To see an alphabetical site map click here

• Home- MP3 -4 Info site
  MP3- & MP4 Information on what it is, how to get it, and how to use it. MP3 ipods, players, accessories compared. indepth articles follow.
  
  
  • What Is MP3?
    MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3) is easily the most recognized digital file format. Almost everyone associates MP3 with music, and this recognition factor is due in large part to the music industry's well-publicized legal battle against MP3 distribution. Even though there is a strong association between music and MP3, many people have no idea what MP3 actually is. MP3 is a compression algorithm that reduces the size of audio files considerably. Audio data in the form of stereo CD recordings takes a tremendous amount of hard drive space, so before the development of audio compression, trading audio files was impractical. Thanks to MP3, audio files could be compressed to about 1/10 of their original size while still retaining good audio quality
    
    
  • MP3 Players - Features
    The popularity of MP3 players means that there are hundreds of models to choose from. This variety brings with it a number of options which can be confusing to the average buyer. Never fear - this article will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about buying an MP3 player. There are basically two types of portable audio players - flash memory or hard drive. There are also portable CD players, but these are becoming less common because they have problems with audio skipping. The major difference between flash memory and hard drive MP3 players is their storage capacity. Hard drives usually have several times the storage capacity of flash memory so if you have thousands of songs that you want to store on your MP3 player, you are probably better off with a hard drive. The major drawback to hard drives is that they are subject to skipping and audio dropouts. The problem is not as severe as with CD drives, and the technology is improving all the time to minimize this, but the fact remains that if you use your hard drive MP3 player while you are jogging or doing other vigorous activity, you are likely to experience dropouts. Flash memory
    
    
    • MP3 Players - Hard Drive or Flash Memory?
      There are two basic types of portable audio players - hard drive and flash memory. CD players are also available, but seem to be being phased out - their popularity was limited because of problems with skipping during playback. When shopping for a portable audio player, the choice between flash memory and hard drive will be the most obvious distinction. This article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of each type to help you make a better buying decision. The most noticeable difference between the two types is storage capacity. Flash memory players typically have a maximum size of about 4 GB, while hard drive audio players are available at more than 100 GB. How much is that in terms of songs? Generally speaking, for average songs encoded at average bitrates, you can store about 250 songs in 1 GB. So your 100 gigabyte hard drive can store about 25,000 songs. Probably no one has that many songs in their music collection. After all, at three minutes per song, that's the equivalent of 50 days of nonstop music. So the question is, why does anybody need 100 GB for a portable audio player? The answer is that portable audio players
      
      
    • Creative MP3 Players
      There are currently two basic lines of Creative MP3 players, although each (the Zen and the MuVo) has several models to choose from. Most Zen players have a hard drive, while all of the MuVo players are flash-memory devices capable of both music and data storage.
      
      
    • iRiver Player
      iRiver is a Korean company that has been producing MP3 players since 1999. Most iriver players are multi-functional – combining FM radio, voice recording, picture viewing and data storage with music playback. The iRiver lineup currently (May 2006) includes three flash memory models, one hard drive model (available in 5 GB, 6GB or 20 GB) and one multi-media player for playing music and videos.
      
      
    • Phillips-Player
      Philips has a long track record in the consumer electronics field. Even though they've been making electronics since the word was invented, however, they've had plenty of ill-fated products such as the Digital Compact Cassette and CD-i (interactive CDs that never achieved market acceptance). Their line of MP3 players also seems to be ill-fated – attractive but just a little 'off'. The HDD082/17 Micro jukebox, for example, is a 2 GB hard drive MP3 player. In these days of 6 GB flash players, why would anyone buy a small capacity hard drive MP3 player? This is definitely a product that shouldn't have been born.
      
      
    • Rio Players
      Several Rio models have been produced over the years, but the versions that are still available include the Rio Carbon, the Rio Forge and the Rio Karma.
      
      
    • Samsung Players
      With Apple at the top of the MP3 player heap, it seems that other manufacturers try to compensate for their lesser position by offering more models. Creative does this – they have more than 20 different MP3 players and Samsung also does this with 23 current model numbers. Granted, some of these choices are the same player with different memory sizes. Samsung flash players usually have a 'V','X' and 'Z' suffix which means 256 MB, 512 MB and 1GB memory respectively. Still, knock out the duplicates and you still have about 12 different models, whereas Apple is offering just 3 different iPods. It's nice to have choice, but sometimes too much choice is overwhelming and confusing.
      
      
    • Sandisk Players
      SanDisk is a company which manufactures flash memory for products such as digital cameras and USB removable drives. They have their own line of MP3 players which have a price advantage over other MP3 players since SanDisk makes their own memory. The Sansa series of MP3 players ranges in size from 512 MB to 6 GB. There are currently three lines – the 'm' series has basic monochrome displays in a compact USB stick shape, the 'e' series features an expansion slot for extra memory capacity and the 'c' series has a color display for easier navigation and viewing photos.
      
      
    • Sony Players
      Sony has revamped the Walkman name and is cashing in on the popularity of MP3 players. It has several flash based models and even a few hard disk based players. The Walkman Bean is a flash memory MP3 player available in either 512 MB or 1 GB sizes. Its ergonomic shape fits comfortably in the hand and it can handle several different audio formats including MP3, WMA, WAV and Sony's own ATRAC. This last format is found almost exclusively on Sony devices. Sony claims it offers similar sound quality to MP3 at half the file sizes, but independent testing has not verified these claims. For those interested in sharing files, a more commonly used format such as MP3 would be a better choice.
      
      
  • MP3-Buying Guide - Part One
    Buying an MP3 player can be a daunting task because of the large number of players available. This article will explain the options and help to guide you towards the MP3 player that best suits your needs. There are two basic types of MP3 players - flash memory and hard drive. Choosing between these two will be your major decision in an MP3 player purchase. Previous articles in this series have examined the pros and cons of each type, but in a nutshell, flash players are great for exercising, while hard drive players have the capacity to be used as portable hard drives and provide lots of storage space for videos. Don't be put off by the seemingly small size of flash memory players. Each gigabyte of memory can hold about 250 songs, so a 4 GB MP3 player has a storage capacity of 1000 songs - more than enough for the most ardent music fan. And don't forget, you can easily change the contents of an MP3 player if you get tired of listening to the same songs. So even at 250 songs with a 1 GB player, you have plenty of music to listen to.
    
