New SanDisk Sansa TakeTV offers portable TV player solution using low-cost flash memory.

Flash memory vendor SanDisk has taken the portable media player to another level with its new TakeTV portable video player.

The clever design features either a 4GB or 8GB USB memory drive that normally docks inside the slim remote control. To load videos, you simply plug it into a USB port on your PC and use Windows Explorer or your favourite file manager to copy those files across to the USB drive. You then unplug it and connect it to the special TV cradle. The cradle features S-video and composite-video outputs along with standard stereo audio that connects to your TV.

Using the remote control, you can navigate using the on-screen menu to your video files and play them on the TV.

“Sansa TakeTV is the most easy-to-use, straightforward solution for watching downloaded personal video content and other shows in the comfort of the living room,” said Daniel Schreiber, senior vice president and general manager for SanDisk’s audio/video business unit. “No confusing wireless network set-up, no wires running across the living room and no cumbersome burning of DVDs. Just use the Sansa TakeTV device to move your favourite video content over to your TV, and enjoy it on the big screen with family and friends.”

“Sansa TakeTV is a great addition to SanDisk’s audio/video line up and a natural extension of their overall business strategy,” said Danielle Levitas, vice president consumer markets and new media at IDC. “SanDisk is a global leader in USB flash drives, which solved the challenge of moving data from PC to PC. With Sansa TakeTV, the company has created a solution for today's dilemma, moving digital video from your PC back to the TV.”

The TakeTV supports video resolution up to 720x576-pixel resolution or PAL DVD frame size and handles MPEG4 video compression including DivX and XviD. It works with Windows XP and Vista as well as the latest versions of Mac OS and Linux.

SanDisk is selling the 4GB version for US$99.99 and the 8GB model for $US149.99. It is available now online from the SanDisk website and is expected to be released around the world in 2008.