Buying A Media

Important Features

Whilst portable media players are slightly larger, and heavier, than MP3 players, the addition, typically, of a large, bright, colourful LCD screen means that you can now enjoy not only your favourite music, but also your favourite movies or TV programmes, while on the move.

Portable media players vary in screen size from, typically, around two inches to around four inches (measured diagonally) - although some huge (in media player terms) seven or eight inch models can be found. If you're looking for a player that you can slip easily into your pocket then you may well want to consider one of the smaller models. Remember, however, that, if you intend to view video for long periods, a tiny screen can quickly become tiresome. Larger screen sizes, on the other hand, while making for a more pleasurable viewing experience, are expensive, and add significantly to the size and weight of the player.

The Archos 404 30 Gb model, for example, has a 3.5 inch, TFT screen, with a resolution of 320 x 420 pixels, while the Archos 604 30 Gb model has a larger, 4.3 inch screen, for enhanced viewing and navigation.

There is, as you are probably aware, a huge number of available video and audio formats, and while most good players support, or provide compatibility with, most of the common formats, some do not. This is particularly true of cheaper models from obscure manufacturers - one of many reasons why these are best avoided. Your chosen player should, obviously, support your favourite audio and video formats, and, ideally, as many other formats as possible - to allow you a degree of flexibility. Common formats include MP3, WAV and WMA, for audio, and MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, for video. The Archos 404 30 Gb model is a good example, supporting all of these formats, plus MPEG-42 and WMV.

Many of the better, larger portable media players include rechargeable, lithium ion batteries, which may be recharged by plugging the player into a mains power outlet, or a USB 2.0 connection to a computer. Bear in mind that battery requirements for video are higher than that for audio only, resulting in shorter playback times on a single charge. If you are planning to use a player for long periods, for example, on long journeys, it's worth checking that its playback time is adequate, and you may want to consider a second set of batteries.

The Archos 504 160 Gb model, for example, offers not only huge storage capacity, but playback times of roughly 17 hours, for audio, and over 5 hours for video, plus fast recharging via USB 2.0.

Conclusion

If you're a film buff, or a TV addict, who, in the past, has cast envious glances towards music loving, MP3 player owners, the portable media player provides you with the opportunity to settle the score. Available in a range of stylish, aesthetically pleasing designs, to suit most tastes and budgets, the portable media player in the "next big thing" in digital technology.

Jill Remus is a freelance researcher and author with a focus on electronics, financial and business areas.

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