That’s entertainment on the go

Life

30 May 2005

Like a digital player on steroids’, the portable media player is the latest in entertainment technology.  Not only does these devices house all your digital photos, but they also store hours of music and video. In common with the iPod and other MP3 players, these media players’ appeal lies in their compact size and shape as well as its generous storage.  The latest models such as the Iriver PMP 140, sport up to 40Gbytes.  So far we are in the first generation of the PMP so the prices remain pretty high.  Unlike the portable MP3 player that is the digital heir to the Sony Walkman, the PMPs have no real precedent unless you count the portable DVD player.  Portable DVD players have been around for a bit, but while providing entertainment on the go, they are by and large cumbersome and not suitable for carrying around everyday. 

 

Typical media player build

Physically, the average PMP is fairly compact. The Iriver PMC-100 series weighs in at 200g with dimensions of 3.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches.  These devices are not much bigger than a handheld gaming device but are just that bit too large to fit in your pocket.  The average screen resolution is 320 x 240 pixels, perfect for watching TV shows on the go but not the ideal resolution for watching all your movies on.  Another gripe is the glare on the screen.  The sound quality can vary; the built-in speakers are mono, which isn’t great but with earphones the output is in stereo and generally speaking when listening to music or watching video on the go most users will opt for earphones anyway.

Some PMPs have their own software while many come with Microsoft Windows Media Player 10.  The PMPs with Microsoft on them can synchronise with your PCs media files in a very user-friendly manner.  After installing the software for the PMP on your computer, the PMP searches for all your media files and transfers them over neatly via a USB connection.  Before you rush to store all your media files onto the PMP it must be noted that only certain file formats are supported.  The Iriver PMC-100 series, for example, supports the video formats AVI, ASF, DivX 3.11, 4.0 and 5.x.

 

A-Z to video transfer

So you have a PMP and you’re wondering how to get your DVD collection or the latest episode of Nip/Tuck onto it to watch on the way to work.  Firstly, you cannot record directly from your television to all PMPs, the Mustek PVR H140 being an exception, but if you have a TV card installed on your computer then the world is your oyster. Simply record your favourite TV show onto your hard-drive and transfer it using the USB connection to your PMP. The PMP’s software converts the file as it transfers, vastly reducing the size in the process.  Storing DVDs is another kettle of fish.  Most DVDs are copyright-protected so you’ll have to find a way around this by finding software that can store the DVD content onto your computer’s hard drive before putting it onto your PMP.

A nice addition to the PMP is the FM tuner.  If your music collection is beginning to bore you, then tune into the radio!  Not a killer selling point but a nice feature nevertheless.  Most PMPs can also display digital books.  Another good feature of the PMP is the TV out connection that enables you to watch your video or photo collection on your television screen.  By and large the resolution of the video suffers when transferred to the PMP, so it comes out looking slightly pixelated on the television.

When comparing the Portable Media Player to a portable DVD player, although the resolution is clearly inferior, their size makes them a considerably more attractive option when travelling.  The PMP can rest neatly on the pullout tray of an airplane seat (the iRiver PMC has a kickstand to make viewing easier) or on your lap.  Clearly the PMP has the advantage of size over the portable DVD player and also has the added extras of storing digital photographs and audio but this is evident in their high prices.  Seeing as how they are so new on the market the high price is understandable; the Creative Zen retails in around EUR*500. If you have the spare cash they are well worth buying because although new generations of the PMP are sure to emerge soon, for now the storage capabilities, compact size and sound/video quality are more than adequate. We’ll be waiting for the release of the Samsung Yepp YH-999, capable of receiving TV broadcast signals; the icing on the PMP cake.

 

Portable DVD players

The portable DVD player is not the lumbering dinosaur you’d expect.  It mightn’t have all the nifty features that the portable media player has but there are newer models on the market that do more than simply play a DVD.

