The idea is simple, seemingly the next logical step in portable electronics: an iPod-like device that can play TV and movies as well as music. Sounds good, but some people argue that, because of the different ways we watch TV and listen to music, the move is really illogical. While there are situations when viewing video is inappropriate or illegal (if the music we rock out to while driving or jogging were suddenly replaced by Welcome Back, Kotter episodes, what sort of mortal danger might we find ourselves in?) the PMC presents a convenient way to bottle your favorite shows for viewing on a train or a plane, or at the breakfast table or in the bathroom.

The trick with a product like this is getting the software right. That's why, for best results, this should be paired with a Media Center Edition PC (I tested it with the Toshiba Qosmio E15, seen in TIME's Wireless Society). Similar portable video players have been out for over a year, and while the innovation was there, the ability to easily get to good content wasn't. If you've got a hard drive full of shows recorded by your Media Center, it's easy to shuffle them to the Zen using Windows Media Player 10, though there's a delay while WMP10 converts the files.

You can also go online and download stuff for your PMC. I grabbed two documentaries from CinemaNow, one on 2Pac, the other on surfing. Both looked and sounded great. Now that WMP10 has launched, there will soon be subscription audio and video available for PMCs — you download it and put it on the mobile player, and provided you dock your player every so often (and keep up with the subscription payments), you'll be able to watch or listen to the content.

If you're outside of the Microsoft "walled garden" of content — if you record TV shows using other software, or if you get videos and music through some other means — you can still use the PMC, provided the content is in (as most are) MPEG-based formats. Creative says that if you download the appropriate codecs for Windows Media Player to watch content encoded with DivX, for instance, you will most likely be able to load those onto the PMC. I tried out a random variety of, uh, unpurchased video files, and the only one that didn't work was — surprise, surprise — a movie in Apple's QuickTime format. Trust me, this is neither the first word on the subject of PMC compatibility, nor is it the last. I just want you to be aware of the issue.

The most surprising thing about the Zen is how well it works. I had it running, playing both movies and music for the better part of a day, and it took about 8 hours to finally drain the batteries. The screen rarely hiccupped and, though the black and red levels could be richer, the picture itself is passable. The interface is comprehensive yet simple to figure out, and the size and shape of the player, though not pocket-ready, is more convenient in public or private than a laptop will ever be. People who don't think portable video will catch on probably don't watch TV. As someone who doesn't think there is such a thing as too much South Park, I say the more ways to watch, the merrier.