Acting like a small digital VCR, it can record all of your favorite TV shows and encode them into the format of your choice in real time. It does the same thing with DVDs, storing the recordings on whatever memory card you have in place. All you have to do is pop the memory card into your PDA, Sony PSP, or smartphone and enjoy your show or movie on the go. It works beautifully with iPods also, requiring only that you load the video into iTunes on your computer, sync, and go. Design With its shiny silver and black finish, and small and sleek design (4. 6 inches x 3. 42 x. 71 inches; 4. 9 oz. ) the Neuros will blend in with any entertainment system. The front holds the memory card slots, along with power and recording indicator lights. A/V connections are made from the back. Note that the Neuros has no harddrive, but relies on whatever memory cards you want to use for recording, which you must supply yourself. Setup and Operation Getting the Neuros up and running requires almost no learning curve. All you need to do is connect one of the included A/V cables to your Cable Box, DVR, or DVD player and the other to your TV. The Neuros then uses your TV screen for all menu controls. With its credit card-sized remote it's a cinch to move through the menus needed to set up the device. Within ten minutes we were capturing TV programs in iPod format. And here the user-friendliness of the Neuros really shines. All you have to do is scroll through a list of choices based on what handheld device you want to use for viewing-smartphone, iPod, or PSP, for example-and the Neuros encodes it properly for you. You don't have worry your little head about things like framerates, bitrates, or codec types, which leaves you more time at the gym to watch the latest episode of "Lost" while you get fit on the treadmill. It even includes programmable and timed recording, so that you don't have to be there when the device is doing its stuff. Video Quality Although you can use the Neuros to watch captured video on a TV or desktop computer, it is not designed for this purpose and will appear grainy and pixilated on a large screen. On a small screen, however, video looks great. And the range of choices for encoding video it provides is ideal. Note also that the Neuros cannot handle High Definition video, and because high quality, big screen viewable video is not in its job description, it uses a normal A/V cable only. Forget about S-video, component, or better connections. Do It Yourself and Save If you buy media for your PSP on expensive UMD disks, or download video from the iTunes store, this device can save you money. You're already paying for cable TV and DVD rentals, so why spend more money every time you want to watch on the go? If quick and easy handheld analog video is what you are after, this little device may just fit the bill. Pros Easy to setup and operate. Wide range of pre-set formats make encoding a snap. Can be programmed to record while you're away. Cons No hard drive. Must supply your own memory cards for recording. Compressed video suitable for small screen viewing only. What's in the Box Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2, standard A/V RCA interface cables, 110-240V AC/DC power supply, remote control, user manual driver, and bundle software pack. So you thought you'd found the ultimate in entertainment freedom with your video iPod? How great is it to be able to catch your favorite television show on your way to work, or check out the latest music video before your big meeting? It's great, all right, if you don't mind shelling out a few bucks for shows that you can watch for free on TV. Don't fret! The days of having to pay to watch shows on your iPod or other handhelds are over, thanks to the Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2. With the Neuros, you can record live TV, your favorite movies, and even sporting events for playback on your Sony PSP, iPod, PDA, smartphone, notebook or other portable device. No conversion hassles, no fees, no problems! As Easy as a VCR If you've ever used a VCR, you'll quickly see that the Neuros is a snap to use. Using the standard A/V RCA interface cables, which are included, you simply connect the Neuros into the source you want to record from-such as a cable box, satellite dish, DVD player, camcorder or VHS player-and press record. The Neuros will begin digitizing your show. The Neuros works just like a free-standing VCR, but instead of recording onto VHS tapes, it records directly onto digital memory cards (MS Duo/ProDuo, CF, and Microdrives) so that you can then play your video directly on your PSP, laptop or other handheld devices. For iPod playback, it's a cinch. After recording your show to a memory card, you insert the card into your computer's card reader and then load the video into your iTunes iPod playlist. You don't have to convert, transcode, compress or do anything else. Just load the video onto your iPod, and away you go. It's that simple. Really. The Neuros also offers many of the conveniences of a VCR, such as the ability to program up to five recording schedules (once, daily, weekly, or monthly), and a one-click recording feature from the remote. But unlike a VCR, the five-ounce Neuros fits into the palm of your hand, so it can blend unobtrusively in with your home theater system, ready to record at a moment's notice. Video Wherever You Please With the Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 and almost any handheld, you'll never have to miss your favorite late-night television show or news program again. Just set the Neuros to record at a certain time, go to bed, and when you wake up you simply insert the card into your handheld, and you're ready to go. Ideal for the morning commuter or cross-country traveler, the Neuros lets you watch your favorite programs on the way to work or on your next flight. But the Neuros lets you do a lot more than watch television shows with your handheld. Because you can plug the Neuros into just about any video source, you can use it to digitize your home movies, show off your kids' baseball games or dance recitals to your colleagues, and even capture last night's video game highlights for playback. You can even use the Neuros to transfer a slide show of your vacation shots for playback on your television. The possibilities are endless. But regardless of how you use the Neuros, the bottom line is that there will never be any fees or conversion hassles when you want to hit the road with your favorite video. What's in the Box Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2, standard A/V RCA interface cables, 110-240V AC/DC power supply, remote control and user manual driver and bundle software pack. The Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 enables you to effortlessly capture video content for the Sony PSP from any analog video source, including cable or satellite television, DVD players, VCRs, camcorders, and PVRs such as Tivo. The video content is saved as MPEG-4 video files, eliminating the hassle of proprietary file formats. Using Memory Sticks and Compact Flash (CF) or Microdives as the storage medium, you can record content on a card for viewing on your PSP or TV, or then transfer onto your PC, Laptop, or Portable Media Player like the Neuros 442 or iPod. Roughly the size of a PDA device, the Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 hooks up to your existing home-theater system, and allows you to view video and still photos on your TV or listen to MP3 audio files. Watch on an iPod too: Transfer the recorded file to your PC via a USB card reader (purchased separately) and add it to iTunes, then sync your iPod. Take it with you! Video Play Capabilities - MPEG-4 SP with MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) audio,30fps up to D1 resolution DivX 3. 11@ CIF Resolution; DivX 4. x,5. x,30fps up to D1 resolution Quicktime 6; MPEG-4 AAC-LC stereo, MP4 format at up to D1 resolution ASF, AVI, MP4 file extensions MP3 and AAC audio capabilities Storage Card Compaible - Memory Sticks - Duo and Pro Duo / Compact Flash - Type I and Type II / Hitachi Microdrives with CF type II interface With 1GB memory card, it can record up to 111 minutes VGA quality or up to 250 minutes QVGA quality Upgradeable firmware for future expansion Size - 4. 6 inches x 3. 42 x. 71 inch / Weight - 4. 9 oz Note - CompactFlash - MicroDrive - and/or Memory Stick Storage card required but not included.