Audiovox’s planned trio of MP DJ-series solid-state portables will accept optional MultiMedia Cards that consumers will also be able to plug into Audiovox car stereo head units due sometime in 2000, senior VP Pat Lavelle said.
The portables are designed to play only MP3 files. The first model ships in October, with the other two due in December. All come with embedded memory and slots for the optional MMC cards.
The MP-1000 comes with 32MB embedded memory at a suggested $199. It accepts optional 16MB or 32MB cards and is Windows 95/98 compatible. The step-up MP-2000 at $239 comes with 64MB embedded memory and Windows 95 compatibility.
Both models use parallel-port connections, but the 64MB top-end $279 MP-3000 features a faster USB connection and Windows 95/98 and Mac compatibility. It also features digital voice recorder and FM tuner. All can play back MP3 files at 64, 128 or 256 Kbps data rates.
Like other portables due this year, Audiovox’s models are not SDMI-compliant, given that by mid-October music and hardware companies hadn’t nailed down final licensing terms for the use of watermark technology in SDMI devices and DVD-Audio.
SDMI intends to use watermark technology for a Phase I screening function that detects and blocks downloading and copying of watermarked music and prompts consumers to upgrade to Phase 2 software that will download and copy watermarked songs.Watermarked songs will carry copy-control rules still to be defined under Phase 2 specs, which are under development and will be unveiled sometime after March 2000.
