In the past, Viewsonic might have been only about display solutions, but the company has recently expanded its portfolio with a range of new products, including netbooks, ultraportable PCs or ION-based nettops. Now, the company is entering a new market, namely that of media players, with the launch of its VMP70 direct-connect, HD media player. The new solution will enable consumers to play media files directly from a hard drive or a USB thumb drive on a Full HD display that can be connected via an HDMI connector.

“We believe in enhancing the entertainment experience in a way that is both convenient and user intuitive,” Jeff Volpe, vice president and general manager of ViewSonic North America, said. “With more compatible media formats than any other media player on the market, we are confident that our portable media box provides consumers the freedom to enjoy HD multimedia content on their favorite HDTV without limitation.”

Much like Western Digital's own WD TV product, the Viewsonic VMP70 comes with support for a wide range of photo, video and audio formats, while also enabling that for full 1,080p HD video playback. The unit measures just 203.98mm x 40mm x 140mm and weighs in at 420g. Featuring a single power button and an integrated OSD, the media player's functions are largely available through the unit's remote control.

Available only in black, for the time being, the media player comes with a bundled HDMI cable and the necessary remote control. The unit features HDMI, Component (CVBS), Composite (YpbPr), SPDIF and 2 USB 2.0 connectivity options. Viewsonic's media player is already available today for an MSRP of US$129.99, while a promotional, holiday-estimated street price (ESP) will let you enjoy what the VMP70 has to offer for as little as US$98.99, according to the company.