MP3 Player

[mazzarak]

OK technophiles, advice required on a completely non-VC related topic...

I'm in the market for a MP3 player. Budget is £270. Apologies to what is probably the majority of users, but I only work in GB sterling!

I see a choice between iPod 20GB, iRiver 40GB, Creative 60GB and Rio 20GB.

I'm no scientist so I'm not interested in minutia and intricacy, but any personal opinions are welcome, and just for fun there is a poll to tell me what the 21st Century VTC technician has as his/her player of choice...

[George]

I voted another...

I use the RCA Lyra RD1021 because it's small, lightweight (1.5 ounces) and has all the options I need.

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/04/43/19/20/0004431920263_215X215.jpg

Granted my reasoning is different from any audiophile out there. It looks like one of those cheap-o brand knock-off limited feature electronic items you find in other electronics product types but I assure you it's not! I use it (or at least I got it anyway) to use while I'm working out. So the whole small, compact, lightweight thing with the free armband and fitted headphones appealed to me. I won't go into a full product review but I will say that the first thing I do when I'm going to buy just about anything is to check it out on ePinions.com. The RCA Lyra got great reviews (http://www.epinions.com/pr-RCA_Lyra_RD1021_MP3_Player/display_~reviews), and with it's hot-swappable memory cards you can carry around a good amount of music. Supports all the major formats WMA, MP3 etc, and is easy to use. Just plug it up with the USB cable and your PC recognizes it as a drive. (You can store other stuff on there as well so it an be used as a small USB drive.)

Ok I said I wasn't gonna right a review so I'll cut it there... :D

[trapehzoid]

ipod.. pricey.. but worth the money. Be sure to get one with the wired remote

[Entropy3XD]

Archos AV380. This is one of the most rock solid devices I have ever used. Works great as a preview monitor or for pumping AV into you systems to test. The now have the AV480 out now and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

www.archos.com (http://www.archos.com)

[MACC the AVCOtek]

Archos AV380. This is one of the most rock solid devices I have ever used. Works great as a preview monitor or for pumping AV into you systems to test. The now have the AV480 out now and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

www.archos.com (http://www.archos.com)

You saying this little box will allow you to view video live via a composite input without recording it? If so, that would be very cool!

[Entropy3XD]

You can input composite and S-Video, as well as stereo audio. You can record up to 2MBS (2.5MBS with the AV480). It has an 80 gig harddrive and is quite small. It also comes with a remote so you can use it like a VCR. It also holds MP3 and JPEG pics. I have a Compact Flash reader attachment for it and they also make a 3.2 mega pixel camera attachment which will also record video. They also make an FM antennae for it. Timer functions are included with the software for timed recordings. One of the slickest machines I have ever bought (and I have ALOT of gadgets) and it has never failed.

[Entropy3XD]

You saying this little box will allow you to view video live via a composite input without recording it? If so, that would be very cool!
Oh...and yes, you can view video without recording it.

[Entropy3XD]

One last note. With the Archos AV380, output played to a television is in VCR quality. With the new AV480 the output is supposed to be close to DVD quality. You can also record in wide screen formats if you prefer. The AV380 also does not have a built in speaker, so you have to use headphones or an external speaker, while the new AV480 has a built in speaker.

I carry this thing everywhere. I have a mount in my car for it and connect it to my stereo with a device which overrides the FM signal on the 88 band. If you have a car stereo with a mini 3.5 jack then you can use that as well. I also carry folding iPod speakers (Altec Lansing iMotion) which sound exceptional, so that I always have my entertainment center with me. Even though they are built for an iPod, the AV380 fits perfectly between the speakers and looks great.

I can actually see this device as a preview monitor, allowing the speaker to hit the record button whenever they wish to record. It simply plugs into a computer with a USB connection (USB 2.0 & 1.1 supported) and acts like a hard drive. The video is already in digital format for editing or you can play back to a conventional device such as a VCR for recording.

I use it quite a bit when troubleshooting VTC equipment and it has become especially handy when working in rooms in which the codec is in one room and the monitor is in another.

If you are just looking for something to use as a preview monitor for troubleshooting purposes and don't want to spend much, I also recommend Hauppauge's WinTV-USB. You can use it with your computer and it has composite, S-Video, Coax, and stereo inputs. With software you can record the video to your PC hardrive. No output capabilty though. I still use a WinTV-USB from time to time with a Tablet PC and it works very well for the price (about $100 US).

[mazzarak]

I can see from Amazon why you might recommend this, however as I live it the exact opposite of a tax haven (The UK), this little baby will set me back the best part of £600!

[Entropy3XD]

Yea, I guess the cost is the only down side.

[stungib]

I bought an iPod 20G. Yes, it was expensive, but I don't regret the cost. It came with a remote and case. I use it every day since I bought it in Nov 03. It has changed how I listen to music. Plus I listen to more music. I used to be album oriented, now I listen to songs and mixes of songs. The smartlist and randomized playlists are great. Once you rate your songs, you can really control and customize your music.

--John

[Toney]

mazzarak,
I swear by my Ipod. I have had one for the past year or so and use it every day. If you have a budget of about £270, then buy an Ipod. I see that the new range is out. The new 20Gb is going for £219.00! Ro 40Gb for £299.00!!. They've come down in price. I've also heard lots of rumours that other manufacturers are coming out with rivals such as Microsoft, Sony etc. So if you're not in a hurry, wait till end of year...

[scottmerrick]

I'm an iPod fan. I have had my 30Gb for a year or so and just cracked half its storage volume, despite having dozens of audible books from audible.com and my entire CD collection. iTunes is a fantastic music software and once one noodles with the audible.com interface a bit it's easy to use. Very reliable, very portable, very very. (If you end up signing up at audible.com tell 'em "smerrick" sent ya: I'll get a new member perk! I just finished listening to Bill Clinton read his autobiography and now I can go back to Robert Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love."