos, and video clips smoothly with sharp, accurate colors, it also doubles as a touchscreen. Finger taps and swipes let you skip through video clips at various intervals, scroll photos, and tunnel through a slick Cosmos user interface. Cosmos displays menu icons (Music, Video, Pictures, Settings, etc.) in a 3D style that rotates the icons at various depths of field as you slide a finger across the screen. The P2 also offers a Matrix menu that lays the icons in a grid. There is a third My Skin option that overlays menu icons on a photo you choose. If all this weren’t enough, the P2 also has three font choices. (Told you she was multifaceted.)

The P2’s touchscreen is a little oversensitive at times and prone to fingerprints and smudges, but I don’t think you’ll mind. Of the scores of digital music players I’ve used, none has won me over as quickly as the P2 did while zooming on individual photos, tuning in FM radio stations, turning ebook pages, and incessantly flying through the four visualization options you have for song playback. Touchscreens definitely aren’t for everyone, but I haven’t minded the P2’s shortage of tactile buttons once. (There are Hold, Play/Pause, and two volume buttons.)

Wait, there’s more. The P2’s audio quality is maybe the best I’ve heard from any digital music player. Volume levels are strong without distortion, and midtones are fuller even at default settings than what I’ve heard with the vast majority of players. Samsung builds in Street Mode and Clarity sound effects, as well as nearly a dozen DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) options (Normal, Rock, Classical, etc.) designed to output audio that’s more accurate and natural. Configuring the P2’s seven-band equalizer gave me the best audio performance.

Can you handle more gushing? The File Browser simplifies navigation through data on the P2, including text you can read with a built-in text reader. The reader is on a submenu that has a World Clock, Calendar, and Alarm Clock with multiple-alarm ability. Elsewhere, a Datacasts menu holds RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds you can transfer from Samsung’s Media Studio, a decent media player and file converter.

Arguably, the P2’s best feature (at least potential-wise) is its built-in Bluetooth 2.0 functionality, which lets you pair the P2 with wireless headsets or Bluetooth speakers for stereo-quality audio playback. You can also pair the player with an enabled cell phone to take calls from P2 and speak through the player’s microphone. Further, Samsung recently released details of a Blue Wave program that will entail periodic releases of consumer-centric functions taking advantage of the P2’s Bluetooth ability, including extended phone-calling chores and wireless file sharing. Adding such abilities means you’ll have to perform some firmware upgrades, but if Samsung follows through, you’ll also have a player that will grow older gracefully. The P2 is drawing comparisons to Apple’s iPhone and touch iPod, which both have touchscreens and Wi-Fi for Web surfing (something the P2 can’t do).

The P2’s audio and video file support could be better (MP3, WMA [Windows Media Audio], and AAC [Advanced Audio Coding] through firmware and MPEG-4 [Moving Picture Experts Group-4], SVI, and WMV9 [Windows Media Video 9] for video). Compatibility with Rhapsody (http://www.rhapsody.com/), Vongo (http://www.vongo.com/), and other subscription services, plus CinemaNow (http://www.cinemanow.com/) gives you decent content-download choices.

Despite her flaws, the P2 is without question a knockout.


by Blaine Flamig,
Article from: http://www.smartcomputing.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2008/s1904/03bs04/03bs04.asp&articleid=46497&guid=31A830356459411D898DC16C2A0A394

Samsung YP-S5 Multimedia Player Review

A well explained YP-S5 review posted on

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/4871-samsung-yp-s5-multimedia-player-review.html
If you are interested in the review, please check it out.
Here is the font part of the review:

