A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...
Question:
I have a portable Sony CD player (D-EJ119), and when I press play the LCD screen just flashes the word hold. Nothing happens, and I can't hear any music. Any ideas?
-submitted by nell
Answer:
Fortunately for you, this kind of hold is not the same kind that occurs when you call a customer service line for assistance. You know, the kind where you have to listen to subtly soothing, yet highly irritating music while you impatiently wait for someone to tell you they're going to transfer you to another department, only discover that you'll be on hold for another 10 minutes and transferred two more times before being told you can't be helped because the only person in the whole company who could help you works in a hermetically sealed glass bubble at the bottom of the ocean who can't be directly reached by phone, fax, or e-mail. That's right, your kind of hold is a quick and easy fix.
Most portable media devices have a small switch on the side or rear of the unit that's marked "hold", and can be put in either an on or off position. This switch activates a feature that's very similar to a keyguard on a cellular telephone. When engaged, the device will not respond to any button presses or commands.
When it comes to portable media players the hold function is actually a very useful feature. Oftentimes, you may select a song and put the CD player in purse or bag to listen while on the go. Without a hold feature, there's nothing to stop other objects rubbing up against the CD player from accidentally pressing random buttons while you listen. The hold feature is also useful for when the player is off. Engaging the hold function before transporting the player ensures that it won't be accidentally turned on while in transit.
It may be a little inconvenient having to remember to turn on and off the hold switch before operating the player, but it's better than having your player change tracks on you in the middle of a song, or discovering that your batteries are dead because the player was on for twelve hours in your purse while at work.
Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com
Extend Your Battery Life!
PodCapsule #2 - 'Empowering' Your Portables - A portable electronic device with a dead battery isn't much fun to use.Whether you have a digital still camera, MP3 player, or camcorder,there are some things you can do to keep it running for a longer periodof time. It's all about the battery, so listen to PodCapsule #2, andlearn how to 'Empower' your portable.
Getting More Out of Rechargeable Batteries - Learn about each common type of rechargeable batteries, and some tips about how to get the most out of them with every charge.
Get More Out of Your Gear!
Understanding Digital Music Formats - Do you know the main differences between MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, and other digital music formats? Read on to learn a little more about each, and which is the best one for you.
How To Play an iPod or Other Portable MP3 Player Through a Car Stereo - Are you tired of lugging around those CDs back and forth to your car tolisten to your favorite music while you drive? If you own a portable MP3 player, one way to get a variety ofmusic in your car is to hook it up to play through your car stereo.
http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/14406/
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Are CDs a Thing of the Past?
It didn't take too many memberships to CD clubs to realize that my CD collection would get pretty unwielding pretty fast. Early on, I knew that every time I wanted to listen to a CD, it wasn't going to work to leave the room I'm in and hunt for the disc, only to be trapped into listening to only that album. I had friends buy 300-disc changers to solve this problem, but I wasn't all that happy with that solution either. Even if it gets all the discs queued up, it doesn't help me find the music I want, and it certainly doesn't easily facilitate taking my music with me to another room, let along out of the house.
Given that I had pretty thoroughly wired my house for a local area network, I was confident early on that whatever solution I implemented would include ripping my CD collection to MP3s. Most people have gotten this far. But then the question is begged, "Now what?"
My First MP3 Player (not by Fisher Price)
My first attempt to answer this question was with an MP3 player network device (the "Audiotron" by Turtle Beach). This was basically a hardware device that introspected the ID tags (the metadata tags behind an MP3 that record the artist, album, track, genre, etc of the song) and creates a basic menuing / browsing mechanism in the device. So, I could hook the Audiotron up in my entertainment system in the family room, use its embedded web server to point it at a share somewhere on my network where a bunch of MP3s lived, wait for a few minutes while it built a catalog by scanning the share, flop on the couch and go to town with a handy IR remote included with the unit. And with relatively little trouble or expense, my stereo contains a network-enabled MP3 player component.
I was happy with this for a while, but it didn't solve my take-it-with-me requirements. I could play music in my office (through my PC's speakers, playing the MP3s through iTunes or equivalent) or I could play music in the family room (through my Audiotron), but in the bedroom or the random other room -- nothing. Not only that, but the Audiotron only played music. What about movies, photos, DVR functionality, etc. C'mon, man, I need integration!
Let's take a look at some other options?
TiVo HomeMedia
TiVo is pretty much the leader in the digital video recorder space. Now, they've opened up the home media market as well with their new HomeMedia addition to the Series-2 TiVo. This software does the same thing my Audiotron did, but integrated with the oh-so-beautiful DVR functionality of TiVo. Works the same as the Audiotron in that you plug your TiVo to your home network, it scans the music on shares you make available, and it plays you your favorite music. And yes, they do photos too.
Microsoft MediaCenter PC
Another option is from Microsoft. A couple years back, they introduced a new version of the Windows XP operating system that was only to be sold with specific PC hardware configurations to bring you yet another unit in your entertainment center. This PC / special O/S combination plays music (MP3s) just like you can on any old PC using Windows Media Player (WMP), but has a great new shell with which to do it. The "shell" is the screen you see when you interact with the TV. Where a normal Windows XP shell (you know, "Windows Explorer") is intended to be operated from 2 feet away with a keyboard and mouse, the MediaCenter shell is intended to be operated from 20 feet away with a remote control. And it looks (not surprisingly) like the TiVo shell. Go figure.
