Information AboutGigabeat |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT GIGABEAT | |
| digital audio players | |
| flash-based players | |
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The gigabeat is a line of Digital Audio Player s by Toshiba . Gigabeat G The Gigabeat G was first introduced during the Japanese WPC Expo in September 2003. The hard drive player features capacities from 5GB to 40GB, support for MP3 , WMA and WAV sound files, USB 2.0, and integration with Windows Media Player . The device has a 160x86-pixel Monochromic screen with blue backlighting. Battery life is specified at 11 hours. It is only available in Japan. The Gigabeat G was updated and branded as the G21. This version offered some new features such as LAN addressing. Gigabeat F The Gigabeat F was released in September 2004. The hard drive player is available in capacities from 10 to 60GB, and has a 2.2" 16-bit TFT LCD screen with a QVGA resolution. Battery life lasts up to 16 hours, and reportedly 19 hours if the backlight is set to 5 seconds. The Gigabeat F introduced a new controller called "Plustouch" which is a touch sensitive control system on a plus-shaped pad. Like the Gigabeat G, the player supports MP3, WMA (as well as protected WMA), and WAV. In November 2005, Toshiba released a firmware upgrade to the Gigabeat F and the Gigabeat Room software. An American version was released in March 2006. However, a CD must be ordered by calling Toshiba. The upgrades have fixed up Gigabeat Room's image transferring problems, but gave it lags and reportedly some minor crashes. They also add an Equalizer and distortion problems have been resolved. Gigabeat X This was the update to the F-series, additions being the dropping of the 40GB version for a 30GB version, and a 16-hour battery life. The X-series has a larger 2.4" 16-bit TFT LCD display, which enables it to display images. It is currently available in Australia and various Asian countries. Gigabeat P The Gigabeat P series players are Toshiba's first attempt at entering the flash-based Digital Audio Player (DAP) market. The player features a 1.1-inch, 16-bit OLED screen of a resolution of 96 by 96 pixels and comes in two different capacities. The P5 is available in two different colour variations and is the 512 MB model, whereas the P10 is only available in 1GB in black. Both types support MP3, WMA, and WAV, and includes a built-in FM tuner. Special editions The Gigabeat P5S is a Japanese-only, 512MB model of the Gigabeat P that was released in July 2006 (Trapnest models) and August 2006 (Blast models), which featured custom plates of Nana characters. Gigabeat S The Gigabeat S was released in Japan in April 2006 and in the United States on the last day of May 2006. The player was first presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006 in Las Vegas by Bill Gates in his keynote speech. It uses version 2 of the Portable Media Center interface by Microsoft and the device closely integrates with Windows Media Player 11 and the Xbox 360 . The player has a 12-hour battery life for audio and plays video for up to 2.5 hours. The Gigabeat S is the first of subsequent Toshiba players that does not include Gigabeat Room to transfer and sync content, the players are now compatible with Windows Media Player . The player offers a 2.4-inch, 16-bit TFT LCD display with a QVGA resolution and storage capacities of 30GB or 60GB. It also has a built-in FM tuner and audio support for MP3, WAV, WMA (both lossy and lossless), while the player natively supports WMV . Other video formats such as MPEG-4 , AVI and QuickTime are only supported through Transcoding . The device is also Playsforsure -certified, which means that it is compatible with online stores like Napster To Go . The Gigabeat S also has a USB Host for downloading images directly off digital cameras without the need of a computer, while connecting the player to a TV needs an optional composite TV-out cable. Criticism Some users have encountered a problem when the player deletes all media on its hard drive after being disconnected from USB sync with a computer. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} Although Microsoft's Zune is based on the hardware of this player, it is not affected due to a different firmware. This problem has been left unresolved; there has been no firmware updates since the release of the Gigabeat S. Gigabeat V The Gigabeat V, released in October 2006 in a capacity of 30GB, is Toshiba's first attempt at a Portable Media Player . Although the device is larger, with a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, the Gigabeat V shares the same interface, media formats, and design as the Gigabeat S. It is bundled with a USB port, an A/V output jack, and a custom splitter cable. The player has a 30-hour battery life for audio and 8 hours for video. Unlike many other portable media players, the Gigabeat V lacks the ability to charge through USB. The Japanese version includes recording audio and TV programming. Second-generation A new version of the Gigabeat V has been release on June 1 , 2007 in Japan. It sports a 4-inch Widescreen with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels, and is available in capacities of 40GB and 80GB. The player's battery life is rated at about 28 hours for audio, and 10 hours for video. There is no word on when this version is coming to the US. {Link without Title} Gigabeat U On display and is the first Gigabeat to have an FM tuner, recorder and transmitter, and the first DAP to include a 1-bit Digital-analog Converter . A charge of ten minutes will enable the Gigabeat U to play music for three hours, and battery life lasts up to 20 hours. The player supports WMA (lossy and protected), MP3, and uncompressed WAV. It is unknown if the players will be released worldwide, but they are currently available in Japan. Upcoming players The new Gigabeat, currently named MET401, have WiFi (b+g) capabilities and run Windows Embeded. The model MET401s has no WiFi capabilitiles. Windows Embeded is a "mini" Windows XP OS. The upside of running something like this on the Gigabeat is that it gives Toshiba the opportunity to introduce all kinds of features in the device. For example, Toshiba could elect to include IE for browsing capabilities which makes sense if this thing is sporting WiFi. This model comes with a 2.4" QVGA screen, 4gb of flash memory, and Toshiba's H2C Technology (High order Harmonic Compensation Technology) for lossy audio compensation as first featured in the second generation V series. SEE ALSO
NOTES AND REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Official Gigabeat Sites
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