Chinese MP4 players – a detailed review

I came to know about these chinese MP4 players recently while looking for a voice recorder. These iPod nano clones from China include quite a few additional features than traditional Apple iPods. Here are some of the things I have discovered about these players:

Pros:

• Much cheaper than iPods.
• Bright 1.5″ LCD screen. Screen sizes can vary according to players. My iPod clone had the 1.5″. It provides very clear 65,000 colour display. Some of these players contain TFT screens which are more vibrant in colours.
• Lots of additional features besides audio playback. Can play .amv format videos, display text files and jpeg images, games, FM radio, acts as an USB flash drive, voice recorder and more.
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery. Lasts upto 4 hours for audio playback and 2 hours for videos.
• Light weight and easy to carry. Fits easily in a pocket.

Cons:

• If you put files beyond the players memory capacity, the files become corrupted and are very difficult to remove.
• .amv video format is good but not as good as avi or mpeg format. This format plays 10 frames per second. Much like how a webcam displays the video on the screen.
• These players can easily be modified to show 4gb of memory whereas the real capacity is 2gb. Many eBay buyers get fooled by this and end up paying more for a feature that doesn’t exist.
• The wall charger for the battery is not so reliable.
• The battery may die out after about 100 full charges as they are not of good quality. The trick is to not use up the battery completely. Rather, it’s better to recharge after it’s about half done so as not to put too much strain on the battery.
• The instruction manuals are very hard to understand. The English used is terrible.

Some tips for those who are planning to purchase a MP4 player from eBay:

• Check out the seller’s ratings. If you see a lot of negative feedbacks, stay away.
• Don’t fall for a 4 gig player. They are fake 2 gig players.
• Read all the features carefully. They vary from player to player eventhough they may look alike.
• Find out if you get a wall charger that will work in your country. Many chargers are just for UK and not North America.
• I have heard good reviews for Glacier MP4 player. It can use Nokia 3650 batteries.
• For a price breakdown, you shouldn’t be paying more than $35 USD for a 1 gb and $50 for 2 gb. These prices are for 1.5″ screens.