MP4 Player - MP4 Video Player - Digital MP4 Player

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 thing. MP4 players are also known as Personal Video Players (PVP) or Digital Media Players. They do much more than play 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 Digital MP4 player in that tiny pocket in your jeans, but it is still small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. In terms of price, a Digital MP4 player is about twice the cost of an MP3 player although you can find some bargain models at just over $100.

Just as with MP3 players, there are two basic types of MP4 player - 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 are 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 an MP4 player can vary widely. Some of them come with tiny 2 inch screens hardly big enough to view photos let alone movies. If you are shopping for an MP4 player, do your eyes a favor and get the biggest screen that 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, an 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.

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 an 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 an 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 cannot 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, an MP4 video player can be the ideal way to pass the time.