Reviews related to : Media players
After my last review of a SanDisk unit this came – initially – as a disappointment, in fact more than a disappointment. I was sent a replacement unit and that had the same problem, so once solved I have put it through a thorough and rigorous set of tests to see that it did not occur again.
This is a MP3, Video, Photo, FM Radio and Voice Recorder. It measures 4.5x75x.5cm and weights just 30 grams. It comes with 2GB of internal memory but it can also accept a micro SD card. The left side is where the Micro SD card can be inserted and beside this is where the pinhole microphone is. The right side has slider for on/off, however if you are the energetic type slide it the other way to engage the hold control. The base has the proprietary USB connection and a 3.5mm earbud socket.
The addition of video to the iPod range is great for when you're on your travels. Despite the
excellent quality screens on the iPod it's still nice to watch on a larger screen. Of course most
video content is still available on DVD - not iPod.
The iLuv i1155 is a great concept. Accepting that however good the Internet delivery may in future become for video distribution you'll still have a large collection of valuable DVDs. As much as you'd love to rip those onto your computer - and hence to your iPod - the big media companies don't want you to do that. They would rather you pay again.
All the latest generation iPods, with exception of the tiny shuffle, are capable of video storage and playback. This
can be an excellent way of passing time, either on long trips or even if you're having trouble sleeping.
I'm a complete convert to video on the move with around 20 hours of my favourite videos on my . I've watched on the train and in a camp-site during particularly bad weather. I've even used it on a car journey to keep the kids entertained. There is however a problem - it's not comfortable watching the iPod screen for any length of time. It's not the quality of the screen, which is brilliant. It's having to either hold the screen up to watch (if laying down) or a sore neck having to look down.
Answering the call and donning my secret agent guise (actually it was no different from my normal appearance as that is the best way not to attract attention), I made my way to Sony’s secret bunker to discover about the company’s latest gadgets.
As I descended the numerous flights of stairs to this underground location, I couldn't help but hope that maybe one of the new gadgets would be available to help me climb the stairs on my return journey. Unfortunately it was not to be but there were several other goodies that will tempt you to part with your cash in the forthcoming months.
Apple were arguably late to the MP3 market - but when they got there, they certainly made an
impact. Five generations on and the original distinctive iPod family were joined by the 'Touch',
sporting many of the same features but in a significantly different package.
click to enlarge The iPod Touch arrives in a fairly small package, sporting John Lennon on the front. Inside the box you'll find the device itself, Apples hallmark white headphones, white USB cable, a docking adaptor to allow the Touch form factor to work with the existing range of iPod accessories, a cleaning cloth and a tiny perspex stand.
With the holiday season round the corner, Mi-Vox ihas launched the latest in audio-books - a must for the beach.
Mi-Vox from £9.99 to £24.99 www.mi-vox.com One of my favourite things to do in airports, once the bags are all checked in and you have made it through the long queue for security, is to browse in one of the book shops. With the thought of 2 weeks away from work, I usually end up with at least 4 novels. It's a real pleasure taking the time to decide on which book will keep me company on the beach while my family frolics in the sea.
This is a music player and not as you might think a phone. In shape and size you could easily mistake it for a phone. To be precise it is a digital media player as it will play video as well as audio and of course it will display .jpg still images.
click to enlarge The new Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 is 9.5x5x1cm and weights around 80grams. It has a TFT screen of 5x3.8cm. It has two buttons below the TFT screen as well as the ubiquitous five position joystick arrangement between them. The base has input for earbuds and the proprietary USB lead. The left side, the top and the back are all clear apart from a small indentation in the rear for a stand (not provided in my sample).
A look at a complete wireless system from Sonos for wirelessly piping music digital audio
anywhere and everywhere in your home - including several places at the same time.
click to enlarge If like me you've taken the trouble over the years to rip the bulk of your
CD collection onto your PC you can be left with wondering how to then play that
music.
Kensington have added to their range of audio accessories with this set of travel speakers, suitable for
any media player with a standard jack socket but very obviously aimed at the iPod market.
The Kensington FX500 "speaker to go" is a slightly bigger than an A5 sheet of paper at around 150x200mm, around 35mm thick and weighing 400g. The unit has a soft finish that should be fairly robust and is reminiscent of a small zip-up folio case. From the front the product has a central clear window through which you'll be able to access front-mounted controls on your favourite MP3 player. A power switch is situated to the lower right.