    
  • MP3 Buying Guide - Part Two
    Buying Guide: There are several different audio compression formats including MP3, WMA and AAC. It is safe to say that every MP3 player can play MP3 files, but not every player can handle WMA or AAC. WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a Microsoft supported format and is used for audio files which have been protected with DRM (Digital Rights Management). Many of the songs available for purchase from Internet stores like Napster and MSN Music are in WMA DRM format, so if you plan on purchasing from these stores, you need an MP3 player which supports the format. AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is used almost exclusively by the Apple iPod. If you have an iPod, it will be difficult to trade AAC files with a friend who has a different type of MP3 player. Sure, they can be converted, but that's an extra step. Other, lesser known formats such as Ogg Vorbis and MP3 Pro are supported by relatively few MP3 players even though they offer superior sound quality and smaller file sizes. GOOGLE ADSENSE Displays There are a few MP3 players which have no screen, but they are a rare breed. Most MP3 players will have at least a small LCD display that shows you the current song being played. Larger displays are necessary for MP3 players which have larger memory, because you need to be able to navigate through the file structure to find individual songs. An easy-to-read screen is essential. If it is too small to see clearly, or cannot display an adequate amount of information, it is next to useless. If you are going to use your MP3 player at night, the display should have a backlight for viewing in dark conditions. Displays can be either monochrome or full color. Color displays are included in the more expensive MP3 players, and are necessary for players which have photo and video capabilities. The bigger the display the easier it is to read and more information can be shown at one time, but bigger displays also draw more power, thus shortening the battery life.
    
    
  • MP3- Batteries
    Batteries:Most people buy a portable audio player for its portability. Being free to take your music with you everywhere you go is one of the big attractions of MP3 players. This portability, of course, is dependent on battery life, so paying attention to battery specifications is a good idea when buying an MP3 player. Most manufacturers rate the playing time of their MP3 players. This figure refers to the number of hours of continuous music playback that can be expected on a full battery charge. It can range considerably - from 10 hours up to 35 hours. When looking at manufacturer's specifications, keep in mind that they are most likely at the high end and represent the playing time under ideal conditions. For example, if the manufacturer rates their MP3 player at 20 hours, this probably means 20 hours of continuous playing (stopping and starting the player uses more power), with no extra features like screen displays being used. Certain audio formats use more power than others. The least processor intensive audio format is MP3 encoded at 128 bits per second. But if you have a lot of songs in WMA format with DRM (Digital Rights Management), they require considerably more processing power for playback, meaning correspondingly less battery time. Other things that consume extra power include audio processing such as equalization, high-volume levels, photo display and videos. Video probably places a higher demand on battery power than any other MP3 player feature. Hard drive audio players also tend to consume more p GOOGLE ADSENSE ower than flash memory audio players. This power consumption increases the more you use your hard drive. If you're constantly browsing your directories and looking at photos while listening to music, your battery will not last as long. Rechargeable
    
    
  • MP3-Compression
    Uncompressed audio files can be very large - approximately 10 MB per minute of stereo sound. Without a way to compress this data, the portable audio players which are so popular today would likely not exist. Luckily, there are many ways to compress digital data. Computer data files, for example, can be compressed with the popular ZIP format. The resulting zip file is usually much smaller than the original file and can be unzipped so that the original file is intact. Compression formats which retain all of the original data are called 'lossless'. Certain types of files like audio, video and graphics can also be compressed by discarding some of the original data. This form of compression is called 'lossy'. MP3 is a lossy format - there is no way to reconstruct an MP3 file to its original sonic quality. The advantage in this, however, is a much smaller file size. The beauty of MP3 files is that they still retain acceptable audio quality while greatly reducing the size of the file. This is accomplished by discarding certain portions of the audio spectrum which are considered to be less important. This includes high frequencies and sounds which may be 'hidden' behind louder sounds. Audio compression depends a lot on psychoacoustics
    
    
  • MP3-Accessories for Players
    The popularity of portable audio players has spawned an entire sub-industry of MP3 accessories. No matter what kind of player you have, you can find all sorts of extras for it – some useful, and some not. As the leader in the field, the Apple iPod has the greatest number of available accessories. Some of these are manufactured by Apple, but many are supplied by aftermarket companies. The most basic accessory is a case for your MP3 player. Cases will protect the player from scratches and other damage, so these can prove to be a good investment since they can extend the life of your MP3 player. They also add a decorative element - the Apple iPod, for example, is only available in black or white. Cases are available in every color of the rainbow allowing your iPod to stand out from the crowd. Speaker systems are available for those who want to use their portable audio player at home. Simply plug the MP3 player into the built-in dock and share your music with friends and family. In order to expand the speaker system into a full-blown home entertainment system, accessories are available which add FM stereo, cassette decks, CD players or even record players. If your MP3 player is capable of video playback, you may be able to connect it to your TV set for viewing. To control the MP3 player, wireless or wired remote controls are available. Remote controls are especially useful in the car because they allow you to adjust the player without taking your eyes off the road. There are remote controls which connect to the steering wheel and allow you to adjust the volume, browse through your music collection or advance to the next song. Remote controls are also useful if you keep your MP3 player on an armband or attached to your belt. In this situation, the remote control can be stored conveniently in your pocket or purse for quick access when you need to adjust the volume or change songs. Some of them have displays which allow you to pick songs by name. GOOGLE ADSENSE Back to the car, a very useful accessory
    
    
    • Accessories-II
      MP3 players are great little gadgets. Accessories make them even greater. Thanks to the huge popularity of portable audio players a sizeable side industry of MP3 accessories has appeared on the scene. Just about any type of accessory is available - from external speakers to car adaptors to remote controls. Most of them are quite reasonably priced and all add useful functions to your MP3 player. Since MP3 players are all about sound, the first article in this series will look at replacement earbuds and external speakers. Earbuds Almost every MP3 manufacturer supplies an adequate, but far from ideal, set of headphones known as 'earbuds'. As their name implies, these tiny devices are worn in the ear, but since all ears are not created equal, there is no way that one set of earbuds will suit everyone. Comfort is a big factor in earbuds. If they aren't comfortable you'll hate using them. Sound is another biggy. The earbuds that are supplied with your MP3 player may sound OK, but try out a better set and let your ears go 'WOW!' So - the first accessory you should consider for your new MP3 player is a new set of earbuds. For comfort, look for earbuds that are made from a soft, expandable foam. These will fit snugly and adapt to any shape of ear. A snug fit will also extend bass response. As for sound, the general rule is that more money will give you better sound. How much money? Run of the mill earbuds will cost between $25 and $50, with high-end models starting at $100. You can spend more than $300 for a superb set of buds that will satisfy the most demanding audiophile. If you are uncomfortable with in-the-ear phones, you can get a set of over-the-ear headphones. These are slightly impractical for portable use because they can easily slip off your head if you bend down or go jogging, but for commuting or at-home use they are a good alternative. Speakers You will often
      
