CHOOSING AN MP3 / MP4 PLAYER
MP3 and MP4 Players
If you are planning to join the thousands of people already enjoying these small, durable, convenient and multifunctional gadgets that are quickly becoming the first item they always carry with them, then this guide may help you decide which one to buy.
MP3 and MP4 players serve a variety of purposes, they can transport files from one place to another so they are useful for both personal and business matters, they give you an easy way of taking your music and videos with you, so you can enjoy them anywhere, and all you have to do is to transfer them from your PC.
MP3 or MP4 Player ?
Generally MP3 players allow you to enjoy music. MP4 players do everything that MP3 players do, but in addition, they have built-in an LCD screen and play video files so you can enjoy movies, music videos and TV shows.
Deciding on whether you go for an MP3 or an MP4 should be easy enough, since this really depends on what you want it to do, if your interest is only music then the MP3 will suffice - this is cheaper and comes with less complication of media formats - if on the other hand you would also want to watch videos then you have to go for the MP4.
MP3 Player Formats
MP3 file is probably the main format but it is worth considering players that also support other common music formats such as WMA and WAV. Players usually come with software that can convert different audio formats to those which the particular player supports. Ideally you should go for one that will allow you to convert and play the most formats, although this is not normally the only criteria for making your choice - price, sound quality, ease of use, looks etc.. all require your consideration.
MP4 Player Formats
The choice of MP4 is probably more difficult. MP4 players use the versatile Mpeg-4 files for video and audio. AVI and AMV are commonly supported video formats, and as with the MP3, players usually come with a disc with programs to convert different video formats into the formats the MP4 player supports.
The MP4 market is somewhat larger with different types of players such as Microsoft's Zune, Apple's Ipod, and a large range of Chinese (PMPs) Personal Media Players.
Mainly because of price little known Chinese brands of MP4s have swept the market, outselling the better known brands from Apple and Microsoft. But price is not the only factor because the Chinese made MP4s also have significantly more features than their counterparts, and if you choose carefully you will find ones which match or even better the brand names in terms of quality.
We source our products from Chinese manufacturers who take pride in producing innovative product and their quality control is second to none and in China better than most.
Considerations before you buy
Unfortunately some Chinese manufacturers still have a long way to go in terms of quality, and so, if you are attracted buy the lower prices, you must ask some questions and take some things into consideration before you purchase.
Below we list and discuss some of these matters.
Who am I buying from ?
However much your interest is in the product, your first consideration should be to know who you are buying from. I don't mean personally, although that is obviously an advantage which most of us don't have. No ! What I'm getting at is, does this company give the impression that it wants regular customers who keep returning for other products or is this the type of business that is here today and gone tomorrow ?
You need to buy from a company that earns it's income from providing quality product and an efficient service to returning customers, and giving some assurance that if anything does go wrong, they will work to put it right. You need an honest company and you need a Warranty from the Manufacturer of the product. You can check the business out on B2B sites, and you can check forums and visit sites like fraudwatchers or hotscams to immediately identify businesses you should not be buying from.
Is the price too low ?
We all look for the best value for money, which to some may mean the lowest price, but in the case of MP4s we need to be particularly careful that we don't end up wasting our money, however little.
You need to compare prices on the net, on ebay and in the shops. You will find that the Chinese MP4 Players are generally lower in price, but if you find a product with a price that you really can't believe, then don't believe it, because it probably isn't real. It is probably stolen, faulty or you might not even receive it after you've paid for it. Or you find out later that the specification is not as advertised, one thing to watch out for in this respect, is that Gigabits are not the same as Gigabytes. Make sure the memory is listed in Gigabytes.
What formats does the player support
One of the benefits of MP4s and MP3s is that you can take music from your computer, but what the novice may not fully appreciate, is that you also need the file you've taken to be compatible, or able to be converted to a format, that your player supports.
The Microsoft Zune, the Apple Ipod and the Sony PSP for example, are three systems, which only play media with a proprietor format. There are also many Chinese PMPs, which also need some form of format conversion before you can listen to the music you've downloaded and taken from your PC. As a minimum this will take up your time before you have access to the music.
The formats supported is therefore one, if not the most important, consideration when selecting your MP4 (or MP3)- we recommend you look for the following most common formats:
- For Audio - MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG.
- For Images - JPG, BMP, GIF.
- For Video - MPEG-4, AVI, SMV, WMV, MTV
Other Features
MP4s can come with a multitude of other features, it's up to you to decide the features you want and then find the MP4 that gives you that. Possible features include a Digital Camera, a Video Camera, a Camera and Video Recorder, a Voice Recorder, FM Radio, TV, Internet, Speakers and Earphones, a watch, the list is endless.... Just browse through our range and find the one for you.
One other point, make sure your MP4 comes with Lithium-ion batteries or cell phone style batteries, these battery types are superior to those used in older MP4s and they last twice as long.
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