Tulsa World: Buying the right media player

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Buying the right media player

By KIM KOMANDO
Published: 11/29/2009 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 11/29/2009 10:00 AM

Portable media players aren't just for music. With them, you can watch videos, play games and listen to books or podcasts. Media players are available at a variety of price points and storage capacities.

Figure that 1 gigabyte will hold about 250 songs. Things aren't so clear-cut with video. Assume 1GB will hold an hour of standard-definition or 30 minutes of high-definition video. Here's a look at some popular players.

Sansa Fuze

SanDisk's Sansa Fuze is ideal for children or anyone looking for their first player. Expandable storage also makes it attractive to music die-hards. The Sansa Fuze is available in three capacities: 2GB ($70), 4GB ($80) and 8GB ($100). It comes in a variety of colors.

The Fuze also works with SanDisk's slotRadio cards. You can buy whole albums on a media card for $15. Or, select a mix of 1,000 songs for $40. It also works with popular music subscription services.

In addition, the Fuze packs a voice recorder and an FM radio. It can play videos, but the 1.9-inch screen is relatively small.

Creative Zen

Expandable storage makes the Creative Zen a great choice for music fans. But it has gained popularity among podcast fans. The player works with Creative's free Zencast software. This is perfect for managing podcasts and synchronizing them to the player.

The software gives you easy access to audio and video podcasts. It will even synchronize photo feeds from Flickr and Windows Live spaces.

The Zen is available with 2GB ($60), 4GB ($100) and 32GB ($180) of storage. It is the size of a credit card.

You can watch videos and look at pictures on the 2.5-inch screen. You can also add extra storage via the SD card slot.

There's a built-in FM radio. And the player works with unprotected AAC files. So, it can handle unprotected music files purchased from iTunes.

iPod touch

Apple's popular iPod touch is a great choice for gamers. It's also ideal for anyone who wants to surf the Web. In fact, it is the perfect multipurpose handheld. The touch offers three sizes — 8GB ($200), 32GB ($300) and 64GB ($400.

It certainly is a capable music player. Its 3.5-inch multi-touch screen is ideal for watching videos. But the touch can do so much more. There's Wi-Fi for connecting to wireless networks. You can browse the Web, take notes and manage your calendar.

Free or low-cost apps from Apple's store add more features. Thanks to the wealth of games, the touch is a popular gaming handheld.

HD Radio is available with iBiquity's Gigaware HD Radio receiver ($80). HD Radio offers more channels than FM at no cost. It also offers improved audio quality.

Apple also makes other excellent iPods. The nano comes in two sizes: There's an 8GB model ($150) and a 16GB model ($180). With a built-in video camera, this is ideal for anyone who uploads videos to YouTube.

The shuffle is a great player for kids or for hitting the gym. It is available in 2GB ($60) and 4GB ($80) capacities.

Zune HD

Microsoft's Zune hasn't enjoyed the iPod's popularity. But the Zune HD gives the iPod a run for its money. And it is perfectly suited for movie buffs. The Zune HD comes in two sizes — 16GB ($220) and 32GB ($290).

Like the iPod touch, the Zune HD is a capable music player. It even features a built-in HD Radio. The Zune HD can connect to Wi-Fi networks. There's also an app store. However, fewer apps are available for the Zune than the Touch.

The Zune HD's real draw is its video abilities. It features a crisp, clear 3.3-inch OLED touch screen. OLEDs use less power and offer a better picture than other screens.

And, unlike most players, the Zune HD plays high-definition video. With the $90 AV Dock, it can output HD to a television.

Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet; listen from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays on KRMG AM740 or FM102.3. To subscribe to Kim's free e-mail newsletters, sign up at tulsaworld.com/komandonewsletters. Contact her at gnstech@gannett.com.

By KIM KOMANDO

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Elusive, the burbs (12/7/2009 1:51:26 AM)

Kim keeps me up to date on the latest technology and will be helpful with holiday shopping as well.

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