      
    • Accessories
      The popularity of portable audio players has spawned an entire sub-industry of MP3 accessories. No matter what kind of player you have, you can find all sorts of extras for it – some useful, and some not. As the leader in the field, the Apple iPod has the greatest number of available accessories. Some of these are manufactured by Apple, but many are supplied by aftermarket companies. The second article in this series will take a look at AC and DC adaptors and remote controls. Enjoy! AC - DC adaptors Most MP3 players run for about 10 to 20 hours on fully charged batteries. Rechargeable batteries are the most economical in the long run, but to extend their life even more, AC or DC adaptors can be used. AC adaptors can be simple 'wall wart' converters, or they can be integrated into 'docking stations' that offer loads of features in one unit. A typical docking station plugs into a wall outlet or the USB port of your computer. The MP3 player simply snaps into the docking station and if it uses a re-chargeable battery, the battery will be topped up. Some docking stations also synchronize your music collection. Any new songs that you have download to your computer will automatically transfer to the MP3 player when it is installed in the docking station. Docking stations can also have integrated speakers, allowing you to use the MP3 player as a substitute for your home stereo system. When you come home, simply pop the MP3 player into the docking station, listen to music all evening through the speakers, and in the morning the battery will be fully recharged for another day of portable music. DC adaptors allow you to use the MP3 player in the car. They usually plug into the cigarette lighter and can recharge the battery while listening to music. A car adaptor kit will include a DC adaptor and a device to listen to the player over the car sound system. Car audio adaptors come in two basic styles - FM transmitters or cassette converters. Transmitters send the audio signal to an FM frequency band which can be picked up on the car radio. Cassette converters are inserted into the cassette deck so you can listen to the MP3 player on the car stereo. Both types of adaptors are equally suited in the car or in the home, although the power source for the FM transmitter needs to be the correct type. Cassette adaptors don't need a power source. Remote Controls To control the MP3 player, wireless or wired remote controls are available. Remote controls are especially useful in the car because they allow you to adjust the player without taking your eyes off the road. There are remote controls which connect to the steering wheel and allow you to adjust the volume, browse through your music collection or advance to the next song. Remote
      
      
    • Cases
      MP3 players are cool, but many popular models come in a limited number of colors. The iPod, for example, is only available in black or white. If you want your MP3 player to stand out from the crowd, the easiest way is to get a colorful case. Cases are not just fashion statements. They also protect your player from scratches and the elements. A good case can prolong the life of your MP3 player. There is a good choice of both custom and generic cases available. Because of the runaway popularity of the iPod, the biggest selection of custom cases is for this type of MP3 player, but there are also custom cases for the Zen Micro, Sony portable players, iRiver and most of the other major brands. Custom cases are made to fit a particular model of MP3 player, and offer the best protection and function. They are designed so the controls are accessible and the player can be operated without taking it out of the case. Generic cases are designed for a wide variety of MP3 players, so can be a good choice if you can't get a customized case. Generic cases may also have special features like arm bands or pockets for your earbuds. The problem with generic cases is that the controls of the MP3 player are usually not accessible unless you remove the player from the case. Is this a big deal? If you use your player as a set-and-go device, this won't be a problem at all. But if you like to adjust every song, the lack of access to the controls can be a nuisance. For greater protection, some cases are completely sealed and are waterproof down to a specified water depth. Although it's not a good idea to take your MP3 player for a swim, this kind of case offers lots of protection against rain. Sealed cases also offer protection from dust and dirt - essential if you take your MP3 player to the beach. Cases can be made of aluminum or plastic, or a combination of materials to protect them from water. Silicone cases allow the controls to be manipulated through the case, but offer less protection from impact than hard cases. Although cases are usually quite reasonable in cost, they also have a fashion element, and like most fashion-related things - the sky is the limit. Want a diamond encrusted case for your iPod? No problem - just cough up the $5000. It's best if you can try out a case with your MP3 player before buying it. This gives you a feel for the way the case fits and how you can control the player when it's in the case. If the case has an armband or other adjustable strap, make sure it fits properly. You've probably laid down between $100 - $300 for your MP3 player, so you want to get the most use out of it as possible. A case is a sure-fire way to prolong the life of your player
      
      
    • Ringtones
      Almost all the major manufacturers now have cell phones that double as MP3 players, and many of them also have video recorders. These 'all-purpose' phones are just slightly more expensive than the top-of-the-line MP3 players, and about the same as video-ready Portable Entertainment Devices. Cell-phone users have an easy choice - skip the MP3 player and get an MP3 phone instead. You can use the MP3 files as ring tones and listen to music in between calls.
      
      
  • MP3- Tags and Playlists
    MP3 and other audio compression formats are popular because they greatly reduce the storage requirements for audio files. They make it possible for a tiny portable audio player to carry thousands of songs. Besides the compression, MP3 has another big advantage. The MP3 format can store information about the music including the title, the artist, the album, the year, the genre and much more. This information is displayed as the song plays and can be used to organize your music collection and find songs quickly. ID3 tags were developed back in 1996 as a way of including metadata in an MP3 file. The original specification allowed the song title, artist, album, year, comments, track number and genre to be added to the end of the file. The original ID3 format was expanded to ID3 version 2 to allow more information to be included in the tag. Besides this extra information, ID3v2 has a number of other advantages. For one, ID3v2 is situated at the beginning of the MP3 file instead of at the end as in the original ID3. This makes it suitable for streaming - playing the file as it downloads from the Internet. GOOGLE ADSENSE ID3v2 can display all of the data of the original ID3 format as well as extra fields for the composer, conductor, media type and copyright message. It can be expanded to almost any length to include whatever information the user desires. It can also contain song lyrics, allowing MP3 files to be used for karaoke. Because ID3v2 supports Unicode (the near universal encoding format for world languages) lyrics and other information can be displayed in almost any language. ID3 tags are specifically designed for the MP3 format, but other audio formats can also include metadata. Both WMA and AAC formats support metadata which has similar characteristics to ID3 tags. Metadata can be edited manually, but if you have thousands of MP3 files that is going to be a daunting task. Thankfully, the process can be automated. Most MP3 software can download metadata from the Internet and update the tags automatically. Another big advantage of MP3 files is the ability to organize your music collection into playlists. These are simply lists of songs to be played sequentially (or randomly), so you can build a program of songs to create a certain mood, similar to what a radio disc jockey does
    
    
  • MP3- Digital Rights Management (DRM)
    Digital Rights Management (DRM) MP3 files can be traded very easily, creating a vast inventory of 'free' music. The music industry is strongly opposed to unrestricted MP3 distribution, of course, because of fears of lost revenue, and has sanctioned a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) to protect their interests. In the days before the CD, it was possible to copy records to tape but each subsequent generation would cause the audio signal to be degraded. Record companies weren't overly concerned about losing revenue to this type of copying, because they felt that consumers would not accept the inferior quality of copies. Digital media changed all that - exact copies can be made any number of times without degradation. Digital media is also much easier to distribute worldwide via Internet. As soon as Internet MP3 trading became widespread the music industry clamped down hard. They filed lawsuits against music distribution services like Napster and Kazaa and succeeded in prosecuting individuals who were caught exchanging MP3s. The music industry wanted a system to prevent consumers from freely copying and trading music. Several types of Digital Rights Management have been developed and at the present time, every online music store that operates in the United States uses some form of DRM. Consumers who buy songs from Internet music stores usually receive them in either WMA or AAC format. AAC is used for the Apple iPod, while WMA is used for most other types of MP3 players. DRM can be integrated into both of these formats. A typical DRM scheme limits the number of times a song can be copied or burnt to CD. There may also be limits to how the songs are used on private networks - AAC songs can only be heard on five computers at one time. GOOGLE ADSENSE Napster uses another approach - users can download and listen to any number of songs for a monthly fee, but those songs cannot be burnt to CD unless the user pays an extra fee. If a payment
    