This box is everything Windows Media Player is and then some. Movies, music, photos, even a DVR functionality similar to TiVo. But I digress...
The Distribution Problem
So, in my mind, all three of these options are better than a stack of CDs and an N-disc CD changer. TiVo and Media PC definitely beat the stand-alone boxes (like the Audiotron) for one-stop-shopping, but none of them has adequately addressed my desire to play music wherever I go in the house. TiVo claims to have this problem solved, but I haven't really messed with it. Anyone want to post your experiences on this front?
But, with the release of Microsoft Media Center 2005, Microsoft has a pretty slick solution to the distribution problem. Basically, you buy a 2005 Media Center PC and a set of "extender devices", one for each TV in the house. They communicate with each other over the home network and pretty much magically allow you to watch what you want where you want. And they're even building XBOX versions of both Media Center and the extenders, making this solution even more available. And the fact that you can buy extenders for about $65 a pop doesn't hurt either. The fancier wireless guys'll cost you more like $250.
The Portability Problem
Okay, so I'm digging the MediaCenter, especially if I can integrate my XBOX. But what happens when I want my tunes to follow me outside the house? Now it's time to go portable.
The iPod is the clear leader here. It integrates with iTunes in the coolest of ways (a subject for another article), but it'll happily play MP3s that were ripped and are typically played by WMP. So, my solution is to use the MediaCenter at home and synch up a few hundred MP3s to my iPod, so I can treat it as a walkman. And there are even great options for plugging the little guy into your car stereo. Steven Jones has written a TechLore article on this topic here.
Summary
So, summing up. Yes, I think CDs are pretty much history. Buy them, rip them to MP3s, slap them on a server, and distribute them ubiquitously with something like TiVo or Media Center. The iPod will even get them to your car or the coffee shop with you. Done. No shiny little disc required.
http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/10529/
Given that I had pretty thoroughly wired my house for a local area network, I was confident early on that whatever solution I implemented would include ripping my CD collection to MP3s. Most people have gotten this far. But then the question is begged, "Now what?"
My First MP3 Player (not by Fisher Price)
My first attempt to answer this question was with an MP3 player network device (the "Audiotron" by Turtle Beach). This was basically a hardware device that introspected the ID tags (the metadata tags behind an MP3 that record the artist, album, track, genre, etc of the song) and creates a basic menuing / browsing mechanism in the device. So, I could hook the Audiotron up in my entertainment system in the family room, use its embedded web server to point it at a share somewhere on my network where a bunch of MP3s lived, wait for a few minutes while it built a catalog by scanning the share, flop on the couch and go to town with a handy IR remote included with the unit. And with relatively little trouble or expense, my stereo contains a network-enabled MP3 player component.
I was happy with this for a while, but it didn't solve my take-it-with-me requirements. I could play music in my office (through my PC's speakers, playing the MP3s through iTunes or equivalent) or I could play music in the family room (through my Audiotron), but in the bedroom or the random other room -- nothing. Not only that, but the Audiotron only played music. What about movies, photos, DVR functionality, etc. C'mon, man, I need integration!
Let's take a look at some other options?
TiVo HomeMedia
TiVo is pretty much the leader in the digital video recorder space. Now, they've opened up the home media market as well with their new HomeMedia addition to the Series-2 TiVo. This software does the same thing my Audiotron did, but integrated with the oh-so-beautiful DVR functionality of TiVo. Works the same as the Audiotron in that you plug your TiVo to your home network, it scans the music on shares you make available, and it plays you your favorite music. And yes, they do photos too.
Microsoft MediaCenter PC
Another option is from Microsoft. A couple years back, they introduced a new version of the Windows XP operating system that was only to be sold with specific PC hardware configurations to bring you yet another unit in your entertainment center. This PC / special O/S combination plays music (MP3s) just like you can on any old PC using Windows Media Player (WMP), but has a great new shell with which to do it. The "shell" is the screen you see when you interact with the TV. Where a normal Windows XP shell (you know, "Windows Explorer") is intended to be operated from 2 feet away with a keyboard and mouse, the MediaCenter shell is intended to be operated from 20 feet away with a remote control. And it looks (not surprisingly) like the TiVo shell. Go figure.
This box is everything Windows Media Player is and then some. Movies, music, photos, even a DVR functionality similar to TiVo. But I digress...
The Distribution Problem
So, in my mind, all three of these options are better than a stack of CDs and an N-disc CD changer. TiVo and Media PC definitely beat the stand-alone boxes (like the Audiotron) for one-stop-shopping, but none of them has adequately addressed my desire to play music wherever I go in the house. TiVo claims to have this problem solved, but I haven't really messed with it. Anyone want to post your experiences on this front?
But, with the release of Microsoft Media Center 2005, Microsoft has a pretty slick solution to the distribution problem. Basically, you buy a 2005 Media Center PC and a set of "extender devices", one for each TV in the house. They communicate with each other over the home network and pretty much magically allow you to watch what you want where you want. And they're even building XBOX versions of both Media Center and the extenders, making this solution even more available. And the fact that you can buy extenders for about $65 a pop doesn't hurt either. The fancier wireless guys'll cost you more like $250.
The Portability Problem
Okay, so I'm digging the MediaCenter, especially if I can integrate my XBOX. But what happens when I want my tunes to follow me outside the house? Now it's time to go portable.
