Most would agree that portable music players are the hottest tech ticket in town. You’re just not cool these days unless you have a few thousand tunes in your pocket and earbuds (preferably the fashionable white kind) stuck in your ears.
But hard on the heels of that technology is the next new thing: the portable multimedia player. Imagine an iPod-like gizmo that also plays video or movies on its built-in color screen and records from a variety of audio and video sources. Along with your music, it holds a dozen TV shows or movies that you can watch on those long train or bus commutes. These versatile little bit buckets can also store and show off your digital photos or hold any other kind of digital data. Throw in extras like a TV tuner and flash-memory reader, and you have a new breed of gadget that will have even the most jaded electronics buff going, “Whoa!” Some people attribute the iPod’s success to its simplicity. These players do much more, so they’re a lot more complex. Throw in all the different video formats they play and record, and they’re a pretty diverse breed. So which one is right for you? Thought you’d never ask. I rounded up five of the newest models to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
But before you run out and buy one, a word of caution: There’s a dizzying array of video file formats, and incompatibility is rampant. A player that plays AVI files, say, might show the video portion but be unable to play the audio soundtrack. Decide which file formats are the ones you want, or need to use based on your other gear, and make sure the player can accommodate them. This will take a little homework. Frankly, I was skeptical when these players arrived. I figured their limitations would outweigh their capabilities — the same imbalance that’s often true of first-generation gear. But I was wrong. These multitaskers really do herald an entirely new era in audio/video recording and playback.
X2
Smart styling and an intuitive interface
|
MEGA VIEW 566
|
| DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 4.625 x 3 x 1 inch WEIGHT 8.625 ounces PRICE $449 MANUFACTURER X2, x2usa.com, 626-810-9995 |
|
Plus
|
| •Easy-to-use menus and control interface. •Convenient flash-memory card slot. |
|
Minus
|
| •Lackluster picture quality •Comes with mediocre earbuds |
|
Key Features
|
| •31/2-inch (diagonal), 320 x 240-pixel LCD screen •20-GB hard drive (40-GB also available) •built-in FM tuner •SD flash-memory card slot •spare battery •remote control •video formats records MPEG-4 (ASF); plays MPEG-4 SP (ASF), DivX, motion JPEG, WMV9 SP (ML) •audio formats records MP3; plays MP3, WMA, WAV •digital image formats JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF •tested battery life (playback only) video, 3.5 hours; audio, 8.5 hours |
IMPORTING AND MANAGING FILES My PC recognized the Mega View when I connected it via USB. As with the other players here, moving audio, video, and other files was simply a drag-and-drop operation, and I was able to quickly create a couple of files on the PC and move them to the player. Navigating through files stored on the player was also easy, and I appreciated being able to cut, copy, and paste between music and video files on the player’s hard drive. Another nice feature is the ability to display thumbnails of nine of your digital pictures in three rows of three. The supplied CD-ROM provides no PC software beyond a Windows 98 driver and a recovery program, though there’s a separate disc with a trial copy of Dr. DivX, which you can use to create videos in that format.
USABILITY The Mega View 566 has a great, easy-to-use menu system. Its interface is very intuitive, with a tiny joystick to move you through the menus, and I never got lost or confused while exploring options or selecting videos or music. I particularly liked the spring-loaded thumbwheel used to change volume. Of course, in the kind of irony I’ve come to expect from today’s consumer electronics, this player that’s so intuitive to use without instructions also comes with one of the best owner’s manuals.
Having an SD card slot was a big plus for moving images and songs to the player — sometimes it’s just easier to pop in a card than hook up a USB cable. On the other hand, I was slightly annoyed that the Mega View’s A/V cable uses a nonstandard connector at the player end. If you misplace it, I imagine you’ll have to jump through some hoops to land a new one. So don’t lose it.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE The LCD screen is large, but unfortunately the picture quality was below average. Color was reasonably good and resolution decent, but some images looked a little grainy. Along the same lines, the resolution of menu graphics was lackluster. On some videos, I had trouble getting good contrast — it seemed like bright areas were always washed out, or the dark areas were too dark. On the upside, motion looked smooth, and I liked its wide screen.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE Sound quality through the supplied earbuds was passable, but quality was constrained by the buds themselves — clarity improved noticeably when I switched to a better pair. The player sports a tiny, rear-firing speaker, but its tinny sound is pretty dismal. When I cranked up the volume, the speaker sounded as garbled as the PA system on an old subway train — very sloppy engineering, especially considering the $450 price. Unfortunately, FM reception using the built-in tuner was horrible. It managed to pull in only a few stations, and their sound quality was poor.
