So, I downloaded the CanWest MediaWorks’ VideoPlayer for BlackBerry powered by SONA Mobile yesterday and have had a chance to play around with with it a bit. I know that it is currently in beta, however, my first thought is that VideoPlayer is quite horrible compared to what you get on Windows Mobile and Palm devices.

My first issue is with the quality of the video playback. It is quite grainy and difficult to see. Now, I am only running VideoPlayer on a BlackBerry 7130e and video quality may be better on the more powerful BlackBerry 8700, however, it is pretty darn bad on the 7130e. The sound quality is OK, however, I didn’t see a way to adjust the volume during playback.

Another big issue with CanWest MediaWorks’ VideoPlayer doesn’t stream content. This in itself isn’t all that bad, however, the limited memory on compatible BlackBerry devices will severely limit the amount of data that can be stored in your playlist.

I know this is the first multimedia player for the BlackBerry and that it is still in beta, however, RIM and it’s partners are going to have to “bring it” if they are going to start offering multimedia features on the BlackBerry that you have been able to get on other PDAs and smartphones for years.

SONA Mobile, CanWest MediaWorks’ VideoPlayer