Samsung YH-999 Portable Media Center Overview

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.salloway.org.uk/mceblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=7ac67199-6237-45d4-b5e5-8728eb11b01b' target='_blank'>http://www.salloway.org.uk/mceblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=7ac67199-6237-45d4-b5e5-8728eb11b01b</a><br /><br /></div><i>"For the last two months I have been using the Samsung YH-999 Portable Media Center, rather than posting something up here instantly I wanted to get some post first impressions about it. For those who have never encountered one of these before, A Portable Media Center (PMC) is basically a small Windows Mobile powered device (customised version of Windows CE) with a 20 or 40 gigabyte hard disk built in. It doesn’t feature live TV viewing and recording but it does enable you to take your photo’s, music, videos on the go with you on the go. If you have a Media Center PC you can also copy over shows you’ve recorded, but Media Center isn’t a requirement to use a PMC."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/sam.jpg" /> <br /><br />Nice looking device. I think these will remain a niche product though. The best use is probably for those with frequent long trips on airlines/public transportation and who don't already carry a laptop.

[keirmeister]

I bought one of these YH-999's almost a month ago, and just eBay'd it last week.

It is indeed a beautiful device, but I simply couldn't get past the shortcomings:

* Only WMV native video support
* Video conversions from other formats slow and cumbersome
* No nested folders in the menu
* No video playlist
* The MP3/WMA playlists were really difficult to get straight, especially if you included an album image.

I dunno, Microsoft will have to allow more functionality before these PMC's become really useful. I could get the same functionality from a good PocketPC...and I discovered alot of the same stuff could be done on my SP3i Smartphone.

- Keirmeister

[ale_ers]

To each his own. I carry my laptop often, but I use a PMC (the Creative one) all the time. It makes a great music player, and you can watch a game or TV show on a long flight without waiting for the boot up of your laptop. Also laptops struggle to make it through one movie on a charge, this thing gets 7 hours playing video and something like 20 playing music.

Not to mention, you can lock the buttons and give it to your child to watch a video and keep them happy.

Think bigger than an ipod but with video functionality...not to mention very long battery life. And if you have a Media Center, the problem others report with syncing is non existent. Just plug it in and it converts and transfers everything...if you set up WMP to convert in the background, it takes no time.

[jeffd]

hmm, I kinda stoped reading after I saw its resolution was 320x240. Honestly, today, I demand 640x480 (or the 16x9 ratio of that if its a widescreen display) from any portable device that wants to call itself a media player. Also the limitation to wmv video really makes this a dud. The creative zen seems to have good battery life, the quoted 3-4 hours on this is pretty sad.