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MP3 Players |
MP3 Players
Finding the cheapest MP3 player, price comparisons of Apple iPods and Nanos, MP3 player reviews, retailers, hard disk or flash storage, where to buy cheap CDs and DVDs, ripping CDs and DVDs, cheap music downloads and DVD rental. MP3 Player comparisonsKelkoo's MP3 players category compares prices from many merchants and are browsable by brand, capacity and price.
For more specific players, see Kelkoo's MP3 players category, which provides comparisons of specific players (Apple iPod, Creative, Sony, Archos and Philips) from a number of merchants. Cheap MP3 players (digital audio players) from AmazonAmazon UK are competitive on price, have free delivery for items over £19, their listings can be browsed by capacity and the retailer is very reliable.
Size and UsabilitySize and Usability are key with an MP3 player. Size is determined by the amount of storage you need for your songs (see below) and whether you need a large screen to display video. It's advisable to have at least a 2.5 inch screen to view videos, more if possible, the iPod Touch has a 3.5 inch screen. Usability is a personal matter, and I'd recommend trying out your MP3 player before buying. How much storage do I need?Different encodings have different storage requirements. A recording the length of a pop song requires about 4MB in space (AAC or WMA format songs), so a 8GB player will store about 2000 such songs. Songs recorded in MP3 format take up about 50% more space, so the player will store one third fewer songs. If you need to store all of your songs on one player, you will need upwards of 10GB of storage (10GB is around 166 albums in MP3 format). Many buyers opt to store fewer songs than this as smaller, more portable players can be bought. If you plan to many DVDs, you need more space, as each DVD can take up to 800MB in space (depending on the quality you encode it at). 80GB/120GB/160GB+ players come into their own if you plan to encode your entire DVD collection at high quality. Storage - hard drive or memory card based?Manufacturers have to compromise between portability and capacity when building MP3 players.
As portability is such a key issue, many users buy MP3 players with less than 32GB of storage. More storage for songs would make the players heavier and bulkier, and fit less easily into the pocket. How long does the battery last?One of the primary concerns when buying an MP3 player is the battery life - how long can you stay way from the mains before you need to recharge. Kelkoo's MP3 players category features specs and numbers on how long a full charge will last for each player. Player usabilityTry out a friend's MP3 player or test a few in a high street store (make a note of the prices of possible players before you go). See whether the interface suits you. It's a trade-off between a player's portability and screen size, which can affect the ease of the interface (it can take a while to find a specific song amongst thousands of tracks). Which encoding - MP3, WMA or AAC (or ATRAC, OGG or FLAC)?Songs can be recorded as different types of files (encodings). Most portable audio players play MP3 format songs. Formats other than MP3 generally include DRM (Digital Rights Management), which limits the ways in which purchased songs can be used (for example whether the songs can be burnt to CD or the numbers of machines that the songs can be shared with). Microsoft's WMA format is the most widely implemented in players after MP3. Apple's popular iPods use the AAC format in addition to MP3. Music bought in the AAC format on iTunes use Digital Rights Management (DRM) to limit them to being played on Apple's products. Sony have their own ATRAC format (less used). Using your MP3 player to transport filesSome MP3 players, such as the iPod and Creative Zen allow files to be transferred between computers. See the player specifications on manufacturer sites (e.g. Apple, Creative, Sony and Philips) for more details. Portable Video Recorders and playersSome MP3 players are starting to feature video playback and recording. Apple iPods offer good quality video on their small screen, and you can rip your DVDs onto your iPod (see below). Archos specialise in portable video recorders and players and offer a number of models with differing screen sizes and hard drives. iRiver also sell portable video players (their PMP series), as do Creative (their portable media player). Multimedia (video) players - from video iPods to Mustek and Archos players. MP3 player retailers
Be aware that extended warranties can be where retailers make most of their money and don't be pushed into buying any unnecessary warranties. New players come with a 1 year manufacturer warranty (which you should be able to extend cheaply with them if you feel it necessary). Modern electrical goods tend to be very durable, and if it does break, you may prefer a new player as MP3 players are regularly superseded by newer models. Don't forget to backup your music collection on a backup external hard disk or online backup service. MP3 player reviewsThe most useful sources of information on MP3 players are review sites.