The iPod is the clear leader here. It integrates with iTunes in the coolest of ways (a subject for another article), but it'll happily play MP3s that were ripped and are typically played by WMP. So, my solution is to use the MediaCenter at home and synch up a few hundred MP3s to my iPod, so I can treat it as a walkman. And there are even great options for plugging the little guy into your car stereo. Steven Jones has written a TechLore article on this topic here.
Summary
So, summing up. Yes, I think CDs are pretty much history. Buy them, rip them to MP3s, slap them on a server, and distribute them ubiquitously with something like TiVo or Media Center. The iPod will even get them to your car or the coffee shop with you. Done. No shiny little disc required.
http://www.ecoustics.com/tl/10529/
Monday, May 21, 2007
A Guide to Buying an mp3 Multimedia Player
With digital music coming, the mp3 player has taken the high ground in digital music and video entertainment. There are a number of important issues to consider when choosing the type of player that will suit your requirements best...
Portable music and video today and the future. What the trends are:
With digital music coming, the mp3 player has taken the high ground in digital music and video entertainment. So, what exactly are we talking about? MP3 is a term that relates to a standard of digital audio processing that allows digital audio files to be compressed in size and therefore made more portable. The mp3 player today however, is much more than simply a device that plays only mp3 standard audio files. It is now a universal term that includes players of all forms of portable audio formats and is used to identify a wide range of hardware from an equally wide range of player manufacturers, and a plethora of websites offering downloadable media. Clearly it is not so much whether you will listen to digital music and watch digital video, but the type of player that will best suit your purposes.
MP3 & Digital Media Players
What is your passion? How you want to consume your media?
There are a number of important issues to consider when choosing the type of player that will suit your requirements best. At the heart of this is the question of how you want to consume your music and video product. With the digital music revolution come three basic options. You can choose a player that has a hard disc for program storage, one that uses flash memory (memory sticks, flash cards and the like) or one that uses standard CD format with music stored in mp3 or other compressed formats. There is no one universal method that will suit everybody. Rather there are pros and cons for each, with different manufacturers offering different features, design, battery life, useability and prices.
The other really important development that may affect how you choose the right player is the fact that the online music and video programming is now widely available from all manner of sources, from artist direct through to iTunes. As the protection of artist-s and producer-s digital rights becomes more widespread, you can expect media players to be more able to share the different media formats and protection. reducing risk both for you and the artists involved.
The Hard-Drive Option
The crucial decision is how much memory. Hard-Drive players, such as Apple-s iPod, are available with up to 100GB of storage (but this could change in any nano-second). While they are physically small, Hard-Drive players are not the lightest. But 60 GB allows about a thousand hours of mp3 music. At around 4 minutes per song, that-s about 15,000 songs. If being able to store a lot of songs is important to you, then you should consider the Hard-Drive option. Of course video program is more memory consumptive, and if you need to store large video programs then a Hard-Drive option makes good sense. A Hard-Drive player has a small computer hard-drive installed inside, so it has moving parts and can be damaged by shock, severe magnetic fields and too much sun. Some can also be quite bulky which means that a hard-drive player may not ideally suit a jogger, but if you fly Sydney to London on a regular basis, then it could be the solution. Hard-Drive players also tend to have a shorter battery discharge life than flash memory devices.
The Flash Memory Option
Flash memory offers some outstanding benefits. At the time of writing, flash memory goes up to 4GB, which allows about one thousand mp3 songs. When you consider the average radio station-s active play list is less than two hundred songs at any given time, and shrinking, a 1,000-song capacity is quite substantial. In current recording terms, that could be as many as 60 to 100 albums. Moreover, flash memory has no moving parts and so can withstand slightly rougher treatment. And players can be considerably smaller and therefore more portable. Additional benefits come in the form of small, yet quite powerful storage media and astounding battery life.
The CD Media Option
Following on from the Sony Walkman phenomenon, portable CD players have been around for some years. Now however, portable CD players can play mp3 and other compressed audio formats as well as standard CDs. Using this technology, you can download your music to your computer and burn it onto a CD in mp3 format, and play it in your portable player. You don-t need to concern yourself with storage capacity. A single CD will hold 700 MB of music, or around 175 songs. These players are limited in their other functions, but are often cheap to buy. However because they use CD technology (and therefore have moving parts), they are susceptible to shock and it can be quite inconvenient to carry a whole bunch of CDs around if you need a large library of music on your jogging circuit.
Controlling what you hear
Okay, so we-ve sorted out how you want to consume your music and now you have some leaning as to which type of player is going to suit you based on its media system and storage capacity. But there is still more for you to consider. There are two aspects to being able to control your audio through your mp3 player. One is its connectivity. In the first instance, you need to be able to download the music you want to hear in the format that-s going to suit your player, and vice versa. So first you need to make sure you choose a player that is compatible with the source. (Frankly, you can-t go far wrong with iTunes and most players, but there are many other options, including Virgin, Napster, Sony, all of which offer different media options.) Second, you need to have a simple connection between the computer you download your program onto and your portable mp3 player. Most players these days use USB serial interfaces. But there are also fire wire and wireless options. You also may want to consider whether you want to receive FM radio on your mp3 player, and whether you want to use your mp3 player to record program (much like a cassette player). These features are available on some players, but not on all. Furthermore, the recording options may be limited. A player that can record only wave files will limit your recording capacity. (One minute of stereo wave file is about 10 megabytes, compare with one megabyte in mp3 format.) There has long been the promise of music kiosks where you can simply charge a flash memory stick with new songs. Perhaps we will see this in the coming year.