BOTTOM LINE The X2 Mega View 566 stands out for its smart styling and ease of use. Its 20-gigabyte drive, SD flash-memory card slot, and wide screen also get thumbs up. But its picture quality is a notable weakness — which will be a problem if you want to use the player primarily for video.
Ovideon
Grab your favorite TV shows and go
|
AViAh 1000
|
| DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 2.75 x 4.75 x 0.875 inch WEIGHT 5.125 ounces PRICE $600 MANUFACTURER Ovideon, ovideon.com, 630-236-9917 |
|
Plus
|
| •Vivid color screen. •TV tuner makes recording a snap |
|
Minus
|
| •Small screen. •No MP3/WMA ripping. •Small hard-disk drive. |
|
Key Features
|
| •2.25-inch (diagonal), 521 x 218-pixel OLED screen •5-GB hard drive •cable-ready TV tuner •video formats records MPEG-4 (ASF); plays MPEG-4 SP (ML, ASF, AVI), DivX, Xvid, WMV9 SP •audio formats records voice only (G.726); plays MP3, WMA, G.726 •digital image formats JPEG •tested battery life (playback only) video, 2 hours; audio, 5.5 hours |
IMPORTING AND MANAGING FILESWhen I connected the AVIAh’s USB port to my PC, the player appeared as another drive. It was an easy matter to drag and drop files from the PC to the player. I could similarly use the computer to select a folder within the player’s memory and play videos stored in it on my PC. File transfer via USB was slower than on the other players, a small pain, though the AVIAh’s hard disk holds less anyway. The utility CD provides a bare-bones file-conversion program.
USABILITY I really appreciated the player’s built-in TV tuner because it let me record shows directly, without a computer. All I had to do was plug in a cable feed using the supplied adapter, click through the channels to select a program, and hit the record button. The AVIAh recorded the program as an MPEG-4 ASF file. Simple. I also liked being able to capture a single image from a video program as a JPEG.
On the other hand, the player’s user interface took some getting used to. The navigation is far from intuitive, the controls are physically awkward to use, and the combinations of button presses needed to get things done were hard to figure out. The brevity of the owner’s manual, and the illegibility of the text in its illustrations, didn’t do much to soothe my frustrations. If you know what a “swear jar” is, be assured that mine got much richer.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE While I’m very familiar with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display technology on car head units, this is the first time I’ve seen it on a handheld player. I was fairly impressed by the bright, sharp picture with its vivid colors. The tiny screen was even watchable outdoors in bright sunlight and at extreme angles. Audio and video were out of sync by a fair amount on some files, but, as with the other players, this wasn’t a dealbreaker.
The off-air TV tuner (with a plug-in telescoping antenna) was almost useless, reliably pulling in only one station in my urban Miami location, though you might have better luck. The player would merrily dub copy-protected movies from one DVD player I tried, but not another.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE I listened to a number of tracks, and fidelity was fine at low and medium listening volumes, limited primarily by the files’ bit rate. But when I played them loud, the sound grew harsh. The supplied earbuds were actually pretty good — they’ll do fine for casual listening. I was bummed, though, that I couldn’t use the player to directly rip MP3 or WMA music files from a CD player the way I could with most of the other portables.
BOTTOM LINE The AVIAh 1000 is most notable for its TV tuner. Though the player’s off-air reception was spotty, its ability to plug directly into a cable jack for watching and recording programs without a computer is potentially a huge plus. Battery life is relatively short, however, so don’t expect to watch all of Desperate Housewives, Season 1, on your next plane ride to China.
NHJ
Hefty hard drive plus a TV tuner
|
MPM-201
|
| DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 5.5 x 3.25 x 1.125 inches WEIGHT 125/8 ounces PRICE $400 MANUFACTURER NHJ USA, nhjapan.com, 760-736-8330 |
|
Plus
|
| •TV tuner simplifies video recording. •Big hard-disk drive. •Two memory-card slots. |
|
Minus
|
| •Bulky and heavy. •Mediocre video quality. •Requires cradle for A/V connections. •No WMA playback. |
|
Key Features
|
| •3.5-inch (diagonal), 480 x 234-pixel LCD screen •30-GB hard drive •cable/satellite-ready TV tuner •cradle for recharging, A/V connections •SD and CompactFlash memory-card slots •remote control •video formats records MPEG-4 (AVI); plays MPEG-4 (AVI) •audio formats records WAV; plays MP3, WAV •digital image formats JPEG •tested battery life (playback only) video, 3.5 hours; audio, 6 hours |
IMPORTING AND MANAGING FILES The supplied CD-ROM holds drivers for Windows 98SE and 2000 and for Macintosh OS 9, none of them the current versions. In addition, it has two PC applications: MusicMatch Jukebox Basic, a CD ripping and file-management utility, and Dr. DivX, a video encoder, but the version here seems to be limited to performing file conversions. I elected to use MusicMatch to rip some CDs to MP3 files, edited the files’ embedded ID3 information tags, and then downloaded the files to the player via its USB port.
