The OS acts pretty much like a file manager, displaying the appropriately available files in each subsection, and their location (HD, SD, or Compact Flash). All you have to do is highlight a file and click the OK button for the fun to begin.

It doesn't have to be just for fun though, the Pavio can be used for business as well, to transfer files, show a sales video, or a PowerPoint/slide presentation. With the voice recorder, students and others can record vital seminars and lectures, saving that hand-cramping note taking. And for those of you that use media cards in the course of your business, the Pavio can be used as an interim field storage device, saving you from lugging around a laptop when you need to empty out a full card.

Videos
Bring your videos along when you're on the go. Who wouldn't like to take their favorite TV show, movie, or the big game along with them when they have to leave the comfort of the couch? I always make it a point to have a movie, a book or two, and some music, all digital, with me wherever I go.

The Pavio's docking station can be attached to your TV, VCR, DVD player, cable or satellite connection, or to your local antenna via RF, AV, or S-video cable, whichever gives you the best results. In Figure D, you can find the back of the docking station with all the media connections.

FIGURE D


The Pavio's docking station will accept all standard media connections. Roll over picture for a larger image.

In this manner, you can record whatever your heart desires. The Pavio even has a TV tuner buried inside of it, so the stations you receive can be scanned and programmed in. There aren't too many locations left that still have analog cable, but if you live in an area that does, you could program those channels in as well.

You won't be able to program in the channels for your digital cable or satellite service, as those require a converter box or descrambler to function, but you can record the channel you're watching. I'm not sure how your system works, but with my DISH system I can only record what I'm watching. But if you have a second box, why waste videotape? Let Pavio record that show on the other channel for you.

Pavio has three different qualities in which you can record video files, QVGA at 1 Mbps (megabits/sec), VGA at 2 Mbps, and VGA Fine at 4 Mbps. I recorded a movie that ran just over 2 hrs onto the Pavio at QVGA to ensure the whole thing would fit, and the quality was just fine. According to the spec sheet, you can record 65 hours, 33 hours, and 16 hours of video at the respective qualities. But I think that may be a bit generous. According to my calculations, about the most you can fit on the hard drive is about 20 hours of video recorded at the lowest quality, and that's with nothing else on the system.

My calculations may be off, but that just-over-two-hour movie ran 1.4GB. The only real way to find out would be to set the device to record and let it go until it was full. At any rate, the Pavio can only record a single file that's about 620MB, after the file reaches that size Pavio starts a new file. When they're played back though, Pavio will automatically play them in sequence. The included Dr. Divx will ensure any externally generated files are encoded in an appropriate format and resolution for the Pavio.