IFA 2006: SanDisk announce V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder - EXCLUSIVE

2 September 2006 9:34 GMT / By Stuart Miles

SanDisk has announced the launch of the V-Mate Video Memory Card Recorder, a device that will allow you to record television directly to a memory card without the need of a PC.

The new device, which is 12.95cm x 6.6cm x 2.03cm in size, will allow you to playback movies and TV on your mobile phone, Sony PSP, notebook and other playback devices by plugging them in to anything with a Video Out socket.

However, the company isn't the first in the market place to launch, with a similar device already offered by a company called Neuros. Its MPEG4 Recorder 2, which Pocket-lint reviewed in December 2005, allows users to transfer movies and record television to a Memory Stick, also without the need for a PC.

Like the Neuros device, SanDisk told Pocket-lint that users will be able to record up to 3.5 hours of high quality video per gigabyte, and the unit supports SD, MMC, MMCplus, MMCmobile, SDHC, MiniSDHC, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo, and Memory Stick Pro Duo memory card formats.

"We are hoping to replace the VCR with this product", a spokesman for the company told us. "It will be like having a video recorder in your pocket."

The unit will also allow users to set the channel, date and time so they can schedule programmes to record as well as being able to choice what resolution and repeat frequency to best suit the product they are hoping to view it on.

The unit will be controlled via a remote control included in the box.