LG's Sleek Portable Media Players

All too often, I'll see nifty product designs from Asian companies that don't plan to release the product here in the U.S.

Fortunately, that's not going to be the case with LG's new line of portable media players, all of which are slated for second-quarter debut. Each of the three LG models can play back video, audio, and photos, and all can achieve remarkable battery life (up to 60 hours, according to LG, using the high-capacity li-polymer batteries).

The one that first caught my eye was the diminutive FM30 Portable Digital Player, which outwardly resembles iRiver's U10. This 2.4-inch tall, 1.6-inch wide, and .55 inch deep unit has a capacity of 1GB, and sports a 1.77-inch OLED screen. The battery is rated at up to 60 hours of music playback.

The other two models in the line were also eye-catching in design. The JM53 Portable Digital Player, a device that resembles a candybar cell phone in size, sports an 8GB hard drive, a 1.77-inch OLED screen, and a battery rating of up to 30 hours. The PM70 Portable Media Center can store up to 30GB of multimedia files; record video via its built-in composite video connectivity; and has a 4.3-inch screen.