Driven by increased broadband penetration, declining price points, and a growing catalogue of online audio and video content, the market for MP3 players and portable media players (PMPs) will remain strong over the next five years, reports In-Stat. Nevertheless, according to In-Stat's latest primary research, the main reason consumers are purchasing portable MP3 players and video-capable PMPs today is for the devices' audio playback capability, the high-tech market research firm says.

Wolverine Data announced it is shipping the Wolverine ESP portable multimedia player with a storage capacity of 250GB and the ability to deliver complete digital multimedia convergence while delivering the lowest cost per gigabyte in the industry at an estimated street price under $650.00. The Wolverine ESP Model 5250 features a razor-sharp 3.6-inch TFT LCD display and the ability to store and view 125,000 digital photos, play 500 hours of video or 80,000 songs, plus the capability to record television programs and FM radio-all in a 5.3"x2.8"x0.9" footprint that weighs 10.2 ounces. It is ideal for professional photographers as well as for consumers who want the most extensive array of multimedia capabilities in the palm of their hand.

TrekStor, a manufacturer of high quality MP3 players, external hard disks and USB sticks will be unveiling its new MP3 movie player TrekStor i.Beat motion at IFA 2007 in Berlin (Hall 16) from August 31 to September 5. This new i.Beat is aimed particularly at music fans who not only want to listen to their favorite music but also to enjoy films or music videos on their transportable mini-players. The black TrekStor i.Beat motion is available with a 2 inch TFT display and between 1 and 4 gigabytes (GB) of storage, enough for up to 1200 songs or four hours of videos. The TrekStor i.Beat motion movie player costs between €59.99 (1 GB) and €109.95 (4 GB).

Disney Consumer Products is raising the bar on innovative electronics for tweens with its new fall line-up. New offerings for fall include the easy-to-use Disney Flix Video Cam, high-quality iPod compatible speakers and the debut of the first line of Disney LCD TVs. Products are inspired by some of Disney’s most popular franchises, including Disney Princess, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Disney Channel’s High School Musical and Hannah Montana. The Disney Flix Video Cam comes bundled with High School Musical Disney Director software. Additional Disney Director software titles can be purchased separately and include Cinderella and Pirates of the Caribbean (SRP $14.99 each).

With the introduction of not just one, but two versions of the world’s first Blu-ray disc camcorder, Hitachi continues its long-standing tradition of being first to market with landscape-changing consumer electronics products. The new Hitachi DZ-BD70A Blu-Ray camcorder is a single drive camcorder that can record approximately one hour of FullHD 1920x1080 high definition video on an 8cm single-sided Blu-ray disc (BD-R and BD-RE). Lifelike image reproduction and rich, immersive color are a result of Hitachi’s 5.3 mega pixel CMOS image sensor and HD quality 12-element lens system. Both Blu-Ray camcorders come with an Interactive Guide built-in so that people who have never used a camcorder can quickly begin.

Now it’s easy to check shots captured with any HDV or DV camcorder while you’re in the field, in a hotel room or in the office. Sony announces the world’s first HD Video Walkman – the portable solution for viewing HDV and DV tapes while you’re on the move. Packed with professional features, the versatile GV-HD700E plays back HDV as well as miniDV tapes (SP and LP). Its ability to record HDV1080i/DV signals from an external source also makes it ideal as a back-up deck for professional videographers covering weddings and other events. The clear, bright 7-inch widescreen (16:9) LCD offers a resolution of 1,152K (800x480x3[RGB]) dots for monitoring video and still images.

HandHeld Entertainment, a global digital entertainment company, announced the release of the ZVUE 260, value-priced MP3 video player. Called "iPod-esque" by leading technology news outlet Engadget when the product was first announced at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007, the ZVUE 260 will be available for purchase at Walmart.com later today with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of less than $100. The ZVUE 260 is a full-featured personal media player (PMP) featuring a built-in speaker and a sleek and thin design that ships ready to play out of the box with a "starter" 1 GB (Gigabyte) SD (secure-digital) memory card, sufficient memory for up to six hours of video playback or approximately 500 MP3 songs.

Tubearoo, Inc., with its mission to become one of the world's largest Internet video networks for users to view, upload, and share Internet video, announced that it is beginning the official beta test launch of its Mobile Video Service. Tubearoo's Mobile Video Service will allow subscribers to receive Tubearoo video clips to cell phones and other cellular devices via text messaging service. While the service has been operating on an internal basis for some time, this official beta launch will score the first use of the service by members of the public.

Meeting the needs of digital media enthusiasts who demand maximum versatility and performance in a highly compact design, Cowon America announced the availability of the Cowon D2 premium portable multimedia player (PMP) featuring a high-resolution, 2.5-inch color LCD with an innovative touch-sensitive interface designed to maximize viewing experience and ease of use. The Cowon D2 also offers expandability to users with an integrated memory card expansion slot for additional digital media capacity - up to 12GB using a 8GB SDHC memory card. The Cowon D2 2GB and 4GB configurations are priced at $189.99 and $219.99 USA.