1. SanDisk Sansa Fuze
Image © SanDisk Corporation
The Sansa Fuze is a budget media player that can handle audio, video, and photos which makes it the ideal device to use for your media collection. The Fuze comes in a variety of colors, storage configurations, and has bonus features such as a built-in microphone and FM radio. Looking a bit like an Apple nano, but without the price tag, the Sansa Fuze represents excellent value for money. For a detailed look, read the Sansa Fuze 4GB (pink) review for more information.
2. Apple iPod nano - 4th Generation
Courtesy of Apple
The 4th generation Apple iPod nano gets a face lift in the form of a larger video screen. Weighing in at a miniscule 1.3 ounces, the iPod nano is incredibly light. The improved LCD display has 204 pixels per inch and delivers a sharper image than its predecessor. With its generous 8GB of memory, the Apple iPod nano probably gives the best bangs per buck of any digital music player in its class. If you are intending to use Apple's iTunes Store for both digital music and videos, then the iPod nano is the perfect solution for less than $200.
3. Nextar T30
Photo © 2008 Mark Harris - Licensed to About.com, Inc.
The Nextar T30 is a full-featured media player with 4Gb of internal memory -- there's also an SD/MMC memory expansion slot so you can add more capacity to play movies etc. This budget portable media player (PMP) can handle audio, video, and photos; additional features include, an e-book reader, voice recorder, FM radio tuner, and the ability to output sound via a built-in speaker.
4. Cowon D2+
Image Courtesy of Pricegrabber
Cowon is a Korean company who have made a portable media player (PMP) that is top notch. As well as being a very capable audio player, the Cowon D2 Plus sports a whole host of features such as, video, FM tuner, photo and text viewer, memory expansion slot and a touch-screen 2.5 inch LCD. The touch-sensitive screen is a nice user-friendly addition, you can either use the stylus that comes with the unit or just use your finger. This device is compatible with a range of audio file formats which are: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV, APE; video formats that the unit can handle are: AVI, WMV, JPG, and BMP. The Cowon D2+ can also be used to view text in the .txt format.
5. Creative ZEN V Plus
Copyright Creative Technology Ltd.
The Creative ZEN V Plus base model comes with a generous 2GB of storage and is blessed with all the 'bells and whistles' a budget conscious consumer would need. As well as being a very good MP3, WMA and WAV digital audio player, it also has video and photo capabilities. It's well worth a look if you want more than just music.
6. Samsung YP-T9JQB
Image Courtesy of Pricegrabber
The Samsung YP-T9J is a stylish 2GB flash based device that is good on features for its price tag. This bluetooth enabled player has an FM tuner, video and photo capabilities. As an added bonus you can also play flash games.
