Helio announced the launch of its Helio Player PC software, which lets members manage their personal collection of music, videos and pictures on their computer then transfer to and from their Helio devices. Available at no extra charge to Helio members, this extension of Helio Music gives members the ability to also purchase songs on their PC then transfer them to a Helio device via USB, or purchase songs over-the-air via a nationwide high-speed 3G network for delivery to both their device and their PC for one price.

“Helio Player is designed to make it easier than ever to use Helio’s premium devices as portable multimedia players,” said Rob Gelick, VP of Media and Community Services at Helio. “The intuitive design, inclusion of the Helio Music Store and ability to manage a personal library of music, videos and photos gives members new options for enjoying their entertainment on the go and sharing their favorites with all their friends.”

Manage and Transfer Media
Developed and hosted in partnership with RealNetworks® Inc., Helio Player is the first PC application by a U.S. mobile carrier that allows users to import then manage music, videos and pictures in one place. A full-featured media manager, Helio Player’s sleek user interface features three tabs for organizing Music, Video and Pictures. The application offers features including:

• Music: download, import from subscription music services, listen, manage, create playlists and transfer tracks to and from a Helio device
• Pictures: organize, create albums and transfer to and from a Helio device
• Video: organize, watch and transfer to and from a Helio device

Helio Player supports MP3, M3A and WMA audio, as well as WMV, MPEG, AVI, MPEG-4 and H.264 video. Making it easier than ever to move media between a PC and a mobile device, when a Helio device is connected to a PC via USB, Helio Player automatically converts music and videos being transferred to a compatible format for mobile playback.

Dual-Delivery
Helio Player allows members to download a copy of any song that they purchase over-the-air from their Helio device to their PC for no extra charge. This includes previously purchased tracks, which will be available for download to a PC with the launch of Helio Player. Members can then play songs on their PC and transfer them to other compatible portable music players.