These days, markets are overflowing with invasion by gadgets of every kind; gaming consoles, MP3 players, MP4 payers etc. MP4 players are immensely in demand these days, and people all around the world are running after them. These gadgets are beautifully designed tools used to play videos and audio, as well as viewing photos. Though one can find a wide range of MP4 players in the market with different price tags; rulers of the game can be counted on fingers. Today, I shall tell you about the top rated 5 MP4 players along with their specs and features, and their price range. I hope this article is going to be helpful for all of you.

1. iPod Touch 32 GB:

Second generation iPod Touch is packed with almost every possible feature. It is a wonderful little gadget that has the ability to keep you entertained all the time.

Specs:

Portable media center

Digital audio player, Digital video player, Digital photo viewer

2.4” x 0.3” x 4.3”

4.1 oz

LCD 3.5”

32 GB storage

Supported audio formats: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible 2, Audible 3, Audible 4, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV

Video playback formats: H.264, MPEG-4

Connectivity: USB , Docking connector , 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

Software included: Drivers , iTunes 8 or later , iTunes Store account

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows XP Home , Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP 2 or later , Apple Mac OS X 10.4.10 or later

Included accessories: Earphone , USB cable , Dock adapter , Polishing cloth

Limited warranty – 1 year , Technical support – Phone consulting – 90 days

Price range: $319.95-$399 (subject to variation according to time and location)

Features:

With updated features form the previous versions and lowered down price, iPod Touch 2nd generation has everything one desires from a media player. Design has not changed a great deal, but there have been made a lot of alterations in the software. Major features include a media player, podcast support, video playback (including iTunes rentals and a YouTube player), Safari Web browser, photo viewer, e mail reader (compatible with Outlook, Exchange, MobileMe, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or any POP e mail service), an integrated Wi-Fi music store, and a host of smaller utilities (weather, calendar, maps, stocks, notes, clock, contacts, and calculator). Downloadable applications include Internet radio players, games, voice recorders, and social networking tools. Genius feature automatically creates play lists according to owner’s mood (guessed by a song).

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

A real media hub

Wi-Fi music download

App Store

32 GB storage

Limitations:

Average audio quality

ITunes software required

2. Cowon S9 16GB:

Having a great audio and video quality, Cowon S9 16GB MP4 player is second on our ranking. The long battery life and OLED display makes it our second choice.

Specs:

Digital AV player

FM tuner, Voice recorder, Digital audio player, Digital photo viewer, Digital video player, Digital audio recorder

2.2” x 0.5” x 4.2”

2.7 oz

PC interfaces: Bluetooth , Hi-Speed USB

OLED 3.3” color touchscreen display

16:9 aspect ratio

16 GB memory

Supported audio formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, APE (Monkey’s Audio)

Supported photo format: JPEG

Built in microphone

Video playback formats: AVI, WMV, XviD

Connections: USB , Headphones , Composite video/audio output , Audio line-in

OS: MS Windows ME , MS Windows XP , MS Windows 2000 , MS Windows Vista

System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista – Pentium III

Upgradable firmware

Price range: $204.99 – $219.99 (subject to variation according to time and location)

Features:

Though it seems to reach up to iPod Touch; but lack of Wi-Fi and less

memory storage than iPod do not let it succeed. It is almost half the weight of iPod Touch and feels like a toy when held. OLED touchscreen, the rich video and awesome audio quality distinguish it from all other video players. Main features include Bluetooth audio, FM radio, voice recording, radio recording, BBE+ sound enhancement, a text reader, and a Flash media player for games.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

OLED touchscreen display

Long battery life

Nice features

Text reader

Splendid audio and video quality

Limitations:

Average UI

Extra light weight like a toy

No Wi-Fi, memory expansion, standard USB port.

3. Creative Zen X-Fi 16GB:

With a great array of features packed into it, Creative Zen X-Fi is a nice MP4 player with affordable price tag.

