With digital music coming, the mp3 player has taken the high ground in digital music and video entertainment. So, what exactly are we talking about? MP3 is a term that relates to a standard of digital audio processing that allows digital audio files to be compressed in size and therefore made more portable. The mp3 player today however, is much more than simply a device that plays only mp3 standard audio files. It is now a universal term that includes players of all forms of portable audio formats and is used to identify a wide range of hardware from an equally wide range of player manufacturers, and a plethora of websites offering downloadable media. Clearly it is not so much whether you will listen to digital music and watch digital video, but the type of player that will best suit your purposes.

There are a number of important issues to consider when choosing the type of player that will suit your requirements best. At the heart of this is the question of how you want to consume your music and video product. With the digital music revolution come three basic options. You can choose a player that has a hard disc for program storage, one that uses flash memory (memory sticks, flash cards and the like) or one that uses standard CD format with music stored in mp3 or other compressed formats. There is no one universal method that will suit everybody. Rather there are pros and cons for each, with different manufacturers offering different features, design, battery life, useability and prices. The other really important development that may affect how you choose the right player is the fact that the online music and video programming is now widely available from all manner of sources, from artist direct through to iTunes.