Portable Media Players Buying Guide

Buyers' Guide to Portable Media Players Contents

• Types of Portable Media Players
• Portable Media Centers (PMCs)
• Generic hard disk PMPs (non-Media Center)
• Solid state/flash memory PMPs
• CD/DVD-based PMPs
• Alternatives
• The big issues
• Other considerations

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Move over MP3 players, Portable Media Players are the "next big thing". In addition to music, they store hours of favourite TV shows, movies, music and photos, and they fit in your pocket. For variety in electronic entertainment, they are the next best thing to your PC -- and they're only just getting started!

But before you race out and buy one, there are a few things to consider. The truth is that while Portable Media Players can definitely do all the above (and more) and they are indeed one of the newest and most buzz-worthy areas in consumer electronics, they're also in their relative infancy.

Their popularity has been hampered by consistently high prices, large sizes, unattractive designs, multiple and competing operating systems/interfaces, a lack of features or readily accessible content, and confusion as to what to call them -- Portable Media Player, Portable Multimedia Player or PMP, Portable Media Center or PMC, Portable Video Player or (PVP), or even MP4 player (short for MPEG-4 video player).

In addition to the confusing array of names, there's also a wide range of sizes, features and more.

This Buying Guide will help you quickly come to terms with what you really need to know: what's available, what features are worth looking out for, and which player is right for you. So, let's investigate...

Types of Portable Media Players

The PMPs you've most likely come across usually rest in two hands and although they include must-have features like built-in speakers and batteries, it's the screen that's the centrepiece. These displays are usually about 2-3.5in, but are also available up to a massive 8in widescreen - requiring deep pockets both figuratively and literally.

Most of the bigger PMPs use various mini hard disks that store 15-100GB or more of information, and/or they might rely on media cards to provide or expand storage.

As a rough guide, a 30GB PMP has enough capacity for about 6500 songs, 120 hours of video or 300,000 photos.

Additionally, most will support Windows XP and even earlier versions of Windows. If you're a Mac or Linux user, you'll need to double-check support, but in many instances you should be fine.

Portable Media Centers (PMCs)

Pros:

• Very easy to use and quite seamless if you've already got a Media Center PC
• Glitch-free WMV (video) playback
• Works with WMA music files that you've purchased to download

Cons:

• There are a limited amount of PMC devices on market
• Limited file support
• They are more expensive than other devices
• You need a Media Center PC to make the most of a PMC

Microsoft and Intel got together a couple of years ago to develop the "Media2Go" platform, which eventually developed into what we now know as a Portable Media Center (PMC).

PMCs are based on a tweaked version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system and have a slick and well-known interface mirroring the remote control operated side of Windows XP Media Center Edition for entertainment PCs.

By using Windows Media Player 10, recorded TV shows and other content from a Media Center PC can be easily transferred, synchronised and played back using hard drive-equipped PMC devices available from a handful of companies such as Creative, iRiver, Samsung, Sanyo and ViewSonic.

The default video and audio formats are Microsoft's own digital rights management enabled WMV (Windows Media Video) and WMA (Windows Media Audio) files. MP3 and WAV digital audio files are also supported, along with AVI video, dvr-ms (Microsoft Recorded TV show files), JPEG image files and ASF photo story files.

It's important to know that these first-generation PMC devices don't support DivX and XviD files. However, you can convert such files into the WMV format (to a resolution of 320x240 pixels for most PMC screens) using Media Player 10 or Windows Media Encoder. The problem is, re/encoding can take quite some time. See Microsoft's Portable Media Center homepage Microsoft's Portable Media Center homepage for more information.

Generic hard disk PMPs (non-Media Center)

Pros:

• Greater variety of models
• Greater diversity of features
• Relatively low prices
• Support for wide range of file formats

Cons:

• Can be a little more difficult to use than a PMC
• Less integration with software/desktop PC synchronisation
• The lower end models can be "plastic-y" and cheap looking/feeling.

Note: Hard drive-based PMPs all have built-in screens to view video/photos on the move. They shouldn't be confused with portable hard disk "Media Players" that do not have a built-in screen and need to output to a TV to playback stored DivX and other multimedia content.

Hard drive-based Portable Media Players that don't use Microsoft's Media Center interface, instead use a wide variety of graphic user interfaces and operating systems often based on a modified version of Linux.

There are far more devices of this nature available than there are Portable Media Centers, and from a greater variety of companies. Creative and iRiver (notable most recently for its U10 model) have a foot in both camps. Other hard drive-based PMP brands to look out for include Olympus, RCA, Hauppauge, i-Station, Netcomm, Sorell, iAudio, Trek, and Archos.

French outfit, Archos, has gained quite a bit of attention for its range of PMPs, some of which ship with a remote control and can record directly from (not just output to) your TV -- essentially becoming a portable/pocket video recorder.

