Nakon WD TV-a i drugi proizvođači nude svoje viđenje jeftinih linijskih HD playera, među njima i ViewSonic s modelom VMP70

Ako vam je WD TV preskup, tu je ViewSonicov VMP70 koji također nudi reprodukciju HD videa (1080p) na TV-u ili monitoru opremljenom HDMI-jem ili komponentim kablom, ali za razliku od Western Digitalovog uređaja, ovaj je tipa "direct connect". To  znači da nama nikakve mrežne komponente i priključka, već se na njega spajaju memorijski uređaji opremljeni USB portom, a onda VMP70 dekoduje i pušta dostupan mu sadržaj na displeju televizora ili monitora.

Od dodataka spominje se S/PDIF audio izlaz, puno podržanih formata, a najvažnija je cijena koja u promotivnom pred-prazničnom periodu za američko tržište iznosi 99 dolara.


How cheap can media players get? This ViewSonic VMP70 plays 1080p video files in a variety of formats for under a hundred bucks. There are HDMI and component outputs in the back, ready to play DivX, XviD, H.264, VC-12, WMV and MPEG1/2/4 files for a relatively small sum. Hey, there's even a digital audio input.

The downside? First of all there's no mention of Matroska video file (.mkv) compatibility, which is quickly becoming the standard of HD video file distribution on the Internet. And there's no network connectivity, so you'd have to use a USB drive to bring in your various video, audio, and pictorial selections.

The list price is $130, but we're hearing rumblings of holiday pricing of $98.99, so look carefully and you might find yourself a low-end video player with similar specs to the Western Digital WD TV Live (find it for a mere $119 here) with better looks at a price that's about $20 lower. But then, the WD TV Live plays Matroska files, so keep that in mind.