Go Play AV: Portable Audio, Video, Media and Game Players

cNet put the MobiBlu B153 MP3 player through its paces, being reasonably happy, giving it a 7.3/10

The good: The MobiBlu B153 offers unbeatable battery life as well as nifty features such as an FM radio, line-in recording, and SRS Wow sound effects. Podcast Ready software comes loaded on the device, allowing for automatic updating of subscribed podcasts from any Internet-connected computer.

The bad: The MobiBlu B153’s design is blah, and navigation is strictly via folder trees, so there’s no sorting by artist, album, genre, and so on. Also, the screen is small in relation to the device.

The bottom line: MobiBlu’s B153 isn’t the most stylish MP3 player on the block, but if you’re looking for an ultra-long-lasting device with plenty of features, it may be just the ticket.

Read complete article: MobiBlu B153 (512MB, white) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: mobiblu, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Pocket-lint have taken a look at the Mustek DTV407 portable DVD with digital TV, and been largely unimpressed:

THE GOOD:Not much
THE BAD: Couldn’t find a digital TV reception, cheaply made, big battery
WE SAY:Overall we found little to like about the Mustek model compared to others available on the market

Read complete article: Pocket-lint.co.uk Mustek DTV407 portable DVD player with Digital TV review in DVD & PVR players

Technorati Tags: portable entertainment, portable DVD player

cNet put the MSI Mega Player 536 MP3 player under the microscope, but are less than impressed, giving it only a 5.3/10:

The good: The MSI Mega Player 536 has a sleek design and low price tag, and it supports protected WMA files purchased from online music stores. This MP3 player also offers good sound and high quality line-in and voice recording.

The bad: The MSI Mega Player 536 doesn’t play subscription WMA files, and it offers very limited video and image-file-format support, as well as limited ID3-tag support that’s dependant on Windows Media Player. The player also has a quirky interface, a subpar display, and mediocre battery life.

The bottom line: Attractive and feature packed, the MSI Mega Player 536 has a lot of potential on paper, but its many shortcomings make it difficult to recommend. Go for a Samsung YEPP YH-820MC instead.

Read complete article: MSI Mega Player 536 (4GB, Gray) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Trusted Reviews tell of a new media player from LG with its controller built into its screen, albeit, confusingly named, MFJM53:

Now this may only be a new one on me, but I can’t remember having seen a dedicated MP3 player with touch screen navigation before so a hearty slap on the back to LG for making one.

First, however, some heavy criticism. Why oh why oh why do companies make players with such unmemorable names?! Of Apple’s competitors only Creative can really escape without much blame but really, this device is called the MFJM53! Can you really imagine going into a store and asking for a “Mmmphjuhmmm53” or would you just give up half way through and say “Pass me an iPod”?!

We look forward to seeing how well these go. And are they a clue to how the iPod video will work?

Read complete article: TrustedReviews - LG Makes Touchscreen MP3 Player

Technorati Tags: LG, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment

Would you still buy an iPod if Apple licensed FairPlay to other MP3 makers? We see a lot of nice players out there, but as ipod owners ourselves, sadly have to give the others a miss. What do readers think? Should licensing be good or bad for Apple? For the iPod?

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod

cNet review’s Samsung’s YP-U2 MP3 player, giving it a 7.7 overall:

The good: The affordable Samsung YP-U2 is a supercompact MP3 player with a convenient plug-in USB design; it includes an FM tuner, a voice recorder, subscription compatibility, a legible LCD, and an intuitive interface. Plus, it features an extensive set of equalizer and DSP sound settings. Sound quality is quite impressive, but there is a caveat.

The bad: We’re not thrilled with the placement of the headphone jack, the so-so battery life, the subpar voice-recording quality, and the audible clicks when starting or stopping a song. Additionally, the Samsung YP-U2 does not ship with a lanyard or an armband, and it currently maxes out at 512MB.

The bottom line: Despite some minor issues, the simple but feature-friendly YP-U2 from Samsung will be a hot seller, thanks to a sweet price and great overall sound quality. It’s a good choice for budget-minded users looking for their first MP3 player.

Read complete article: Samsung YP-U2 (512 MB, White) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Technorati Tags: MP3 players, portable entertainment, Samsung yepp

cNet review a replacement operating system for your iPod or other MP3 player, called Rockbox, that brings a lot of new features:

In its current state, the Rockbox interface is utilitarian, graphically sparse, and reminiscent of a command-line system, and it lacks the flash of modern commercial MP3 players. But where it comes up short in pizzazz, it more than compensates in options and settings, many of which would make the default iPod jealous. Using RockPod is fun

This is an interesting project that will be well worth follwoing.

Read complete article: MP3 Insider: An iPod that’s not an iPod - CNET reviews

Technorati Tags: Archos, iAudio, iPod, iRiver, MP3 players, Operating System, Rockbox