| Portable music and video today and the future. What | | | | more for you to consider. There are two aspects to |
| the trends are: | | | | being able to control your audio through your mp3 |
| With digital music coming, the mp3 player has taken | | | | player. One is its connectivity. In the first instance, you |
| the high ground in digital music and video entertainment. | | | | need to be able to download the music you want to |
| So, what exactly are we talking about? MP3 is a term | | | | hear in the format that's going to suit your player, and |
| that relates to a standard of digital audio processing | | | | vice versa. So first you need to make sure you |
| that allows digital audio files to be compressed in size | | | | choose a player that is compatible with the source. |
| and therefore made more portable. The mp3 player | | | | (Frankly, you can't go far wrong with iTunes and most |
| today however, is much more than simply a device | | | | players, but there are many other options, including |
| that plays only mp3 standard audio files. It is now a | | | | Virgin, Napster, Sony, all of which offer different media |
| universal term that includes players of all forms of | | | | options.) Second, you need to have a simple |
| portable audio formats and is used to identify a wide | | | | connection between the computer you download your |
| range of hardware from an equally wide range of | | | | program onto and your portable mp3 player. Most |
| player manufacturers, and a plethora of websites | | | | players these days use USB serial interfaces. But |
| offering downloadable media. Clearly it is not so much | | | | there are also fire wire and wireless options. You also |
| whether you will listen to digital music and watch digital | | | | may want to consider whether you want to receive |
| video, but the type of player that will best suit your | | | | FM radio on your mp3 player, and whether you want |
| purposes. | | | | to use your mp3 player to record program (much like |
| MP3 & Digital Media Players | | | | a cassette player). These features are available on |
| What is your passion? How you want to consume | | | | some players, but not on all. Furthermore, the recording |
| your media? | | | | options may be limited. A player that can record only |
| There are a number of important issues to consider | | | | wave files will limit your recording capacity. (One |
| when choosing the type of player that will suit your | | | | minute of stereo wave file is about 10 megabytes, |
| requirements best. At the heart of this is the question | | | | compare with one megabyte in mp3 format.) There |
| of how you want to consume your music and video | | | | has long been the promise of music kiosks where you |
| product. With the digital music revolution come three | | | | can simply charge a flash memory stick with new |
| basic options. You can choose a player that has a | | | | songs. Perhaps we will see this in the coming year. |
| hard disc for program storage, one that uses flash | | | | The second aspect to controlling what you hear is the |
| memory (memory sticks, flash cards and the like) or | | | | audio environment itself. You connect your mp3 player |
| one that uses standard CD format with music stored | | | | to your physical self through earphones, or you can |
| in mp3 or other compressed formats. There is no one | | | | plug it into your computer, your hi-fi system, and even |
| universal method that will suit everybody. Rather there | | | | use a wireless connection in your car. Not surprisingly |
| are pros and cons for each, with different | | | | however, one of the weakest links in the personal |
| manufacturers offering different features, design, | | | | portable mp3 player is the earphone set. Most players |
| battery life, useability and prices. | | | | come with a set of earphones, usually in the 'bud' style. |
| The other really important development that may | | | | Not everyone is comfortable with this style of |
| affect how you choose the right player is the fact that | | | | earphone, and you may want to consider the |
| the online music and video programming is now widely | | | | earphones you use. A good quality set of earphones, |
| available from all manner of sources, from artist direct | | | | (such as Shure's E4c) will enhance your listening |
| through to iTunes. As the protection of artist's and | | | | experience for a variety of reasons. For prolonged |
| producer's digital rights becomes more widespread, | | | | listening, earphones need to be comfortable, both in a |
| you can expect media players to be more able to | | | | physical sense and in an auditory sense. Poor quality |
| share the different media formats and protection. | | | | earphones are often uncomfortable to wear and |
| reducing risk both for you and the artists involved. | | | | deliver poor quality sound that can cause ear fatigue |
| The Hard-Drive Option | | | | and subsequent long-term damage. Cheap earphones |
| The crucial decision is how much memory. Hard-Drive | | | | are flimsily constructed and any strong tug on the |
| players, such as Apple's iPod, are available with up to | | | | cords will cause the signal cables to break down. You |
| 100GB of storage (but this could change in any | | | | also need to check out what controls the player |
| nano-second). While they are physically small, | | | | provides you over the sound quality, and how easily |
| Hard-Drive players are not the lightest. But 60 GB | | | | they are accessed and understood. At minimum, you |
