Aigo Patriot MV5920 MP5 PMP Sports 720p HD Quality Video & WiFi

Aigo have announced what they term as being a ‘breakthrough device’ in the form of their new Patriot MV5920 MP5 PMP which, apart from offering 720p HD quality video playback also sports WiFi, mobile TV and 160GB of integrated storage capacity and which, like Newman’s M8000 PMP, also just posted, has all the aesthetic charm of a house brick.

Whilst certainly from an aesthetic perspective, the dual-core powered Patriot MV5920’s styling is far removed from the sleek, beautifully minimalist form of Onda’s up and coming VX777 PMP, there’s no doubt that the Patriot MV5920 is certainly a highly capable device in offering a 16:9 aspect ratio 480 x 272 resolution 4.3” display, integrated 2MP camera, built-in DVR recording with 720p HD output to connected HDTV units as well as a host of file format support (as befits a PMP) but, just like Newman’s M8000 PMP, we just cannot quite fathom why it is that, having produced such a capable device, the manufacturers then decided to present all this technical wizardry in a shell that looks like it took all of two seconds to design.

Yes, we appreciate that its sounding like we have somewhat of a bee in our bonnet about this (that’s because we have) but we just cannot abide poor/dull/unimaginative styling especially when you consider the obvious work that’s gone into these PMPs (both this and Newman’s up and coming PMP).

The fact is that, if given a choice between Aigo’s Patriot MV5920, Newman’s M8000 and Onda’s VX777 whilst our heads would rule out the VX777 almost immediately on the basis that the other PMP’s boast considerably more in the way of both features and capabilities, our hearts would see to it that it’s Onda’s device we ultimately walked away with – if only because, of the three, its by far the most visually attractive device.

After all, and as shallow as it sounds, looks have always have counted and always will. We humans are visual beasts and we like to be seen with things (and people, for that matter) that look good – even if, invariably, that means we have ultimately (and all too willfully) settled for second best and left the true gems on the shelf. (Incidentally, if the above is not true, then one could argue that it gets somewhat harder to explain away the phenomenal success achieved by Apple’s iPhone).

Aigo’s Patriot MV5920 MP5 PMP retails for around $430

Sanhaostreet [via PMP Today]