RCA Lyra X2400 (512 MB) Digital Media Player

This machine is quite a little dynamo. I mean, its not perfect, by any means. But, that being said, this tiny little MP3 player has quite a few tricks up its sleeve. I mean, it can play back photos (they look great when the pix are sharp to begin with) and your videos, too boot! The included conversion software works very fast in general & it seems able to convert just about any video files you may have with no problem. I have not had any problem converting any video files.

After experimenting with various encoding rates, I have found that encoding with rates of either 1.2kbs or 2.0kbs at 320x240 will produce some very impressive results with video playback. Plus, you can hook this puppy directly up to your TV Monitor & play back your fave clips on a bigger screen. I have had some very impressive results so far. Itdepends on your source file & the conversion rates. of course.

Another nice trick this sucker can do is to record from your cable box or dvd player! Yes, I mean record video & it has a few different quality settings. I find thatusing 320 x 240 at the highest quality setting seems to work best overall. It can record at 640 x 480, but I found that recording at this larger size doesn't really perform as well. So, I stick with the settings I mentioned previously.

Most of the other PVP's don't offer video recording capabilities, or if they do, the price is much higher. So, this machine is a bargain in that regard. I mean, the quality is decent in general. Not quite Tivo quality, mind you, but still quite good if you pay attention to the settings.

Plus, the screen is a very nice 3.5 inches! I like that, very much. The color could be betterat times, but a lot of that can be due to poor color saturation in your video files. I mean, this little wonder is basically a tiny powerhouse of a mini-VCR for the digital age! It comes with one cable if you get one that new (recommended, for the bundle aspectof things) -you might want to hunt down a second cable, though.

As far as an MP3 player, the sound quality is very good, too. Hook it up to your stereo and you will enjoy your music very much. Or better yet, hook it up to your home theater & you can scroll thru your music on the color screen while you listen. Or see your fave photos or videos on your TV. This unit records onto compact flash cards, which are easy to get on ebay these days for a decent price.

Over all, I would say this machine is one handy & useful little MP3 player! the screen is bigger than most MP3 players and with a well encoded photo or videofile, the results can be awesome! I love my Lyra X2400 & wouldn't trade it for anything cos its just way too useful & fun to me. I also have an RCA 2870, but I prefer this unit cos it seems to work much, much smoother. The screen on my Creative Zen M does look better, its true. But that Zen or the new Zens will not record and the screen is only 2.5 inches. the Zen W has a 4.3 inch screen, but no record feature.

I wouldn't pay 200.00 for this unit at Target or wherever, but for an all in one wonder that goes for under 100 these days on ebay, it is a great value! Its fun, too & it has a bit of a "cool, James Bond-type" feel to it. Youwillenjoyplayingaround with it in so many ways if you are into slick gadgets!So,I definitely do recommend it, as long as you get it for 100 or less. Oh yeah, it comes with a power cord, so no slow as **** usb charging factor todealwith. Plus, the battery is totally user replaceable,too.