Shiro VJ MP4 Player

Shiro Corporation, a Singapore company with some advanced MP3 and MP4 players, introduced three new portable audio and video products at the 2008 CES which really caught our eye. First off was the sleek and elegant Shiro VJ. It features a large 2.4” TFT LCD with 320x240 resolution and 262K colors which makes video and photo viewing practical and enjoyable. This player will stream video directly from AVI and WMV files, with or without DRM. Although slender in size, VJ can support up to 8GB of built-in memory and has a Micro-SD card slot that allows you to pack in more content (up to 8GB last I checked). With built-in high speed USB connectivity, transferring video, music or image files from your computer to your player is fast and easy. The VJ also has FM Radio (with RDS - radio data - function) and FM stereo recording, voice recording, 8 equalizer modes, and it can playback up to 20hrs of music and 4hrs of video on a single charge of the Li-Polymer battery.

Slender, strong and modern looking, the Shiro MR gives you a new "touch" experience in playing your favorite songs and video. With the touch pad interface, you can easily ‘feel’ through your menu and music list. This 7.9mm slim player also supports up to 4GB built-in memory with a Micro-SD card slot for expansion. Other features include 2.0” color screen (176x220), FM Radio, voice recording. This player was very attractive and reminded us of a cross between the new iPod Touch and a nano. The touch screen is small, but the effect is cool. The battery on this unit is stated to last up to 10 hours for MP3s and 5 hours for videos.

Sleek and simple, the Shiro MD gives you an uncomplicated feeling to using MP4 player. Coming in at a super-thin 7.2mm thickness, this player has up to 4GB built-in memory, FM radio and recording. What’s more, it can playback up to 12hrs of music and 4hrs of video (SMV video). The 1.8-inch LCD screen isn't huge, but the micro-sizing and metallic finish on this product makes it a nice, portable player.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.