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What's MP3, MP4 and MP5 Player?
MP3 is a file 'format' – a method of storing music digitally. So, MP3 player can store and play digital music in mp3 file format.
The proper name of mp4 file format is MPEG-4 Part 14, MP4 is most commonly used to store digital video and digital audio streams, especially those defined by MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and still images. Like most modern container formats, MP4 allows streaming over the Internet.
MP4 players are like MP3 with a bigger screen, and do everything that MP3 players do – organise and play music in a variety of digital formats – but they also play MP4 video files.
Some devices advertised as "MP4 players" are simply MP3 players that also play AMV video or some other video format, such as wma,and avi, and do not play the MPEG-4 part 14 format. You even can use this kind of MP4 players to read ebook, and play games. We may safely say most of the MP4 Players sold in market are simply Portable Video Players.
I was quite stunned by my nephew's answer that he was watching movies on his MP5 player, and claimed that MP5 is 'the son' of MP4 player. Actually, the word of MP5 player WAS created by China OEM manufacturer to discriminate the new advanced portable media player with the entry level MP3 player, or just deliberately to mislead the public with the image of an "evolution" from MP3 to MP4 then MP5 players. Although with MP5 player, you have more convenience of no-conversion, since China MP5 Player has multi-codec for nearly most of popular video formats such as RM, RMVB,AVI,Divx, 3GP, ASF, DAF, WMA, MP3, APE and FLAC, and with full orginial resolution support.
So, the name "MP5" does not refer to the audio file, it's only the trade name used to designate devices (PMP, or Portable Media Player) capable of playing music stored in files in MP3 format, run videos on a small liquid crystal screen.
References:
- The Difference Between MP3, MP4 And MP5 Player: http://www.prlog.org/10234524-the-difference-between-mp3mp4-and-mp5-player.html
- MP3 & MP4 Players (Portable Video Players) explained: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/BuyingGuide/bgTrail/digital_audio3_00067.htm
- MPEG-4 Part 14: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4_Part_14
- What is MP5 Player,or MP6 Player?: http://www.ronbenmultimedia.com/support/What-is-MP5-Player-or-MP6-Player.htm