Buying Portable MP3 Players

Buying an mp3 player by Paul K Davies


Buying an mp3 player
It seems that everyone has one these days. Walking the dog, traveling to work, at the gym, the idea of carrying your entire music library everywhere with you is appealing to most of us, but what is this mp3 thing anyway?

What is mp3?
MP3 is an abbreviation for Moving Picture Experts Group layer III. This technology allows audio data to fit into a much smaller space than it used originally, with little or no loss of audio quality. Normally raw audio data is very large and unmanageable and is especially difficult to deal with on portable devices due to the lack of storage available (your standard audio CD fits at most 80 minutes of raw audio data on it). Mp3 allows the storage of approximately 10 times the raw audio data in memory of the same size (that’s over 800 minutes onto the same 80 minute audio CD).

What’s WMA?
WMA files are Microsoft’s equivalent of mp3 files. They offer slightly better compression (more music for your MB) and some additional built in copy-write protection for the over cautious record labels.

More and more mp3 players support WMA files these days. There is a growing amount of music available for download on the Internet in WMA format, so it’s worth looking out for.

Audio Quality
Ever since mp3 players started to show their face in the early 90’s there has been a constant argument over audio quality. Many strongly feel that mp3 compression adversely affects the quality of the sound, whereas others argue that mp3 technology only removes sound data that cannot be heard by the human ear, and therefore could not be of any lesser quality.

Personally I have not noticed any real difference between the two, with the exception of badly compressed music files, although I can imagine on, a fairly large set up some of the missing low frequency sound waves could possibly be missed. Although you may not hear the sounds, you’d definitely be feeling them!

What to look for in an mp3 player.

Memory Type
There are currently two types of memory available in mp3 players, solid state and hard disk. Solid state memory is usually very fast and does not suffer from skips. Hard disk memory is like a small version of your personal computers main disk storage, although these are not supposed to suffer from skipping, I’ve personally known this to be a problem on certain models during a brisk walk or jog.

The main difference between the two is the size available, solid state players are currently ranging between approximately 256mb and 2Gb, whereas hard disk players have an average storage capacity of around 20Gb, over 10 times larger than the solid state models.

So, you ask, why bother with solid state memory? Well, it’s usually a matter of price, you can buy a 1Gb solid state mp3 player for under £50 these days but hard disk players start at around £130.

Memory Size
The size of an mp3 depends on two things, the quality and the length of the track. A good rule of thumb when deciding the size you’ll need is that you’ll usually get about 1 min for every Megabyte (Mb), or approximately 200 songs for each 512Mb, you have of memory at an average to good recording quality. Of course you can get much more, or less, by altering the quality of the track. Another term you’ll see around is a Gigabyte (Gb), a Gigabyte is a measure of Megabytes (Gb), where 1Gb = 1024Mb. And if you’re wondering why its 1024Mb and not 1000mb… ask your IT support!

I take my mp3 player everywhere with me and only usually hook it up to my computer to add new music about once a week. I like to have as much on there as possible, so I opted for a Sony 20Gb hard disk model, but if you simply want some entertainment while at the gym you might want to save yourself a few quid and go for a cheaper solid state unit.

Battery Life
Another thing to look out for when buying an mp3 player is the battery life. Until fairly recently the average battery life for one of these units was approximately 4-5 hours maximum, but new developments from companies like Sony and Microsoft mean you can now get a battery life of 30 or even 40 hours between charges.

Be aware, some very popular units only sport an average battery life of approximately 4 hours, this can be very annoying, make sure you check the facts before you buy.

Portable Storage
Many players these days allow not only the storage of audio files but also any other computer files you might want by simply connecting to your computer using a USB cable. It can be a handy way to transfer your files between home and work.

So what’s next?
As mp3 player technology advances there are more and more features being added to these units. Some later generations of Ipod, for example, have built in digital photograph albums. Your pictures can be downloaded and accessed on the move, whereas other units have incorporated analogue radio and even DAB digital radio receivers. On a side note, mp3 player sound quality is only as good as the headphones you listen with. I would personally recommend spending a bit of time and money here, the difference in sound quality and clarity obtained from a pair of Shure e3c earphones for example, far outweighs the cost of around £99.


You can see a large variety of different units at different costs at my favourite comparison site www.wangled.co.uk

The preceding article may be freely reprinted provided:
1. The article is not edited or modified in any way
2. The source is credited: reprinted by permission of Wangled.co.uk


About the Author
Paul Davies is a professional engineer and product reviewer, he submits articles on product guides and reviews. All his articles can be seen on the premium shopping comparison site www.wangled.co.uk

MP3 Players under fire in US and European courtrooms

by Paolo d'Amato


ALEXANDRIA, Va. & TURIN, Italy - Oct., 2005 - Audio MPEG, Inc. and Sisvel, S.p.A. announced that Thomson S.A. and a number of its subsidiaries have been sued in the United States and Europe for infringement of several MPEG Audio patents by its MP3 players and digital set-top boxes. This patented technology was developed and is owned by France Telecom, TDF (Telediffusion De France), Philips, and IRT (Institut fur Rundfunktechnik GmbH). The patents are essential to the MPEG audio compression standard used worldwide in MP3 players, TV set top boxes, digital television broadcasting, and an increasing number of consumer electronics products.

The lawsuits were filed by Sisvel S.p.A. and Audio MPEG, Inc., who have the right to license the patents. Litigations for patent infringement against Thomson are now pending and progressing in Alexandria - Virginia, Mannheim - Germany, and Milan - Italy. In this process, thousands of Thomson MP3 products have been detained by the customs authorities in Germany and continue to be detained by customs following a preliminary injunction issued by the Mannheim Court in Germany.