Some Archos models can even access the Internet using Wi-Fi and have built-in personal information management (PIM) software like calendars, to-do lists and more. The point is that hard drive-based PMPs are the most common type of PMP, so they're generally afforded the most features.

Depending on the model you opt for, some features you might expect to find include a touch screen, built-in still photo/motion camera lens, and/or the ability to play games. In the near future, you can expect built-in TV tuning capabilities (and direct recording) to complement the existing radio tuner/recording capabilities of some models.

Although it is definitely this diversity in features and constant new developments that make PMPs so attractive, the other major draw card is the support for a greater variety of file formats. Support for DivX and XviD video is pretty much a given. In addition to playing back common file types such as WMA and MP3, some PMPs also support FLAC or OGG (vorbis) digital music files, TIFF photos, motion JPEG and more.

Not all PMPs are made the same or are of the similar quality, however. One device might only playback DivX 4/5 video files while another might playback DivX earlier versions as well as XviD files.

Some may require you to constantly use the supplied transcoding software to convert your files for playback on the device (although you may want to do this to save space); others may not need it all the time.

Note: Most PMPs are firmware upgradeable. The firmware is basically the operating system of the device. If a player doesn't support some MP3, photo, video or audio formats, find out whether its firmware can be updated for future compatibility. You can usually upgrade the firmware via your computer.

Some hard drive-based Portable Media Players might allow for the hard disk to be replaced more easily than others. Some may offer better hard disk protection against accidental knocks. Most hard drive-based PMPs have easily swappable battery packs and you can often buy a second battery to keep you going on long trips. On average -- depending on the size of the display and what you're actually viewing/listening to -- a PMP battery will last for about five hours.

Because of the many models available, hard drive-based PMPs can range greatly in design and weight -- 2.5in hard disks are generally used in the bigger models and 1.8in or 1in micro hard disks in mid-weight and smaller models. Some devices may also use Microdrive or CompactFlash form-factor hard disks.

Finally, some PMPs also support USB-To-Go or USB-On-The-Go. This lets you connect a digital camera or other devices to the player directly, so you can download information to the player without going via a PC.

Solid state/flash memory PMPs

Pros:

• Generally more lightweight
• More durable
• Wide variety of brands and models available

Cons:

• Little screens on the smaller models, so better for photos than video
• Generally higher cost per MB of storage
• Less built-in features

There's now a large range of solid state/flash memory-based PMPs on the market. They are called solid state because they contain no moving parts (such as CD or hard drive mechanisms).

Solid-state players use flash memory or onboard RAM to store files and some are also expandable with a variety of media cards (that you might already have if you own a digital camera). See the table below for average media card pricing. Before purchasing high-capacity cards, check to see if your player supports them.

Consider the price of media for your PMP:

The amount of built-in memory varies greatly. Ultra-small players offer from 32MB to 2GB or more. Expandable players can hold up to 8GB or more, via optional media card expansion.

Because they contain no moving parts and are highly compact, solid-state players are more durable and perfect for use when you're exercising, or even watching a quick DivX video of a TV show while you're on the bus.

Screen sizes on solid state PMP models start at around a tiny 0.5in and go up to between 1.8- 2.5in or more.

id-state PMPs usually have the highest cost per megabyte -- so choose your initial capacity and expandability options carefully

CD/DVD-based PMPs

Pros: Cheap removable media costs

The big issues

Price

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest issues when hunting down the right player is price. For smaller models, you're looking at around the $200 mark, while hard disk models can cost anywhere from $500 right up to $2000, depending on capacity and features.

Display

A bright, large display on a standard MP3 player is useful because it makes navigating playlists and viewing track information a much easier task. The flipside is that the iPod shuffle proves you can get by just fine without a display.

However, when it comes to a Portable Media Player, the display is everything! A top display can make the difference between a good player and a great one and a bad display can limit the situations in which you're able to use your PMP.

There's a few display features to keep in mind, test and compare when you're shopping around for a PMP.

A wide viewable angle will allow you to view the display without leaning, adjusting or craning your neck and will even allow people next to you to view the device.

The display's size and maximum resolution are also important, as bigger screens are better to watch and a higher resolution allows for sharper images.

Ideally, you'll want the highest resolution available for a given display size. Some good examples include Sorell's SV-10 PMP with a 3.5in display capable of 720x480 pixels, and Hauppauge's Media MVP PMP with 7in widescreen display capable of 854x680 pixels. Most PMPs are going to have 2.5-3.8in displays capable of around 320x240 pixels.

There's also a screen's brightness and contrast ratio which affect the reproduction of colours, but can also eat into battery life.

