There’s more to this VWB Flyboy that we talked about yesterday than I thought. First of all, it looks to have been around as an OEM design for a while, as US Modular is selling a 20GB version of their own through the Army/Air Force Exchange for $369 and Buy.com is selling it for $289 after rebate. And while cheap doesn’t always mean better, it certainly is a nice place to start.
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/index.php#vwb-flyboy-028195
Just read your article on the VWB Flyboy. I wanted to write to you to let you know that I recently purchased this exact item from DataVision here in Manhattan. At the time I had no clue who manufactured it but the price was right. I bought it for about $350. I kept it just under two weeks to try it out and see if I liked it. I actually really DID like it and used it several times. It had good features. You literally plug it into the TV and press one button and you can record anything you like. The resolution wasn’t so bad and the screen size was 3.5″. It runs on Windows Media Player 10, has a remote control, a stand on the back so you can support it, a carrying case, and external speakers so you don’t have to have earphones in while watching it.
The only drawback, and the reason I returned it, was because it was a bit bulky. I regret returning it. I ended up getting a Lyra 20GB RD2780 which I used maybe one time since I got it. I put it back into the box and haven’t touched it since. I am a bit disappointed with the RCA Lyra. For starters it does not have an external speaker so you have to always have earphones in. The controls are a bit strange and hard to use, it takes a while to load things, while it may be slightly smaller, its still quite large and bulky. I wish I would have stuck with the other one, the VWB Flyboy, but now my two weeks is up and I am stuck with the Lyra. Oh well. Just wanted to give you that info.
