So you know all about TiVos, and DVRs are old hat, but have you ever heard of the Toy Quest Rip Roar Video Free? Neither had I, but this little device might be the next big thing for those who want to watch their favorite shows on the go without spending gazillions of dollars to do it.

The Rip Roar is a video recorder and portable media player in one small device. The recorder has a 2.5-inch TFT-LCD and 512MB of internal memory that can be expanded to a much nicer 2GB with an SD card. The included lithium-ion battery gives you 5 hours of running time in continuous video-viewing mode, and you can preprogram up to eight different shows. Video-in inputs allow you to run video straight through the device to record, and the built-in speaker means you don't have to fumble with headphones or earbuds when you want to watch your shows on the road.

But for all the specs, which honestly are kind of so-so for a portable media device, the real question with the Rip Roar is, How easy is it to get media onto it? According to Toy Quest, the Rip Roar connects between your TV and set-top box. You can use any remote to train the cradle and program the desired shows for recording. Once it's time to record, the Rip Roar automatically switches to the right channel. As soon as it's finished recording, you can unplug the Rip Roar and watch your video on its screen or dump it onto your PC with the included USB cable.

With a $199 price tag, the Toy Quest Rip Roar will hold appeal as a kids's gadget. But when it hits the market (according to Toy Quest, it recently shipped and will be available at walmart.com and samsclub.com soon), it might also appeal to anyone who want this kind of functionality at an affordable price.

Post by Don Reisinger