Finally, some PMPs also feature a touch-sensitive screen (great for ease of use) or a glossy display treatment that can help reflect sunlight, or increase colour depth, or reduce glare. The display is where you're eyes will always be, so do yourself a favour and give this a high priority when comparing models.

Design, size and weight

Let's face it, aesthetics go a long way and Sony's PSP has upped the ante in design. iRiver's new U10 is also one of the sleekest around. Appearance aside though, a player's size and weight is a large part of its desirability. PMPs vary greatly in this area.

Batteries and removable storage (media cards) affect size and weight, as well as functionality. All these factors must be considered when choosing a player, whether you want to make a personal statement or just have a functional device.

Memory capacity

Do you want to store thousands of photos, music and videos on one hard disk media jukebox PMP or is a smaller, less capacious (and possibly more durable) solid state PMP more your style? You can increase the amount of music, photos or video you can fit per megabyte, by upping the compression ratio. The drawback of this is that it may involve time-consuming re-encoding and result in reduced quality.

Most of the bigger PMPs use mini hard disks that store 15GB-100GB or more of information, and/or they might rely on media cards to provide or expand storage.

Interface features: photo, video and music functions

OK, so pretty much all PMPs can view photos, movies and play music but there are a wide range of playback software features and operating systems out there.

If you're a buying the PMP primarily for photo functions, then the ability to zoom, rotate photos and view them as thumbnails or slideshows may be more important to you. You may even want a PMP with a built-in basic still and video camera, such as those from Olympus or Archos.

Then there's video playback. Would you like to be able to bookmark parts of videos for easy resuming? Do you want subtitle support? Can the playback switch between widescreen and standard 4:9 aspect ratio? The importance of such features depends on how you plan to use the device.

With music, you should check how easy it is to make a playlist on the device itself; if album covers can be displayed during song playback; plus, if you can view lyrics and also browse easily through your files.

You won't know how intuitive a device feels until you actually try it yourself. Try to create a track playlist within the device (which isn't always possible) and check to see if there's smart (automatic) playlist creation. This might be based on songs you haven't listened to in a while, songs you've listened to a lot, or on certain music genres.

Pay really close attention to the interface -- you're going to be using it a lot, so you may as well choose a player with a navigation method you not only understand, but actually like as well.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

As things stand today, DRM only really applies to music. However, next-generation services allowing you to pay to download movies or TV shows from the Internet are going to target portable media player owners.

If you download music from a music download service, DRM is something you should know about. Most Australian music download services use Microsoft's WMA format and use a standard license permitting a music file to be downloaded once and to copy it an unlimited number of times to up to two hardware music players that work with Windows Media Player 10. Microsoft's "Plays for sure" program: a Web site (www.playsforsure.com) and associated logo will help you to choose from a large selection of players that are guaranteed to support DRM WMA files. Not every player that supports WMA will be listed, so you might also want to double-check that the player you have your eye on has WMA playback.

NOTE: Because of its own DRM technologies and to encourage users to buy an iPod, any songs downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store only work with Apple's own iPod -- this was the case at the time of writing, but make sure you check before you get locked in!

Other considerations

Video and sound quality

Video quality on a PMP is usually fine, because you're supplied with special software from the vendor, and detailed instructions on how to best encode your video content for that particular device.

However, the adage "try before you buy" comes into play yet again. Although the resolution of video content might be fine, you want full motion playback to be smooth -- so check for any skipping of frames, jittering, flashing or any other forms of artefacts.

Similarly, not all MP3 players have equal sound quality! As you'll read a little further on, quality can be aided greatly by better headphones than the ones normally supplied, but also look out for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) specification. You'll want a device with an SNR of at least 85 -- but a figure in the high 90's or low 100's is even more desirable.

Headphones

There's not much point having a high-fidelity digital audio device if you're listening to it with awful headphones or earphones. Bundled headphones are often lousy, in which case add the cost of a good pair to your budget.

Some headphones come with remote controls built into the cable. If this is the case, make sure the sound quality is up to your standards or else you may be stuck without a remote if you have to buy a new pair.

If you are prone to getting tangled up in cables, you might also want to check out players that come embedded in a pair of headphones, so you can have "spaghetti-free" listening! Noise cancellation headphones (that block out ambient noise) have come down in price a fair bit recently and may also be worth considering -- but maybe not if you're jogging about the city and need to listen out for your safety.

Bundled software

Unless you're comfortable with scavenging the Net for the latest software for your new gadget -- and possibly forking out extra cash for it -- make sure you get some decent software with your player.

This applies especially to video conversion software that allows you to put movie files into a format that's perfect for your player.

Sometimes your computer may need drivers to recognise your PMP or special software to transfer files to it. It just depends on the device.

