Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Centers are handheld devices that play recorded TV, movies, home videos, music, and photos that you transfer from your computer running Microsoft Windows XP.
The FAQs about Portable Media Centers are as follows, we hope that they will be helpful for you.
What are Portable Media Centers?
What can I play on a Portable Media Center?
What types of files can Portable Media Centers play?
How can I get my music, videos, and pictures on my device?
Who makes Portable Media Centers?
Where can I buy a Portable Media Center?
What operating system do I need on my computer to use a Portable Media Center?
How much entertainment can I put on my Portable Media Center?
What is the difference between a Portable Media Center and an MP3 player?
Where can I get content to put on my Portable Media Center?
How long should it take to get music, pictures, and video on my device?
Can I connect my Portable Media Center to a TV or stereo?
Q: What are Portable Media Centers?
A: Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Portable Media Centers are handheld devices that play recorded TV, movies, home videos, music, and photos that you transfer from your computer running Microsoft Windows XP.
Q: What can I play on a Portable Media Center?
A: Portable Media Centers play more than just music. You can also play video, such as TV shows that you record on your computer; movies and home video that you download from the Internet; and you can view digital photos anywhere at anytime.
Q: What types of files can Portable Media Centers play?
A: Portable Media Centers can play video, music, and pictures that you transfer from your computer running Microsoft Windows XP. The devices play the following types of files:
Microsoft Windows Media Video and Microsoft Photo Story files (.wmv and .asf) at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and at a bit rate that is less than 800 kilobytes per second (Kbps)
Microsoft Windows Media Audio files (.wma)
MP3 audio files (.mp3)
JPEG image files (.jpg, .jpg, .jpe, .jfif)
Portable Media Centers are also compatible with other types of audio and video files, as well as Windows Media Video files and JPEG pictures that are too large for the device to display. These files are automatically converted by Windows Media Player 10 into a format and size that can play on your Portable Media Center. Your Portable Media Center is compatible with the following file types:
Windows Media and Photo Story files (.wmv and .asf)
Microsoft Recorded TV Show file (.dvr-ms)
MPEG movie files (.mpeg, .mpg, mpe, .m1v, .mp2v, and .mpeg2)*
Microsoft Windows Video file (.avi)*
Microsoft Windows Audio file (.wav)
Q: How can I get my music, videos, and pictures on my device?
A: You can connect your Portable Media Center to your computer by using the USB 2.0 cable that came with your Portable Media Center. You can transfer music, video, and pictures from your computer to your Portable Media Center by using Microsoft Windows Media Player 10. If the files are not in a format or size that the device can recognize, Windows Media Player automatically converts the file types (listed in the "What types of files can Portable Media Centers play?" section) into a format that can play on the device.
Q: Who makes Portable Media Centers?
A: Creative Labs, iRiver, and Samsung have all announced that they will make Portable Media Centers.
Q: Where can I buy a Portable Media Center?
A: Portable Media Centers are sold at computer and consumer electronics stores.
Q: What operating system do I need on my computer to use a Portable Media Center?
A: Portable Media Centers work with any version of Windows XP, including Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, and Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Because computers running Windows XP Media Center Edition can record TV, we recommend that you use a computer running Windows XP Media Center Edition.
Q: How much entertainment can I put on my Portable Media Center?
A: Our hardware partners are developing Portable Media Centers with storage capacity from 20 to 40 gigabytes (GB) in size, depending on the manufacturer and model. With a 40-GB hard disk you can hold up to 160 hours of video, up to 10,000 songs, or tens of thousands of pictures.**
Q: What is the difference between a Portable Media Center and an MP3 player?
A: MP3 players let you take your music that is on your computer with you. Portable Media Centers let you take all your entertainment with you on the go - music from your computer; media information, such as album art, content ratings, and playlists; as well as digital video and pictures.
Q: Where can I get content to put on my Portable Media Center?
A: You can transfer files that are already on your computer to your device by using Windows Media Player 10. When you use Windows Media Player 10, files are automatically converted to a format and size that the device recognizes (see the "What types of files can Portable Media Centers play?" section). This includes music that you copy from a CD, pictures from a digital camera, home movies from a digital video camera, TV shows that you recorded on your computer running Windows XP Media Center Edition or other personal video recorder programs, as well as videos that you downloaded from the Internet. In addition, Portable Media Centers can play premium downloaded digital music and video from services, including MLB.com and Napster.
Q: How long should it take to get music, pictures, and video on my device?
A: The amount of time that it takes to transfer your entertainment from your computer to the Portable Media Center depends on a number of different factors, including the speed of your processor, the type of USB support that your computer has, and if the file that you are trying to transfer needs to be converted to a format that your device can recognize. Generally, you can transfer:
A two-hour movie that you record in WMV format at 500 Kbps in two minutes.
A one-hour album that you record in MP3 or WMA format at 128 Kbps in less than 25 seconds (assumes one hour of music, and an album of 15 4-minute songs, each recorded at 128 Kbps).
A 50-kilobyte (KB) JPEG picture in approximately one second.
Q: Can I connect my Portable Media Center to a TV or stereo?
A: You can connect your Portable Media Center to a TV or stereo if you connect one end of the composite video cable to the A/V out option that is on your Portable Media Center, and the other end of the composite video cable to your stereo or TV. The device supports both NTSC (United States) and PAL (Europe and Asia) TV output settings.
* File compatibility depends on third-party software.
** Assumes a 40-GB hard disk with all of the storage space dedicated to video, audio, or pictures.