Here's an external hard drive case from Keian Corporation with MPEG, DivX, VCD, VOB, and other multimedia file support.

This is the first product from Keian we've featured here at TechJapan, and it appears to be a decent offering. Hopefully we'll see more from them in the near future.

Keian Corporation will release the "JHMP-2500S," a 2.5" external hard drive case with audio/video playback functionality. The case is listed at Open Price, but is estimated to cost around 11,000 yen. Supported operating systems are Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, and XP.

The JHMP-2500S is a USB 2.0 hard drive case that supports the playback of MPEG-1/2/4, DivX 3.0/4.0/5.0, VCD 1.1/2.0/3.0, MP3, and JPEG files. It also supports the VOB format. When a 2.5"/9.5mm hard drive is inserted in this case, video and other files stored inside the hard drive can be output to a television. The AV player functionality is limited to FAT32 support, so when using hard drives over 32GB, they will need to be formatted accordingly.

The video output to a TV or other devices is operated with an included remote control. It is equipped with an AV output jack (Composite video, analog audio) and an analog RGB output. While an AC adapter is included, a "USB Y Cable" is also included; o­ne USB port provides data to the hard drive, and the other supplies power, meaning it can be used without the AC adapter.

Also, Keian has said that "because we use an aluminium hard drive case, the cooling effect allows the hard drive to operate with stability." The external dimensions of the case are 79 x 143 x 17mm (W x D x H), and it weighs about 120g (case o­nly). A USB cable, AV connection cable, analog RGB connection cable, set of screws, and case pouch are included.

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Inspired by:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20050307/keian.htm [5]

Product Information:
http://www.keian.co.jp/new_pro/jhmp2500s/jhmp2500s.html [6]