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Philips Rhapsody-ready portable video player

Electronics manufacturer Philips has announced pricing and availability for its new GoGear SA6500 portable video player.

Donald Bell Senior Editor / How To
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
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Photo of Philips GoGear SA6500 portable video player.
It's just an engineering sample, but if the Philips SA650 ever materializes, it could give Creative and SanDisk a run for their money. Donald Bell/CNET Networks


Philips has announced plans to release a new portable video player named the GoGear SA6500. The Philips PVP features a 4.3-inch wide-screen display, SDHC memory expansion, Rhapsody subscription music integration, built-in speakers, and an included pair of high-end, in-ear headphones. An 8GB version of the GoGear SA6500 (the SA6585) should hit shelves in July, priced around $200.

While a budget, flash-based PVP might not seem groundbreaking, one of the GoGear SA6500's most compelling features might be its multicodec, multiresolution support. Flash PVPs are sprouting up everywhere, but few support drag-and-drop video transfers without requiring tedious video conversion. Along with its audio and video DRM support, and Rhapsody DNA integration, the Philips GoGear SA6500 has an opportunity to become the preferred budget PVP of 2008.