Time for the AVerTV Porta 3

By Rory Reid on 10 March 2006, 1:43pm

Crave is beginning to feel the strain after four days at the CeBIT expo. We've just returned from the AVerMedia booth where we almost had an argument with the company's multimedia product manager about what time of day it was.

We hadn't actually asked him the time, but he kept repeating the phrase "quarter to three" for no apparent reason -- which was odd, because it was only 12:30 p.m.

Turns out he was saying "Porta 3" all along, which makes sense, because that's what AVerMedia is calling its forthcoming LCD TV. This stylish-looking device incorporates a digital TV tuner, and lets you watch Freeview broadcasts on its 7-inch TFT screen. It's not particularly groundbreaking, but we like the fact that it doubles as a digital set-top box. In other words, it lets you watch Freeview on your existing analogue television.

It has a range of inputs so you can connect a games console, a DVD player and a camcorder, and it includes an integrated angle-adjustable table-top stand.

The AVerTV Porta 3 feels solid and its iPod-esque appearance should help it gain acceptance from the masses. It'll cost around £200 when it's released this April. Watch out for a full review soon. -RR

See our CeBIT 2006 Special Report for all the latest news, product announcements, photos and videos from CeBIT.