NEW ULTRA-PORTABLE MUSIC AND VIDEO PLAYER FROM TREKSTOR FEATURES PRE-LOADED SONG FROM U.K. BAND DEPECHE MODE
i.Beat Vision DM, with 1.3″ LCD Screen, Stores up to 20 Hours of Video or 600 Songs; Records Broadcast From Built-in FM Tuner
EAST ROCKAWAY, New York — July 20, 2006 — TrekStor, Europe’s top-selling brand of portable digital media player, has introduced its first ultra-portable music and video player in the U.S. At less than three inches long and an inch-and-half wide, the new i.Beat Vision DM fits easily into one’s palm or vest pocket and displays video or images on a built-in 1.3-inch color LCD screen. The glossy black player, with a high-speed USB 2.0 interface for Windows and Mac computers, is preloaded with the song “Suffer Well” from the latest CD by UK band Depeche Mode, and adorned with “Mr. Feathers,” the band’s hand-sketched icon, and the “DM” logo.
“The i.Beat Vision DM is one of the world’s smallest digital music and video players with a color LCD video screen,” said Hana Arad, president of Data Station, the U.S. marketing arm for TrekStor, which is based in Germany. “It offers Depeche Mode fans, as well as the general consumer, superb multimedia capabilities and flexibility in an easy to use product.”
Even with its small size, the Vision DM offers the convenience of a graphical user interface, including colorful menus for fast navigation and selection, Arad also said.
The new i.Beat Vision DM, offered in storage capacities of 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB, holds up to 600 songs, thousands of photos or over 20 hours of video. On a single charge, it plays music for 10 hours or video for up to four hours. The player incorporates an FM radio, a voice recorder, the capability to record directly off the radio, and the option of playing podcasts or audio books in addition to music and video files.
“Video playback is the future for portable media players,” said Shimon Szmigiel, TrekStor CEO. “With broadband connections more common, and the explosion of online video-sharing sites, consumers want to take their photos and videos, as well as their music with them. The i.Beat Vision DM does it all and it is among the most compact multimedia players on the market today.”
The i.Beat Vision DM, TrekStor’s most advance player in its i.Beat series, supports all the most common video formats such as MPEG1, MPEG2, and DivX and is packaged with proprietary software — called “TOM” for TrekStor Own Movie — to convert the video files into MPEG4 format. Compressing uploaded files, TOM can fit four, 90-minute films onto the 512MB player. The MPEG4 videos can then be played on the sharp, clear 1.3″ TFT color LCD display that delivers a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels with 262,000 colors. To use services or play files that require digital rights management, the Vision DM employs WMA-DRM9.
Built-in SRS WOW Audio Enhancement Technology
SRS WOW, an audio enhancement technology, allows music playback in simulated surround sound, and users can manually adjust the sound with five predefined equalizer settings, or with five user-defined EQ settings. The new Vision DM is not only aimed at the music and video fanatic, but at those who also want to view JPEG photos, listen to FM radio, or record conversation or dictation.
An additional highlight is the OTG (on the go) USB host function, allowing images to be copied directly to player from digital camera, for example. While designed as media player, the i.Beat Vision DM can also be used simply for data storage, exchanging information with a PC or Mac via a high-speed USB 2.0 interface. The embedded lithium-polymer battery can be charged and recharged via the USB interface in less than three hours.
A neck strap, high-quality Sennheiser earphone, a USB cable, a high quality line-in cable, software CD and a user manual are included in with the player.
The i.Beat Vision DM arrives in the US as the British band pursues its latest world tour, supporting its latest album “Playing the Angel.”
Price and availability
Now available at Amazon.com, the i.Beat vision DM is backed by a one-year warranty. The manufacturer’s suggest retail price for the 256MB model is $202.99; for the 512MB, $229.99; 1GB at $256.99, and 309.99 for the 2GB model.
About TrekStor
Founded in 2001, TrekStor GmbH designs and manufactures award winning entertainment and storage products for personal, home, and office use. Offering a wide variety of desktop and portable external USB hard drives, high-capacity USB sticks, and high-quality portable digital media players, Trekstor has earned a reputation for quality, innovation, and performance. Headquartered in central Germany, the Lorsch, South Hessen-based company employees 135 people. Its products are distributed throughout Europe, the Middle East and, starting in 2006, North America. Additional information on TrekStor and its products can be found at www.trekstor.de/en/.
Data Station, the U.S. marketing arm for TrekStor, is located at 469 Atlantic Ave, East Rockaway, NY 11518 (Tel: 516-593-1515).
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