SanDisk announced the U.S. availability of the Sansa TakeTV video player, a media player that gives consumers an affordable way to move video content from their PC to the TV, where it belongs.

“Sansa TakeTV is the most easy-to-use, straightforward solution for watching downloaded personal video content and other shows in the comfort of the living room,” said Daniel Schreiber, senior vice president and general manager for SanDisk’s audio/video business unit. “No confusing wireless network set-up, no wires running across the living room and no cumbersome burning of DVDs. Just use the Sansa TakeTV device to move your favorite video content over to your TV, and enjoy it on the big screen with family and friends.”

Research shows that TV is the ultimate viewing experience for videos, including TV content and movies. At the same time, the PC has become the foremost vehicle for searching and downloading digital content. Yet to date, solutions that allow you to download on the one and watch on the other have been thorny and complex.

Using the Sansa TakeTV video player is as simple as using a USB flash drive: drag video files to the TakeTV player, and then slip the player into its TV cradle. The cradle plugs into the standard A/V sockets of nearly every existing TV. Next, consumers are shown an on-screen guide where they can select the content they’ve stored on the Sansa TakeTV player, using the included remote control.

The sleek Sansa TakeTV video player will work with new and legacy TV systems via standard AV composite inputs or S-Video. With flash memory at its core, the device is small, durable and easily portable.

Sansa TakeTV supports a variety of video formats, including DivX, XVID and MPEG-4. The Sansa TakeTV player is DivX Certified for Home Theater profile. The player connects to any PC via a USB connector, and works with Windows Vista, Windows XP and the latest versions of Mac and Linux.

Sansa TakeTV was announced in conjunction with Fanfare Public BETA, a new digital entertainment content distribution platform by SanDisk. The Fanfare BETA web service works with Sansa TakeTV device, which gives consumers access to a growing list of TV shows that can be downloaded to the Sansa TakeTV and watched on nearly any TV.

The first U.S-based content partners on the Fanfare BETA platform include: CBS, Jaman.com Inc., Showtime Networks, Smithsonian Networks, The Weather Channel and TV Guide Broadband. Among the programs available immediately are CSI, Survivor China, Dexter and Sleeper Cell.

Fanfare video content is a combination of free (ad supported) and paid episodes. The company is in the process of adding new episodes from current partners to the catalog, and acquiring additional programs, other premium content and channels. More than 85 titles are available, with dozens more expected to be added each week.

SanDisk first announced the USBTV concept at CES in January 2007. Now branded “Sansa TakeTV,” the device is available for sale online in the U.S., with other regions of the world to follow in 2008.

SanDisk’s Sansa TakeTV flash memory-based player comes in a 4 GB capacity, which holds approximately five hours of video, and 8GB, which can hold up to ten hours of video. It is available today for MSRPs of $99.99 and $149.99 respectively.