The whole point of portable multimedia devices is to be convenient and easily carried. If you cannot carry the device, you might as well stay at home and use your stereo system or large screened television. That is why Dish Network's PocketDish line is incredibly appealing. These devices are small enough to fit even into a pocket (hence the name) but have a large capacity for holding data like songs, photos, and video. With the largest model a scant 8.2 inches by 4.2 inches by 0.8 inches, even this model will have no trouble going along with you wherever you go.
PocketDishes are designed in three models- each with slightly different attributes and ability to hold data. These different models give you the choice as to what it is you'd like in your portable media device. As each of us are different, being able to choose between a smaller device or more hard drive or a built-in DVR or a built-in microphone is pretty important.
The AV402E is the smallest of the PocketDish line and is very different from the other two models. This model is the only one that cannot record video from other sources. This just means that you need to download your video from a device like a Dish Network receiver with DVR. If you are content to give up the ability to record directly using the PocketDish, you can save a lot of money and still have a pretty incredible portable multimedia device. Even with its small size of 4.2 inches by 2.4 inches by 0.7 inches it holds 20 GB of data. This equates to over 10,000 songs, 200,000 photos, 20 hours video, and 80 hours of other source content. Let's face it- it would be pretty hard to come up with 10,000 songs or 200,000 photos to fill up this device and 20 hours of programming should be enough to see you though until you can download fresh content.
The AV500E and AV700E are the upgraded models and are actually pretty similar, with the main difference lying in their hard drive capacity. Both of these models have a built in video recorder. This means you can directly record video from your television without relying on a DVR. Even if you are at a friends house who doesn't have satellite television, you can record programming from their television. This makes these models very convenient for people who spend a lot of time away from home or don't have a digital video recorder. Both of these models have larger hard drives than the AV402E with the AV500E's at 30GB and the AV700E at 40 GB. These are pretty impressive numbers for very small devices. These numbers translate into a song capacity of 15,000-20,000, a photo capacity of 300,000-400,000, a video capacity of 30-40 hours, and other source content capacity of 120-180 hours. Even if you get stranded on a deserted island for a week, you'll find yourself plenty entertained with either of these PocketDishes.
When you consider that not many decades ago the bare minimum of computing power necessitated a computer that took up a large room, it is pretty amazing that these devices can pack so much power in such a small space.
