Disney's Mix Max player isn't necessarily new, but it's still the only real pocketable, kid-oriented music and video player in town. And at under $100, with an SD slot to easily update the 512MB of on-board storage, it's fairly cheap way to keep the kids entertained during post-holiday social gatherings.

Aside from its slim, shape, the Mix Max player has a few features that I wish more makers of media players for adults would take to heart. First off, it connects and chargers via a standard mini USB port; no proprietary cables to lose here. And it shows up as a removable drive, so there's no real need to install software, though Disney does include a Windows Media Player plug-in. More importantly, Disney found a way to keep the player small and thin, while including a full-size SD slot. This is likely because the company sells music and movies on SD cards, but as an option for adding space for more of your kid's own songs, traditional SD is cheaper, and easier to find in your average big box retail store. I only hope in its next generation, Disney adds SDHC support, opening up the Mix Max to much higher storage capacities.

The 2.2 inch screen is colorful, but its paltry 220x176 resolution can leave videos looking a little grainy. Though it's not likely your kid's going to notice the difference, unless they're used to watching movies on your iPod Touch. Photos look great and display well.

The video capabilities of the Mix Max are severely limited, as the device only supports Windows Media Video. But to be fair, that's because Disney wants to sell its own Mix Clip SD card movies and TV shows for the player, rather than have you ripping your own DVD movies and uploading them to your kid's player. That isn't exactly a surprise, but given the rather high ($20+) price for Mix Clip movies and shows, as well as the severely limited number of titles available, it's a good thing kids like watching their favorite movies over and over. Disney should seriously consider making next version of this player compatible with one of the video download services.

The controls and user interface on the device are fairly straightforward. It's nice to see Disney finally found a use for Mickey Mouse, even if it is as a control pad. The buttons are a little small for adults, but should be just right for kid-sized fingers.

Audio options are a little better for this player, with support for MP3, as well as WMA, though if you want to play the DRM versions of the latter file type, you need to use Disney's plug-in to transfer the content. Battery life isn't great, clocking in close to the reported 8 hours advertised for audio, and less than 2 hours for video. Still, it's enough for a quick trip over the river and through the woods, but you better hope Grandma's house has a computer with an available USB port, because your kid's Mix Max is going to need a recharge, especially if you expect a quiet trip back home.

The Disney Mix Max media player is available now for $99 or less, in a variety of shiny colors and themes from Disney's popular TV shows and movies.

Post by Matt Safford