Portable video players

[V_D_O]

I've been thinking of buying one of these portable video players to replace my ageing MP3 player, and, seeing as this looks like the kind of place where people would have these things ( ) I was wondering whether anybody here has experience of one, and what their experiences are.

I was thinking of buying the Creative Zen Portable Media Centre - admittedly, my main reason for this is that BTV transcodes to WMV - which only it seems to support - natively and without a problem.

Can anybody comment on this choice, or offer an alternative?

Many thanks

[kleenkut 1977]

How much are they going far? I have been admiring them from a far. Those would be cool!

Kleenkut

[Brett]

Whatever you get, go ahead and get the ones with Janus Technology. I know the Samsung supports this, and I *think* the creative one does as well.

Janus Technology will let you use Napster Premium Music. Meaning you can pay $14/mo and transfer UNLIMITED wma's from 700,000+ Napster library onto the portable device. No more having to pay $1/track

-Brett

[winclk]

http://us.creative.com/shop/shopcate...?category=210&

from this site the price is 499.99 but it is sold out right now.

winclk

[Brett]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...118194-7358467

$474.99 taking preorders on amazon. But there was a deal last week that included a free Spot Watch ($299 value), so I think I am going to wait until the holidays.

-Brett

[Eric3a]

Janus Technology will let you use Napster Premium Music. Meaning you can pay $14/mo and transfer UNLIMITED wma's from 700,000+ Napster library onto the portable device. No more having to pay $1/track

Hmmm. I was going to check something before posting here -on Beyond Media forum probably-, but since you brought it up today, I'll leave you guys to check it out.

http://www.replay-music.com/?src=RAD

It says it can record streams directly from Napster.
So the $10 a month subscription is sufficient with that software if it works as advertised.

I use a free program already to save mp3 direct from internet radio.... Building my mp3 collection VERY FAST with music I like, and LEGALLY.
http://www.ratajik.com/stationripper/

As for Personnal Video Players, I feel the market is a bit too new. Depends how desperate you are. I think they will be the "next" gadget to have, so many models are bound to come out soon.
I am with you on wanting wmv playback, but ideally I want to install any codec I want... unlikely, but I can dream. wmv hardware encoding is coming and that could be a cool combination, if MS keep their DMR crap out.

Eric

[V_D_O]

Yes, the Creative does indeed support Janus (although I still think 'Janus' sounds like of a baddie from a James Bond movie).

As far as I can see, the only models supporting WMV playback in the near future are the Windows PMC-based devices, including the Creative. The only other Windows PMC device I've been able to find is the iRiver PDP-1000, but that hasn't been released yet, as I understand it. The Archos devices don't seem to support WMV playback, which is unfortunate, as the seem to have had several generations to mature.

Codecs aren't actually a big issue for me - I'd mainly be using it to watch shows recorded with BTV, which can have them all nicely recompressed and ready for transferrence automatically, and on the off chance that I need to watch another format, I'm willing to bet that WMP10 can transcode things too.

Being an early adopter with a dying MP3 player, I think I shall opt for the Creative, as soon as I get together enough money - and when it comes out of pre-order!

[crush157]

Hmmm..interesting. The specs for the Zen video files is 320x240 @ less than 800Kbps. Some of the new PDA's with 400mhz or greater processors can do this under pocketPC2003.

[imf4]

Originally Posted by crush157

Hmmm..interesting. The specs for the Zen video files is 320x240 @ less than 800Kbps. Some of the new PDA's with 400mhz or greater processors can do this under pocketPC2003.

I bought an Axim X30 2 months ago. It has the 624mhz proc. I have tried playing files up to 900k @ 320x240 and it has no issues. It also plays VBR files with no problems.

[Eric3a]

Hmmm..interesting. The specs for the Zen video files is 320x240 @ less than 800Kbps. Some of the new PDA's with 400mhz or greater processors can do this under pocketPC2003.

It's that kind of stuff that makes me question my need for a PMC. Storage may be the main problem of a pocket PC, but you can do so much more with it that at a comparable price, the geek in me tends to go for the pocket PC.
Eric

[imf4]

Originally Posted by Eric3a

It's that kind of stuff that makes me question my need for a PMC. Storage may be the main problem of a pocket PC, but you can do so much more with it that at a comparable price, the geek in me tends to go for the pocket PC.
Eric

If the Battery life was better I think more people would like them. If you could get 10 to 15 hours of video playback out of it then that would set it above the pocket pc. As it stand now the only thing is the HD space.

[carcharodon]

Originally Posted by Eric3a

It's that kind of stuff that makes me question my need for a PMC. Storage may be the main problem of a pocket PC, but you can do so much more with it that at a comparable price, the geek in me tends to go for the pocket PC.
Eric

I'm with you... Of course you know it just a matter of time before they consolidate all this technology into one device. It's just more profitable for them to make the transition ss$sslllloooowww.

[V_D_O]

Heh. I've gone down the convergence route a different way, with a P900, so I can't. It can play MPEG4, but a) WMV is more convenient and b) storage space, anyone? For the price of enough memory sticks to make it close to adequate, I could buy stacks of PVPs, LOL.

[pigpoker]

I use a HP 4455 iPAQ PPC and have been very happy with the results. I show squeeze BTV recordings in PPC High RES mode (aprox 90MB size for 1 hr show). Looks and sounds great!

I also purchased DVD2PPC ($23) from Makayama Software. This product allows you to transport DVD movies to WMV PPC format (high res 2 hr movie = aprox 256MB).

Link to mfg site:
http://www.makayama.com/dvdtopocketpc.html

Link to a review:
http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a...reviews&id=305

I paid aprox. $450 for my iPAQ and it does everything I want and more.

Hope this helps with your decision.

Pigpoker

[imf4]

DVD2PPC is ok, sort of.


It doesn't allow you to select WM7, 8, or 9
It doesn't allow you to select a custom audio bitrate.
It doesn't allow you to select select the size of the video you want.(320x240 etc)
It doesn't allow you to use VBR as far as I know.
It doesn't allow you to select the bitrate.

Don't get me wrong the software is somewhat easy to use. I just would like more control.