    
  • MP3-Downloading From the Internet
    To many people, MP3 is synonymous with 'illegal music'. This is because of the well-publicized legal battle between the record companies and Internet music distribution services like Napster. The old Napster has closed down and a sanitized version which meets the approval of the music industry has taken its place. But MP3 files are still widely available for download. To clarify the issue, let's start by saying that there is nothing illegal about MP3 files. It is simply a file format for audio files. What the music companies object to is file sharing - something that is simplified by the small file sizes of MP3s. Files can be shared over the Internet by connecting to a peer to peer (P2P) network. This is a network of computers which do not have a centralized hub. Each computer on the P2P network has access to files on every other computer on the network, so files can be 'exchanged', although usually not on a one-to-one basis. There is no charge for using these P2P networks, so MP3 files (as well as any other type of computer file) can be freely exchanged. This is what the music companies object to - if music fans can get the latest songs for free, why should they buy them? By and large, the concerns of the music companies are justified. CD sales have fallen since the popularity of the Internet. But is the Internet to blame? Maybe not. Music fans claim they are justified in trading music files because the quality of CDs has gone down over the past 10 or 15 years. A commonly heard argument is that commercially released CDs often have only two or three good tracks on them, with the rest of the songs being 'filler'. The music industry seems to have acknowledged this argument. Music services like Apple iTunes Music Store now allow users to buy individual songs and download them to their computer. Songs which are available from the iTunes Music Store are encoded with digital rights management (DRM) which places some restrictions on how the songs can be used. For example, there is a limit to the number of times songs can be burned to CD, and songs may
    
    
    • iTunes
      Just as the Apple iPod is the most popular MP3 player on the market, the Apple iTunes Music Store is the most popular Internet music vendor. iTunes is, after all, bundled with the iPod, so it's normal that most iPod users will take the path of least resistance and use the supplied software to organize their music collection and buy new songs. iTunes does both these functions. It can be used to rip CDs, convert them to AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, and transfer them to the iPod. It is also the front end to the iTunes Music Store - Apple's highly successful music vending service that lists more than 2 million songs in its catalog. Individual songs or whole albums can be bought. Videos, podcasts and audio books are also available. The iTunes software is well designed and easy to use. The search function allows you to narrow down choices by artist, album, song or genre, and the first 30 seconds of all songs can be previewed for free. The playlist function allows you to organize your music collection manually or automatically according to music style. The software will recommend other songs similar to your current selection - a great way to explore new artists. All of the songs from the iTunes Music Store are in AAC format. This is a compression format that discards certain parts of the audio spectrum to reduce file sizes. AAC also has a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) that restricts how files can be used. This includes a limit on the number of times songs can be burned to CD and the number of computers the songs can be transferred to. The Apple iPod is one of the few portable music players that support AAC format, so if you use another brand, you are pretty well out of luck. Apple doesn't seem to mind - they appear to be looking for market domination in both music sales and hardware sales, and have succeeded in both counts. What's
      
      
    • Streaming
      Recording Audio Streams Many music web sites offer 'streaming' audio that you can listen to by clicking a link. Streaming allows you to hear the audio as the file is being transferred rather than waiting for the complete file to download before it can be used. Downloading a music file can take several minutes or even hours depending on the size of the file and the speed of your Internet connection, but sound from a streamed file can begin a few seconds after clicking the link. The process is called streaming because it works by delivering a constant flow of data to your computer - a stream. The data is usually buffered to prevent pauses in the case of data flow interruption, but the buffer is small enough that the sound can begin almost immediately after the stream starts. Streamed audio, however, is not meant to be saved as a computer file that can be used at a later time. It's a one-shot deal, similar to listening to a radio broadcast. This is partly to prevent the unauthorized copying of audio content, as most music streams have copyright protection. But just as you can record audio from the radio, you can also record audio streams from the Internet. There are several ways to do this. Audio Capture The low-tech way to capture streaming audio is to simply record the actual audio. Sound from speakers can be recorded, but this will introduce a lot of background noise - not a method recommended for the 21st century. A step above this is to connect the output of your soundcard back to the input. This is a background noise-free option, but the sound must pass through two converters - the Digital to Analog converter on the way out, and the Analog to Digital converter on the way back in. This can create digital distortion that is noticeable on playback. Digital Capture It is far better to keep the audio stream in the digital domain. This way the sound can be reproduced exactly as it was heard the first time. Some sound cards can be set up to route the output to the input without passing through the digital to analog converter. This option allows you to use any audio recording software to record the audio stream as it is received, entirely in the digital domain. Most consumer audio cards don't have this routing function, however, so if you are using the standard audio connections that are included with your motherboard this may not be possible. Software Finally we have the software solution. Most stream capturing software works by redirecting the audio stream from the output to the input, the same as our re-routing option mentioned above. This keeps the sound in the digital domain and the captured audio can usually be converted into one of several formats such as MP3, WAV or OGG. Some software can automatically divide the audio stream into individual tracks and even add tag information such as artist, song and album. Legalities Many Internet sites that offer streaming audio do not want their music to be recorded and may have
      
      
    • RhapsodyMusic Service
      Rhapsody (http://www.Rhapsody.com) was one of the first commercial music services on the Internet. It started back in 2001 as the first music vendor to offer streaming audio to subscribers. It was acquired by RealNetworks in 2003 and is currently one of the most popular music subscription services available, with more than 2 million members. Rhapsody is currently (May 2006) only available to users in the United States. There are four types of Rhapsody memberships including the free Rhapsody 25 which allows users to listen to 25 radio stations and download 25 songs per month. This is a good marketing ploy as the free account allows users to try out Rhapsody and be enticed by the features available to paid subscribers. The three paid services are Rhapsody Radio, Rhapsody Unlimited and Rhapsody To Go, all of which can be tried for 14 days free of charge. All accounts can be used to purchase music from the Rhapsody music store. Rhapsody Radio If your main interest is streaming audio Rhapsody Radio is worth a look. Subscribers get access to more than 100 streaming audio stations. Users can even create their own stations by specifying which artists or genres they want to listen to. All of this music is commercial free, and unlike your car radio, if you don't like the current song you can skip ove
      
