2. The Power Supply - A.k.a., The Old Ball And Chain

Of course, with affordability comes compromise. And one of the compromises that Pacific Digital made here led to my one glaring issue with the PV1: the lack of an internal power supply. It is understandable that adding a battery bay and batteries would have substantially increased the size and cost of the device, but their omission, for whatever reason, makes it hard to classify the PV1 or to suggest a best use for it. Its current size would make it ideal for use while traveling, but the need for an outlet means it must be tethered to a wall, taking away substantially from some of the capabilities that could otherwise make this unit outstanding.

A power cord, headphones, USB cable, A/V out cable and software ship with the unit - but no battery.

Representatives at Pacific Digital said they were aware of the situation, but explained that in order to maintain the visual clarity and brightness of the picture, power consumption levels would be too high for serious consideration of including a battery in a unit at this price point. Like everything else in life, it is a tradeoff.

They were right in one respect: whether it is the new portable media players or even older portable MP3 players, one of the most common knocks against such devices is battery life. The truth is that it takes a lot of power to display even something as visually simplistic as The Simpsons. Understanding the limitation gives us some sympathy for the decision made here, but still, it's a limitation that can't be ignored in the review.

That said, let's get back to it!