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How to Buy an MP3 Player
How to Buy an MP4 Player

The market for MP3 Players can be a confusing one, just as it is for many home and portable electronics.  Some of the most important things to consider when you buy an MP3 player is how you personally wish to use the player, it's weight/size, and storage capacity.  In addition, you will need to become somewhat knowledgeable about file formats and compatibility with your PC.

 

First, think about the type of device you really want. 

• Hard drive-based MP3 player:  These offer the most storage; 10 GB and higher allowing you to put huge amounts of music on one device.  They also have larger display screens and are easy to use.  For these reasons, they are an excellent choice to use when commuting in your car.  A hard drive-based MP3 player is larger and heavier however.  They have movable parts which can be jarred during motion which makes them a poor choice for use during fitness activities.  A hard drive-based MP3 player usually has rechargeable batteries which can be a cost saver but many are not removable and must be replaced after 4 or 5 years. There are also some "micro" hard drive-based players with a capacity that tops out around 8GB.  Although smaller/lighter than a regular hard drive-based player their moving parts still make them a poor choice for activity.
• Flash-based MP3 players:  A flash-based MP3 player is an excellent choice for use during exercise/activity.  They have no moving parts, are extremely compact, and have a 32 MB-6GB capacity.   Due to the lack of moving parts their batteries tend to last longer.  With all of this convenience however, they actually have a much higher per megabyte cost than the hard drive devices.
• MP3 CD Players:  These devices can play standard CDs and can store up to 650 MB.  If cost is the primary consideration, many consumers will buy an MP3 Player in this category. They are the least expensive but they are large and can skip when moved and therefore are not a good choice for use during activity.

 

Once you have determined which type of MP3 player is best suited to you based on how you wish to use it and how much storage you want, you will want to consider issues related to downloading music before you buy.

• What format is used?  MP3 is the most common but some of the others include .aac, .wma, .wav, and others.  These are all formats used to compress music files so that they can be downloaded quickly and take up less memory. WMA formats for instance, allow the user to store nearly twice as much per megabyte but is a less common file type that MP3; you also can't use it if your player does not support it.
• Connecting to your computer and downloading:  If you want to download music from your PC a USB 2.0 standard interface is much faster than USB 1.0.  A FireWire Port or FireWire PCI card is also fast but only supported on some computers.

 

Finally, be sure to check for other features such as the following:

• The display:  Can you read it?  This is important as it allows you to use the functions on the device and provides information you want such as the title, artist and other playlist information.
• There are numerous optional features that you might want on your MP3 Player such as FM radio reception, a remote, a clip to attach to your bag or possibly an armband if you're active, the ability to record music live or from stereo components, voice recording, or advanced playback features.  You can even buy an MP3 player which offers a stopwatch function or other fitness related features; these are typically flash based players.
• Newer MP3 players now offer color screens, photo viewing, touch screens, and video playback for those who want all the bells and whistles.

 

Unbiased feedback from consumers is also a good indication of your potential satisfaction with any product.  There are many commercial sites on line that offer ratings and feedback on products but it is often difficult to determine if the information is unbiased.  Our recommendation is to look at one of the following sites to get a sampling of consumer comments on the particular MP3 player you are considering.

·        www.consumerdemocracy.com

·        www.ratings.net


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An MP4 player, also often referred to as a portable media player, is basically an MP3 player with the added capability of playing MP4 files and using video format in addition to audio.

 

There are numerous features to consider when selecting a device:

 

Functionality

Buyers need to consider what functions they want to use. MP4 players allow users to store movies, TV shows, music videos, and photos along with songs.  Some of these devices even have FM tuners, voice recorder functions, cameras, and built-in TV tuners. The ability to view e-books, play games, access the internet, and record from TV are available on some models.

 

Cost

The pricing of an MP4 player can vary widely; from under $100 to as much as $2,000. The functions and number of file formats supported also differs considerably. It is important to know what audio and video formats you will most often wish to use and which the particular device you are considering will support. CD/DVD players are often selected as the most economical device.

 

Type of Device
Portable Media Centers are generally the most expensive types of MP4 players and are targeted for an audience with Media Center PCs.  The major drawback to portable media center devices is that they don't support DivX and XviD files.

 

Hard disk MP4 players offer many more features and are more popular due to this, and their lower price tag.  They offer a built in screen and support for WMA, MP3, DivX, and XviD files as well as others.

For anyone searching for a smaller and more durable device, solid state/flash memory type MP4 players are a good choice as they have no moving parts.  Files are stored in flash memory or RAM. Pricing for flash memory MP4 players tends to be higher than for the more common hard disk type players.

 

As mentioned previously, if cost is the primary consideration, CD/DVD players are probably a good choice. These devices offer large screens and the most reasonable pricing. They do tend to be more bulky however and can skip when jostled around.

 

Video and Audio Quality
When shopping for a MP4/portable media player, new users should put hands on several devices to experience the quality of both the video and audio playback. These features are core to a buyer's satisfaction.  Screen size, resolution, and brightness can vary significantly among brands. Some screens offer widescreen viewing and others have screens which reduce glare. When looking at audio quality, the headphones on the device should also be tried.  In many instances, purchasing higher quality headphones is worth the purchase price.

 

Memory
Memory capacity of course is also a consideration as video files in particular take up a great deal of space. A half hour TV show for instance may take up 200 MB of space. In case additional storage will be needed in the future, buyers should determine what type of storage can be used and how much it will cost.

 

Other Features
There are many other features to consider based on personal preferences.  For instance, the ability to see lyrics for songs displayed during playback, a preference for HD or widescreen viewing capability, the ability to connect to the internet, or the ability to make use of the device for playing games are features an individual buyer might want. 

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Photo by Sir Stig.