TechTaxi Reviews » Portable Multimedia Players

Samsung YP-P2 portable video player - Review

2008-04-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

Pros: Great looks; good sound quality; solid buildCons: Limited video playback, flaky softwareBottomline: The sound quality alone makes it worth considering unless video is your only interestManufacturer: SamsungIt's clear that Samsung wants the YP-P2 to appeal to those who like the look and feel of the iPod Touch but can’t justify the expense.Instead, the 2GB version of the P2 (it's available in

Baylis Eco Media Player EMP-MX71 portable media player - Review

2008-02-12T05:10:00.000-08:00

A media player that never needs batteriesBottomline: A multi-purpose pocket player with the ability to power gadgets, but with little style.Price: £140Trevor Baylis created the first wind-up radio 16 years ago for use in areas where mains electricity was intermittent or non-existent.Since then the inventor has applied the same technology, consisting of a wind-up generator and a rechargeable

Cowon A3 Portable Video Players (30GB & 60GB) - Review

2008-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Pros: The Cowon A3 portable video player (PVP) offers outstanding audio and video format support; a sharp, colorful screen; the most attractive Cowon user interface we've seen; built-in video output; video and audio recording capabilities; and superb audio quality.Cons: The Cowon A3 is cursed with a clumsy joystick interface; a highly reflective screen; no support for DRM-protected media; and

Insignia Kix 1GB MP3 Player - Review

2008-01-24T22:27:00.000-08:00

The good: The Insignia Kix is inexpensive, has a simple plug-and-play design, and offers a couple of useful extras. Each player comes with three interchangeable USB covers in different colors.The bad: The Insignia Kix suffers from a stiff control pad and cheap overall feel, and bass response is lacking.The bottom line: The Insignia Kix is a viable option for the younger set or as a secondary MP3

Coby TF-DVD7307 Portable DVD Player - Review

2008-01-22T05:20:00.000-08:00

Pros: The battery is internal; nonglossy screen; very affordable; 180 degree swivel display.Cons: The screen needs a long warm-up time before the colors properly adjust; poor battery life; low-resolution screen; poor battery life; limited file support for disc playback; no USB port or MMC slot; average speakers.Bottomline: Even with the lowered expectations of its sub-$100 pricetag, the Coby

Cowon Q5W Portable Video Players (40GB & 60GB) - Review

2008-01-22T00:45:00.000-08:00

Pros: The Cowon Q5W portable video player boasts robust video features, high-quality audio playback, and includes a Wi-Fi-enabled Internet browser, Bluetooth audio streaming, component and composite video output, MSN Messenger, and built-in speakers.Cons: The Cowon Q5W is heavy, expensive, awkward to navigate, difficult to configure for wireless Internet, and the optional GPS cradle costs as

Insignia Pilot MP3 Player with Bluetooth (4GB & 8GB) - Review

2007-12-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

Pros: The Insignia Pilot is an incredible value for a media player, and it's packed with features: Bluetooth, FM radio, line-in recording, photo and video support, and Rhapsody DNA Integration. It plays back a wide variety of audio formats and is compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs.Cons: The Insignia Pilot's sound quality is only so-so, and it's on the large side for a flash

Cowon iAudio A3 (60GB) Portable Video Player - First Look

2007-12-17T05:39:00.000-08:00

After spending the last 24 hours abusing Cowon's latest A3 portable video player, I have to say I'm pretty impressed...mostly. As a high-capacity portable video player, the A3 offers spectacular video resolution (800 x 480) and supports just about every file format under the sun. Along with its built-in video recording capability and a high-quality video output, the Cowon A3 is an undeniable

Samsung YP-T10 (2GB) Portable Audio Player - Review

2007-12-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

Adding to the ever-growing crop of media players with wireless features is the Samsung T10, a 4GB flash device with integrated stereo Bluetooth functionality. At S$249, it's not the most competitively priced player on the block, but it's packed with features and comes in your choice of five, high-gloss colors (black, white, green, red, and purple). For style-conscious users who want a

Cowon Q5W (60GB) Portable Video Player - First Look

2007-12-05T03:19:00.000-08:00

The Cowon Q5W was first spotted at CES 2007 and it knocked the socks off those who saw its specs. It's supposed to be a PVP (portable video player), but with specs like Windows CE 5.0, a 800 x 480 display, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, this one feels more like a UMPC. Though it was originally slated to have cellular connectivity and GPS, these are not found in the final product. It's still a monster of a

Microsoft Zune (80GB) - Review

2007-11-23T01:14:00.000-08:00

Last November, Microsoft released the first-generation Zune to a predominantly iPod-toting nation. While the first-generation Zune is not without its devotees, the device came to epitomize Microsoft's awkwardness at marketing itself as hip. Having survived its freshman hazing, the Zune is back for its sophomore revenge, and the iPod has every reason to be frightened. With a new design, higher

Samsung YP-P2 (4GB) Portable Audio Player - Review

2007-11-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

Samsung's new YP-P2 follows the South Korean manufacturer's excellent YP-T9, which scored 8.3 in our gruelling tests. Like the T9, the P2 comes equipped with stereo Bluetooth, video capabilities and a stylish design. However, it enters the market with Apple's iPod touch and the innovative 3rd-generation iPod nano--tough competitors on all levels.The YP-P2 comes in 2GB, 4GB--which we review here-