It was easy to drag and drop files from the PC to the player, and I also had no problems managing files once they were in the player. Having CF and SD cards onboard simultaneously with the internal hard drive could make things confusing, but the simple menu structure keeps it all clear. Also, a tiny onscreen keyboard lets you rename and search for files — not exactly touch typing, but serviceable. As with the Ovideon AVIAh, the ability to record directly from a cable-TV jack was fantastic. If you want to avoid computers and just grab some TV shows for the ride, this is the way to go. I was surprised (and pleased) that my review sample dutifully dubbed copy-protected movies from both DVD players that I tried.
USABILITY The player’s menus are fairly easy to use, and the supplied remote control (not shown) can operate the player when it’s docked in its cradle. The cradle’s status LED glows in various colors and flashes in different ways to show you what activity is taking place (recording, charging, and so on). One small gripe, though: when the player is docked, its navigation control is hard to use because a plastic piece on the cradle gets in the way — a poor design. Plus, since the control is on the left side of the player, righties (like me) may find it harder to use.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE Video quality was average at best. Picture resolution was pretty good, if somewhat grainy, but colors were washed out, sometimes appearing as almost a sepia tone. I did appreciate the wide screen, and motion was smooth. The image was certainly watchable, but it won’t win any awards. While most of the players had trouble to some degree syncing audio to video, this seemed to occur more often on the MPM-201.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE The sound quality from the supplied earbuds was acceptable but no better. It was a little muffled and less clear than I heard from others in this group, but they could play loud with only slight distortion. When I switched to my reference earphones, the sound was about average. Sound from the two tiny speakers would be acceptable for occasional movie watching but not much else. I was disappointed that the MPM-201 can’t play WMA files, which limits your opportunities for purchasing online songs.
BOTTOM LINE The NHJ MPM-201 player lets you record directly from a TV and even make scheduled recordings — an undeniably great feature. The player is also sizable in both storage capacity and, well, size. The good news is that the extra capacity means you can store more stuff. On the downside, it’s quite a load in your pants.
Samsung
A class act, but no recording
|
YH-999 GS
|
| DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 3.875 x 4.25 x 0.875 inch WEIGHT 8 ounces PRICE $500 MANUFACTURER Samsung America, samsung.com, 800-726-7864 |
|
Plus
|
| •Crisp video, clear audio. •Classy looking, dynamic menus. •Easy to use. |
|
Minus
|
| •Can't record. •Requires Windows XP Media Center PC. |
|
Key Features
|
| •3.5-inch (diagonal), 320 x 240-pixel LCD screen •20-GB hard drive •Portable Media Center software •video formats plays WMV, MPEG-4 (ASF) •audio formats plays MP3, WMA •digital image formats JPEG •tested battery life (playback only) video, 3.5 hours; audio, 11 hours |
IMPORTING AND MANAGING FILES I started by installing the software from the supplied CD-ROM on a 2005 edition HP Media Center PC. It took a few minutes, and then I was able to synchronize media files on the computer with the YH-999 GS using Windows Media Player 10. You can set this to be performed automatically every time you connect the player or do it manually. I chose auto operation, and the software copied all of my compatible media files to the player. The software allows you to fine-tune which files you want to transfer. For TV shows I could specify that it copy over only those recorded in the last week, and for music I could limit it to tracks I play most often.
This might sound confusing, but it’s not — I found this aspect of the software superbly easy to work with. If a video file isn’t in the required Windows Media Video (WMV) or MPEG-4 (ASF) format, the software automatically converts it before downloading it to the player (any files that aren’t supported by the conversion software are left alone). You can still drag and drop files manually between PC and player over the USB connection, but you can’t play those files on the Samsung unless they’re synced through the WMP10 software.
USABILITY The YH-999 GS is really easy to use — you won’t need to consult the excellent owner’s manual. That’s partly because having no recording functions greatly simplifies things. But it also seems evident that the engineers — at both Microsoft and Samsung — took a long and careful look at the iPod’s onscreen display and graphics and learned the lesson well. The graphics are all clean and professional looking (the menus on some players, frankly, look amateurish). And the display dynamics — the way titles and graphics fly onscreen and overlay other graphics — are top-notch. I also appreciated the side-mounted, spring-loaded volume wheel, which was a cinch to use. From an operational standpoint, this player really delivers the goods.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE Video looked good, particularly after I notched up the brightness a tad (though at the expense of battery life). The LCD screen provided fine picture detail, with just a hint of graininess, and contrast was pretty good. Unfortunately, colors were muted and looked washed out — I found myself wishing the hues were more vivid. Panning and fast-action shots looked smooth and were free of jerkiness (provided the original file was smooth). Soundtrack synchronization on video files was almost exact — the best of the bunch.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE Music quality was fine. The supplied earbuds were above average, and the amplifier drove them to loud volumes with minimal distortion. When I jacked in my reference headphones, I was an even happier camper.
