Recomenned Multimedia player/Mp4

II_D2_II

i want to buy one and i dont know the best to buy my price range is roughly 150 but can push to 180-200 if needed but i dont really want to,
post your finds for me here please
(only sites what are safe to buy from)

thanks in advance!!

lilibeth

II_D2_II wrote: »

i want to buy one and i dont kno wthe best to buy my price range is roughly 15 but can push to 180-200 if needed but i dont really want to,
post your finds for me here please
(only sites what are safe to buy from)

thanks in advance!!

Just to clarify 15 or 150?

II_D2_II

150 sorry i will edit that now

lilibeth

II_D2_II wrote: »

150 sorry i will edit that now

Right, so........... do you want solid state or HDD?
And how many gigs of storage space do you require?
Do you need usb on the go?
Will it be primarily for music or vids?
How important is screen size?
Do you need DRM support?

Cornball

It depends what you are going to use it for.

I would stay away from anything Apple as you have to convert files to their format.

I have a COWON A3 30gb. It's dead easy to use, just drag and drop files via USB and it plays dang near any format. It has a gorgeous screen and you can record off telly to watch later and playback on telly. It comes with all the relevant leads required for this. Usual radio and document storage aswell. It is also capable of receiving freeview but you need to buy an add-on antenna.

I use it to watch movies and recorded tv shows on the train on the way to work with a video playback of approx. 5 hrs. You are in luck because while I paid £250 for mine last yr it has been reduced to £180 as the new models will be out soon.

If you want any more info on it, feel free to send me a PM. I adore mine. I had a creative Zen before my Cowon but I'm never going back!

Marty_J

Cornball wrote: »

I would stay away from anything Apple as you have to convert files to their format.

Not true. The only "Apple format" that iPods play is Apple Lossless.

I'd wait until tomorrow when the new iPods are rumoured to be released.

Cornball

Marty_J wrote: »

Not true. The only "Apple format" that iPods play is Apple Lossless.

I'd wait until tomorrow when the new iPods are rumoured to be released.

No, it's true actually.

Ipods only play .MP4 or .MOV videos unless you convert which is a pain.

If you are serious about a genuine multimedia player I would steer clear of Ipods (had 2 before the Zen and would never go back). They just lack the versatility, ease and features that other players offer. Don't be seduced by the slick advertising, look at what you want out of it.

[Deleted User]

Funny, cos i can drag mp3 files into Itunes and they'll load onto my Ipod Classic without any conversion.

Yes, the only video files it will support are Mp4 and mov's

I have an ipod video converter that will re-compress a full movie DivX file into an mp4 in about 25 minutes (ipoddrop if anyone's interested). It isn't that much of a pain really, I can have two conversions running at a time and still use my PC.

It does depend on your priorities- video or music. There are better video players out there - especially the new Creative Zen X-Fi. However, i like lots of storage, and you can't beat the ipod for a slick bit of kit, at a good price, with lots of hard disk space

Cornball

Sorry, that Creative comes nowhere near the Cowon. Zen's don't have the same level of codec support.

I think you are correct though. If you are a video junkie like me you would be better off with kit like a Cowon (or a Zen if you're desperate ). 25 min. to convert may not seem like a long time to you but with the amount of material I go through it isn't worth it. If you are more in it for the music an ipod would suffice. The OP did say multimedia though hence my Cowon love in.

Marty_J

Cornball wrote: »

No, it's true actually.

Ipods only play .MP4 or .MOV videos unless you convert which is a pain.

If you are serious about a genuine multimedia player I would steer clear of Ipods (had 2 before the Zen and would never go back). They just lack the versatility, ease and features that other players offer. Don't be seduced by the slick advertising, look at what you want out of it.

No, your original comment was not true. You don't have to convert something to "their format". You have to convert files to a format it supports, but the same is true of any player. The Cowon might support more codecs, but let's not pretend you have to convert videos to some special iPod format; mp4 and h.264 files play on lots of things.

I have never noticed converting a DVD to h.264 to be any more of a pain than converting it to some other format instead.

Cornball

Marty_J wrote: »

No, your original comment was not true. You don't have to convert something to "their format". You have to convert files to a format it supports, but the same is true of any player. The Cowon might support more codecs, but let's not pretend you have to convert videos to some special iPod format; mp4 and h.264 files play on lots of things.

I have never noticed converting a DVD to h.264 to be any more of a pain than converting it to some other format instead.

No, my comment stands as you have just proven..lol. Mp4 does play on lots of things but ipods don't play lots of formats. Saying that you can convert files is fine and dandy but you still have to waste time converting and no serious user would bother. Go on any audiophile type forum and no one uses ipods. They certainly don't all use Cowons but something closer to its level.

Anyway, best of luck OP. Hope we haven't confused you too much. If you are more a music person I really wouldn't stress about what to buy, there are loads of nice MP3 players out there but a good multimedia player is an investment and you want quality and ease over slickness.