SanDisk Sansa View (16GB) Portable Video MP3 Player - Review

2007-10-31T02:03:00.000-07:00

You may recognize the name Sansa View, but that's about all SanDisk's new video MP3 player has in common with the original View announced at CES. SanDisk essentially went back to the drawing board, which is why it's taken so long for the official View to surface. Rather than a screen-dominated PVP, you get an e200 with a sleeker design, a beefed-up screen, and a larger body. It's a smart move,

Sony NWZ-S615F (2GB) Portable Audio Player - Review

2007-09-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! Sony has done away with its horrible SonicStage software and is opting to go the PlaysForSure route with all of its new Walkman players. Yes, that's not the most traditional way to start a review, but we couldn't bear to place this most exciting tidbit anywhere but at the top, so there you have it. The death of SonicStage comes wrapped up in two nice new MP3 players, the NWZ-A810 and

Apple iPod shuffle (3rd Generation) - Review

2007-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

The following review was originally written for the second-generation Apple iPod Shuffle. The latest series of the shuffle is functionally identical to the second-generation series, although the colour options have changed -- and the shuffle now has the same lower-case name as its iPod kin.It's true -- the third-generation iPod shuffle (1GB) is the lowest-profile MP3 player we've laid eyes on.

Apple iPod nano (4GB and 8GB; Third Generation) - First Look

2007-09-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

At under US$200, the new 4GB and 8GB iPod nanos will surely be the most popular tech stocking stuffers this year. While the updated iPod classic and iPod touch are equally drool-worthy, the new nano is obviously priced to move.We were fortunate enough to get some hands-on time with the all the new iPods at the launch event, and even though the iPod touch is clearly the star of the show, the new

Apple iPod touch (8GB and 16GB) - First Look

2007-09-06T02:53:00.000-07:00

The iPod touch looks like a slimmed-down iPhone. But aside from the fact that it doesn't have a GSM/EDGE radio, there are some key improvements as well.Standard Headphone JackIt may seem like an insignificant detail, but after the iPhone threw us for a loop with its recessed headphone jack, everybody wants to know if the iPod touch has the same issue. The answer is no. Despite the fact that the

Apple iPod classic (80GB and 160GB; Sixth Generation) - First Look

2007-09-06T01:35:00.000-07:00

The iPod classic is now the only iPod Apple makes with a storage capacity over 16GB. In fact, the base model starts with a whopping 80GB of storage at S$428 ($249), and the next model up jumps to 160GB at S$598 ($349). These are serious numbers that are bound to excite those of us who carry huge music and/or video libraries. Many people were worried that Apple would ditch high-capacity players

Archos 105 Portable Media Player - First Look

2007-08-31T20:21:00.000-07:00

We're big fans of Archos here at TechTaxi, and we've been itching to get close to the French company's brand new 105. This is the entry-level model in the fifth-generation range of media players.The small MP3 player is incredibly lightweight and supports full-screen WMV video. MP3, WMA (protected and unprotected) and WAV files are all supported, and the player will display any JPEG photos you

Creative Zen Digital Media Player - Review

2007-08-29T02:42:00.000-07:00

Having already seen how Creative has miniaturized its audio players (in the form of the Zen Stone and Zen Stone Plus), it didn't come as a surprise when the company first told it would be introducing a smaller version of its Zen Vision portable media player (PMP). However, when the actual player arrived in our Labs recently, we were amazed at its small, slim form factor despite a 2.5-inch color

Archos 405 Portable Media Player and DVR dock - First Look

2007-08-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

We reviewed one of our favourite gadgets of 2007 earlier this month -- the all-sexed-up Archos 605. It was quite literally the most bootylicious piece of tech we'd seen all year. However, for those of you who can't afford the class 'A' model, the cheaper, stripped-down version sells for half the price but with half the spec. This younger sibling goes by the name 405.The Archos 405 is a small and

Dolphin DAP Waterproof MP3 Player (1GB) - Review

2007-08-23T03:36:00.000-07:00

Taking MP3 players in the water is not a new concept. First, we saw underwater cases -- initially aimed at scuba divers -- for iRivers and iPods. And then came the standalone underwater MP3 players for surfers and swimmers.Nu Technology's Dolphin DAP MP3 player straddles the line between the last two, offering a compact device that can be strapped onto goggles for swimming laps or

iriver T60 (1GB) - Review

2007-08-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

iriver's T60 may look like a popular prism-shaped chocolate bar, but its ubiquity at airports will be significantly less than its Swiss doppelganger. This simple MP3 player comes in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities, priced at �49 (US$97.08), �69 (US$136.70) and �89 (US$176.32), respectively.Its unusual shape, while distinctly a love-it-or-hate-it affair, should not detract any buyer from appreciating

Samsung YP-U3 (2GB) - Review

2007-08-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

A basic MP3 player needn't be ugly or featureless to fall into the "simple and inexpensive" category, and Samsung's stick-like U3 provides the proof to that statement. The 2GB flash MP3 player offers a cute design, a simple user interface, and a handy plug-in design. Sure, it may not have a color screen or video support, but it has the best of basic music playback in spades.It's hard not to see a

Archos 605 WiFi Portable Video Player - Review

2007-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

The Archos 605 WiFi is the flagship model of the fifth generation of portable media players from French manufacturer Archos. Available in 30GB and 160GB harddisk and 4GB flash versions, the 605 runs on a modified version of Linux and supports an optional Opera Web browser for full Web access. Archos' latest PMP can even support 5.1 surround sound if you buy an additional dock.We got our hands on