What do you think of media playback on handheld devices?

[zambelli]

How do you all feel about media playback on PocketPC and SmartPhone devices (WinCE based devices in general)? Do you use it? What kind of media do you play? MP3? WMA? Do you ever use handheld devices to play video? What formats would you like to see supported? What player do you use? Why? Any general comments (likes/dislikes) are welcome.

[Blight]

I'm waiting for these devices to be capable of running x86 code and possibly some light version of WinXP (XP Embedded).

Right now, their resolution is too low, their CPU is too weak and they have a short lifespan without spare batteries.

I guess once Fuel Cell batteries kick in, stronger CPUs come out and better higher resolution LCDs are fitted, I'll be playing MPEG4 variants such as XVID/DIVX. Maybe MPEG2 (SVCD/DVD).

Perhaps instead of a better LCD, just some sort of hook into wearable vision-wear type glasses, would be nice on airplanes.

[avih]

variety:
http://www.pocketpccentral.net/software/ent-video.htm

esp. PocketMPV http://home.adelphia.net/~mdukette/downloads.html

pocketmpv plays most divx/xvid (should also play more iirc). 320x240 plays well, with max total bitrate of about 200kbps. then it starts to drop frames.

tested on Dell Axim (Xscale 400MHz).

not too convinient to watch them though (full screen 90deg rotated), since the lcd doesn't have an even top-down viewangel as it's left-right one.

[abatis]

I am using PocketTV on my MPX200 with AVIs converted using TMPEG. Works nice. Is the advantage of DIVX better compression?