Specs:

Portable network audio player / radio

Supported PC interfaces: Wi-Fi , Hi-Speed USB

16 GB Integrated memory

3.3 in x 0.5 in x 2.2 in

2.4 oz

Voice recording

Included accessories: Earphones , USB 2.0 cable

Software type: Creative Centrale , Drivers & Utilities

Supported audio: AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, ADPCM, Audible

2.5” TFT screen 320 x 240 resolution

Additional features: Calendar, Bass Boost, Volume control, Voice recording, Wi-Fi compatible, Built-in organizer, X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity, USB 2.0 compatibility, X-Fi Crystalizer technology

Video playback support: Motion JPEG , WMV , MPEG-4 , DivX , XviD

Still image format: JPEG , BMP , GIF , PNG , TIFF

Built in speaker

Built in equalizer

Digital FM radio tuner

Built in microphone

Wired stereo Binaural In-ear ear-bud

1 x USB cable – External, 1 x Headphones , 1 x Hi-Speed USB Mini-USB Type B, 1 x SD Memory Card

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows XP SP2 , Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Price range: $175.99-$203.60 (subject to variation according to time and location)

Features:

It is the first ever device to incorporate X-Fi technology. It is finished in plastic that does not give a fine look, rather it seems a bit cheap and low quality. Function buttons have sharp edges, neither are they backlit. It doesn’t sync with computers running a software else than XP and Vista. Video is superb with no pixilation, and screen shows vivid colors.

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Product’s Unique Selling Points:

Nicely priced with a lot of features

Wi-Fi capability

X-Fi sound enhancement technology

Lovely sound and screen

Limitations:

Cheap look

Need to transcode the videos often

Archos has been manufacturing media players long before the killer iPod plunged into the competition. Years of expertise have been incorporated

into this MP4 player by Archos. Let us have a look at its specifications.

Specs:

Digital AV player

Digital video player , Digital audio player , Web browsing , External HDD function , Digital photo viewer

5” x 0.5” x 3.1”

8.8 oz

PC interfaces: IEEE 802.11g , Hi-Speed USB , IEEE 802.11b

Features: Flash games , E-mail client , Adobe Flash 9 video support , PDF viewer , Opera web browser

TFT 4.8” color touchscreen

Built in 60/120/250 GB memory

Supported still image formats: GIF , JPEG , PNG , BMP

Supported audio formats: MP3 , Protected WMA (DRM) , WMA , WAV , PCM , ADPCM

Built in speaker

Built in microphone

Video play back formats: MPEG-4 , Motion JPEG , WMV

Video capture supported via DVR station

Video capture formats: Motion JPEG , H.264 , MPEG-2 , MPEG-4 , AVI , WMV

Connectivity: Headphones – Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm , USB

OS: MS Windows ME , Apple Mac OS X , Linux , MS Windows XP , MS Windows Vista

Included accessories: Stereo headphones , USB cable , Cleaning cloth

Price range: $299.00 – $349.99 (subject to variation according to time and location)

Features:

This beautiful touchscreen video player is available in 60, 120, and 250 GB

versions. It is being promoted as a Wi-Fi internet tablet whose basic controls are handles via its touchscreen except a power button and a volume rocker. Screen is glossy, and thus provides a nice platform for fingerprints and smears. Extra accessories will enhance the experience evidently.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

High resolution touchscreen display

Wi-Fi enabled

PC and Mac compatibility

Integrated kickstand

Optional DVR, GPS, and 3G capabilities

Limitations:

Requires a proprietary USB cable for charging and transferring content

Fingerprint-prone glossy finish

No backward compatibility

Spend extra money to get most out of it

5. August DTV350C:

August DTV350C is another MP4 player that has been rated fifth in out ranking, and has pretty nice features. It costs £95 which is pretty inexpensive as compared to other media players we reviewed. This is important to note that prices are subject to variation according to time and location.

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It has a built in Freeview tuner with an EPG, subtitles and digital radio stations. The typical features of an MP4 player including audio and video playback plus photo viewing are also included. There isn’t any onboard memory, so the users will have to use an SD card. An antenna helps catch the TV channel signals, too.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

Built in Freeview tuner with an EPG

Decent reception

Limitations:

Poor audio quality

No onboard memory

This is all about the top 5 MP4 players that are rocking the market these days. Prices are in front of you, specs are right here and pros and cons have been stated, too. Now, it is solely your own decision that what do you want to get and what do you want to avoid.