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MP3 Player Features Tips
MP3 Players with Built-in Voice Recorders
One of the most requested features that Apple neglected to include with the iPod is a voice recording function. This function is handy for travelers who need to make mental notes while driving or flying, for writers who get ideas in places where pen and paper are not handy and for busy moms who need to coordinate children's schedules.
The Creative Labs Zen line includes this function, as does the Samsung YP-D1, the Toshiba Gigabeat Flash and the Sandisk Sansa E250.
It is better not to let those million dollar thoughts get away!
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Digital MP3 Player Alarm Clocks- A Great Feature
Shopping.com Tip: If you travel a lot, or just don't want one more item on your night stand at night, why not use your digital MP3 player as an alarm clock?
Most digital MP3 players with an alarm clock function offer you the choice of waking up to a traditional alarm or the MP3 of your choice.
The Grundig Eton Ego 4000 Plus is a combination MP3 player with a portable CD plus speakers that offers a dual alarm clock function, a snooze button and your choice of radio, CD or buzzer wake -up mode. It's priced at about $110 to $120.
iHome2Go also offers a docking station for the iPod that folds, and has a gradual sleep and gradual awake function for about $100.
The Creative Zen V and V Plus also feature a built-in alarm clock function.
Waking to music is much better than waking to an annoying buzzer!
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MP3 Players with In Line Encoding
If you are an audio junkie, or just have a lot of old vinyl records you would like to preserve, the ability to record directly from your stereo is a great feature for you to consider.
Players that offer this feature take the input from your stereo, and directly encode the tracks to the MP3 format. You can then transfer the tracks to your PC and burn them to CD, as well.
Players that offer this functionality include the Creative Labs Zen line, the Cowon iAudio 6, the Samsung Yepp YP-T7Z, the Cowon iAudio X5, and the Samsung Yepp YH-820MC.
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Built-in Organizer/PDA Functionality for the Best of Both Worlds
Tired of carrying both an electronic organizer and an MP3 player? Creative Labs has the solution with their Zen family of products.
The Zen V and Zen V Plus both feature an organizer that has a calendar function, the ability to sort and organize contacts and a task list. As you can also store important files in the Zen, you can use it in the same manner as you would a PDA or organizer.
Another great device that rolls in an MP3 player, a PDA, a camera and a cell phone is the Motorola MPx cell phone. It runs Windows Mobile software for full PDA capability and has both Bluetooth and WiFi capability. It runs for about $930, but this isn't so bad when you consider the cost of buying all these devices separately.
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MP3 Players with Built-In FM Tuners
MP3 players with built-in FM tuners give you the option of listening to the radio when you are tired of your song selections. In some areas, FM radio has some interesting content, and can be a refreshing change of pace.
Some of the MP3 players with solid ratings on their FM tuner feature include the Creative Labs Zen V Plus, the Cowan iAudio M3, the iRiver H320, the Sony NW-E005, and the Samsung YP-U2.
If this feature is important to you, be sure to test it out before buying. Some players are known to have very poor tuning and reception, as their tuners were added as an afterthought.
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Untethered MP3 Players with WiFi Support
The latest and greatest feature to look for in up and coming MP3 players is WiFi, or wireless Internet support. The first to make a large market splash with WiFi was the Microsoft Zune, which allowed users to transfer songs to each other with the limitation that they could only listen to it three times or for three days, whichever came first.
The Archos 604 is a digital media player with a touchscreen, and the capability of playing video, audio, photos and media streamed from a PC using the included WiFi chipset.
Samsung is rumored to be releasing a line of MP3 players with WiFi capability, and the Soniqcast Aero was the true first to market with WiFi, but lacked the capability to allow users to swap songs wirelessly.
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MP3 Players that Support Video Playback
Watching movies and video clips on your MP3 player is the epitome of cool, and the iPod Video has set the stage for a whole host of new players, called digital media players, that have this feature.
Video requires a lot of storage power, so most video players have hard drives on board.
Videos can now be downloaded from iTunes as well as many new and emerging subscription services. Anything from full length movies to exercise videos can be found on these sites for download and transfer to your iPod video, Sony Walkman Video or Creative Labs Zen Vision MP3 player.
Video playing requires good battery life; it is really annoying to have your battery die during the best part of the movie - so make sure you check battery life specifications before making a decision on your video MP3 player.