The Aiptek Axdia PDV-751 retails at EUR*329.99, and plays CDs, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW.  It also plays MP3 audio and JPEG image files stored on a CD-R/RW as well as Kodak picture CDs.  The 7 inch rotating screen is a nice touch, handy for when you need a better viewing angle without having to pick up and move the DVD player around. 

The BNI 3 in 1, costing EUR*399.99, has even more features.  As the name suggests it has three functions.  It plays DVDs, CDs etc but also has an external TV aerial, allowing you to tune into terrestrial television on the move.  If that’s still not enough it has over 200 classic arcade games and two joy pads to keep the kids happy on long car journeys.  Like the Aiptek the battery only lasts for about three hours but both models come with an in-car charger.

It seems as if the portable DVD player is eating into the territory of the PMP but while it has some extras to attract the mobile consumer, it still is too large and limited to satisfy all their entertainment needs.  The portable DVD player, however remains a popular option for family entertainment due to its lower price and larger screen.  If you opt out of the extra bells and whistles on the latest DVD players there are some decently priced ones out there that do the job well.  The Shinco 5-inch Portable DVD player is a pocket friendly EUR*175 and plays all the same disk formats as the others.  The screen is quite small but does the job, with good resolution and crisp contrast.

The portable media player and portable DVD player won’t have to fight one another for sales.  They are both clearly headed to their own niche market.  The portable DVD player seems to be more of a family oriented product as regards cost and functionality, while the PMPs price and capabilities is aiming it at those who loved the iPod and crave more.

  

Portable Media Centres

 

Pros

 

  • Their compact size is ideal for carrying around.
  • The large storage capacity will accommodate plenty of songs, video and photos.
  • Synchronises with your computers media collection.
  • Some models can record from television.

 

Cons

 

  • They are quite expensive.
  • The resolution is somewhat limited.
  • The average screen size is pretty small.
  • DVDs cannot be loaded directly.

 
 

Portable DVD players

 

Pros

 

  • More affordable than the PMC.
  • Larger, higher quality screen.
  • Plays music and displays images from CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW.
  • Some models can tune in to terrestrial television.

 

 

Cons

 

  • Large and bulky compared to the PMC.
  • Cannot store any media.
  • Everything must be loaded via the DVD drive.
  • Has a limited battery life.

  

Portable media players on test

Although the idea of portable media players has been around for some time, it wasn’t until Microsoft released its Portable Media Centre (PMC) specification last year that things really started to take off. Leading manufacturers such as Creative, Samsung and Iriver all developed these devices and, in the main, they were well received. The big drawback with PMCs is Microsoft’s insistence that they all use Windows Media Player to transfer the video and audio from your PC. Furthermore, it’s not possible to record video direct into the portable player – again, Media Player must be used. As you might expect, there are now plenty of alternatives to Microsoft’s idea and here we’ll show you how they compare. We’ll also take a look at how it’s possible to watch movies and TV clips on some of the latest mobile phones – it’s a fiddly process, but well worth the effort.

 

Video conversion

As you’ll find out from our reviews, format compatibility, especially video formats, is something that’s really holding portable media players back. The problem is there’s a wide range of video formats and, within each format, various encoding options. If you decide to buy one of these players, at some point you’ll come across a file it can’t play, despite it being listed in the specification as a supported format. More often than not, this is down to the file having too high a resolution or an unsupported audio track, such as ac3 or mp3 VBR. There are ways around this, such as using a third-party conversion tool such as Dr DivX to re-encode the file, but it’s not always an easy task.

 

Archos AV400

An excellent alternative to Microsoft’s vision, the AV400 is much more than just an audio, video and image playback device. Not only does it let you record video directly on to the internal hard disk, it can also function as a PVR (personal video recorder).

