It may not have a sexy name, but Pinnacle’s new pocket sized Video Transfer is a great gadget for the movie obsessed who want to encode videos on the fly but simply don’t have the PC skills to get the job done. In fact, the Video Transfer doesn’t even need a PC to do it.

Unveilled just in time for CES, the Video Transfer has a USB 2.0 interface (pity no firewire) that allows users to simply daisy chain the device from any vide source directly to a mass storage device like an iPod or PSP or even USB flash drive. With the press of the single main button, the Video Transfer then encodes the source video into H.264 video at D1 quality, then saves it onto the storage device. It can work with DVD players, set top cable or satellite converters, and even VHS players sand camcorders (It’s ideal for those who wish to convert those old VHS and hi8 home movies). And gamers will love the ability to directly record gaming sessions from any console. Imagine all those YouTube Halo videos coming.

“With Pinnacle Video Transfer, video capture and direct transfer has never been easier,” said Tanguy Leborgne, Pinnacle Systems Vice President of Worldwide Marketing. “Being able to transfer videos to an iPod, PSP or USB device without having to copy the files to your PC is an added bonus because it saves both valuable time and hard drive space. PC-less recording and the device’s small, compact size also make it a convenient solution for people who are on the go.”

With a suggested retail price of $130, the Video Transfer will go on sale beginning next week. Ppre-orders will begin on January 7, 2008 at pinnaclesys.com.

Source: GadgeTell