Many PMPs work simply with Media Player 10 or just let you use the Windows explorer to move files around on the player via "drag and drop" as though it was a standard external storage device.

Bonus features of specialised software might include playlist creation, file management and cataloguing, better-than-usual encoding and "transcoding" features (conversion between formats or compression settings), and the ability to download files from the player.

TV and radio tuners

Portable Media Players with built-in TV and radio tuners are great when you're travelling and want to get a feel for the local area and pick up some fresh content.

PMPs with external TV Tuners are only just emerging, but are sure to increase their popularity. If you come across models that include a TV tuner, check to see if it is digital or high-definition and if you can record from TV.

As mentioned, some PMPs have built-in FM radio tuners -- sorry AM talkback fans.

If you are looking at a player with a built-in radio tuner, look for memory presets so you're not left channel surfing manually.

PMPs with recording capabilities sometimes even let you record the radio to the flash memory as MP3 or WAV files.

Audio/Video recording and output

Top-level Portable Media Players will allow you to record audio from a line-input, microphone or built-in FM radio tuner straight into memory. Other models even allow you to record TV shows directly from your TV and come with remote controls for a VCR-style setup.

Note that most Portable Media Players allow you to output to your television, but there are few things you should check first.

• Does your PMP's TV-out support PAL (Australia's TV standard)?
• Does your PMP come with a dock to make TV recording/output even easier? Is an infrared remote control included?
• How good does a movie formatted for your device's small internal screen look when viewed on a TV? How important is this to you?
• Does your PMP allow you to view photo slideshows on the television?
• Can your PMP's internal screen playback movies that are formatted for the higher resolution of TV displays?

Recordings are usually converted straight to compressed media format files (generally MPEG-4 for video and MP3 for audio) but sometimes you can nominate a format or possibly be forced to use a proprietary type.

Recording audio is particularly handy for recording live performances, making verbal notes or taking meeting minutes. Some devices include built-in microphones, which is more convenient than having to plug in an external one.

Personal Information Management (PIM)

Some Portable Media Players have software extras such as text readers, to-do lists, clocks, alarms, calendars, dictionaries, address books and other PIM utilities.

A player with PIM functions can be a possible replacement for a Personal Organiser/PDA, particularly new models that include built-in wireless networking, plus Web browser and e-mailing capabilities. The Archos PMA 400 series is a good example of this sort of device.

Integrated photo/video camera

Equipping a PMP with a camera lens can turn the device into a photo or video camera. This is a great idea that is sure to be explored more in future, especially on hard disk models.

To date, there are only a few examples and the Megapixel (Mp) ratings remain around the same as mobile camera phones. For instance, Archos offers an optional 3.3Mp camcorder attachment for its older AV300 series and Olympus' MR-500i has a built-in 1.2Mp camera.

Games

A few players also include games. For example, the Archos Gmini 400 has Mophun game support. Newer mobile-style games will often be supported, and many other players have basic brick and puzzle games.

General file storage

Some devices will allow you to store any kind of data files -- not just music, music or photos. This means you can use them to transfer your documents between computers.

To do this, the device must support two-way file transfer with external computers. In some cases, you will have to install software on each computer beforehand.

Computer connection

When you're copying large movie files and MP3 or photo collections, you're really going to want the extra speed that high-speed USB 2.0 or FireWire offers. The difference in transfer times can literally be hours.

PMP manufactures are looking into wireless file transfers, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the emerging wireless USB 2.0 protocol.

Batteries and external power

Most PMPs with hard drives have easily swappable battery packs, and you can often buy a second battery to keep you going on long trips. On average, depending on the size of the display and what you're actually viewing/listening to, a PMP will last for about 5 hours.

Solid-state players often use AA or AAA batteries and usually play for longer because they have no moving parts and smaller displays. Some players come with custom-shape rechargeable batteries that can only be recharged in the device -- similar to the way you charge your mobile phone battery.

An external power supply can be an excellent feature, as you won't have to run the batteries down when you're listening at home. Some PMPs can also be powered or recharged from car cigarette lighters.

Warranty

Nearly every PMP on the market comes with a one-year warranty. Just ensure that you are getting a warranty, and that it's applicable inside Australia.

Furthermore, try to make sure you won't need to pay courier or other charges, should you need to claim on the warranty.

What's in the box?

It may work out cheaper to buy memory cards and other accessories at the same time that you buy your PMP rather than separately -- unless, of course, you're prepared to wait for prices to drop.

Meanwhile, make sure you know exactly what is included in the quoted price - and what is not!

Also, be aware that bundled software can range from nasty bug-infested "crashware" to top-notch video/audiophile applications, so checking it out in detail beforehand can pay off.

Always keep an eye out for what accessories are bundled in the box and are available to expand your use of the product at a later date.