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Our Expertise:
The MP3 format is the most controversial music format ever invented. Record labels have
been gritting their teeth ever since it became popular with millions of music lovers in the mid-1990s. But is the MP3
format directly to blame for the music piracy that has swept the world for the past ten years? Simple answer to a
simple question: No. Many people who are unfamiliar with MP3 automatically associate MP3 files with the word "illegal".
However, to say that MP3 is an illegal format is extremely incorrect. MP3 basically allows a user to compress a large
audio file (usually in WAV/CDA format) by about 10 times to create a smaller, more convenient file.
MP3 stands for MPEG Audio Layer III. (MPEG = Motion Picture Experts Group). In fact, MP3 is one of the many formats
created by MPEG, you may be surprised to learn that their technologies are also used with the DVD movie format, HDTV broadcasts and DSS
satellite systems by means of compressing the data into smaller spaces.
The MP3 format is not the only compression format available. Microsoft have come up with an MP3 beater in Windows Media
Audio (WMA) format. This format compresses audio to smaller sizes than MP3 and includes digitally signed certificates to
allow bands/artists to sell their music over the internet which can only be played on one computer. However, these
certificates only apply to music the signatures are applied to and anyone can rip their favourite CD and pass it on
to friends over the Internet. The only means of prevention seems to be bullying people out of downloading music over
the internet. Young children in the USA and UK have been used as examples for people downloading music and have even
been prosecuted for doing so.
In spite of all this piracy, there are many legal, free MP3 websites out there which allow people to download music
from unsigned (and sometimes famous) bands and artists. The idea behind these websites is that you can listen to a few
tracks of a band's album, and you will then go and buy the album if you like it. We recommend PeopleSound to anyone wishing to download legal MP3s.
In addition to this, MP3 is responsible for the new music players on the market which allow you to carry over 10,000
songs in your pocket. Devices such as Creative's Nomad Zen NX Jukebox and Apple's iPod have become increasingly popular
over the past year, both containing 20GB+ hard drives which can store your whole music collection. They have other advantages
over CDs in that, while they may be thicker, they do not have a large diameter like the CD player does, and therefore they
do actually fit into your pocket (you would need one big pocket to hold a CD player!). Also, there are no moving parts in the
device, which means that if you suddenly jerk the unit, your music will not skip, and your music will not be damaged.
MP3 players usually consist of the following components:
- Data port
- Memory/Hard Drive
- Microprocessor
- Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
- Display
- Playback controls
- Audio port
- Amplifier
- Power Supply & Battery
The player connects to your computer via a USB/USB2.0/FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable. These ports allow for exceptionally
fast data transfer from computer to player and vice-versa. The MP3 player's memory can be either internal flash
memory, or some form of memory card such as Sony's Memory Stick or the Secure Digital (SD) card. However, most new
MP3 players (such as the iPod and Nomad Zen NX) use internal microdrives to store music data.
We sell several MP3 players (they also play other music formats such as WMA and AC-3, so they are sometimes referred
to as Portable Music Players) here at JL.com. You can find out information on these players or buy them directly from
our website. We currently stock the Apple iPod, Apple iPod Mini, Creative Nomad Zen Jukebox NX 60GB and the Creative
MuVo2 1.5GB players.
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