The second aspect to controlling what you hear is the audio environment itself. You connect your mp3 player to your physical self through earphones, or you can plug it into your computer, your hi-fi system, and even use a wireless connection in your car. Not surprisingly however, one of the weakest links in the personal portable mp3 player is the earphone set. Most players come with a set of earphones, usually in the -bud- style. Not everyone is comfortable with this style of earphone, and you may want to consider the earphones you use. A good quality set of earphones, (such as Shure-s E4c) will enhance your listening experience for a variety of reasons. For prolonged listening, earphones need to be comfortable, both in a physical sense and in an auditory sense. Poor quality earphones are often uncomfortable to wear and deliver poor quality sound that can cause ear fatigue and subsequent long-term damage. Cheap earphones are flimsily constructed and any strong tug on the cords will cause the signal cables to break down. You also need to check out what controls the player provides you over the sound quality, and how easily they are accessed and understood. At minimum, you need volume and possibly some tonal controls, as well as track management and good visible indicators of the status of your player.
Size does matter
The importance of weight, physical dimensions and battery life cannot be understated. Most manufacturers promote a battery life. But like mobile phones, the product usually does not prove the claim. Why is this? It often depends on how the battery life is measured. In a laboratory for example, the test may be carried out with minimal human interference. But on the jogging path, every time you touch a control, you are using some power from the battery, whether it-s just to illuminate the screen, or make adjustments to the sound quality. Battery life can be compared between manufacturers to give you some idea of how different players compare, but don-t rely on the manufacturer-s claims to be accurate under the conditions you will be using your player. You may use your player for a few hours each day, and then recharge every night. In such a case, extremely long battery discharge life may not be too important. But if you are trekking across the Nullarbor Plain and won-t see a power point for several days, battery life is going to be critical.
Weight is also another factor. Remember, devices with Hard-Drive storage weigh more and are bulkier than devices with flash memory. CD devices need to be at least as big as a CD, and many are not much bigger. Consider how you are going to wear the player on your person, and be sure it will be comfortable.
And there are accessories
There are a lot of technical things associated with audio devices. Unless you-re an audiophile, you may have a limited interest in such things as the signal to noise ratio (the amount of noise that is generated outside of the signal by the players amplifiers). The fact is, most players on the market have acceptable sound fidelity and the biggest weakness can often be found in the headsets and loudspeaker systems that they are connected to. You may also want to consider the accessories that are available, either included with the purchase or available separately. This may include power adaptors, carrying cases, additional memory, car adaptors and other software options to give you access to a wider range of entertainment and information.
Myshopping.com.au helps you compare the different value offers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.
About Author
Andrew Gates is a writer for Australian comparison shopping site http://www.myshopping.com.au . MyShopping.com.au helps you compare http://www.myshopping.com.au/PT--47_MP3_Digital_Media_Players mp3 players and buy online from top-rated online stores. You can also read www.myshopping.com.au/PT--47_MP3_Digital_Media_Players mp3 players reviews and specifications.
Portable music and video today and the future. What the trends are:
With digital music coming, the mp3 player has taken the high ground in digital music and video entertainment. So, what exactly are we talking about? MP3 is a term that relates to a standard of digital audio processing that allows digital audio files to be compressed in size and therefore made more portable. The mp3 player today however, is much more than simply a device that plays only mp3 standard audio files. It is now a universal term that includes players of all forms of portable audio formats and is used to identify a wide range of hardware from an equally wide range of player manufacturers, and a plethora of websites offering downloadable media. Clearly it is not so much whether you will listen to digital music and watch digital video, but the type of player that will best suit your purposes.
MP3 & Digital Media Players
What is your passion? How you want to consume your media?
There are a number of important issues to consider when choosing the type of player that will suit your requirements best. At the heart of this is the question of how you want to consume your music and video product. With the digital music revolution come three basic options. You can choose a player that has a hard disc for program storage, one that uses flash memory (memory sticks, flash cards and the like) or one that uses standard CD format with music stored in mp3 or other compressed formats. There is no one universal method that will suit everybody. Rather there are pros and cons for each, with different manufacturers offering different features, design, battery life, useability and prices.
The other really important development that may affect how you choose the right player is the fact that the online music and video programming is now widely available from all manner of sources, from artist direct through to iTunes. As the protection of artist-s and producer-s digital rights becomes more widespread, you can expect media players to be more able to share the different media formats and protection. reducing risk both for you and the artists involved.
The Hard-Drive Option
The crucial decision is how much memory. Hard-Drive players, such as Apple-s iPod, are available with up to 100GB of storage (but this could change in any nano-second). While they are physically small, Hard-Drive players are not the lightest. But 60 GB allows about a thousand hours of mp3 music. At around 4 minutes per song, that-s about 15,000 songs. If being able to store a lot of songs is important to you, then you should consider the Hard-Drive option. Of course video program is more memory consumptive, and if you need to store large video programs then a Hard-Drive option makes good sense. A Hard-Drive player has a small computer hard-drive installed inside, so it has moving parts and can be damaged by shock, severe magnetic fields and too much sun. Some can also be quite bulky which means that a hard-drive player may not ideally suit a jogger, but if you fly Sydney to London on a regular basis, then it could be the solution. Hard-Drive players also tend to have a shorter battery discharge life than flash memory devices.