According to the complaints, Thomson markets and sells MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression covered by the patents of France Telecom, TDF, Philips, and IRT, without a current license to practice those inventions. Over 250 companies are licensed under these patents and are paying royalties. Until recently, Thomson was also licensed, but failed to renew their license in 2005.

The lawsuits seek royalties for past infringement, punitive damages for willful infringement, attorney's fees, and injunctions to permanently prohibit Thomson from selling MP3 players, TV set top boxes, DVD players, and CD players using MPEG audio compression.

"By refusing to renew their license under the MPEG Audio patents, Thomson has ignored its duty to respect intellectual property of third parties. This led to the seizure of its products by the Customs Authorities and made lawsuits necessary in both the United States and Europe," said Gen. Richard I. Neal, President of Audio MPEG, Inc. "Thomson's failure to take a license is not only unfair to the owners and the inventors of the patents, whose efforts and research have made this technology possible, but also to the over 250 competitors of Thomson who are meeting their intellectual property obligations as licensees under these patents. Our actions both in the United States and overseas are all about accountability and responsibility."

According to John Paul, a partner in the law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, "The US litigation against Thomson is pending in one of the fastest moving Federal trial courts in the United States, a court known as the "rocket docket." Litigation in the US is focused on getting all of the facts out in the open and that process consumes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and expense. In the rocket docket the consumption of these resources is even more intense because the court requires that the litigation must be completed much faster than in other courts."

Who are Sisvel and Audio MPEG?

Società Italiana per lo Sviluppo dell'Elettronica S.p.A (Sisvel) is a patent management company that has become a leader in its field with offices in Turin, Milan, and Hong Kong. It has the rights to license a number of patent portfolios, including the non-US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression. Originally established in 1982 as a joint venture by the Italian television producers, it later acquired the entire patent portfolio of Indesit and conducted a number of successful licensing programs in various fields of consumer electronics.

Audio MPEG, Inc. is a patent management company, located in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sisvel and has the rights to license the US patents in a portfolio relating to MPEG audio compression.


About the Author
For more information about Sisvel S.p.A and Audio MPEG, Inc please visit the following websites: http://www.sisvel.it and http://www.audiompeg.com

Interested in Improving the Sound of Your Stereo? Consider Records

by Charles Essmeier


Introduced in 1982, the compact disc was intended to provide better sound than the 40-year-old long-play record album, popularly known as the LP. Using a laser rather than a diamond needle for playback the compact disc was smaller, more convenient to use, and less susceptible to damage than the LP. A bonus was that the format was said to offer “perfect sound forever.” “Forever” isn’t that long these days; improvements in digital sound have come along in the last twenty years and the music industry introduced two new formats this decade that are designed to improve upon the “perfect” sound of the compact disc. Those formats are the Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) and DVD Audio (DVD-A.) Over the years, various audio publications have criticized the sound of compact discs, describing the sound as “harsh”, “brittle” or “sterile” compared to the sound of the LP. After years of research, SACD and DVD-A were introduced several years ago and introduced sound that was said to be cleaner and more natural than that of the compact disc. In addition, these formats offered multi-channel sound, and artists such as Pink Floyd offered special multi-channel versions of their albums to entice sales. It hasn’t worked, and sales of both formats peaked in 2003. What is interesting, however, is that both formats still trail the LP in sales!

According to the Recording Industry Association of America, the combined sales of SACD and DVD-A were less than those of the LP in 2004. The music industry is in a slump at the moment, and sales of all formats were down last year. But sales of LPs were down 13% from 2003, while combined SACD and DVD-A sales were down 33%. It would appear that the new formats are failing, even though they are said to be superior to the compact disc. The LP, on the other hand, continues to have steady sales. While the major labels are still somewhat hesitant to release new product in LP form, labels that specialize in reissuing older material, such as Classic Records, are releasing as much product as their manufacturing capacity will permit. It is worth noting that much of this reissued product comes in the form of high-quality, limited edition LP pressings that often carry premium prices of up to $50 per title. Why are records continuing to sell while the new formats fail?

There are several reasons why records are outselling the new, “superior” digital disc formats:



Format wars. Like VHS vs. Beta in the 1970’s, the SACD and DVD-A formats are largely incompatible. While players have been introduced that will play either one, most players play either one format or the other. Worse, neither one will play on a traditional CD player. You must replace your player to play either one.


Multichannel sound is difficult to use and requires purchasing new amplification equipment. SACD and DVD-A both have multichannel capabilities, but neither format’s players have digital outputs. Both must be connected to amplifiers or receivers with special SACD or DVD-A analog inputs.


Most of the music fans who preferred the sound of records to compact discs still prefer the sound of records to either SACD or DVD-A. Most will agree that while the new formats sound better than compact discs, the unique “digital” sound of compact discs is still there.


Many listeners aren’t interested in sound quality. Arguments can always be made about the sound of compact disc vs records vs SACD vs DVD-A, but millions of consumers are content to listen to music in MP3 format on portable players. MP3 format is inherently inferior in sound quality to all of the other formats, but MP3 players are selling as fast as companies can make them.

The day will never come when records again become the dominant music format. The convenience of portable players for CD, SACD, and DVD-A discs and MP3 files outweighs the advantages in sound quality that records offer over those formats. Nevertheless, it appears that a small but steady market for records remains very real, and that that market exceeds that of the new “improved” SACD and DVD-A formats, which will probably soon go the way of the forgotten Elcassette, Minidisc, and 4 track tape formats of the past.


About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier owns Retro Marketing, a firm that operates several retail Websites, including AluminumChristmasTrees.net, a site devoted to vintage aluminum Christmas trees and accessories, and RarePinkFloyd.com, a site devoted to rare records, compact discs and memorabilia by the band Pink Floyd.