Never the one to indulge in half measures and with a strong preference for “world firsts”, Archos has taken the opportunity recently to announce some new products and additions to the company’s current range of service offerings.
I'm sure whether to classify the first announcement making up this report as multi-functional or more of a convergence in technology as Archos enhances one of its existing products. That product is the Archos 605 WiFi Media Player which featured in an earlier review ( ). Basically the announcement covered a new GPS In-Car Holder that turns the 605 WiFi portable media player (PMP) into a GPS navigation device without compromising the device's original multifunctional capabilities.
Three items from Belkin all sold as accessories for the iPod. First a clear Acrylic and brushed metal case. Next TuneBase FM that let’s you listen to your iPod through your car stereo and finally a dock that allows you to charge and Sync your iPod. Is this iPod heaven?
Clear Acrylic and Brushed-Metal Case The model I was sent works with iPod's with video. The dimensions are 10.5x6.5x1.5cm. The front was blue brushed metal with the rest acrylic apart from the area over the click wheel that is a thinner plastic that enables protection for the wheel while at the same time enabling you to use it. The area over the screen seems to cause no distortion to the image displayed.
I usually find that Ministry Of Sound systems have the odd extra sometimes quite unexpected, this does not disappoint. It’s a CD, FM/MW radio, iPOD, SD Card and USB stick system.
This unit is black as are the speakers who as is the style are open displaying the cones. The main unit is 22x31x10.5cm, the speakers are each 15x15x21.5cm. The connecting leads are the bare wire type and are around 1.15metres in length. The case of the main unit is metal and the cases for the speakers are wood and have 10watts total power each speaker.
A refreshingly straightforward product that does not try to be all things to all
people. Instead it tackles one thing and does it rather well!
There are two 605 models, the 30GB version I saw and a 20GB version that comes with several Harry Potter films pre installed.
It is 12x8x1.5cm and weights 230 grams, the screen is 9.5x5.7cm. The top of the unit has an on/off button and another to switch the output from the screen to a TV. The left side has three pin hole LED's to confirm activity and an earbud socket. Two proprietary connectors are on the base. This leaves the right side of the front where there is a column of six cream buttons.
I don't think I'm unique in wishing my TV were where I was, rather than in the living room
where the aerial is! There have been a number of solutions to this issue - here we look
at what the SlingBox, from Sling Media can do.
click to enlarge
SlingBox comes in a various flavours - from the original 'Classic' through the the 'Pro', which is the one currently sat underneath my TV. What's a SlingBox? The clue is in the name. In short it takes video and audio from where they are and them to where you - SlingBox.
Some like navigation buttons while others prefer a touch screen approach; with a new product from Archos you get both options.
Archos has a long establish presence within the area of PMP (Personal Media Player) devices that have the capacity to provide a range of entertainment features. Forming part of the company's latest range of PMPs is the Archos 605 WIFI. As its title implies, this PMP has built in support for WiFi 802.11g connectivity to add to the provision of music, video and still image playback and viewing.
Rather than ask TomTom the way to go, this device could keep the children entertained.
Although SatNav or GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) devices can prove extremely useful when it comes to providing navigational assistance to travellers as they get from A to B, these types of devices often remain unused for long periods. You maybe an infrequent traveller or perhaps you stick to routes with which you are familiar and as a result navigation instructions are not required.
This is a total touchscreen MP3 player that can also play video and much more. The only physical controls are on the top the on/off hold and on the side the tiny record button.
It is 10x5x1cm and finished in a matt metal effect with chromed sides. The total weight is only 65grams it will sit comfortably in your palm. The hold (lock) part of the unit is very important as when it is in your pocket the slightest touch on the screen is likely to change tracks. The screen is 5x3.6cm and it can display video quite well.
Streaming your music collection to different rooms in your home is the task undertaken by a Logitech product.
Like many others, over time I have built up a large collection of MP3 song titles stored on my computer. I hasten to add that all the various tracks have been legally purchased. While this is a convenient method of storing a music collection, it does place certain restrictions on the ability to listen to the music.
There are now a plethora of mobile video devices on the market. Personal DVD players started the
market which has been taken up by solid state and hard disk players like Apples iPod range and
the Archos range of products. While the concept has been great, personal video in public has never
been, well, that personal. A criticism myvu hope to address with their range of 'media viewers'.
On a recent train journey virtually half the passengers had headphones inserted with their
favourite music blasting into their ears. Despite an ever increasing range of mobile players
capable of delivering video - not one of those passengers were making use of that video
capability. There are probably a couple of reasons for this.