The Flash Memory Option
Flash memory offers some outstanding benefits. At the time of writing, flash memory goes up to 4GB, which allows about one thousand mp3 songs. When you consider the average radio station-s active play list is less than two hundred songs at any given time, and shrinking, a 1,000-song capacity is quite substantial. In current recording terms, that could be as many as 60 to 100 albums. Moreover, flash memory has no moving parts and so can withstand slightly rougher treatment. And players can be considerably smaller and therefore more portable. Additional benefits come in the form of small, yet quite powerful storage media and astounding battery life.
The CD Media Option
Following on from the Sony Walkman phenomenon, portable CD players have been around for some years. Now however, portable CD players can play mp3 and other compressed audio formats as well as standard CDs. Using this technology, you can download your music to your computer and burn it onto a CD in mp3 format, and play it in your portable player. You don-t need to concern yourself with storage capacity. A single CD will hold 700 MB of music, or around 175 songs. These players are limited in their other functions, but are often cheap to buy. However because they use CD technology (and therefore have moving parts), they are susceptible to shock and it can be quite inconvenient to carry a whole bunch of CDs around if you need a large library of music on your jogging circuit.
Controlling what you hear
Okay, so we-ve sorted out how you want to consume your music and now you have some leaning as to which type of player is going to suit you based on its media system and storage capacity. But there is still more for you to consider. There are two aspects to being able to control your audio through your mp3 player. One is its connectivity. In the first instance, you need to be able to download the music you want to hear in the format that-s going to suit your player, and vice versa. So first you need to make sure you choose a player that is compatible with the source. (Frankly, you can-t go far wrong with iTunes and most players, but there are many other options, including Virgin, Napster, Sony, all of which offer different media options.) Second, you need to have a simple connection between the computer you download your program onto and your portable mp3 player. Most players these days use USB serial interfaces. But there are also fire wire and wireless options. You also may want to consider whether you want to receive FM radio on your mp3 player, and whether you want to use your mp3 player to record program (much like a cassette player). These features are available on some players, but not on all. Furthermore, the recording options may be limited. A player that can record only wave files will limit your recording capacity. (One minute of stereo wave file is about 10 megabytes, compare with one megabyte in mp3 format.) There has long been the promise of music kiosks where you can simply charge a flash memory stick with new songs. Perhaps we will see this in the coming year.
The second aspect to controlling what you hear is the audio environment itself. You connect your mp3 player to your physical self through earphones, or you can plug it into your computer, your hi-fi system, and even use a wireless connection in your car. Not surprisingly however, one of the weakest links in the personal portable mp3 player is the earphone set. Most players come with a set of earphones, usually in the -bud- style. Not everyone is comfortable with this style of earphone, and you may want to consider the earphones you use. A good quality set of earphones, (such as Shure-s E4c) will enhance your listening experience for a variety of reasons. For prolonged listening, earphones need to be comfortable, both in a physical sense and in an auditory sense. Poor quality earphones are often uncomfortable to wear and deliver poor quality sound that can cause ear fatigue and subsequent long-term damage. Cheap earphones are flimsily constructed and any strong tug on the cords will cause the signal cables to break down. You also need to check out what controls the player provides you over the sound quality, and how easily they are accessed and understood. At minimum, you need volume and possibly some tonal controls, as well as track management and good visible indicators of the status of your player.
Size does matter
The importance of weight, physical dimensions and battery life cannot be understated. Most manufacturers promote a battery life. But like mobile phones, the product usually does not prove the claim. Why is this? It often depends on how the battery life is measured. In a laboratory for example, the test may be carried out with minimal human interference. But on the jogging path, every time you touch a control, you are using some power from the battery, whether it-s just to illuminate the screen, or make adjustments to the sound quality. Battery life can be compared between manufacturers to give you some idea of how different players compare, but don-t rely on the manufacturer-s claims to be accurate under the conditions you will be using your player. You may use your player for a few hours each day, and then recharge every night. In such a case, extremely long battery discharge life may not be too important. But if you are trekking across the Nullarbor Plain and won-t see a power point for several days, battery life is going to be critical.
Weight is also another factor. Remember, devices with Hard-Drive storage weigh more and are bulkier than devices with flash memory. CD devices need to be at least as big as a CD, and many are not much bigger. Consider how you are going to wear the player on your person, and be sure it will be comfortable.
And there are accessories
There are a lot of technical things associated with audio devices. Unless you-re an audiophile, you may have a limited interest in such things as the signal to noise ratio (the amount of noise that is generated outside of the signal by the players amplifiers). The fact is, most players on the market have acceptable sound fidelity and the biggest weakness can often be found in the headsets and loudspeaker systems that they are connected to. You may also want to consider the accessories that are available, either included with the purchase or available separately. This may include power adaptors, carrying cases, additional memory, car adaptors and other software options to give you access to a wider range of entertainment and information.
Myshopping.com.au helps you compare the different value offers from different brands in terms of specifications and accessories. You can also compare prices from hundreds of different brands and vendors.
About Author
Andrew Gates is a writer for Australian comparison shopping site http://www.myshopping.com.au . MyShopping.com.au helps you compare http://www.myshopping.com.au/PT--47_MP3_Digital_Media_Players mp3 players and buy online from top-rated online stores. You can also read www.myshopping.com.au/PT--47_MP3_Digital_Media_Players mp3 players reviews and specifications.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Putting Your iPod to Work for You
The iPod is, essentially, a hard drive and a digital music player in one device. That device is such a thing of beauty and style and so highly recognizable by now that all Apple needs to do in an advertisement is show it all by itself. Even the 60GB iPod weighs less than two CDs in standard jewel cases, and iPod mini is smaller than a cell phone and weighs just 3.6 ounces.
