The Gigabeat V series, successor to the
S series, features a larger screen and longer battery life than its predecessors, according to the company.
(Click here for larger image)The V series has a 3.5-inch QVGA screen as compared with the 2.4-inch screen of the S series, and it comes with a 30 GB hard drive. Details on processor and memory configuration were not disclosed, but it seems likely that the V series, like the S series, runs one of Freescale's
i.MX31 ARM11-based multimedia application processors.
Battery life is rated at 8 hours of video playback, enough for three movies, or 25 hours of music playback, Toshiba says. The unit supports Windows Media Video 9 and 10, allowing videos to be transferred from a Windows-based PC to the player using Windows Media Player 10. It also works with PlaysForSure subscription-based video download services, Toshiba says.
From an audio perspective, the V series supports MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, and WAV audio files, and is also compatible with Windows DRM 9 and 10, allowing for music purchase or subscription through services such as Napster, eMusicsm, and RealNetworks Rhapsody, according to Toshiba.
The gigabeat V series is priced at $400, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Crutchfield.com. General availability is scheduled for October, Toshiba says.
Related stories: 
