Best flash video players

Round-up by: Nate Lanxon

Last updated: 25 May 2007

Small, flash-based, video-playing devices are great for taking your favourite music videos and TV shows out and about, and they don't cost the earth. There are four key things to consider when you're buying one.

First and foremost is battery life. Video will drain your player's battery four or five times faster than music. So if you really want to enjoy videos as much as music with your new purchase, keep battery life at the forefront of your mind. Four hours of playback is about average for a small player.

The second thing to consider is screen quality. No matter how good your video looks on your computer, if your new player's screen is rubbish, the video will be too.

Thirdly, you need to be aware of what file formats a player supports. MPEG-4 is fast becoming the standard for high-quality video files, but many players support multiple formats. If you're after good quality video then try to select a player that supports MPEG-4. They generally tend to perform better.

Finally, consider storage capacity. You'll want at least 2GB of space in any video device. Video files gobble memory relentlessly, so try and get the highest capacity player you can afford.

When all's said and done, seeing the player operate in person is the best way to gauge whether a particular model is right for you. But our reviews are here to point you in the right direction and help you refine your search for the most suitable player. We've picked out four of our favourite portable video genies for you to ponder over.