Personal Audio And Video Buying Guide, Stores, and Prices
Contents[Hide]

Personal Audio and Video

Everyone loves being entertained while on the go. Whether your morning commute has to have a soundtrack or you can't go anywhere without your favorite film in your hands, there are plenty of options for taking your music, movies, and games on the go with you.  the amount of gadgets you can have to keep your entire entertainment arsenal at your fingertips is astonishingly vast and the list just keeps on growing.

Audio Devices

Listening to your own music when you're moving around town has become the new standard--it's like having a soundtrack for your life! The most popular portable MP3 players are iPods, and there are plenty of iPod accessories to be had, like cases, earbuds, and speaker docks. If you are on the road and want a way to use the radio in your car to crank some tunes, the iTrip AM FM transmitter will let you plug it straight into the radio and listen to through the car's speaker systems. Make sure you have that road trip playlist ready to keep things interesting!

iPods aren't the only choice when it comes to MP3 players. Some of the available brands of MP3 players are:

If you have a large CD collection, you can easily transfer the music on to your computer to then put onto a MP3 player, but some people like to have the actual CDs with them.  Portable CD players are still widely available, and are typically quite econonomical. If you are really old school, you may also want to look into personal tape players , which are the cheapest of of all. Tapes may seem to be nearly extinct, but vintage shops and thrift stores still carry them. If you're not too picky about your music and want to take a walk on the wild side, portable satellite radios  are available. You can get XM or Sirius through various radio gadgets; satellite radio has a lot of genre-specific stations so you'll never be bored.

Video Devices

So having a personal rock and roll library is great and all, but maybe just that doesn't do it for you. You want to be able to watch Shaun of the Dead at any point in the day, anywhere. Portable DVD players are made for just that, movies on the go. Don't want to miss that episode of Glee while you're waiting in that doctor's office where the television seems to be perpetually stuck on the Weather Channel? There are plenty of portable TVs  to choose from. Just don't get so lost in those cover songs that you miss the nurse calling your name.

If you're a World of Warcraft devotee, handheld video games will keep you on your toes and on top of your high score, no matter where you go. Whether you grab a PSP, a DS, or even an old school Game Boy, you'll find exactly what entertains you and a large variety of games, to boot.  Don't forget to bring along a travel charger , those batteries don't last forever!

Extras and Accessories

Ok, so you've got your cool new gadget, but you're going to need some extras to keep them safe and help them run smoothly so you can enjoy optimal performance. First and foremost, don't forget batteries  or a charger ! Here are some other accessories to consider:

On the Case

No matter what device you've got, you'll want to protect it from scratches and breakage. Cases for CD players  and cassette decks  tend to be made of harder materials, whereas those for MP3 players  and iPod/iPhones  can either be a hard or soft. Need something to carry your CDs? Get a travel CD case  so you can pick out a selection to take in the car.

Headphone Honcho

For your audio equipment, headphones are a must, of course. Whether you want earbuds  or full headphones, there are a lot of styles  to choose from--even wireless headphones if you tend to get tangled up in the cord (it happens). A headphone jack splitter  will let you share the wealth with another without disturbing everyone else.

Speak Volumes

If you want to turn your little MP3 player into its own music system, portable speakers are a wonderful investment. If your car has an older radio, you might need a tape deck adapters ; it'll let you plug in your player with no problem.

Complement Me!

There are plenty of other MP3 player accessories to be had. Speaker docks are a great way to turn your device into a full sound system. They can be large enough to use at home or even portable to bring to a party. Dock extender cables  are awesome if you don't want to plug directly into the dock.

Related Guides

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
DE: Tragbare Audio- und Videogeräte

Leave Your Comments, Questions, Opinions!