      
  • MP3- Audio Editing
    One of the great things about digital audio is the ease with which it can be edited. Unwanted noises like pops and scratches can be automatically removed, the volume can be increased or decreased, tracks can be rearranged and audio material can be inserted or deleted. Some of this editing falls in the realm of special effects, but a lot of it is very useful for the average listener. For example, wouldn't it be nice to have all of your music collection play at the same relative level rather than having to adjust the volume for each track? And if you have MP3 files that were converted from an analog source such as cassette or record, the sound can be improved to near CD-quality. There may be some MP3s in your music collection for which you no longer have the original source. If these MP3s are defective in any way you have three basic choices - put up with the imperfections, delete them or edit them to improve the sound. Editing audio requires audio editing software. There is a whole range of this type of software available from professional to consumer levels. There are several freeware titles, but these tend to be limited in their editing capabilities. Commercial software specially designed for ripping, converting and editing audio is available at a reasonable cost. If there are problems with MP3 files which you have ripped yourself, the solution is simple - go back and rip it again. Problem MP3s from other sources (we won't ask from where) can often be salvaged with editing software. GOOGLE ADSENSE For example, if the MP3 suddenly cuts off before the end of the song, editing software can be used to fade out the ending. Sure, you're missing some of the song but a fade is better than the 'arrggghhh' feeling that a sudden cut off can create. Another problem with some MP3s is digital noise that sounds like cats squealing. Many commercial programs have special filters to remove this kind of noise automatically. Simply set the level of noise reduction and the whole file is cleaned up in a matter of seconds. Automatic noise reduction is also available for audio which came from analog sources such as records and cassettes. Pops, scratches and tape hiss can easily be removed. One of the most annoying things about MP3s is their varying volume level. This is particularly noticeable if you are listening to MP3s from various sources. You may have to change the volume for every song. Fortunately, your whole music collection can be 'normalized'. Normalization works by
    
    
  • MP3-Converting MP3 Files Into Audio CDs
    Converting MP3 Files into Audio CDs After collecting MP3 files for a time you are sure to build up a good sized collection. Storing them on your computer is risky because if your computer crashes all those files could be lost. Like any other data, MP3s should be backed up - with a difference. Rather than treating MP3 files as computer data, you can convert them into audio CDs. Converting MP3 files into audio CDs is a relatively simple process. Most CD burning software can do the conversion for you automatically. Simply build up your playlist of MP3 songs and burn the CD. Before the CD is burned, the MP3s are converted into CDA (Compact Disc Audio) files. This is done behind the scenes with a CD burning program like Nero but if you wish you can take more control of the process. For example, Nero has a simple audio editor that allows you to split files and apply filters such as noise reduction, equalization or stereo widening. If your CD burning software does not have these features, you can still process the MP3 files before burning the CD. In this case, you need dedicated audio editing software - there are plenty of freeware and commercial titles available. When preparing MP3 files for burning to CD, one of the most useful editing functions you can do is to 'normalize' all of the files. Normalization smoothes out the differences in volume between various tracks so that the entire CD will play at the same relative loudness. After you have finished editing your MP3 files, save them as WAV files so that they can be burned to CD. You will most likely be burning your MP3s to a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable). Most modern CD players can handle this type of CD, but older CD players may not recognize them. MP3s do not have to be converted to audio CD - they can be burned directly to CD in their native MP3 format. This has the advantage of storing more music on one CD, perhaps 100 songs instead of 10. MP3 CDs can be played in a computer CD-ROM, and many hardware CD and DVD players can also play them. GOOGLE ADSENSE The main problem with MP3 CDs is that with so many songs on one disc
    
    
  • MP3- Ripping CDs
    Ripping CDs A typical music lover may have hundreds of CDs. Converting that music into MP3 files and transferring them to a portable audio player allows you to carry your whole collection in your hip pocket. Copying CDs to a computer hard drive is called 'ripping' and there are plenty of free software tools for doing the job. Ripping is a very fast process because the sound card is not used. Rather, the digital data contained on an audio CD is copied to the computer and the whole process takes just a few minutes for a typical CD. The only thing that is needed to rip an audio CD is a CD-ROM and ripping software. This software also allows you to convert the audio files into a compressed format like MP3, WMA or AAC. Compression saves a lot of space on your hard drive and allows you to store more songs on your MP3 player. Before you begin ripping, several decisions must be made about the file format and the level of compression. The more compression that is used on an audio file the lower the sound quality, but also the smaller the file size. Each individual must make their own decisions about what is acceptable sound, but here are a few guidelines. The 'standard' level of compression for MP3 files is 128 kb per second. Careful listeners may notice the loss of high frequencies and other details, but files encoded at this bitrate are similar in sound to FM radio. An A / B comparison with the original CD may allow you to hear the difference, but otherwise most people find this bitrate to be acceptable. If you are converting your music into other formats like WMA or AAC, lower bitrates can be used while retaining similar sound quality. One of the big advantages of MP3 (or WMA or AAC) over audio CDs is the ability to include information about the song in the file itself. Song title, artist, year and genre can be encoded in the compressed file and displayed on playback. This information is included in 'tags' such as ID3. Of course
    
    
  • MP3- Podcasts-and-Videos
    Podcasts and Videos for MP3 Players It seems that MP3 players are everywhere these days. Almost everybody is 'plugged in' listening to their own private playlists. Given the market saturation of MP3 players, what's next? The answer is obvious - video! In fact, it is already here. Many MP3 players have video capability, the next new wave of portable devices are built around video storage and playback. The Apple iPod is one of the leaders of the MP3/video hybrids, although there are several other MP3 players that are built for video. Because of the popularity of the iPod, however, it is seen as the leader in this field. The fifth generation iPod is fully integrated with video and video content can be purchased from the iTunes Music Store. Just as with audio, video content is available for download from many sources. The big difference, of course, is the size of most video files. Even though video can be compressed (similar to MP3 or WMA) the file size of a 90 minute movie can be in the range of 700 MB. That means that video playback is better suited for hard drive MP3 players than flash memory players. Of course, not all video content is feature films. TV shows, animations and home videos are all suitable for viewing on MP3 players. There's also a particular type of video practically designed for portable audio players - podcasts. GOOGLE ADSENSE Podcasts can be either audio or video - they are like radio or TV broadcasts except that they are available for viewing or listening anytime. You can subscribe to podcasts so that they are automatically downloaded to your computer when a new one is produced. From the computer, it can be transferred to your MP3 player. Podcasts are often amateur productions with a wide range of subject matter. Users of Apple iTunes can browse through podcasts to select which ones to subscribe to, and they are automatically transferred to the iPod when it is connected to the computer. Even though the name 'podcasting' is a hybrid of 'iPod' and 'broadcasting,' podcasts can be viewed on any MP3 player that supports video and of course audio podcasts can be heard on virtually any MP3 player. The 'broadcasting' part of podcasting is also a misnomer - rather than being streamed in real-time, podcasts are archived and can be viewed any time. Is Video a Bad Idea? Adding video capabilities to MP3 players seems like a good idea, but think for a minute how you are going to use it. If you use your MP3 player while driving the car, for example, how practical can video be? Similarly, if you have a portable audio player for jogging, you can't watch
    
