Pocket Dish vs. portable video players

The power of Dish Network in a portable video player doesn’t limit you as much as you think it might. I recently reviewed the Wolverine ESP and I want to compare the two here in this review. Both are quite portable but let me show you more about the Pocket Dish player so that you can make the most informed choice possible.

Dish Network has the Pocket Dish claims to be a complete TV/Video, music, games and photo device. Sounds full of features to me, let’s dig deeper. The TV/Video capabilities include the ability to quickly transfer up to 20 hours of Dish Network programming off your DVR, so that you can keep up with your favorite programs while on the go.

Music storage allows for up to 10,000 for the 20GB, 15,000 for the 30GB and 40GB comes in at up to 20,000 MP3, WMA or WAV music files and also includes cover art and play list abilities so that you can choose what music you want to hear in a customized manner. Up to 200,000 photos can be stored on this portable storage device for sharing with others via the brilliant color LCD screen or another connected TV.

Games include brain-teasers, role-playing choices and adventure games, all bundled in a nice compact unit. If you get tired of listening to music or watching movies, you can work to improve your mind and challenge yourself with a few games.

In 20GB-40GB sizes, the storage is plenty for most uses but is below some of the other players on the market. 2.2″ – 7″ screen sizes adds more viewable space than most portable viewers offer (most come in at 2.2″ standard so for a bigger screen, you might check the Pocket Dish out) and the dimensions vary, as follows:

20GB: 4.2″(w) x 2.4″(h) x 0.7″(d) with 2.2″ screen
30GB: 4.8″(w) x 3.0″(h) x 0.8″(d) with 4″ screen
40GB: 8.2″(w) x 4.2″(h) x 0.8″(d) with 7″ screen

Up to 20, 30 or 40 hours of viewable time, according to size, is projected. Do you need to record from other sources? The 20GB will only record audio but the 30-40GB options claim to have this capability. Again, the 20GB does not have a remote control but the 30-40GB players do, and this shows you that if you’re looking for features that other portable devices have, you will probably have to go with the 30GB or 40GB choices.

I noticed the 20GB does not have a removeable battery (you could upgrade or change this out later with a new one if it did) but the 30-40GB players do indeed have the ability to remove the battery which adds life to the player. Same situation with the docking station…nothing for the 20GB but the 30GB has it as part of the case and the 40GB says that it’s included on the actual unit itself.

What surprised me more is that the 20GB has a built-in microphone but the 30GB and 40GB players do not. Maybe because you can use it for almost anything else, they decided to throw in a microphone for the 20GB buyers so they feel they have more features.

I mentioned that you have 20, 30 and 40 hours available for Dish content but what kind of play time would you get from other sources? The site boasts other source content capacity at up to 80 hours for the 20GB, up to 120 hours for the 30GB and a whopping 160 hours for the 40GB but they do have a disclaimer as follows, regarding these numbers:

Recording capacity varies based on type of content being recorded. Recording capacities listed require using the total capacity available on the hard drive. On average, 1 GB = 1 billion bytes, formatted capacity is less.

Anywhere from “real-time” recording to 40 minutes of waiting can be found, depending on which DVR you have available. Many do record in “real-time” and so it’s not unusual for you to record the night before and run out the door in the morning, all set. Waiting 40 mins. might drag you down some, but if you plan ahead, that won’t be an issue.

You don’t seem to be limited to recording from the Dish Players only though. It lists other VCR, satellite recievers, cable boxes and TV’s as sources, although I’m unsure if there’s any that don’t work with the Pocket Dish players.

With free shipping until the end of this year and a really nice outline of comparison between the Pocket Dish and the Apple iPod, you can’t go wrong with at least doing some research to compare pricing, screen size and compatibility before making your final purchase.

When searching for accessories, you are redirected to this page and given a list of items you can use to go with your new Pocket Dish. You can order online and have it delivered to your door, or shop a bit and visit a retailer listed locally. Either way, expect to pay from $150USD to $400USD on this choice. Comes with your basic needs so you don’t have to chip in accessories until later if you want.

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