Portable media player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A portable multimedia player (PMP) is a self-reliant electronic device that is capable of storing and playing files in one or more media formats. Digital audio players (DAP) which display images and play videos are also considered as PMPs. Like DAPs, the data is typically stored on a hard drive, microdrive, or flash memory.
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[edit] Typical formats supported
The main feature of portable media players is their versatility: being able to load and play different formats of video, including MPEG, DivX, Xvid, AMV and SigmaTel Motion Video (SMV); audio, including MP3, WAV, and Ogg Vorbis; digital images, including BMP, JPEG, and GIF; and interactive media, like flash animations. Handheld game consoles like Sony's PlayStation Portable and the latest cellphones are usually counted as a PMP, thanks to their playback abilities.
Portable media players typically feature a color LCD or OLED screen. Various portable media players include the ability to record video and audio, and some have built-in card readers like SD or MMC, which makes it convenient to upload media directly to the player, or the memory is used as extra capacity.
[edit] Popular portable media players
These players are the newest versions of each brand. Although PMPs have existed for a long time, a new breed of PMPs have emerged from former digital audio players by having the feature to display photos and play video.
[edit] Real PMPs
- Archos 404 Camcorder
- Archos 504/604 WiFi
- Archos 704 WiFi
- Cowon A3
- Creative ZEN Vision W
- Epson P-3000/P-5000
- Philips Portable Media Center
- Samsung Yepp Portable Media Center
- SanDisk Sansa View
- Sony Playstation Portable
- Toshiba Gigabeat V
- Wolverine ESP
- SCiBody SCiDigi
[edit] Mini PMPs
[edit] DAP contemporaries
These players are later versions of DAPs released before. For example, the iPod used to play audio, but Apple added the ability to display photos and play videos on subsequent generations, making it acceptable to be a portable media player. However, true PMPs have a screen that takes up most of the player's face, therefore making it suitable for video viewing.
[edit] Hard drive-sized players
- Apple iPod (fifth-generation)
- Cowon iAUDIO X5
- Creative ZEN Vision:M
- Microsoft Zune
- Toshiba Gigabeat S
[edit] Flash memory-sized players
- Apple iPod nano (second-generation)
- Cowon iAUDIO 6 (Has a 0.85" hard drive, but the size of a flash player.)
- Creative ZEN Neeon 2
- Creative ZEN V Plus
- SanDisk Sansa Connect
- SanDisk Sansa e200R Series
- Toshiba Gigabeat U
- Zvue
