Gadget Guild

Philips introduces out of the crowd iPod an 8.5 inch version, The Philips DCP951 which comes in a sleek, 2.4 pound package, complete with a kickstand in the back, a four way navigational control and menu, play/pause and skip buttons up front, a slot for SD/MMC memory cars on the side and a 3.5mm AV input/output jacks.

What makes the Phiplips player stand out from thecrowd is the slide-out dock for an iPod, its dock slides back into the main player assembly, completely hidden from view. the payer then connects to your iPod allowing to browse and play audio video including TV shows and movies from the iTunes store from the Philips menu. The playes comes with a built in battery, along with a light, square remote.

But the DCP951’s 640 by 220-pixel display suffers from the “screen-door” effect—that is, it’s all too easy to see the gaps between the pixels—while the sharp edges around people and objects look distractingly jagged, especially if you’re watching up close. Also, keep in mind that while the player works with video iPods (including the new Nano) and the iPod Touch, it won’t work with an iPhone—don’t ask me why.

So, what do you think—does the DCP951 look like a worthy travel companion? Or would you be just as happy with the tiny screen on your iPod?

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