-
CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 17 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Sonic Impact's Video 55 offers good video quality and allows more than one user to enjoy movies and TV shows stored on an iPod. The clamshell design serves to store and protect the iPod during travel, and a remote is included. There's also a USB port for pass-through syncing, and decent accessories bundled with the unit.
The bad: The Video 55 is expensive, and the screen isn't huge; it's heavier than the competition; inside face attracts smudges.
The bottom line: The Sonic Impact Video 55 provides a convenient way to watch and share video on the go. If you own an iPod, don't want to lug around your laptop, and have 300 bucks to spare, it fits the bill.
Price range: $89.95
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 09/26/2006
The Apple iPod may know how to play video, but it's still a music player at heart, which is evidenced by its not-so-large 2.5-inch screen. Said screen might be sufficient for watching 30-minute TV programs, but what of the feature-length movies now for sale on iTunes? If you want to take these digital films to go without inflicting serious eyestrain on yourself, one option is to pick up Sonic Impact's Video 55, which adds external speakers and a 7-inch screen to your iPod movie-watching experience. Just be forewarned that the Video 55 isn't a cheap accessory--it'll set you back about $300. If you already own a laptop, that's a much more economical option (albeit a larger and heavier one).
If you can get past the price--because, after all, the Video 55 costs nearly as much as an 80GB iPod and more than a 30GB one--you'll be rewarded with a useful device boasting a sleek and compact design. The all-black Video 55 measures 8.7 by 6.5 by 1.7 inches when closed and weighs in at 2.4 pounds, which is significantly smaller and lighter than nearly all mainstream laptops. The portable DVD player-like unit flips open to reveal a 7-inch wide-screen display and a cut-out iPod bed with two strips of touch-sensitive controls on either side. The iPod slot features a rotating dock connector, which you flip up in order to connect the player. Then, once the iPod is in place, it folds down into the base of the Video 55 and rests flush with the edges (a 30GB iPod insert helps manage this for the smaller player; the standard cutout accommodates the 60GB/80GB version). This convenient design also allows you to carry the iPod inside the Video 55 for safe travel.
Video playback is largely handled by the iPod itself, but the Video 55 includes some basic controls: power, volume, and menu. The latter refers not to the iPod menu, but to the video settings on the Video 55 (brightness, contrast, and so on). There's also a remote that consists of those controls as well as a play/pause button and a mute key. A nifty spring-loaded slot on the front of the unit can store the remote during travel. Other extras in the box include a wall charger, a car charger, RCA A/V cables, a soft travel pouch, and a shammy. All of the input/output ports are covered by a flexible rubber flap on the left edge of the Video 55; a mini USB port is included for pass-through syncing. Sound comes through two speakers mounted in the hinge of the unit.
Continue reading- See more CNET content tagged:
- Apple iPod,
- video,
- speakers,
- laptop computer
User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 17 reviews
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
-
Showing 3 of 17 user reviewsSee all 17 user reviews
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
-
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
- See all 17 user reviews Write review
Sonic Impact Video 55:
