Getting started

When shopping for an MP3 player, first decide how much you're willing to spend on a unit you might want to replace in a year or two. Then decide whether the player you want will be an iPod or that of another brand, which might not be as popular but might  offers useful features that iPods lack.

You also should weigh your download options because copy-protected content available from online stores work only with specific players.  Also decide whether you'll mostly watch videos or listen to music. Most MP3 players can handle downloaded music videos, movies, and TV programs, but some are better at it than others. A rising number of MP3 players now offer built-in support for optional wireless Bluetooth headphones for tangle-free listening, and even Wi-Fi capability for downloading music directly from online stores, browsing the Web, or sharing music with nearby players.

iPod or not?

With Apple's family of players so ubiquitous, and so similar in many ways, it's worth considering the advantages and shortcomings of iPods before going further with your buying decision. iPods are easy to use, thanks to superb integration of the players and the company's iTunes software. The iTunes Store offers the largest selection of legal digital content on the Web, including virtually all the available downloads of major TV shows. iPods also have a plethora of accessories to extend their use, from boom boxes and clock radios with iPod slots to iPod cases that come in many colors and fabrics. Several other brands of players have custom aftermarket equipment (although generic gear will, for example, allow you to pipe any player’s music into a component sound system or a car stereo).

As for drawbacks, iPods typically cost a little more than non-Apple players with comparable capacity. They also lack some of the features and accessories that many other players have, such as an FM radio and an AC charger. Equipping a new iPod with some of those options can increase its price by more than $100. And iPods have some special limitations, such as the inability to easily transfer music to any other device. In addition, iPods require you to open iTunes to transfer music into the player; competing devices more conveniently let you drag and drop music files without opening music-management software.

Consider download choices

To discourage piracy, much of the content downloads available from iTunes and some other online stores is copy-protected using a technology called digital rights management (DRM). But DRM has one very inconvenient aspect: It locks content to specific players. For example, iPods can only play copy-protected songs and videos from iTunes and Real, while players from other makers like Archos, Creative, RCA, Samsung, and SanDisk have access to a wider selection of online stores that include Yahoo Music, CinemaNow, and Napster.

Downloading "free" unprotected music from such online sources as peer-to-peer Web sites is one way to get around the inconveniences of DRM. But you risk a copyright-infringement lawsuit by the music industry. You'll also increase your exposure to a host of computer viruses and spyware programs that tend to hitch rides on songs swapped on those sites.

Fortunately, DRM seems to be fading. EMI and other record companies have allowed portions of their music catalogs to be downloaded without copy protection from iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Walmart, and other online stores. Those unprotected songs enable consumers to legally play their music anywhere they like, whether they have iPods or players from other brands. Another plus is that some of those songs are recorded at a higher bit rate than the protected versions for potentially better sound.

On iTunes, unprotected songs are 99 cents, the same price the service charges for DRM-encoded songs, while Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart often charge 99 cents and less for unprotected songs. Album prices are generally $7 to $10. Music videos, hit TV-show episodes, and short films generally cost $2 each, and feature-length movies cost about $10 to $15 to buy, and less than $5 to rent.

Renting content is another alternative. Some sites, such as Napster and Rhapsody, let you fill your PC and player with music for a flat $13 to $15 per month. The music stops playing if you don't periodically dock your player to an Internet-connected PC to confirm that your account is in good standing. For less than $5, you can rent a feature film from iTunes, Amazon, or Cinema Now. Once you open a movie file, you have about a day to complete viewing before it is automatically deleted.

Music, movies and more

If video content is going to be a big part of your entertainment mix, make sure the player's display is large enough (at least 2 in. measured diagonally) to let you watch comfortably for extended periods. Also think about what you'll watch, and how you're going to get it. For example, some models let you record directly from a TV, cable box, or digital video recorder (DVR), either on the fly or on a schedule. Some players have Wi-Fi connections that let you wirelessly swap music, photos, and other files with other players of the same model, or patch into wireless home networks to connect with a PC, or access the Web to browse sites or to download music and videos. Just remember that those special abilities often add hundreds to the player price tag and introduce yet another set of considerations.

See also:

Bluetooth headsets

Cell phones

Special Section:
Guide to mobile electronics

Special Section:
Apple's iPhone