Hi fellow eBayers,

In the last reviews I briefly explained about the definition of MP3 & MP4 players and how they are evolving. I also gave some advice on how to avoid being ripped off buying MP3/MP4 players on eBay. Today I will discuss in detail on how to pick a right MP3/MP4 player and what to look for when buying these players.

Firstly, let's recall some of the definitions again. MP3 players are capable of playing music with FM and voice recording features, whereas MP4 players are capable of playing music and video with a lot more features such as FM, voice recorder, ebook reader, photo browser, game, phonebook, etc. MP4 players are also referred as portable media players (PMP). People are now often looking for MP4/PMP players rather than MP3 players due to their enhanced features.

Now, let's discuss what you should look out for when choosing a MP4/PMP player.

1. Screen:

Because MP4 players can play video, they usually feature a bigger multi-colour screen to deliver high quality video playback. However, there are big variations of screen size, display technology, colour matrix and resolution and if you're not careful you may pick a player with very poor screen which make your video enjoyment a nightmare. So what should you choose in terms of the screen.
- Choose players with bigger screen size, the bigger the better, aim for at least 2.4" and preferably 3" or more.
- Choose players with active matrix LCD (AM-LCD) TFT display rather than OLED (organic light-emitting diode) because LCD delivers higher quality images compared to OLED. Also, because LCD are usually softer, they consume less battery than OLED.
- Choose players with high colour depth display, aim for at least 262,000 colours and preferably 16 million colours (or Truecolour) display. Players with 16 million colours will deliver exceptional high quality movies (DVD quality) just like you're watching on your computer's LCD screen.
- Choose players with high resolutions. Most players with AM-LCD can display at resolution of 320x240 (QVGA) so these are the minimum you should look out for. Some players with bigger screen can have higher resolution of 480x320 (HVGA) or have widescreen display of 480x240 (WQVGA), these are even greater.
Recently, the newly developed low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT display which is a high-end active matrix LCD technology employing polysilicon TFT for better screen performance has been employed to some models of MP4/PMP players, making these the best screens available. These screens are capable of displaying 16 million colours and can be viewed at any angles so they are really delivering the highest quality of movies and images, which will satisfy the hardest users.

2. Media format supports:

Another important aspect of choosing a great MP4/PMP player is the ability to play multi-format. These are especially important for video files. In the past, most old-style cheap MP4 players can play only one video format (i.e. AMV), so you have to convert your video files into their supported format. But it's no longer the case. Most of new MP4 players are capable of supporting multi-video formats.

Among the most popular video file formats are AVI (Audio Video Interleave), FLV (Flash video, like You Tube video clips), MP4 (MPEG-4), ASF (Advanced Systems Format) and RM, RMVB (Real Media formats). There are also many other formats.

Most modern players can support multi formats. You should aim at players with the ability to support as many formats as possible, so that you won't need to convert your videos more often. The iPod Nano 3rd Gen and iPod Touch are great players but their support for video files is very poor compared to other MP4 players. Especially there are some players with super multi-format support, which support all video formats, including RM, RMVB, AVI, FLV, DAT, ASF, MP4, WMV, 3GP, MPG so the need for video conversion is almost eliminated.

3. Storage:

Most of MP4/PMP players come with flash memory storage. The capacity ranges from 2GB to maximum available now of 32GB. Many players also have a memory extension slot (mostly SD, MiniSD or MicroSD) which another 32GB max can be added to the built-in memory. It is up to you to decide how much you will need in terms of storage capacity.

There are some models which have a built-in hard drive instead of a flash memory. While this means larger capacity, hard drive based players usually have poor video playback performance.

4. Design and Interface:

There are a huge variations in design of MP4 players, so it's the matter of choosing what is appealing to yourself. Most players nowadays have user-friendly interface with graphic display of menu and functions. The most common buttons (keys) you will find are Menu, Play/Pause, Back, Forward, Power On/Off and Hold. Some players feature a touch screen interface which may be very appealing to some but not others. So search around and find one that suits your needs the best.

5. Connectivity:

Unlike iPod players, most MP4 players are plug-n-play, which can connect to any computer with Windows 2000 or above via USB cable. Transfering files is also easy via drag-n-drop without the need of any specific softwares (iPods require iTunes). These MP4 players can also act as a USB flash disk when you need.

Some of the newer models now even have a TV out connection, which means you can enjoy your favourite movies on the big screen!

6. Other features:

Many other features can also be considered when picking an MP4 player. These include chipset technology, which decides the performance and support ability of the player. Look for the players with chipsets that allow firmware upgrade. You may also want additional features such as FM radio, voice recorder, text reader, photo browser, external speaker, etc. More modern players are emerging with even more features such as wi-fi, GPS, digital camera, etc. It seems the trends are going towards a true All-in-one devide.

** UPDATED 21/04/2008**

7. Some important notes when buying a MP4/PMP player:

* Branded vs. Unbranded/Generic players:  you should always choose a branded player over a generic player because there is a huge difference in quality between the two, although they may look similar. Players with brand names are not only produced under strict QC processes but they also come with firmware updates (usually) which fix bugs and add features to your player.

* Avoid the cheap Chinese crap: There are plenty of crap MP4 players out there, especially on eBay and these are almost always cheap unbranded/generic players. These players come with inferior materials and/or hacked memory, no quality control and no firmware updates, etc. Avoiding these players will save you from plenty of headaches. Remember if you see players at a price that looks too good to be true, they probably are!

* Not all players are the same, even though they may look the same and have the same specs: So make sure you look at various aspects of the listings as well as the pictures, like price, seller's feedback and rating, location, auction policies, shipping rates, etc. which may provide some good hints about the players. You should not choose a player based merely on price because lower prices may mean more headache for you later on. Remember, China is a huge manufacturing field. There are quality manufacturers but there are many crap factories too. Doing your research carefully will help you pick the good and avoid the crap. Invest your money wisely!

So, I've summarised above the main aspects that you should look for when choosing your next MP4 player. Good luck with a purchase of your new gadget.

Please drop by to visit our items for sale here: http://search.ebay.com.au/_W0QQsassZfindonsa. We're offering some high quality Chinese brand MP4/PMP players, which may well suit your needs. Buy from us and you won't be dissappointed with the quality of our players as well as our customer services.

Thank you for reading and see you at our next guide/review.

(This review was written with reference from various sources available on the Internet)