MP4 is a popular multimedia format, allowing for playback of audio or video using the same extension. Because of this flexibility, you can find all sorts of entertainment available in MP4 format. And because of its popularity, there are many different portableMP4 players on the market. If you want to get one, you should pay attention to several key specifications.

First, what is the bulk of what you want to play? This will affect the size capacity that you choose (and therefore the prices as well). Video takes up a lot more space than audio does. So if you've got dozens of movies that you want to bring with you wherever you go, you're going to need a larger capacity. The average movie with handheld quality settings takes up about 700 MB (1 GB is 1024 MB). A song with decent quality takes up about 1 MB for every minute of audio. On the other hand, speech audio such as books on tape take up even less space, since they are still acceptable with less quality. Look at your collection of multimedia, and decide what you really have to have with you. From there you can decide on what size you want.

Next you can go on an internet shopping site and look through all of the options. You should look for the size capacity that you decided on before - or find a player that has an expandable capacity. In addition to this, make sure that the player has the ability to play everything you want it to play. Some only play audio, so make sure that it has video support. On top of these specifications, you can also look for other things to make sure that your purchasing experience is positive. For example, does it come with a warranty in case it breaks? Is the company one that has been around for a while, or one that you have bought from before?

Another great way to catch any issues before they happen is to read reviews from other consumers. There could be another issue that the MP4 player suffers from that you had not thought of before. Maybe the batteries spontaneously explode, setting fire to whatever surface they are on. If so, you should find out about all of these things before hand. Just make sure that you do your research thoroughly, and you'll get an MP4 player that will fulfill all of your needs.