    
  • MP3- Websites
    MP3 Websites For those who wish to avoid the legal murkiness of MP3 downloads, there are several Internet services which are completely sanctioned by the music industry. The most popular of these are : Napster, The iTunes Music Store and MP3.com. Napster Napster is the company that popularized MP3 downloads. Although the original version of Napster was shut down by court order, it has been revived as a commercial service offering music streaming and downloads. Streaming is the Internet's answer to radio. It allows you to listen to music as it is being transferred to your computer. Rather than waiting for the whole song to download, users can hear the song shortly after it begins to transfer. Streaming technology is designed to prevent users from capturing the audio for later use. It is intended as a one shot deal - listen to the stream but once it is finished the music is gone. There are ways to capture streams, and this is one reason why Napster and other MP3 sites often limit their free streams to 30 seconds. Paid streams are another matter. Napster charges a monthly fee and in exchange you can listen to an unlimited number of songs. These songs can be stored on your computer but you need to maintain your Napster membership in order to access them. Songs can a GOOGLE ADSENSE lso be purchased. Purchasing songs gives you the right to burn them to CD or store them permanently on your computer hard drive. iTunes Music Store The Apple iPod is the most popular portable audio player on the market. It is bundled with the iTunes software which can be used to connect to the iTunes Music Store for purchasing songs. Like Napster, the iTunes music store allows you to preview music clips before buying them. Songs are available for purchase and albums can be bought too. Songs bought from the iTunes Music Store are protected with Digital Rights Management (DRM). This restricts the way they can be used. For example, they can only be burned to CD a limited number of times. The songs can be broadcast on a private network, but the number of computers that can receive the broadcast is limited to five at any one time. The iTunes Music Store is the most popular music service on the Internet. It also carries other digital products such as videos and audio books, and all purchases can be transferred to the owner's iPod. MP3.com MP3.com serves as a clearinghouse for a number of online music stores. It provides information about artists and songs and allows users to post their own reviews. 30 second previews are available, and if you like what you hear, you are directed to an online music store to buy the song. The stores associated with MP3.com include Napster, iTunes, Rhapsody and MSN Music. In order to buy music from any of these stores, you must meet their normal requirements. For example, you must have an account set up with iTunes in order to buy music from them through MP3.com. MP3.com also includes a good selection of free music and video streams. These are available on a rotating basis for promotional purposes, and also feature lesser-known independent artists.
    
    
  • MP3- Files From Analog
    Creating MP3 Files from Analog Sources Converting CDs into MP3 files is an easy process because the audio stays in the digital domain. But what about old analog recordings like cassettes and records? Although the procedure is slightly more complicated, converting other audio sources into MP3 files is a do-able task. Almost every computer has a soundcard that accepts inputs from various sources. A typical sound card will have one microphone input and one auxiliary input which can be used for sound sources such as cassette players or radios. These external sound sources are analog, meaning that the sound is a continuous wave form. Digital audio attempts to reproduce analog sound by slicing the waveform into discrete steps – each of which is represented by a number. In order to get an analog sound into a digital computer, it must pass through an analog to digital (A/D) converter. The biggest limitation with budget sound cards is the A/D converter. A cheap sound card has a cheap converter, so will not give you the same results as a professional level card. However, considering that the sound source is likely to be old analog cassettes of questionable audio fidelity, the built-in sound card of most computers is sufficient. Although most sound sources can be plugged into the sound card's auxiliary input, record players are a different matter. The output level of most record players is too low, so for best results it should pass through a preamplifier before being plugged into the computer. Once you have your external sound source connected to your computer, you need a sound recording program to capture the audio. Microsoft Windows has a built-in sound recorder but its editing features are limited. You are better off using a dedicated audio program. There are plenty of commercial and freeware titles. Now your audio software is up and running and your sound source is connected to the computer. Simply hit the play button (in the case of a cassette) or put the needle on the record and sit back and wait. This is not ripping - recording has to be done in real time. Some recording software will automatically split the tracks into individual files, but most likely you'll end up with one big file. That's okay - it is relatively easy to split the file if your recording software has decent editing features. You should see a visual representation of the audio signal - this makes it easy to identify where each track begins and ends. Simply highlight that section and save it as an individual file. If you are recording albums or cassettes, you may be disappointed in the sound quality once it is transferred to your computer. Records can be scratched, and cassettes can have an annoying hissing sound. A lot of this noise can be removed with special filters, so look for this feature when you are shopping for audio software. After the audio has been captured and stored on your computer it will be in an uncompressed format such as WAV. Now you have two options - burn the WAV files to CD or convert them to a compressed format like MP3. For archival purposes it's a good idea to burn a CD so that your original cassette or record will not suffer any more degradation. GOOGLE ADSENSE Compressing the audio is a good idea if you want to listen to it on a portable audio player or simply to save space on your computer hard drive. The most popular audio compression scheme is MP3, but newer formats such as WMA and AAC (used by the Apple iPod) offer similar sound quality with smaller file sizes.
    
    
  • MP3- Home and Car
    big attraction of MP3 players is their portability, but there are times when you might want to connect them to your home or car stereo system. This is a relatively easy task provided you have the correct inputs and outputs. Be aware that not all MP3 players have extra output connections beyond the headphone jack. The Apple iPod, for example, needs a special dock which has the connections required for hooking up to a home stereo system. Granted, this dock also has connections for video, remote control and will recharge the battery while it is being used, but it is an extra expense beyond the iPod itself. Many MP3 players are equipped with an auxiliary output which can connect directly to a home stereo system. The output is usually an 1/8" stereo minijack, so you need a cable which has a minijack on one end and two RCA jacks on the other end. RCA jacks are the most common type of input jack on stereo equipment. When you are using your MP3 player at home, you should use the AC adapter for power rather than the batteries. This will keep the battery fully charged and the MP3 player will be ready to go when you hit the road. Connecting an MP3 player directly to a home stereo system is the simplest solution, but it is not the only one. Other possibilities include attaching the MP3 player to a network device which will broadcast the audio to every computer on the network. If your audio equipment is also part of your home network, this type of device is very convenient. Another solution is to use an FM broadcast device which will convert the audio output of an MP3 player to an FM frequency band. To hear the audio, simply tune your FM radio to the correct frequency. GOOGLE ADSENSE FM broadcast is one of the solutions for car audio as well. Car audio systems usually don't have input jacks, although some of the newer models may have this feature. Input jacks are the simplest - simply connect the MP3 player to the head unit of the car stereo. Alternatively, you can use a cassette adapter or the above-mentioned FM transmitter to listen to your MP3 player in the car. These devices connect to the output of the MP3 player so that you can either tune in the signal on your FM radio or listen to it through the cassette deck. Some MP3 players have integrated video which allows you to watch movies or other video content on the go. The problem is, the screens on these portable devices are tiny so you can miss a lot of detail. It is much better to connect the device to your TV set - an alternative to the old VCR. Getting the video to your TV set may be impossible, however, without using a special adapter. These are usually available as an accessory, but it is an extra expense which has to be taken into account. The docking station for the Apple iPod, for example, has connections for video as well as audio, allowing you to connect it to your home theater system for watching videos or viewing photos.
    
