In May at E3, the annual video game conference in Los Angeles, Pocket PC Films announced the Pocket Pix Cartridge (MSRP:$59.95), a plug and play adaptor that enabled full-length feature films, video, and MP3’s to be played on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Advance SP. The SD based portable video player adaptor was scheduled to be on store shelves immediately after the show. But, the player never made it to retail. So, I called Darrell Griffin, President and CEO Pocket PC Films, to find out what happened to the big buzz of E3 2003.

After a couple of weeks of phone tag and “hold the story until we meet with our toy distribution partner next week,” Darrell finally gave me the 411 on the GBA/SP peripheral.

The name of the player is now The Pocket Cinema Player. The portable video adaptor will sell for $49.99 and be available May (2004). It will not be SD based or play MP3s. Instead first run movies ($14.95), catalog films ($12.99), animate ($12.99) and TV shows ($12.99) will be available on 3 inch mini discs that hold up to 180 minutes of video. The device will run on 4 “AA” batteries, use a proprietary video compression format, connect to the cartridge port of the Game Boy Advance & Game Boy Advance SP and runs at 24 frames per second (VHS quality).

The sales sheet states, “Pocket Cinema provides instant gratification, just pop the disk in the back, sit back and enjoy the show!”

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