MPEG-4 SP Portable Video Players (PVPs)

The Bottom Line: The Cowon O2 isn't flashy, but it's an incredible value for a convenient way to take your video library on the go without the hassle of converting files.

Specs: Digital AV player, 4.7 in x 0.7 in x 2.9 in, TFT 4.3 in - Color, ASF, MP3, MPC, WAV, WMA, AC-3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, APE (Monkey's Audio), ASF, AVI, WMV, XviD, H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, DivX 6.0, DivX 3.11, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 7.2 oz

The Bottom Line: The Cowon O2 isn't flashy, but it's an incredible value for a convenient way to take your video library on the go without the hassle of converting files.

Specs: Digital AV player, 4.7 in x 0.7 in x 2.9 in, TFT 4.3 in - Color, ASF, MP3, MPC, WAV, WMA, AC-3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, APE (Monkey's Audio), ASF, AVI, WMV, XviD, H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, DivX 6.0, DivX 3.11, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 7.2 oz

The Bottom Line: The Cowon A3 portable video player is a fantastic value when judged on the merits of its file support and integrated video-recording capabilities. If you've got nimble fingers and an eclectic assortment of audio and video formats, the Cowon A3 should be at the top of your list.

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.2 in x 0.9 in x 3.1 in, TFT 4 in - Color, AAC, ASF, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, AC-3, FLAC, G.726, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, Apple Lossless, APE (Monkey's Audio), ASF, AVI, VOB, WMV, MPEG, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, DivX 6.0, DivX 3.11, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, OGM (Ogg Media), 10.5 oz

The Bottom Line: The Cowon A3 portable video player is a fantastic value when judged on the merits of its file support and integrated video-recording capabilities. If you've got nimble fingers and an eclectic assortment of audio and video formats, the Cowon A3 should be at the top of your list.

Specs: Digital AV recorder, 5.2 in x 0.9 in x 3.1 in, TFT 4 in - Color, AAC, ASF, MP3, PCM, WAV, WMA, AC-3, FLAC, G.726, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, Apple Lossless, APE (Monkey's Audio), ASF, AVI, VOB, WMV, MPEG, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, DivX 6.0, DivX 3.11, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, OGM (Ogg Media), 9.9 oz

The Bottom Line: The iRiver Clix is a superbly designed MP3 player that's easy to use and packed with pretty much every feature in the book. If you're looking for a stylish Janus-compatible device and you don't need a boatload of storage, this is your player.

Specs: Digital AV player, 2.7 in x 0.6 in x 1.8 in, TFT 2.2 in - Color, ASF, MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG 1 Audio, MPEG 2 Audio, MPEG 2.5 Audio, MPEG-4 SP, 2.5 oz

The Bottom Line: The Philips Portable Media Center PMC7230 is a stylish device with lots of potential, but it's not as impressive as we expected.

Specs: Portable media center, 3.7 in x 0.9 in x 4.2 in, LCD 3.5 in - Color, MP3, WMA, WMV, MPEG-4, MPEG-4 SP, 8.3 oz

The Bottom Line: The all-inclusive RCA Lyra X3030 is a solid video playback and recording device, despite its poorly designed menu interface. Yet there are still PVPs on the market that perform better.

Specs: Digital AV recorder, TFT 3.6 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), AVI, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP

The Bottom Line: The bulky but easy-to-use Creative Zen Vision W and its nice screen will dazzle video lovers who don't require video recording.

Specs: Digital AV player, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 3 in, TFT 4.3 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), AVI, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 9.7 oz

The Bottom Line: The bulky but easy-to-use Creative Zen Vision W and its nice screen will dazzle video lovers who don't require video recording.

Specs: Digital AV player, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 3 in, TFT 4.3 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 9.7 oz

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a good way to record and watch video using a compact device, the RCA Lyra X3000 is a solid choice; however, serious music addicts may want to use something else as their primary portable audio device, due to the device's 20GB capacity, its poor audio battery life, and a few navigation foibles.

Specs: Digital AV recorder, TFT 3.6 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), AVI, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP