China MP4 Players - Advice For Ebay Powersellers

Sometimes when sourcing products or an online shop or an eBay reselling business it can be hard to see the actual trends of supply and demand behind media hype.

Sure, we've all heard of the iPod, the Zune, and Sony's new Walkman phone but what may come as a shock to some is that they don't actually dominate the market quite as much as you would expect. That position is largely held by little-known Chinese MP4 player brands.

Chinese-made MP3s, MP4 digital players and MP4 watches makes up 30% of the world's supply of Personal Media Players.

Not only are the MP4 media players cheaper but than the marquee-branded products they often have a higher number of more unique features. Most can be relied on to be solid -- if not stand-out -- performers, as Chinese manufacturers have studied and perfected the manufacture of MP3 and MP4 players as OEM companies for several years before releasing their own products.

However, not all Chinese branded MP4 players are created equal. There are some things you will need watch for and check before buying or stocking an MP4. This is especially important if sourcing for a retail business as faulty product erodes your reputation and damages your customer base.

Is the unit fairly priced?

China may be 'the source' for cheap electronics but there is such a thing as too cheap and it is never wise to buy something priced too far below the market rate.

Market analyst Global Sources have researched and set a tentative price range for personal media players in the first quarter of the year.

• Flash disk MP3 and MP4 media players with memories from 512MB to 4GB:US$25 - $84+

• HDD MP4 players with screen sizes from 3.5 to 7 inches: US$50 -$121+

Prices aren't set in stone and you will need to research the product online before locking onto a price/product. Find several different suppliers and ask them for a quoted price.

If one supplier gives a markedly lower price for the MP4 player than the others tread carefully. A minor difference means you've cut out the middle-man, a major difference could mean the product might be stolen, faulty or broken. It might not even arrive at your door.

Are they talking bits or bytes?

The next thing you will need to do is to make sure the memory is listed as a byte and not a bit. What's a bit and a byte and what's the difference you may ask. Both deal with memory capacity but a bit is much smaller than a byte, eight times smaller in fact. Remember, 1 byte = 8 bits.

Confirm with your supplier that the MP4 media player you are getting is in fact the memory capacity implied. Check, for example that the 4GB player can hold four gigabytes of material, not four gigabits. The difference it plays on the volume of media your player can potentially hold is huge.

Is it in a format that fits?

A number of MP4 players on the market today only play media saved in a proprietary format that is rarely found anywhere else. The majority of media around the world is saved in the MPEG, MP3, AVI, or WMA, and this media may need to be changed before it can be played on MP4 devices. Interestingly enough the Apple iPod is one such device.

Conversion software for common formats is available online and most players come with software attached While format-conversion software is readily accessible online, and in some cases comes with the player, a good walkthrough for software instillation can be found here. But it is still up to you to find out what formats are supported and how your customer can use it. People may even pay a premium for devices that play common media formats. Some formats to ask for are listed in the graphic below this article.

How Functional Are The Features?

Features are a big consideration to make, when purchasing a Chinese MP4 player. Questioning the vendor about features, or searching online for reviews of the product (Technorati and YouTube are two good places to do a search) will let you know what features work, how they work and how well they work. Getting the actual details on a product means you'll be able to write descriptions accurately without the fear of having to deal with disappointed customers.

Is The Battery Up To Scratch?

Most new MP4 players should have Lithium-ion batteries or cell phone style batteries, these are better than those used in older MP4s as each charge is likely to last twice as long. Ensuring you get the correct plug for your country is also a big factor.

What Are The Warranty Conditions Like?

As a rule, buying an item with a warranty will give you more protection than one without but it still pays to do some research. Check out the company online, there are numerous sites like fraudwatchers and hotscams who have forums that will let you know if the company is legitimate or not. Before purchasing go through the warranty carefully and see what conditions and promises are given before making any decisions.

What Checks Are In Place?

Does the company do any quality control? If so do they test items individually at their own facility or just visit the factory every now and again to make sure things are running smoothly? Stores that spend money on an in-house QC department can almost always be trusted more than companies with any other policy.

Research the MP4s and MP4 watches you are thinking of stocking before purchasing or listing them on your site. It's not an arduous task and it will mean you have a happier customer base who are more likely to tell friends how good you are as a vendor.

*MTV is only one of three media formats commonly found on Chinese MP4 players.