Updated 26 May, 2012, 4:18 pm IST

Top PMPs Under Rs. 10,000

20 Nov, 2009, 9:12 am IST | by Shayne Rana

For those with a budget of Rs. 10,000 looking for a portable media device with video playback, here are a few options.

Earlier this week I showcased a the top MP3 players for those with a budget of Rs. 5000. Those were simple devices that those looking for just an audio experience would find a useful perusal. In this feature I’m listing a few of the slightly more sophisticated devices that are designed to obviously cater to more than just your audio requirements. Those looking for portable media with video playback and a budget of Rs. 10,000 here’s the list.

Apple iPod Nano Fifth Generation
Capacity – 8GB
Price – Rs. 9,400
Apple’s latest Nano is a PMP that really stand out amongst its peers. While this is still essentially an iPod that still requires you to download and use the latest version of iTunes to transfer information and pretty much do anything and everything else with the device, the addition of a VGA video camera to the mix makes quite a difference. In fact that’s just one of the new additions to the devices arsenal, the other is a bonafide iPod FM Radio with a Live Pause feature. Both new features work out exceptionally well and the camera, although lacking the ability to shoot stills has quiet a lot to offer for the YouTube fan.

Good - Still a great design
Camera is great, plenty of modes
Music playback is great
Great FM reception
Battery life for audio is good
Bad - Placement of the camera is bad
Should have had a Still camera as well
Rating – 4/5

Sony Walkman NWZ-S544
Capacity – 8GB
Price – Rs. 6,990
Sony’s Walkman range has a longstanding and revered presence in the audio industry for portable media and the S544 PMP lives up to it quite well. The design is slim, sleek simple, elegant and light weight which makes it really easy to carry around. It’s equipped with plenty of features to keep almost all users quite satisfied. With great audio and customizable EQs for those who like a slightly more personalized tone quality, the S544 makes for good device in this range. Unfortunately, like the iPod, it doesn’t support a whole lot of video formats so conversion will be essential via the bundled software.
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Good - Good Audio quality
Decent battery life
Lightweight in a sleek design
Bad - Display is not scratch resistant
Video conversion takes awhile
Rating – 4/5

Philips GoGear Opus
Capacity – 8GB
Price – Rs. 7,999
Another popular range of portable media devices is GoGear from Philips. Although their players are rather generically designed and very large in size, they do offer quite a few relevant features. The Opus is one of the larger PMPs in the range and its 2.8-inch display is quite clear and comfortable for viewing though once again you’ll be forced to convert videos. However, the Philips PC software for the same is relatively quicker than some of the others but reproduction isn’t as good. Audio quality with their Proprietary Full Sound audio engine and comfortable in-ear earphones are good - there are no complaints from the music department. The OS is a little bit slow though so that may take a little getting used to.

Good – Great audio
FM reception is good
Decent battery life
Bad – It’s a rather large device
Video playback doesn’t look too great
UI is a wee bit sluggish
Rating – 3.5/5

Tags: PMP , Touchscreen , iPod