Product Number: YP-S5JABPrice: Click Here To Compare Prices Warranty: 1 yearColors Available: BlackManufacturer's Product Page: YP-S5JAB MP3 players - MP3 players SAMSUNGWith technology changing in the blink of an eye on an almost daily basis, companies are forced to find innovative ways to stay at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Being that as it may, Samsung has always been ahead of the technology curve and is considered one of the primary innovators in the consumer electronics world. This Korea-based high tech juggernaut was founded over 70 years ago and currently employs over a quarter million people in its various factories and offices around the world. Their products touch on nearly every part of the electronics world and in this review we will be looking at one of their smaller yet by no means insignificant products: a multimedia player. Samsung has been producing MP3 players since their inception and this unit we will be testing today represents the next logical step in the evolution of the MP3 player into a fully-fledged multimedia player.Here at Hardware Canucks we show you the best (and sometimes worst) of what the computer component world has to offer but it sometimes feels good to take a short detour and show you what the rest of the high tech world is doing. So, when Samsung Canada approached us with an offer to review their new YP-S5 multimedia player, we gladly pulled our heads out of the pile of power supplies, graphics cards and whatnot to see what Samsung had to offer. With the advent of players like Microsoft’s Zune and Creative’s Zen players not to mention the ever-present Apple iPod, MP3 players are quickly evolving into a one-stop-shop for everything multimedia related. While the S5 is not targeting the same market as some of the larger-screened devices, it is still the kind of player which wants to offer something for everyone. It is able to play MPEG and WMV video formats and WMA, OGG, ASF music formats in addition to AAC files so all you iTunes lovers will have something to listen to. It also boasts Bluetooth connectivity to headphones or your cell phone (yes, we said cell phone but more about that later), the ability to view JPEG images and even has built in speakers. This all comes in a sleek package which is reminiscent of the award-winning Samsung YP-K3 and is available in only one capacity: 4GB. Unfortunately, the S5 is not expandable via SD cards so the consumer will have to make due with its somewhat limited storage size.The Samsung YP-S5 is quite widely available at Canadian retailers and etailers even though it was launched a few short months ago. Prices seem to range from $160 all the way up to around $200CAD which is quite a bit for this product if you are using it JUST as a music player. However, the S5 is capable of so much more than mere music playback so its asking price is somewhat less extreme when you consider the versatility it seems to offer. Is the Samsung YP-S5 a jack of all trade but master of none or is it the first and last word in portable multimedia players? Read on to find out…

Click here to continue:...http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/4871-samsung-yp-s5-multimedia-player-review.html

'Pocket Theaters' Emerge as New Trend

A new era is dawning for a "theater in your pocket," or the so-called "palm theater." Just the size of a cigarette pack, portable media players allow people to watch movies, TV shows and online lectures anytime and anywhere. Replacing televisions and computers, these fancy gadgets are attracting more and more viewers.

Portable media players are selling like hot cakes in Korea. Industry sources say over 2.3 million devices were sold last year, a 100 percent increase from 2006. Given that some 2.1 million TV sets were sold during the same period, it seems these new gadgets are not just for early adopters anymore.

Reigncom, the Korean multimedia device maker famous for the iRiver, said the rapid growth of the market has largely been fueled by American TV series and user-created content (UCC), which have enjoyed huge popularity in Korea since early last year. The device makers have also done their part by releasing enticing new products one after another.

From left, the LG Ann Shining Touch, Samsung YP-P2 and Apple iPod Touch

Reigncom introduced its Clix MP4 player last year, sporting an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) screen that offers a clearer image than a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The device has achieved great success with sales of over 200,000 units, an unusually high figure for a single model.

Samsung Electronics launched its YP-P2 touch-screen media player in October last year. Since then it has sold an average of 30,000 units per month. LG Electronics also entered the market with its Ann Shining Touch player which can tune into DMB broadcasts. Meanwhile, Apple has achieved tremendous success with its iPod Touch and other media players.

Portable media players are especially popular among students who want to take advantage of the many educational video resources developed by local language schools and cram schools. This has prompted Sharp and several companies of different fields, among them electronic dictionary and navigation system makers, to rush to find their way into this lucrative market.

There are drawbacks, too. Although there are dozens of different video format types today, many devices support a limited range of formats such as MP4. That means consumers have to convert their movie files to a format that their device can read.
More fundamentally, the illegal download of movies, TV content and other copyrighted material should be strictly forbidden, said Park Young-ryeol, a professor at Yonsei University.
(englishnews@chosun.com )

IT News - Feb. 25, 2008

HDTV News:
· Electronic House – The myth of plasma “burn-in” - http://www.electronichouse.com/article/the_myth_of_plasma_burn_in/D1/
· The Roanoke Times – U2 on the big screen: The real thing? - http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/151695
· TWICE – LCD, 1080p drive Super Bowl sales - http://www.twice.com/article/CA6534273.html
· E-Gear – With Wii in mind, Panasonic prepping “unbreakable” TV - http://www.e-gear.com/story/story.bsp?sid=91418&var=story
· Content Agenda - Updated Apple TV makes it even more tempting; Silver box lets you download movie rentals and buy TV shows right from your TV - http://www.contentagenda.com/articleXml/LN748307981.html
· Engadget HD – SOYO announces 22 inch LCD HDTV, fails to name it - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/22/soyo-announces-22-inch-lcd-hdtv-fails-to-name-it/
· Engadget HD – Can your HDTV even properly display 1080p24? - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/21/can-your-hdtv-even-properly-display-1080p24/


