MP3 players... pros n' cons n' stuff

[sphere79]

I imagine there are better solutions.

Yes, there are. A: Buy something other than an iPod video. B: Download Divx or MPEG of Top Gear from a torrent site. C: Watch it.

[Schlep]

The iPod format isn't "Apple format" for videos. It's h.264/mpeg4 which is industry standard. WMV and DivX have to be converted because they're non-standard formats, and that just happens to be what most BT's use.

[MarkRyan]

So, how exactly does iTunes work? Do you have to name and arrange all your songs by album manually, or does iTunes somehow do it for you? If so, how does it do it?

When you rip a CD, whichever program you use (I use CDex) can check an online database to match your CD with the correct artist, album title and track listing. It'll then label all your MP3s correctly when you rip them. If everything's labeled correctly, you just drop it into iTunes and it's all organized (you can also rip with iTunes and cut out a step, but I dunno how good a CD ripper iTunes is--I stick with what I know).

Sorry, I really know shit about iTunes.

No problem, but you can check out the program for yourself. It's free, and you don't need an iPod to use it.

[sphere79]

WMV and DivX have to be converted because they're non-standard formats, and that just happens to be what most BT's use.

Divx is MPEG4 also and for something that started as an illegal, hacked MS codec it's done pretty well. There are gobs of devices around that will play Divx files, it's far more prevalent than H.264. Any major electronics store will usually have several DVD players that will handle Divx, usually for a fair price. Hell, Radio Shack has a Philips DVD player on sale for $50 that does Divx Ultra - and it does Windows Media too.

[Dolemite]

No problem, but you can check out the program for yourself. It's free, and you don't need an iPod to use it.

Thanks.

[Wildkat]

The iPod format isn't "Apple format" for videos. It's h.264/mpeg4 which is industry standard. WMV and DivX have to be converted because they're non-standard formats, and that just happens to be what most BT's use.

Its not the "Apple Format" but it might as well be, as its the only one it plays.

WMV and Divx are Standard formats. Thats what a format is, a standard. Like Sphere said, there are a ton of devices that play them.

Videohelp.com lists 1554 DVD players that do. How many standard DVD players that play h.264? None.

Non-standard formats would be something like a KVCD where they go outside of the standard DVD and VCD formats to make something that is "mostly" compatable.

[SpoDaddy]

I used to have a Nomad Explorer Zen Xtra 30GB. I was quite happy with it. Just wondering if anything better is out there?

I've had the Creative Zen Touch 40GB for almost two years now and it's performed flawlessly with everyday use. Creative has since come out with the Zen Vision, which is their competitor to the video Ipods, but they're more expensive than the Zen Touch (which can be had at clearance prices now) and the Touch is built like a tank. Creative's players consistently rank at the top in terms of sound quality (the Ipod is solid in this regard, but once you hear one of the better sounding mp3 players it's hard to go back).

The Zen Touch has been affectionately called the Zen Clit in some circles, for obvious reasons:

[Cheebs]

Zen Clit FTW. Chalk up another one I need to check out. The more I look the more it looks like I'm going back to Creative. All of the Zens seem to be "last year's model" and can be had on-the-cheap.

[FirstBlood]

i have a zen touch, and it's been working nicely for the past year. My main complaint is that the face buttons are kind of screwed up (and my friend who bought his around the same time as me are exactly the same) in that every other button tends to trigger the shuffle button. So I'll be trying to scroll through the menus and go back & forth between songs, and it'll randomly trigger the shuffle button and say "queueing all tracks" and go into shuffle mode, forcing me to go back to the main menu and set the play mode back to normal, and then go back to my music library and find my album again.

So really, the interface blows (too many damn menus), but it plays very well and hasn't let me down yet. So if price is your main concern, it's something to look at, but if not, i'd lean towards newer models, because really, the streamlined interfaces are definitely worth it.

[GohanX]

I still have my Zen Xtra 30 gb (probably the same one you had) and if it were to die, I'd probably replace it with the exact same thing.

First, it's physically bigger than most players out now. This is a plus for me, it fits perfectly in the little cubby hole beneath the stereo in my car. The way it sits, controls stick out the side so it's like it is just more buttons to my stereo.

Second, it doesn't have any extra crap on it. It plays music, and it plays it well. I've got PSPs and PDAs for video.

Third, if it were to break, I can fix it myself. MP3 players have two problems, dying batteries, and dying hard drives. The batteries are easily found on the net or directly from Creative. The hard drive is a standard laptop hard drive, I have those laying around if the one in the Zen ever died.

Of course, if I had to buy a new-new MP3 player, I'd check out Creative's offerings first. Their design philosophy seems to follow my own likes-sound quality above all else. The only bad side about them is their shitty, shitty software, but at least you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

On another note, we sell Zunes at work for some reason. From what a co-worker who bought one told me they are pretty good, except that in typical Microsoft fashion it is basically a beta product and still has lots of bugs. He returned his after a few days and several hours of tech support calls. Seems like it would be a good product if it was actually finished.