    
  • MP4- Move Over MP3-Here Comes MP4
    Move over MP3 - here comes MP4! Well, not really, because MP3 is compatible with MP4. But when it comes to portable entertainment devices, MP4 is the next big wave. MP4 players are also known as Personal Video Players (PVP) or Digital Media Players. They do much more than just video - they play music, audio books and can include extra features like video games, FM radio, voice recording, TV reception and even video recording. All this comes at a price – in both dollars and size. MP4 players are bulkier than their MP3 cousins, mainly because of the larger screen. You can forget about putting a MP4 player in that tiny pocket in your jeans, but it's still small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. In terms of price, MP4 players are about twice as much as MP3 players although you can find some bargain models at just over $100. Just as with MP3 players, there are two basic types of MP4 players - hard drive and flash memory. Given the relatively large size of video files, however, a flash MP4 player is not likely to be very practical. These players also tend to have a smaller screen size - not the best for seeing the details of your favorite movie. If you're serious about portable video, you should go with the hard drive MP4 player. These start at about 20 GB and go up to more than 100 GB. Hard drive players can also be used as data storage devices for transferring data from one computer to another. The screen size of MP4 players can vary widely. Some of them come with tiny 2 inch screens hardly big enough to view photos let alone movies. If you're shopping for a MP4 player, do your eyes a favor and get the biggest screen you can afford. Generally speaking, MP4 players support more file formats than MP3 players. This is because the MP4 format itself is compatible with a wide variety of media formats. At the very least, a MP4 player should be able to play MP4, MP2, MP1, (for video) and MP3 files (for songs). Other popular video formats include DivX, AVI and WMV. Audio formats include WMA and Ogg Vorbis. GOOGLE ADSENSE The MP4 format is also compatible with digital images in the form of JPEG or PNG files. You will be able to carry around your entire photo collection with a MP4 player. Several MP4 players have an integrated TV tuner, while others have TV reception available as an accessory in the form of a docking station. TV can add an extra hundred dollars to the price of a MP4 player, a bargain to the hard-core TV addict. Another feature which adds to the cost is an integrated camcorder. This is a good idea - rather than carrying around several electronic gadgets, why not just get an all-in-one unit. And since the primary function of the MP4 player is video, a video recorder is the perfect complement. Will MP4 players be as popular as MP3 players? There is no reason why they shouldn't be the next big thing. Practically the only people who can't use the video capabilities of MP4 players are drivers and joggers and they can still enjoy the audio features. For commuters and anyone with some time to kill, video players can be the ideal way to pass the time.
    
    
  • MP4- Explained
    WHAT IS MP4?? As MP3 players are hitting market saturation, the new buzzword on the block is MP4. The latest generation of portable entertainment devices is capable of playing video as well as audio and is generally referred to as MP4 players. So, what is MP4 and how is it different from MP3? MP4 means 'MPEG-4 part 14' and is a container format for a variety of multimedia content including video, audio, subtitles and still images. The 'MPEG' part of MP4 stands for Motion Picture Experts Group, a coalition of industry members responsible for setting technical standards for digital audio and video. Contrary to popular belief, MP3 does not mean MPEG-3 - there is no such format. MP3 stands for MPEG-1 Layer 3. MPEG-4 was built on technology developed for the Apple QuickTime format. It is specifically designed for data 'streaming' - transmitting data streams which can be viewed and heard on the receiving device (usually a computer connected to the Internet) in real-time. It supports a number of different formats for video (MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1), audio (MP3, MP2, AAC), still images (JPEG, PNG) and subtitles. MPEG-4 is designed to be expandable so it can be adapted to include new technologies as they are developed. As a container, it can be scaled for various data transmission rates. This means that it is useful for most types of streaming from dial-up modems to Ethernet networks. Although streaming is the method of delivery, MP4 files can be stored for later use. This makes the format suitable for portable devices of which a number of new models are hitting the market. MP4 players are the new wave of portable entertainment devices allowing consumers to watch videos virtually anywhere. Since MP4 is not limited to video, MP4 players are also used for listening to audio files. They tend to be a bit bulkier than MP3 players because of the bigger screen required for viewing videos. GOOGLE ADSENSE MP4 players usually have a hard drive because the storage requirements for videos are quite high. The hard drive can also be used to store computer data and the unit behaves as a removable hard drive when connected to a computer. MP4 files are recognized by the file extension .mp4, although a number of other extensions are also used. Audio files usually have an .mp4 or .m4a extension and video can use the .mp4 or .m4v extension. Video files are sometimes saved as .mp4v files. Does MP4 mark the end of MP3? Not really, because MP4 supports MP3. But MP3 is starting to show its age and other formats such as WMA, AAC, Ogg Vorbis and MP3 Pro offer similar sound quality with smaller file sizes than MP3. Your MP3 player is not about to become obsolete because you can continue to encode audio files in whatever format you wish. But if you are looking to expand your portable entertainment so that it includes video, you may find yourself eyeing a new MP4 player in a year or two. By that time, they are sure to be a mainstream item.
    
    
  • RCA PLAYER
    The Lyra range of MP3 players from RCA has some attractive and functional choices. There is a good selection – eight flash models, three hard drive models and two multimedia players.
    