Using the supplied docking station and IR blaster, which attaches to your set-top box’s infra-red receiver, the AV400 is able to switch channels whenever a recording is due – much like Windows Media Centre PCs. To enhance the PVR side of things, a remote control is also shipped as standard and the AV400 will link up to Yahoo to provide TV listings. With a total of eight wires attached to it, the docking station looks a little clumsy, but it does mean you get composite, S-video and scart connection options.

Although, like most of the other players, the AV400 only records in the mpeg4 SP (simple profile) format, it’s able to play back DivX, Xvid and avi files. Windows Media Video isn’t supported as standard but, as with other unsupported formats, you can use the bundled software to convert files. In tests we found the video conversion process to be very hit and miss and would recommend purchasing a copy of Dr DivX (www.divx.com) instead. Audio can be recorded to wav files using either the built-in microphone or line-in socket.

The review model we received had a 20Gbyte hard drive but, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, 40Gbyte, 80Gbyte and even 100Gbyte models are available. As with many of the other devices on test here, the AV400 sports a memory card slot. This lets you transfer data to and from a Compact Flash Type I card.

With the portable media player market gathering pace, the Archos AV400 manages to offer more than the competition in terms of features. Our only major concern is that some supposedly supported formats refused to play and required extra conversion using third-party tools. Hopefully this will be sorted via a future firmware update.

 

Price: EUR*269.99

 

Contact: PC World 01 802 5555

 

 

Archos Gmini 400

The Gmini 400 is a scaled down version of the AV400. To make a more compact device, Archos has reduced the screen to 2.2-inches and removed other bulky additions such as the internal speaker. The operating system remains similar, but the buttons don’t have such a solid feel.

Playback support is the same as the AV400, so you’ll find that some files are supported but others require a bit of conversion work before they’ll be accepted.

Unsurprisingly, there’s no cradle or PVR-style features – in fact, the Gmini 400 doesn’t support video recording of any kind. If you want to get TV shows on to it, you’ll need to get a TV capture card for your PC. However, it can record audio in the wav format.

What impressed us so much about the Gmini 400 is its sheer portability. Despite housing a huge array of features, it’s by far the lightest and smallest portable media player on test. Sure, the screen is also tiny, but if you want to watch a movie while on a commute it’s perfect. Battery life is also commendable, with up to five hours of video playback.

 

Price: EUR*269.99

 

Contact: PC World 01 802 5555

 

 

Hauppauge PVMP/Mobinote DVX-Pod7010

The Hauppauge and Mobinote share more than just a similar design – they’re the same product (hence the dual review). Hauppauge has jazzed up the chassis design by adding grip pads and its logo, while Mobinote has added an attractive background to the main menu screen. Performance-wise, there’s nothing to differentiate them.

If you want a device that fits in your pocket, you’ll have to discount these two. A portable media player with a 7-inch display can’t be considered pocket-sized. If you can cope with the large dimensions, the widescreen display performs well and is great for watching movies.

There’s no support for MPEG 1/2 files, but both devices can play DivX files along with Windows Media Video files. Video can be recorded in MPEG4 SP format, but you can’t schedule recordings.

If you want a portable media player with a big screen, either of these are worth considering, but they’re probably too bulky for most.

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: www.peats.ie

 

Iriver PMP-140

The Iriver PMP-140 has a neat looking design which also includes a flip-out stand. Various controls lie down either side of the case, but menu navigation isn’t intuitive and we frequently got lost. Like the Microsoft PMC devices, the Iriver PMP-140 can’t record video. A line-in socket and internal microphone allow you to record audio directly to MP3, but disappointingly you can’t record from the built-in FM radio. Two USB ports grace the left side of the unit. One is used to hook the Iriver up to your PC, while the other will connect it directly to another USB device for quick data transfer.

The Iriver supports a variety of video files, including Xvid, DivX and asf, and the conversion software included in the package allows you to play other formats, but wmv files are not supported. Given the volume of people using Windows Media Player, it’s surprising Iriver hasn’t included this.

