Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

If RCA’s new M5000 series of DAPs look familiar, then you’ve got a good eye: we’ve seen the exact same models before branded as the MSI P610 and Packard Bell Vibe 360. Therefore the feature sets on the 1GB M5001 and 2GB M5002 should come as no surprise, with both models sporting a 1.8-inch color screen capable of AVI and MOV video playback, line-in / voice / FM radio recording, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure audio tracks. Those of you who’ve been kicking yourselves for passing over the MSI and Packard Bell can pick up the M5001 immediately for around $130, while the M5002 still seems to be lacking both pricing and release info.

Read- M5001
Read- M5002
[Via DAPreview]

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Filed under: GPS

Thomson (or if you’re a Yank like us, RCA) has found its way into the handheld GPS market, and is poised to release two new models in the fall. The GPS 420 (pictured), which is designed primarily for in-car use, will drop (in Europe, of course) this September or October, loaded with a 4.2-inch 16:9 touch screen and carrying a €500 price tag. The pedestrian-oriented GPS 280 will boast a 2.8-inch screen that can be oriented horizontally or vertically, and should be available sometime in November for a semi-affordable €400. Other hard specs on these SiRFStarIII-based devices are few and far between, but judging by the picture in the source link we assume video (DMB anyone?) and audio playback will find their way into the mix as well. We’ll keep you posted when we get more info, unless we get sidetracked daydreaming about Archos’ upcoming antenna-packed GPS powerhouse. 

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

RCA-parent Thomson announced three new MP3 players for the European market today, along with a 30GB PMP called the X3030E, which should look quite familiar because it’s just a re-badge of the Lyra X3030 that we covered a few months back. First up is the 6GB EH306, also known as the Black Diamond, which is a nano-like device sporting a 1.5-inch color OLED display, MP3, WMA, WMV, and MPEG-4 file support, fifteen hours of battery life, and that old standby, the FM tuner — all for around $320 when it hits stores in October. Next we have the Lyra EM2600 (pictured), a 512MB or 1GB flash-based model which is basically a color version of the RD2312 we spotted at CES 2005, and which will cost $100 or $126 depending on capacity. Bringing up the rear is arguably the hottest model of all, a little waif of a DAP known as the EM2802. With this one you’re getting the same color screen and codecs as the EH306, but in a much smaller package and in capacities of either 1GB or 2GB — which will go for $165 and $216, respectively, upon their November launch. You’ve already seen the EM2600; now keep reading to check out all the other upcoming devices…

X3030E

EH306 “Black Diamond”

EM2802

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Considering that exactly zero people were interested enough in the new hard drive-based RCA MP3 players we brought you last week to actually leave a comment, we doubt that even a glowing review from Cnet would convince you to pick up one of these models — but that’s a moot point, because Cnet really doesn’t have many positive things to say about the 6GB H116 they put through its paces. As you’ll recall, RCA is clearly targeting the low-end of the market with its new DAPs, as evidenced by their black-and-white screens, rather generic-looking designs, and most tellingly, their complete lack of extra features that might sway folks away from the iTatorship. In fact, the only real compliment Cnet is able to muster about their unit is the fact that it does what it advertises: play music — but not very well it seems. Combined with the buggy controls and poor quality of the FM transmitter, the sub-par audio would seem to indicate that even for the low-low price of $170, you’re still not getting what you pay for.

[Thanks, Jen B.]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras

src="http://www.engadget.com/media/2006/05/ez101.jpg" alt="" />Despite our initial skepticism of the disposable href="http://www.engadget.com/2004/08/19/pure-digitals-disposable-digital-camera-gets-an-lcd-screen/">digital
cameras and href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/06/06/single-use-digital-video-cams-now-available-in-cvs/">camcorders from Pure
Digital, RCA likes what it sees in at least one of the company’s products, as they’ve just released their own version
of the Point & Shoot Video
Camcorder. Like the P&SVC, RCA’s EZ101 will also retail for $150, and features the same 30-minute recording
capacity of 30fps, AVI-encoded video. You also get the same 1.5-inch LCD display that serves as viewfinder and preview
screen, a USB port for direct file transfer to a PC — no installation CD necessary — and an A/V cable for TV
playback. Even those without a PC can get in on the fun, as the EZ101 can be turned in for processing at any of Pure
Digital’s partner’s 8,000 retail locations, where they’ll dump your footage onto a DVD in under an hour.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

It may be only a couple of weeks since we first started seeing reviews of Thomson/RCA's Lyra X3000 portable media player, but that hasn't stopped the company from announcing a successor, the X3030. Like the X3000, the X3030, due out in May, can handle WMA, PlaysforSure, Audible and DivX files, and has a 3.6-inch LCD display. In fact, the main difference between the two models appears to be a bump in hard disk size, from 20 to 30GB (gee, that must be why this is the X3030). RCA has kept the suggested retail price at the same $399 level as the X3000, so if you like the Lyra's specs and 20GB will do it for you, now might be a good time for you to grab an X3000 from a clearance bin.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

We first saw RCA's HDV5000 at CES in January, and true to their word here we are in April with the launch release in our hands. Expected MSRP still stands at $500, and the device will feature HDMI and composite outs supporting 720p / 1080i (plus up-converstion of standard DVDs), S/PIDF, 5.1 channel surround out, and a network connect, as expected -- really nothing out of the ordinary here. Expect to see this ship next month, and to appear in stores in June.