The convenience of carrying music on an iPod is phenomenal. For example, the 60GB iPod model can hold around 15,000 songs. That's about a month of nonstop music played around the clock - or about one new song a day for the next 40 years. And with the iPod's built-in skip protection in every model, you don't miss a beat as you jog through the park or your car hits a pothole.
Although Apple has every right to continue to promote its Macintosh computers, the company saw the wisdom of making the iPod compatible with Windows PCs. Every iPod now comes with the software that you need to make it work with Windows systems as well as Macintosh OS X.
A common misconception is that your iPod becomes your music library. Actually, your iPod is simply another player for your music library, which is safely stored on your computer. One considerable benefit of digital music technology is that you can use your computer to serve up your music library and make perfect-quality copies.
Copy as much of it as you want onto your iPod, and take it on the road. Two decades from now those digital songs will be the same in quality - the music won't be trapped on a cassette or CD that can degrade over time (CDs can stop working after 15-20 years). The wonderfully remixed, remastered, reconstituted version of your favorite album can be copied over and over forever, just like the rest of your information, and it never loses its sound fidelity. If you save your music in digital format, you will never lose a song and have to buy it again.
The iPod experience includes iTunes (or, in older-generation models, Musicmatch Jukebox), which lets you organize your music in digital form, make copies, burn CDs, and play disc jockey without discs. Suddenly your music world includes online music stores and free music downloads. Without iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your iPod is merely an external hard drive. As a result of using iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your music library is more permanent than it ever was before because you can make backup copies that are absolutely the same in quality.
You'll spend only about ten seconds copying an entire CD's worth of music from iTunes on your computer to your iPod. Any iPod can play any song in the most popular digital audio formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Apple's AAC format, which features CD-quality audio in smaller file sizes than MP3. The iPod also supports the Audible AA spoken word file format.
The iPod is also a data player, perhaps the first of its kind. As an external hard drive, the iPod serves as a portable backup device for important data files. You can transfer your calendar and address book to help manage your affairs on the road, and you can even use calendar event alarms to supplement your iPod's alarm and sleep timer. Although the iPod isn't as fully functional as a personal digital assistance (PDA) - for example, you can't add information directly to the device - you can view the information. You can keep your calendar and address book automatically synchronized to your computer, where you normally add and edit information.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/putting-your-ipod-to-work-for-you/153230;_ylt=AtK6.dX8DSSxQ43gAyAOv8oSLpA5
The convenience of carrying music on an iPod is phenomenal. For example, the 60GB iPod model can hold around 15,000 songs. That's about a month of nonstop music played around the clock - or about one new song a day for the next 40 years. And with the iPod's built-in skip protection in every model, you don't miss a beat as you jog through the park or your car hits a pothole.
Although Apple has every right to continue to promote its Macintosh computers, the company saw the wisdom of making the iPod compatible with Windows PCs. Every iPod now comes with the software that you need to make it work with Windows systems as well as Macintosh OS X.
A common misconception is that your iPod becomes your music library. Actually, your iPod is simply another player for your music library, which is safely stored on your computer. One considerable benefit of digital music technology is that you can use your computer to serve up your music library and make perfect-quality copies.
Copy as much of it as you want onto your iPod, and take it on the road. Two decades from now those digital songs will be the same in quality - the music won't be trapped on a cassette or CD that can degrade over time (CDs can stop working after 15-20 years). The wonderfully remixed, remastered, reconstituted version of your favorite album can be copied over and over forever, just like the rest of your information, and it never loses its sound fidelity. If you save your music in digital format, you will never lose a song and have to buy it again.
The iPod experience includes iTunes (or, in older-generation models, Musicmatch Jukebox), which lets you organize your music in digital form, make copies, burn CDs, and play disc jockey without discs. Suddenly your music world includes online music stores and free music downloads. Without iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your iPod is merely an external hard drive. As a result of using iTunes (or Musicmatch Jukebox), your music library is more permanent than it ever was before because you can make backup copies that are absolutely the same in quality.
You'll spend only about ten seconds copying an entire CD's worth of music from iTunes on your computer to your iPod. Any iPod can play any song in the most popular digital audio formats, including MP3, AIFF, WAV, and Apple's AAC format, which features CD-quality audio in smaller file sizes than MP3. The iPod also supports the Audible AA spoken word file format.
The iPod is also a data player, perhaps the first of its kind. As an external hard drive, the iPod serves as a portable backup device for important data files. You can transfer your calendar and address book to help manage your affairs on the road, and you can even use calendar event alarms to supplement your iPod's alarm and sleep timer. Although the iPod isn't as fully functional as a personal digital assistance (PDA) - for example, you can't add information directly to the device - you can view the information. You can keep your calendar and address book automatically synchronized to your computer, where you normally add and edit information.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/putting-your-ipod-to-work-for-you/153230;_ylt=AtK6.dX8DSSxQ43gAyAOv8oSLpA5
Playing Around with Windows Media Player
When Microsoft entered the MP3 player race, the corporate giant simply added MP3-playback capabilities to the sound arsenal of Windows Media Player. The result plays MP3s and a wide variety of other audio and video formats.