Once you’ve mastered the fiddly controls the PMP-140 works well, but given the price we feel there are better options available with a wider variety of features.

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: CMS Peripherals 094 937 4000

 

 

Samsung Yepp YH-999

 

Samsung’s Yepp YH-999 is one of just a handful of Microsoft PMC devices, which all use the same operating system based on the Microsoft Media Centre interface. The Yepp YH-999 isn’t as bulky as the Creative Zen, and it sports a slightly smaller screen. The usual array of controls grace the front of the silver casing and, for easy viewing, a small stand flips out from the back of the unit.

Being a Microsoft-based device, the Yepp can’t record directly from a video source. All data must be downloaded to system using Windows Media Player. It’s a pain, but it does have the advantage that the program will automatically convert all video to wmv format. Regardless of the format your video files are in, if Windows Media Player can play it you’ll be able to send it to the Yepp YH-999. Battery life isn’t great, which isn’t surprising given the size of the unit, and you’ll be lucky to get anything more than three hours when watching video. The inability to record directly and the reliance on Media Player will dissuade those looking for a flexible device.

 

Price: EUR*399.99

 

Contact: PC World 01 802 5555

 

 

Creative Zen PMC

 

 

When we had an exclusive first look at Creative’s Zen PMC last year, we were impressed. It was the first Microsoft PMC on the market and had been very well implemented. Now, the Creative Zen is already looking dated and rather bulky. With devices such as the Archos AV400 offering more far more in terms of features, including video and audio recording, at a cheaper price, Creative would do well to develop a non-Microsoft alternative.

 

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: Midia 01 419 9700

 

Iriver PMC-120

There’s no mistaking that this is another Iriver product, but this time the company has gone down the Microsoft route. The interface is incredibly easy to use and video compatibility is solved since all video has to be encoded to wmv

and transferred using Windows Media Player. But the fact remains that it’s simply not as versatile as other devices. If you’re not bothered about losing out on features, the Iriver PMC-120 is worth a look, but it’s also one of the more expensive Portable Media Centres.

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: CMS Peripherals 094 937 4000

 

MSI Megaview 566

MSI’s Megaview 566 is a lightweight portable media player that comes in a fair bit cheaper than the competition. It supports a wide variety of audio, video and image formats and will happily record direct from a video source.

The display on our review model was a little disappointing, since the honeycomb effect of the LCD screen was clearly visible – something that the other players managed to avoid.

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: www.peats.ie

 

Mustek PVR-H140

In a cumbersome and altogether unattractive casing, the Mustek PVR-H140 certainly won’t appeal to the style-conscious. WMV video playback is omitted, but it can handle mpeg1, asf and avi formats. The

PVR-H140 can also record MPEG4 SP files. As with many other Mustek products, the big draw for this portable media player is the price. At EUR*???, it’s very competitive, especially considering the 40Gbyte capacity. That said, unwieldy controls, a poor interface and a sluggish one minute boot routine hold it back.

 

Price: tbc

 

Contact: www.peats.ie

 

 

The winners

Portable media players are still in their infancy. Early adopters are clambering over themselves to get the latest models, but the majority of consumers appear cautious. So, is the time right to bite the bullet and splash out over EUR*400 on one of these devices? In short, it depends on how willing you are to convert and re-encode video. The clear winner of this test is the Archos AV400, closely followed by the Gmini 400. Although sound quality was consistently good with all these players, the problem lies with the various video formats flying around, such as DivX, Xvid, WMV, MPEG4 and so on, which makes reliable playback a challenge.

Despite the drawbacks of Microsoft PMC devices, the most notable being the lack of a video recording option, the fact that they synch up with Windows Media Player means you’ll have very few compatibility issues. If you’re the kind of person who wants something to work first time and every time, and are happy to lose out on functionality, a Microsoft PMC would be a good choice. But if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty with a bit of video conversion when you come across an incompatible file, more advanced players such as the AV400 are well worth considering.

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