In the world of portable entertainment size is everything. But what makes a great portable entertainment device is a bit of a paradox: It has to be small on the outside, but have big capabilities on the inside. The PocketDISH line from DISH Network does a great job of balancing these two extremes. The largest PocketDISH, the AV700E, at 8.2 inches wide x 4.2 inches high x 0.8 inches wide is about the same size as a portable DVD player, but is completely self contained (in the sense that you don't need to swap out DVD's in order to watch a different movie) and can hold about 20 times the program content. Plus, each PocketDISH can do a lot more than any DVD Player. All PocketDISHes can download program content from any DISH Network DVR receiver with a USB 2.0 port at a rate of roughly one hour of programming for every five minutes of download time. They can store and play songs in MP3, WMA, or WAV formats, display digital photos, and play action and role playing video games that can also be downloaded from Dish Network. They can upload content to any PC or Mac computer, and play video content using either their own integrated screens or over most TV's.
The smallest PocketDISH, the AV402E is a wonder of miniaturized technology. At 4.2 inches wide x 2.4 inches high x 0.7 inches deep, it truly is pocket sized. It has an impressive 20 Gig HDD hard drive which can store up to 20 hours of video, 10,000 digital songs, and 200,000 pictures in JPEG format.
These big features in a compact size do come at a price however. The AV402E relies on headphones instead of built in speakers, it's screen is only 2.2 inches, it's lithium ion battery isn't removable, and unlike the larger models it doesn't have have a remote control or a docking station. It does however have a built in microphone.
The mid sized AV500E and the largest model, the AV700E, have many features in common that are more extensive than the AV402E's. They both have built in speakers and LCD screens with 16:9 aspect ratios. They come with remote controls, docking stations, and viewing stands. Both have removable lithium ion batteries which, with the use of a spare, allow for greater run time between recharges. Perhaps the most important feature that these models share is the ability to record video from sources other than DISH Network receivers. They can be connected to almost any cable box, satellite receiver, TV, DVR, DVD Player, or VCR to record video. Not only that, but when they record from other sources, the number of hours of video they can hold an increase by up to four times!
The AV500E's 30 GB HDD hard drive can hold up to 30 hours of DISH Network content (or up to 120 hours from other sources!), 15,000 songs, and 300,000 JPEG pictures. It's 4.8 inch wide x 3.0 inch high x 0.8 inch deep chassis has a 4 inch screen.
The AV700E can hold up to 40 hours of DISH Network programming (or up to a whopping 160 hours from elsewhere!), 20,000 songs, and 400,000 pictures in it's 40 Gig hard drive. It's 8.2 inches wide x 4.2 inches high x 0.8 inches wide and has a 7 inch screen.
With such great compact technology, we should all be on the lookout for what DISH Network will come up with next!
