The Juice Box, according to a press release from Mattel, will be available in three color choices when it hits store shelves Oct. 17: bright red, cobalt blue and lime green. It will have a 3-inch backlit screen, protected by a flip screen cover, for viewing. Stereo listening options will be through a headphone jack or built-in speaker.
The Juice Box will come with sampler video content when purchased. Additional content, which will be available for purchase in a price range of $9.99 to $24.99, will be accessible via special “Juiceware” media cards which can play almost three hours of content and plug into a special slot on the portable video player. Mattel has lined up a number of providers, like BMG Music, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel and WWE, which will provide content ranging from tunes to short animation clips to full length features.
Video playback will be at a respectable 10+ frames per second on average.
Children desiring to play their own MP3 files or view JPEG images files will need to purchase the separate MP3 Starter Kit for $44.99. It will include software for copying music off of audio CDs, a special flash card adaptor for reading MMC or SD cards (which the MP3 or JPEG files will need to be stored on) and a blank 32MB media card.
The Juice Box will run for up to 5 hours of continuous playback on 3 AA batteries. It can also be powered by an optional AC power supply or car adapter.
Other accessories include headphones, a carrying case for the portable video player and a case for the Juiceware cards.