    
• Apple Ipod
  The most popular MP3 player by far is the Apple iPod. It has such a broad public acceptance that many people refer to all kinds of MP3 players as 'iPods'. Its popularity is due to its stylish design, functionality and (last but not least) aggressive marketing. The original iPod was introduced back in 2001 and had a 5 GB hard drive. Despite the high price tag it was a commercial success and quickly became the number one MP3 player. The original model had a circular control pad that has become a standard feature on later generations of iPods. The current lineup includes three models of iPods – the iPod (with a 30 GB or 60 GB hard drive), the iPod nano (a flash memory model in either 1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB sizes) and the iPod shuffle (with flash memory in either 512 MB or 1 GB sizes). The latest generation (the fifth generation) of iPod has a color screen and can play videos as well as audio. It has a 16 bit display (65,536 colors) which is 2.5 inch in size. The player can be connected to a TV set for viewing. The iPod nano was introduced in September 2005 as the replacement for the iPod mini. The nano has a color display for viewing photos and has many extra features integrated into its operating system such as a world clock, a stopwatch and password protection. The iPod shuffle does not have a screen. This means that songs cannot be selected individually, instead one has to play back randomly or according to a playlist that was built on a computer and transferred to the iPod shuffle. Because there is no display the iPod shuffle is tiny – less than one ounce and about the size of a pack of gum. The random play feature was promoted in Apple's advertising campaign: 'Give chance a chance' and 'Life is random' were two of the slogans used for promoting the iPod shuffle. There are several discontinued models of iPod left behind on the march to the current iPod lineup. As mentioned above, the nano was the successor to the mini – a hard drive player with monochrome display. The iPod mini was very popular despite its high price. It was available in five different colors and featured the click wheel – a navigation wheel that could be operated with one hand. Another discontinued model is the iPod photo which had a color display for viewing digital images. This model was dropped when color displays became standard on all iPod models in 2005. Like most MP3 players, all of the iPods can be synchronized with a computer for transferring music back and forth. Unlike other players, however, the iPod requires the use of Apple's proprietary software – iTunes. This software has an integrated front end for buying music from the Internet, and a large part of Apple's iPod revenues comes from these online music sales. The iPod
  
  
  • 5th Generation
    The term 'generation' is not usually applied to mechanical objects, but in the case of the Apple iPod, the word is fitting. This popular MP3 player has been evolving continuously since its introduction in 2001, with each new model expanding and adding to previous capabilities. The current model of iPod is the 5th generation, and has added video playback to its audio functions. There are also two other players in the current iPod series – the nano and the shuffle – which we will look at in later articles. The iPod 5G is available with either a 30 GB or 60 GB hard drive. It has a 2.5 inch display screen which is used for viewing photos, cover art and videos at a maximum resolution of 480 x 480 pixels. The display is also essential for navigating the contents of the hard drive and for accessing the various functions of the iPod. It's fair to say that the iPod is first and foremost a portable music device with other functions added on – so let's take a look at how it handles audio. The supported audio formats are MP3, WAV, AAC, AIFF and Apple Lossless. These choices give users a good selection of files to work with, though formats such as Ogg Vorbis have not been integrated. The AAC format is used for songs which are downloaded from the Apple iTunes Store. This online service allows iPod users to buy individual songs or albums and download them to their computer and then transfer them to the iPod. The AAC format allows music files to be protected from unrestricted copying and distribution – a major concern of the music industry. The iPod 60 GB hard drive has a capacity of 15,000 songs in 128 kbps AAC format. This format is near CD quality and is acceptable to the majority of listeners. Who would want 15,000 songs in a portable music device? Well – probably no one, so the hard drive space can also be used to store images and videos. But more about that later. How about the sound quality? The iPod consistently ranks high on the list of portable music devices. It boasts impressive specifications (20 Hz-20 kHz ±0.5 dB) that translates into real-world quality. One of the main reasons for the iPod's runaway popularity is its great sound. However, the ear buds that come with the iPod leave a bit to be desired. They lack bass response and generally sound a bit flat when compared to better quality buds. Your first stop after buying an iPod should be to check out better earbuds/earphones. The new buzzword in portable entertainment devices is video, and the iPod delivers – so much so that the 5G iPod is sometimes called the 'video iPod'. The storage capacity for video is up to 150 hours for the 60 GB model. Compared with dedicated portable video players the iPod screen is on the small side, but adequate for viewing previously recorded TV shows. The iPod has external connections so that the video can be viewed on a TV set, but the small resolution of the video files (320 x 240 pixels) produces a low-quality image on a large TV screen. The final verdict – this is a great audio player that packs style and function. The video is a nice added touch, but if video is your main interest (as opposed to music), you are better off with a Portable Video Player.
    
    
    • Shuffle-Apple Ipod
      The Apple iPod shuffle is the smallest iPod in the current lineup of iPod models. It is a flash-memory MP3 player available in either 512 MB or 1 GB sizes. Unlike the iPod 5G or the iPod nano, the iPod shuffle has no display. Instead it relies on the shuffle function to play songs in random order. If desired, songs can also be played according to a playlist, but this playlist has to be built on the computer and transferred to the shuffle.
      
      
  • Models
    There are currently three models of iPod - the iPod 5G (fifth generation), the iPod shuffle and the mid-range iPod nano. The nano is a flash-memory MP3 player that is available in 1, 2 or 4 Gigabytes. It has a color display that can be used for viewing photos or cover art and for displaying information about the current song selection. With no hard drive, the nano has a smaller storage capacity but with the advantage of being smaller than the iPod 5G. It is the successor to the iPod mini, and is even more mini than the mini! It measures just 3.5 by 1.6 inches and is about a quarter of an inch thick. The weight is just 1.5 ounces. Despite its tiny size, the nano packs a big sound and can store up to 1,000 songs in the 4 Gigabyte model. The advantage of flash-memory over a hard drive for storage is that there are no moving parts which can cause the music to skip. The nano can be used during almost any type of vigorous activity - the ideal exercise MP3 player. Another advantage of flash memory is greater durability than hard drives. Even though it looks fragile, the nano will survive lots of abuse. The nano can play several audio formats including MP3, AAC, WAV and image formats include JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG. Slide shows can be programmed with various options for timing and transitions. The 1.5 inch screen, however, makes image viewing almost pointless. It's OK for viewing headshots, but how many people have a photo collection of passport shots? Besides playing music and viewing images, you can use the nano as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The PDA functions are somewhat limited but you can synchronize the nano with the Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express contacts and calendars and contacts can be sorted by first or last name. There are also games, a stopwatch and a world clock. The stopwatch is sure to be useful for those who use their MP3 player for workouts, and can record lap times and automatically saves all times with time stamps so that a valuable training record can be built up. There is a screen lock on the nano which can be used to limit access to the functions. A 4-digit code is entered by the user and when activated, the only controls which function are the Play and Pause buttons. Like all of the iPods, the nano can be connected to a computer for synchronizing your music collection. The iTunes software can be used to organize your music and photo collection and transfer new songs and images to the nano automatically. One of the distinctive features of iPod MP3 players is the circular click wheel that is used for controlling all the functions. The nano click wheel can be operated with one hand and is so intuitive that users can learn to use it by touch. The built-in battery is recharged when the nano is connected to the USB port of the computer. The battery is rated to last a respectable 14 hours before needing to be charged, but when the battery dies - as it surely will after about 500 hours of use - the nano has to be sent to Apple for battery replacement.
    
    
• Napster
  The regular Napster service is available at $9.95 per month. For this price, users can listen to (almost) the complete Napster lineup of more than 1 million songs. Music can be downloaded or streamed from a choice of over 50 commercial-free radio stations. You can also create your own custom radio stations that play music from specified artists or genres. Sounds great! Is there a catch? Well, yes, there is a substantial catch. All of the music that you download from Napster is only accessible as long as you are a paid
  
  
• Links