Bring Back Truly Portable Audio and Video, Urges ABI Research.

OYSTER BAY, N.Y. -- Portable entertainment changed forever in 1979 when the Sony Walkman hit the market. It spawned an industry, and made personal mobile listening possible.

Today's equivalent is the MP3 player. But where's the music, and how do you get it? It's on the Internet, and you need a computer to buy it and transfer it to your player. That's a step backwards, away from the joy of truly portable procurement and listening.

"Today's so-called portables," says Vamsi Sistla, director of residential entertainment at ABI Research, "are still tied by an umbilical cord to the computer and a broadband connection. The industry should address these shortcomings."

A suggested rethink is included in ABI Research's new study, "The Emergence of Portable Audio, Video & Game Markets."

Consider this scenario. You head into a drive-in food stand. While waiting for your order, you connect your network-ready MP3 player to a wired or wireless vending station, right from the car. After your multimedia provider's normal authentication process, you download the latest multimedia in the time it takes to cook your burger.

You could restock your player at a sidewalk kiosk, or in a record store or an electronics retailer. You could do it in the supermarket checkout line, or at the gym, or even on a plane.

For market leaders such as Sony, Apple, Philips and Microsoft, for big retailers and name brands, and for Wi-Fi, RFID and NFC vendors this could mean many more customers, higher sales, and huge profits.

All that's needed is to make portable audio and video devices network-ready, and for content providers to build an access infrastructure to provide additional avenues for obtaining content. "I'm not excited by the prospect of an 80 GB MP3 player," says Sistla. "What gets me excited is a 20 GB player that can download media on the go."

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, ABI Research maintains global operations that support annual research programs, quarterly intelligence services and market reports in wireless, automotive, semiconductors, broadband, and energy. Their market research products can be found on the Web at www.abiresearch.com, or by calling 516.624.3113.