The MP3 Player is part of the revolution in this age of ever changing technology. It is the most recent entry in the music world. None of the previous models come near to the amenities provided by this MP3 Player. The bonus point is that you can hold it in your hand or slip it into your pocket carrying more than thousand songs as you move about. The whole contraption weighs less than an ounce. This point about portability has appealed most to consumers.
The revolution came about in the latter half of the 90`s. MPEG stands for Moving Picture Experts Group. The target was to compress into one device innumerable data – either audio or video. A person who is using an MP3 device with 1 GB storage capacity can carry 240 tunes that is the same as the amount contained in 20 CD`s.
The story of capturing music began in 1877 with Edison inventing the first phonograph. In 1887 flat zinc discs came to be incorporated. In 1896 the radio made its debut. Sony and Philips now took up the gauntlet and introduced one marvel after another – Walkman compact disc, 8-track magnetic tape etc. In 1989 the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany patented the MP3 format. The idea was to take off where audio cassettes left off. Philips and Sony came up with their version and the first MP3 players were introduced and sold in Korea.
The previous models of music players required mobile parts but a MP3 player uses only solid-state memory. It is a storage tool that has software embedded in it. It allows transfer of MP3 files to the player. The MP3 can also copy music not only from the radio but also from CD`s and Internet web sites. The list is organized for the convenience of the user. An MP3 is an amalgam of many technologies. The basics consist of data port, memory, micro and digital signal processors, display, playback controls, audio port, amplifier and power supply point.
The files of the MP3 are stored in the memory of the player. The types of memory are internal-flash, compact-flash, smart-media, memory stick and internal micro-drive. Except for internal micro-drive all the types are solid state. It means there are no moving parts and therefore more reliable with no hopping in the music.
The brain of the MP3 player consists of the microprocessor. Through playback controls the input is monitored. Information is displayed and directions given to the chip regarding the storage and playing of music.
Rechargeable batteries power all the MP3 players. It lasts for 10 to 28 hours. There are also AC adapters that can be plugged in to an electric point. Others have DC adapters that can be used in cars.
There are innumerable types of MP3 players. The choice depends on the load of music you want to store and how much you are willing to pay for it. Basically there are four types. A flash memory player is the tiniest and holds fewer songs. The hard-drive and mini- hard models are bigger and offer more storage capacity. The MP3 CD player and mini-disc models can contain 10 hours of melody. For this model a CD burner is required. The MP3 has not stopped in its tracks but with each passing day new amenities are being listed. It comes with satellite radios, DVD players, sunglasses, and even with an army knife! It is a hybrid culture within your budget.
By: Roberto Sedycias
Posts Tagged ‘Moving Picture Experts Group’
The Journey Of The Mp3 Player
February 15th, 2010Mp3 Player If You Are On The Move
December 13th, 2009
An Mp3 player is also known as a digital audio player, and it has become a regular fixture in our everyday lives. Everybody seems to have one these days. Walking the dog, at the gym, traveling to work, the idea that you can carry your entire music library with you anywhere is extremely appealing to most people.
MP3 players have made music easily accessible to everyone. You can simply download the songs from the free download sites and save them in your player and carry with you everywhere. Nothing could be better when you are stuck in a massive traffic jam and don`t know how to while away your time.
Mp3 stands for Moving Picture Experts Group layer III, and can be seen as a technology which audio data can fit smaller memory space, without any loss to audio quality. Raw audio data is normally very large and difficult to use on portable devices because of the lack of available storage. A standard audio CD can hold up to 80 minutes of audio data. With Mp3, about ten times more audio data can be stored in memory of the same size.
Although you will find many mp3 player brands in the market, there are mainly three Mp3 player types, mostly based on memory capacity. The Mp3 player with hard drive has the highest capacity and is often called a Jukebox Mp3 player. Examples are iPod video, Sony Walkman. The Micro Mp3 player with hard drive has a lower capacity and is lighter than an Mp3 player with hard drive. Examples are iPod Mini, Zen Micro (Creative Labs). The Mp3 player with flash memory is the smallest in size with the lowest capacity, and is very light. An example is iPod Nano.
An Mp3 player with hard drive is good for travel or for those compelled to be away from their computers for long periods of time. It is ideal for listening in the living room, and it can be connected to external speakers. An Mp3 player with flash memory is useful while jogging or at the gym because of its lightness.
Mp3 players were introduced in the early nineties, and ever since then, there has been a running argument over audio quality. A lot of people feel that Mp3 compression has an adverse effect on the quality of the sound; the others argue that the Mp3 audio format just removes the frequency of audio data that cannot be possibly heard by people, so there is no real loss in the sound quality.
More and more new features are being added to the Mp3 player with advancing technology. Some have built in digital photograph albums, as in the later generation iPod, and you can download and access your pictures while you are on the move. Some have analogue radio and digital radio receivers.
It is usually believed that MP4 is just a modern and updated version of MP3. But it is not so at all. It is something very different in its features. MP3 can be considered to be of a particular category belonging to audio formats, whereas MP4 is considered to be in a container format. However in spite of these differences, mp3 files can be run in either of the players.
One thing you will do well to remember is that your Mp3 player sound quality is only as good as the headphones you are listening with. So do spend a little time and money on superior quality headphones.
By: Roberto Sedycias