You can research the players available by looking at the manufacturer's sites (e.g. Apple, Sony etc.). With the convergence of mobile phones, digital cameras and MP3 players, increasingly mobile phones will include hard disks in addition to digital cameras. Software MP3 players for your ComputerWindows PCs come with Windows Media Player, capable of playing MP3 and WMA formats. Apple's iTunes software is available for both Windows PCs and Macs, so even if you have a iPod, you need can play back your tunes on your Windows PC. Macs and Linux machines can also playback MP3 tunes. If you work on a computer all day, you may feel that you don't need a separate MP3 player. Ripping CDs to fill up your MP3 playerThis article in PC Magazine concludes that "ripping music you have already bought for your own use is regarded as 'fair use'". You may want to rip songs from your CD collection to use in your iPod or computer's MP3 player. If you rip to MP3 format you will be able to use the songs in any player (though the songs may take up more space than they would in other formats). One thing to look out for when ripping tunes on a Windows PC for an iPod is that iTunes crashes when it encounters long filenames, so you may need to cut down on long directory names. I recommend using the free software CDEx to rip the songs. Other Rippers can be seen in the MP3 ripper category on Dmoz.org. If you are buying CDs mainly to rip them, you may want to buy cheap, second hand CDs (see below), especially if you are replacing cassette tapes and vinyl. Moving your LPs and tapes to MP3The computer magazine PCW recommend audacity.sourceforge.net and the use of its Noise Removal tool to clean up hiss and clicks. Other solutions include LP Ripper from CFB Software for vinyl (see the MP3 encoder category on Dmoz.org). Ripping DVDs to your iPodIt's quite easy to rip DVDs to your iPod. Handbrake ( handbrake.m0k.org ) is free, and works well. It takes over an hour to rip a DVD. There is a simple Windows PC guide to ripping from DVD to iPod to follow. Ensure you have a good amount of spare space on your iPod as a 2 hour DVD can take up 800MB of space. Adding podcasts to your MP3 PlayerAnother source of content for your MP3 player are podcasts, downloadable audio or video shows that are often available for free. Some software (including iTunes) allows you to subscribe to any periodic podcasts.
How to buy CDs and DVDs cheaply in the UKThe key to this is to cast your net fairly widely and to accept new and very good condition second hand items from smaller retailers and individuals. Use a price comparison site (such as Kelkoo) to check the prices of new items and compare them with the prices of new and used items on Amazon.co.uk, which lists prices from individuals and smaller retailers.
Filleritem.com/uk.html - If you are short of the spend for free P&P for new Amazon-delivered items, this site will find you a "filler item". In comparison, Ebay.co.uk's guarantee's aren't as comprehensive, you have the uncertainty and delay of an auction and seller's "Buy it Now" prices tend to be more expensive than new. Selling your MP3 player (or buying a second hand MP3 player)
Buying extra CompactFlash memory for your MP3 playerSome MP3 players use CompactFlash memory to store their music on. See the memory page for links to price comparisons of CompactFlash memory. Also there are links to NiMH rechargeable batteries and chargers. A charger for your MP3 playerIf you want to charge your iPod away from your computer you might want to buy a separate mains/car charger: Online CDs and DVD retailers
Due to a tax loophole, Jersey is currently a very popular place for companies to set up their DVD and CD distribution centres. It is a UK dependency, but not considered part of the EU. Music Download sitesOne way of filling up your MP3 player with songs is to download music from online shops.
http://www.reviewcentre.com/products2485.html - reviews of music download sites. Finding the cheapest online DVD rental deal
uk-dvd-rental-guide.com/ - ratings and prices for various rental services. |
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