Microsoft also whipped up a new music-compression format to compete with MP3. Dubbed WMA, or Windows Media Audio, by Microsoft creative titans, the new version is half the size of MP3 files, reducing download time.
The WMA format is incompatible with MP3, however, and sometimes you can't freely copy it because it contains a rights-management system for copyright holders.
The version of Media Player that's bundled with Windows 98 sometimes can't play MP3s. If this is the case, you need to download a newer version of Media Player. The free program is available at Microsoft
* Media Player is a convenient, albeit awkward, freebie, but it isn't nearly as configurable as Winamp.
* Owners of portable MP3 players sometimes use the WMA format because the files are usually half the size of an MP3 file. That's because MP3 must generally be formatted at 128 Kbps for near-CD quality sound, whereas WMA sounds nearly the same when formatted at 64 Kbps. That makes the files half the size, so twice as many files can be stuffed into a portable MP3 player. However, keep in mind that not all players can handle the WMA format.
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http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/playing-around-with-windows-media-player/153225;_ylt=Aj7C9excRV5rMwLzMGsuIAgSLpA5
Microsoft also whipped up a new music-compression format to compete with MP3. Dubbed WMA, or Windows Media Audio, by Microsoft creative titans, the new version is half the size of MP3 files, reducing download time.
The WMA format is incompatible with MP3, however, and sometimes you can't freely copy it because it contains a rights-management system for copyright holders.
The version of Media Player that's bundled with Windows 98 sometimes can't play MP3s. If this is the case, you need to download a newer version of Media Player. The free program is available at Microsoft
* Media Player is a convenient, albeit awkward, freebie, but it isn't nearly as configurable as Winamp.
* Owners of portable MP3 players sometimes use the WMA format because the files are usually half the size of an MP3 file. That's because MP3 must generally be formatted at 128 Kbps for near-CD quality sound, whereas WMA sounds nearly the same when formatted at 64 Kbps. That makes the files half the size, so twice as many files can be stuffed into a portable MP3 player. However, keep in mind that not all players can handle the WMA format.
* Share this Article
o Send in Email
o Send to IM
o Close Window
3 of 3 Yahoo! users found this helpful
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/playing-around-with-windows-media-player/153225;_ylt=Aj7C9excRV5rMwLzMGsuIAgSLpA5
Episode 4: Boy Toy Needs Better Audio Toys
The Case
Frank is a Long Island, New York native who is stuck in the age of Boy George, MC Hammer and oh yeah-- MADONNA. Both his musical tastes and his technology are Painfully lodged in the 80's. Frank owns every one of Madonna's albums, and listens to them on a record player. He also has an 8-track cassette player and of course owns an audio cassette deck.
The Problem
Frank has a huge collection of records and tapes that he can't listen to away from home and his antiquated stereo system. Frank wants to "get into the groove" in the car, be able to "cherish" his albums by preserving them forever on CDs, and put his entire collection on a portable music player like an iPod so that he can take it with him if he goes on vacation to "La Isla Bonita."
The Tech Expert
Byron Estep is a musician, composer, and computer audio expert who has played on a number of CD's as well as composed music for film, television, and computer games. Many of Byron's recordings were made in his home studio, which features a host of computers (both Mac and PC) and a ton of assorted high-tech audio gear. Byron is a man serious about both music and tech. He may not be a devoted Madonna fan, but he'll put aside his musical tastes to get Frank out of the 80's and into the 21st century.
First Impression
Byron evaluated Frank's tech needs and sent back these notes:
"My main concern was that Frank was going to need a total solution, including a computer, to get from a stack of dusty LP's to complete musical portability. I was also interested in making sure that whatever we did for Frank, he would be able to listen to music in the car, since he commutes to work and spends a fair amount of time on the road."
The Plan
Byron decided to get Frank a new computer, a turntable and cassette deck that allows Frank to directly transfer his albums to the computer. This way Frank can digitize all his music with as little hassle as possible. Byron also got Frank a 60 Gigabyte iPod with a car charger and iTrip adapter (to play the iPod through the car stereo). Byron also wrangled up all necessary software to successfully transfer Frank's records and tapes into the computer and iPod. Finally, Byron bought a great set of speakers to play all the digitized music through the computer.
Here's a list of all the gear we got Frank
HP Pavilion a1440n Computer
A desktop PC with media features, comes with a big drive, tons of RAM, a double layer Lightscribe CD/DVD drive that burns silkscreen-quality CD labels, memory card slots etc. It comes with keyboard and mouse, but needs a monitor so we got Frank an LG flat screen.
Bose Companion 3 Speakers
These are pretty good multimedia speakers and they have a handy volume control that is nice. They are also wall-mountable.
PlusDeck 2c
This is a high quality cassette deck that sits in your PC like a CD drive. It let's you easily convert audio to digital.
Numark ttUSB $299
This is a fully functioning phonograph with the added bonus of USB output (normal phonos require a pre-amp before going into a PC). Plug it into his PC and he can listen to and record his records.
60 gig iPod video
He can carry his entire music collection to his car instead of using crappy cassette mixes like he does now.
Kensington digital ipod charger/FM transmitter
He can listen to his iPod through his car stereo, while charging it simultaneously through the cigarette lighter.
In my next post: the installation, the problems, and the assessment.