BOTTOM LINE The Samsung YH-999 GS is limited in being only a player and in its dependence on a companion Media Center PC. But its software worked great, and video and audio performance were both very good. If you use a current Windows Media Center PC or plan to buy one, and don’t mind the Samsung’s lack of recording capability, it’s an excellent companion.
Archos
Great picture and easy to use
|
AV400
|
| DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 5 x 3.25 x 0.875 inch WEIGHT 9.75 ounces PRICE $500 MANUFACTURER Archos, archos.com, 949-900-1900 |
|
Plus
|
| •Classy Styling. •Good video and audio quality. •IR emitter for timer recordings. •Easy to use. |
|
Minus
|
| •Relatively heavy •Requires cradle or optional adapter for A/V connections. •No MP3/WMA ripping. |
|
Key Features
|
| •3.5-inch (diagonal), 320 x 240-pixel LCD screen •20-GB hard drive (80- or 100-GB available) •cradle for recharging, A/V connections •CompactFlash slot •IR emitter to control cable/satellite box for timer recording •video formats records MPEG-4 SP (AVI); plays MPEG-4 SP(AVI), DivX, Xvid •audio formats records WAV; plays MP3, WMA, WAV •digital image formats JPEG, BMP •tested battery life (playback only) video, 4.25 hours; audio, 11.5 hours |
IMPORTING AND MANAGING FILES The supplied CD-ROM includes iTunes plug-ins for your Mac (the operating system takes care of the rest) and lots of goodies for your PC: Windows Media Player 9 so you can easily rip music to WMA files and download them to the player via its USB port, installers for content providers like Napster, MusicMatch Jukebox (a CD ripper and file-management utility), and Archos MPEG-4 translator (which converts AVI files of various formats into the one compatible with Archos players). After filling up the 20-GB drive (larger sizes are available) with music, you can select tracks by artist, album, song title, genre, or year. You can also create playlists of up to 5,000 songs.
USABILITY The excellent onscreen interface made this player easy to use despite the small controls. Its display has a PC-like feel and is intuitive to navigate. Menus are filled with nice touches, such as graphic icons that change shape when you select them, and the screens display a lot of information without being confusing. For example, music tracks are accompanied by a large thumbnail of the album, song titles, and other info.
Although you can copy files to the Archos from a computer through its USB port, there are no direct A/V input/output jacks. To get signals in or out, you have to put the player in its cradle and use the cradle’s A/V cables. Unfortunately, you might not always have the cradle handy when you want to dub something, and the only workaround is to buy an optional adapter cable. On the upside, once the Archos is cradled, you can use the supplied remote (not shown) to control it from across the room — tough if you’re watching the tiny screen, but useful if you’re jacked into your big-screen plasma. The supplied infrared (IR) emitter is a nice touch since it lets the Archos select channels on a cable or satellite TV box so you can make timer recordings.
VIDEO PERFORMANCE Although the Archos screen is rated as only 320 x 240 pixels, it looked very good. I liked its quasi-widescreen shape and the level of picture detail, which seemed a clear cut above the competition here. Contrast was good and color reasonably good for a small screen. Motion was also smooth and natural looking. On some files, the audio was slightly out of sync with the picture — a problem I found to some degree with all these devices. But on the Archos it wasn’t really a problem. To my surprise, my review sample dutifully dubbed copy-protected DVD movies from two DVD players that I tried.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE Music sounded pretty good via the supplied earbuds, and things improved even more when I swapped them out for better earphones. The sound was loud, with reasonably low distortion. But I was supremely bummed that the Archos can rip only WAV files — I wish it could rip MP3 or WMA files (though it can download and play those you’ve ripped on your computer or acquired elsewhere). On the upside, it lets you adjust input recording levels — an important perk. The tiny speakers in pocket video players will never win any sound-quality awards, but they do make sound, and those in the Archos will suffice for watching a video in a pinch.
BOTTOM LINE The Archos AV400 is an excellent multimedia recorder/player. Its screen looks great, it packs all the features you’ll probably want most, and it’s easy to use. The AV400 has what it takes to go up against the mighty iPod.