Thoughts on the Pocket Dish AV402E

[atatistcheff]

Hi,

I'm considering the PocketDISH AV402E (the smallest one). I figure for the price, $99 after rebates it can't be beat, even if you just use it for an iPod replacement. The screen is so small that I kind of wonder if it will really be that useful for watching TV programming.

I'm interested in finding out how others who have purchased this unit feel about it. The price seems almost too good to be true and I don't want to end up with a piece of junk.

Any feedback from you own experience would be appreciated.

 

[StevenD]

I have a video iPod and it only has a 2.5" screen. I find that its just fine for watching TV shows and converted DVDs. More than likely, you will only be holding it 12-18 inches away fro your eyes.

 

[David Dietzel]

For a mere $99 it's worth it if you don't already have a portable media player and have no intention of purchasing one of the new Dish Player units that are coming down the pike.

If you want HD transfer, DVD-quality widescreen playback, a bigger screen, WIFI and GPS then you might consider spending more (perhaps as low as $349) for a 4-inch disply 604 model that should be available at the end of summer or early fall.

If those features are of no use to you and the price is more than your budget, by all means, pick up the current $99 model -- it's less expensive than many music-only flash-based players and does a whole lot more.

 

[atatistcheff]

More than likely, you will only be holding it 12-18 inches away fro your eyes.

Well, as I'm almost 45 that distance may be getting a little longer

 

[jbcheshire]

I don't know, but watching a movie on a screen the size of the back of my digital camera (for reference purposes since most people today do have one of those) versus watching it on a 7" inch screen doesn't even compare... Talk about squinting your eyes to watch a video...

 

[riffjim4069]

I'm over 40 and have 20/20 vision, but watching TV on a cell phone sized TV screen for more than a minute or two would certainly give me a great big headache.

 

[atatistcheff]

Ya, that's why I figure I would use this mostly for the music capability, the video/TV feature would be more of a novelty.

 

[hobojoe]

did someone mention there is a new pocket dish coming out this fall? any info on this?

 

[jbcheshire]

Yeah there is supposed to a turbocharged model coming out soon...
Here are a couple of links to some things I ran across:
http://forum.archosfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=266
http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/05/archos-roadmap-reveals-wifi-dtv-and-3-5g-enabled-pmps/

I even found a link in the first posted link referring back to this website and Scott's announcement regarding Echostar's plans for the PocketDish:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=68239&highlight=PocketDish