Also, how to transfer your own music from tape or record player to computer without buying a ton of special equipment.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/worley/69;_ylt=AikyizvDZ5OQ0qvq21aVKfcSLpA5
Frank is a Long Island, New York native who is stuck in the age of Boy George, MC Hammer and oh yeah-- MADONNA. Both his musical tastes and his technology are Painfully lodged in the 80's. Frank owns every one of Madonna's albums, and listens to them on a record player. He also has an 8-track cassette player and of course owns an audio cassette deck.
The Problem
Frank has a huge collection of records and tapes that he can't listen to away from home and his antiquated stereo system. Frank wants to "get into the groove" in the car, be able to "cherish" his albums by preserving them forever on CDs, and put his entire collection on a portable music player like an iPod so that he can take it with him if he goes on vacation to "La Isla Bonita."
The Tech Expert
Byron Estep is a musician, composer, and computer audio expert who has played on a number of CD's as well as composed music for film, television, and computer games. Many of Byron's recordings were made in his home studio, which features a host of computers (both Mac and PC) and a ton of assorted high-tech audio gear. Byron is a man serious about both music and tech. He may not be a devoted Madonna fan, but he'll put aside his musical tastes to get Frank out of the 80's and into the 21st century.
First Impression
Byron evaluated Frank's tech needs and sent back these notes:
"My main concern was that Frank was going to need a total solution, including a computer, to get from a stack of dusty LP's to complete musical portability. I was also interested in making sure that whatever we did for Frank, he would be able to listen to music in the car, since he commutes to work and spends a fair amount of time on the road."
The Plan
Byron decided to get Frank a new computer, a turntable and cassette deck that allows Frank to directly transfer his albums to the computer. This way Frank can digitize all his music with as little hassle as possible. Byron also got Frank a 60 Gigabyte iPod with a car charger and iTrip adapter (to play the iPod through the car stereo). Byron also wrangled up all necessary software to successfully transfer Frank's records and tapes into the computer and iPod. Finally, Byron bought a great set of speakers to play all the digitized music through the computer.
Here's a list of all the gear we got Frank
HP Pavilion a1440n Computer
A desktop PC with media features, comes with a big drive, tons of RAM, a double layer Lightscribe CD/DVD drive that burns silkscreen-quality CD labels, memory card slots etc. It comes with keyboard and mouse, but needs a monitor so we got Frank an LG flat screen.
Bose Companion 3 Speakers
These are pretty good multimedia speakers and they have a handy volume control that is nice. They are also wall-mountable.
PlusDeck 2c
This is a high quality cassette deck that sits in your PC like a CD drive. It let's you easily convert audio to digital.
Numark ttUSB $299
This is a fully functioning phonograph with the added bonus of USB output (normal phonos require a pre-amp before going into a PC). Plug it into his PC and he can listen to and record his records.
60 gig iPod video
He can carry his entire music collection to his car instead of using crappy cassette mixes like he does now.
Kensington digital ipod charger/FM transmitter
He can listen to his iPod through his car stereo, while charging it simultaneously through the cigarette lighter.
In my next post: the installation, the problems, and the assessment.
Also, how to transfer your own music from tape or record player to computer without buying a ton of special equipment.
http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/worley/69;_ylt=AikyizvDZ5OQ0qvq21aVKfcSLpA5
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Windows XP Media Player Headaches: I can't add CD music to Media Library.
Cause Windows Media Player contains something called Media Library that holds audio and video media. This feature enables you to add music and video clips that you want to keep and view in the library so that they are available anytime you want to hear or see them. You can copy CD music and video clips to your computer's hard drive and then place them in the Media Library. Then, you simply click on the item in Windows Media Player to play it, instead of having to have the actual CD handy.
In order to add music or video to the library, that music must be stored on your hard drive. In other words, you cannot play a CD and add it to your library without first copying the CD to your hard drive. Then, you can add it, as explained in the following Pain Killer.
The Pain Killer To add a CD to Media Library, follow these steps:
1. Use the Rip feature to copy the CD to your hard drive.
2. In Media Library, expand the All Music category and select Album. Then, click the Add to Library button, which looks like a plus sign (+), located at the bottom of the Media Player window. From the pop-up menu that appears, select Add File or Playlist. In the Shared Music folder that appears, select the desired album or browse to the location of the copied CD. When you find the file you are looking for, select it and click Open. The new album now appears in the Media Library.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/windows-xp-media-player-headaches-i-can-t-add-cd-music-to-media-library-/3191;_ylt=Ap4I3lEBQsgALCx6gP852c0SLpA5
In order to add music or video to the library, that music must be stored on your hard drive. In other words, you cannot play a CD and add it to your library without first copying the CD to your hard drive. Then, you can add it, as explained in the following Pain Killer.
The Pain Killer To add a CD to Media Library, follow these steps:
1. Use the Rip feature to copy the CD to your hard drive.
2. In Media Library, expand the All Music category and select Album. Then, click the Add to Library button, which looks like a plus sign (+), located at the bottom of the Media Player window. From the pop-up menu that appears, select Add File or Playlist. In the Shared Music folder that appears, select the desired album or browse to the location of the copied CD. When you find the file you are looking for, select it and click Open. The new album now appears in the Media Library.
http://tech.yahoo.com/gd/windows-xp-media-player-headaches-i-can-t-add-cd-music-to-media-library-/3191;_ylt=Ap4I3lEBQsgALCx6gP852c0SLpA5
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