Ever since the MP3 format was introduced to the world in 1993, it’s been the pillar of foundation to all music formats. Even though many other audio formats such as WMA, OGG and AAC have been brought in since then, MP3 still stands firm as the favourite choice among music fans. But the recent rise of MP4 players has started to mount a serious challenge to the formerly untouchable MP3.

CK Ng

What is MP4?
MP4, short for MPEG-4, is a type of video format that allows the combination of multiple video and audio streams in one file, in variable frame rates (video) and bitrates (audio), subtitles and still images. MP4 began life as Apple’s QuickTime file format. Although MP4 still resembles the QuickTime format, it has since then been vastly improved in many different ways. MP4 is most commonly used as the alternative to MP3 in iTunes, with AAC being the audio codec of the MP4 files.

What are its benefits?
Imagine the file size of a five-minute music video being almost similar in size to an MP3 track. The main advantage of MP4 is its compact file size that mounts the biggest challenge towards MP3, which is why many MP4 players come in flash-based memory players. MP4s are not just limited to music videos; if you have MP4 encoders such as QuickTime, you can even convert an entire movie for your viewing pleasures. The MP4 format is also gaining its popularity as one of the favourite Internet streaming formats for videos broadcasting and recording. Even mobile phones such as Innostream A20 and smartphones such as Sony Ericsson P910i are capable of playing and recording MP4 videos.

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MP3 vs. MP4
Many argue that the sound quality of MP4 still have a long way to go before matching MP3. While you can’t tell much difference if the audio track is encoded with the basic bitrate of 128kbps, the audio quality can really be differentiated if it’s above the bitrate of 256kbps. Audiophiles say that MP4 lacks good treble quality, and if you desire CD quality sounds, MP3 or OGG formats still achieve better results.

The majority of MP4 players are also deemed impractical as the tiny viewing screen of flash-based players, or even the new iPod Video, isn’t exactly a nifty experience to your eyes. For viewing pleasures, portable video players such as PMP (Personal Multimedia Player) devices with at least a 3.5” screen are still the way to go.

MP4 playback also consumes much more battery life than MP3 playback, as the color screen is constantly lit while watching videos. Since most MP4 players are equipped with built-in batteries, it wouldn’t be wise to waste all your battery life watching videos during long journeys.

Different types of MP4 Player
MP4 players are surprisingly affordable if you’re not into brand preference, as many China-made MP4 players only cost within the region of RM200 to RM500 depending on memory space. Even branded products such as iPod, iRiver and Creative have been implementing MP4 playback capabilities. Below are just some of the MP4 players that I’ve picked as examples of different types of MP4 players.

Apple iPod Video (60GB)
The king of MP3 players has launched its latest installment, the iPod Video, by offering a bigger screen and slimmer figure. After all, the brainchild of MP4 is Apple’s QuickTime and its audio codec is backed by AAC. With up to 60GB of storage space, you can convert and store your entire Star Wars movie collection and still have more than enough space! But with only a viewing screen of 2.5-inch in size, it may not be the ideal video player we all hoped for.

Samsung YP-T8 (1GB)
Already an established brand in electronic appliances, Samsung tries to mark its territory in every digital corner available. Besides the capability of playing MP4 videos, the YP-T8 is an excellent player with a host of features (refer to September issue for the review). Its 1.8-inch, 262K TFT screen is OK for watching short video clips, but will definitely strain your eyes for anything more than five minutes.

Creative Zen Vision (30GB)
As a follow-up to its disappointing predecessor, the Zen Portable Media Center, the Zen Vision offers an excellent viewing pleasure with its 3.7-inch screen capable of displaying up to 640 x 480 pixels. Although it may not have very large storage space such as the 60GB iPod Video, the Zen Vision’s 30GB space should be more than enough for video storage. It even has a CF card slot for photo and video transferring from digital cameras.

Sony PSP
Who said the PSP was just for games? In fact, the PSP appears to be the best MP4 player I’ve ever tested! With a gorgeous 4.3-inch screen displaying up to 16.7 million colors, watching videos on the PSP was a magnificent experience. Users can either watch movies from UMD disks, or converted MP4 videos that have been loaded into the Memory Stick Pro Duo.

Bottom line
While the hype of MP4 continues to grow, its true potential is still being uncovered. Right now MP3 still has the edge over MP4 in terms of popularity, but that may change in the near future.