| allows about a thousand hours of mp3 music. At | | | | need volume and possibly some tonal controls, as well |
| around 4 minutes per song, that's about 15,000 songs. If | | | | as track management and good visible indicators of |
| being able to store a lot of songs is important to you, | | | | the status of your player. |
| then you should consider the Hard-Drive option. Of | | | | Size does matter |
| course video program is more memory consumptive, | | | | The importance of weight, physical dimensions and |
| and if you need to store large video programs then a | | | | battery life cannot be understated. Most |
| Hard-Drive option makes good sense. A Hard-Drive | | | | manufacturers promote a battery life. But like mobile |
| player has a small computer hard-drive installed inside, | | | | phones, the product usually does not prove the claim. |
| so it has moving parts and can be damaged by shock, | | | | Why is this? It often depends on how the battery life is |
| severe magnetic fields and too much sun. Some can | | | | measured. In a laboratory for example, the test may |
| also be quite bulky which means that a hard-drive | | | | be carried out with minimal human interference. But on |
| player may not ideally suit a jogger, but if you fly | | | | the jogging path, every time you touch a control, you |
| Sydney to London on a regular basis, then it could be | | | | are using some power from the battery, whether it's |
| the solution. Hard-Drive players also tend to have a | | | | just to illuminate the screen, or make adjustments to |
| shorter battery discharge life than flash memory | | | | the sound quality. Battery life can be compared |
| devices. | | | | between manufacturers to give you some idea of |
| The Flash Memory Option | | | | how different players compare, but don't rely on the |
| Flash memory offers some outstanding benefits. At | | | | manufacturer's claims to be accurate under the |
| the time of writing, flash memory goes up to 4GB, | | | | conditions you will be using your player. You may use |
| which allows about one thousand mp3 songs. When | | | | your player for a few hours each day, and then |
| you consider the average radio station's active play list | | | | recharge every night. In such a case, extremely long |
| is less than two hundred songs at any given time, and | | | | battery discharge life may not be too important. But if |
| shrinking, a 1,000-song capacity is quite substantial. In | | | | you are trekking across the Nullarbor Plain and won't |
| current recording terms, that could be as many as 60 | | | | see a power point for several days, battery life is |
| to 100 albums. Moreover, flash memory has no moving | | | | going to be critical. |
| parts and so can withstand slightly rougher treatment. | | | | Weight is also another factor. Remember, devices with |
| And players can be considerably smaller and therefore | | | | Hard-Drive storage weigh more and are bulkier than |
| more portable. Additional benefits come in the form of | | | | devices with flash memory. CD devices need to be at |
| small, yet quite powerful storage media and astounding | | | | least as big as a CD, and many are not much bigger. |
| battery life. | | | | Consider how you are going to wear the player on |
| The CD Media Option | | | | your person, and be sure it will be comfortable. |
| Following on from the Sony Walkman phenomenon, | | | | And there are accessories |
| portable CD players have been around for some | | | | There are a lot of technical things associated with |
| years. Now however, portable CD players can play | | | | audio devices. Unless you're an audiophile, you may |
| mp3 and other compressed audio formats as well as | | | | have a limited interest in such things as the signal to |
| standard CDs. Using this technology, you can | | | | noise ratio (the amount of noise that is generated |
| download your music to your computer and burn it | | | | outside of the signal by the players amplifiers). The |
| onto a CD in mp3 format, and play it in your portable | | | | fact is, most players on the market have acceptable |
| player. You don't need to concern yourself with | | | | sound fidelity and the biggest weakness can often be |
| storage capacity. A single CD will hold 700 MB of | | | | found in the headsets and loudspeaker systems that |
| music, or around 175 songs. These players are limited | | | | they are connected to. You may also want to |
| in their other functions, but are often cheap to buy. | | | | consider the accessories that are available, either |
| However because they use CD technology (and | | | | included with the purchase or available separately. This |
| therefore have moving parts), they are susceptible to | | | | may include power adaptors, carrying cases, additional |
| shock and it can be quite inconvenient to carry a | | | | memory, car adaptors and other software options to |
| whole bunch of CDs around if you need a large library | | | | give you access to a wider range of entertainment |
| of music on your jogging circuit. | | | | and information. |
| Controlling what you hear | | | | au helps you compare the different value offers from |
| Okay, so we've sorted out how you want to consume | | | | different brands in terms of specifications and |
| your music and now you have some leaning as to | | | | accessories. You can also compare prices from |
| which type of player is going to suit you based on its | | | | hundreds of different brands and vendors. |
| media system and storage capacity. But there is still | | | | |