IOGEAR has announced its new ultra-slim portable media player that allows users to tote their multimedia content just about anywhere they like, thanks to a slim form factor that is appealing to the eye. It also makes for a handy portable hard drive since you will be able to use it to carry your important files wherever you go. Folks who thrive on digital video, songs and pictures can now transfer it from a PC to a laptop through USB 2.0, watching it on a big screen HDTV or an entertainment system later regardless of location.

One interesting aspect of this portable media player is there isn’t any display on it - unlike other PMPs which we have seen in the past. I guess that will help with the cost in the end, but the drawback would be you won’t be able to watch your movies wherever you are since there isn’t any way to hook it up to a TV while you’re sitting on a plane. Still, it does boast some impressive features such as improving standard definition video playback by automatically upscaling it to 720p resolution whenever it is hooked up to a HDTV. All you need is to plug it into the said TV using RCA or component and you’re good to go - would be nice to see an HDMI connector, but I guess there is always room for improvement with future iterations.

According to Miranda Su, executive vice president of IOGEAR, “IOGEAR recognizes that today’s tech-savvy consumers are creating and collecting large amounts of digital media, such as movies and photos, and need simple solutions to transport and access them from any location. Our Portable Media Player makes it easy for people to transfer, organize and take their entertainment with them while on-the-go, and enhances the viewing experience by upscaling standard content to HDTV resolutions.”

The IOGEAR Portable Media Player (GMD2025U120) will be available immediately, retailing for $349.95.

Press Release