Blu-ray / DVD / Home Theater News:
· CE Pro – 18 Blu-ray players for your next install - http://www.cepro.com/article/18_blu_ray_players_for_your_next_install/
o CE Pro – 18 Blu-ray players for your next install (BD-UP5000) - http://www.cepro.com/slideshow/image/2177/
· The Seattle Post-Intelligencer – Consumer Tech: Try to wait to buy improved Blu-ray players (BD-UP5000) - http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/352218_bluray22.html
· E-Gear – After the war, LG evaluating next step - http://www.e-gear.com/story/story.bsp?sid=91751&var=story
· CRAVE – CNET – Blu-ray will not be the success other formats have been - http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9876100-1.html
· The Salt Lake Tribune – Television: Blu-ray wins disc battle, but download war looms - http://www.sltrib.com/themix/ci_8328624
· E-Gear – Should you buy a Blu-ray player? - http://www.e-gear.com/story/story.bsp?sid=91820&var=story
· The Street – Blu-ray victory won’t budge Microsoft - http://www.thestreet.com/s/blu-ray-victory-wont-budge-microsoft/newsanalysis/techsoftware/10404412.html?puc=googlefi
· TWICE – Onkyo officially drops HD DVD - http://www.twice.com/article/CA6534576.html?desc=topstory
· CrunchGear – Sony inks deal with Ensequence for interactive Blu-ray content - http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/02/21/sony-inks-deal-with-ensequence-for-interactive-blu-ray-content/
· Yahoo! Tech – Blu-ray buying guide, Part I - http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/12983/blu-ray-buying-guide-part-i
· Gearlog – HD-DVD optical drives down but not out? - http://www.gearlog.com/2008/02/hddvd_optical_drives_down_but.php
· AV Guide – HD DVD players become just powerful DVD players - http://www.avguide.com/news/2008/02/21/hd-dvd-players-become-just-powerful-dvd-players/
· Engadget HD – How to future proof your HD DVD collection - http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/02/22/how-to-future-proof-your-hd-dvd-collection/
· Gizmodo – Toshiba thinking about Blu-ray for laptops - http://gizmodo.com/359248/toshiba-thinking-about-blu+ray-for-laptops
· Gizmodo – X-Box 360 HD-DVD player to drop to $50 - http://gizmodo.com/359572/x+box-360-hd+dvd-player-to-drop-to-50
· Xbox Circle – 18 million Xbox 360’s sold, Blu-ray drive unlikely - http://www.xboxcircle.com/xbox360/2008/02/22/18-million-xbox-360s-sold-blu-ray-drive-unlikely/


MP3 Player / PMP / Camcorder / Camera News:
· LAPTOP – Samsung P2 Review - http://www.laptopmag.com/Review/Samsung-P2.htm
· Fortune – Apple 2.0 analysts: Effect of iPod shuffle price cut is a wash - http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/02/20/analysts-effect-of-ipod-shuffle-price-cut-is-a-wash/
· Engadget – Ilife Technology’s S5 PMP can emulate everything…except true love - http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/21/ilife-technologys-s5-pmp-can-emulate-everything-except-true/
· Gizmodo – iPod Video 5G hacked with Bluetooth module - http://gizmodo.com/359545/ipod-video-5g-hacked-with-bluetooth-module
· Gizmodo – Video tour and details of Zune games and SDK - http://gizmodo.com/359374/video-tour-and-details-of-zune-games-and-sdk
· I4U – DLO introduces videoshell for iPod Nano - http://www.i4u.com/article15011.html
· PC World – New iPod game: Pirates of the Caribbean - http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142662-c,games/article.html


MP3 Player / PMP / Camcorder / Camera FYI:
· Chosun Ilbo – ‘Pocket theaters’ emerge as new trend (P2) - http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200802/200802220015.html


General Industry / Trade / Competitor News:
· PC World – Microsoft plans significant announcement - http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142696-c,techindustrytrends/article.html