MP3 players with large screens

MP3 players with monster screens. Watch movies! View photos! Scare the dickens out of the iPod Shuffle with these big-screen players.

While screens are rarely a critical factor in judging an MP3 player (see the screenless Apple iPod Shuffle), they do add a lot to the user experience, especially if they are bigger-than-average colour screens. In addition to its cleaner interface, a big colour screen usually means you'll get photo viewing and maybe even video playback on your device, though typically at the expense of battery life. I've rounded up a few MP3 players, plus a sleek portable video player, with well-endowed screens that will keep you from squinting.

First, we have the Apple iPod 5G with its gorgeous 2.5-inch screen. That extra half-inch it gains on the 4G iPod makes a world of difference for photos and video. Olympus's M:robe 500i may not be a very good MP3 player, but the 3.7-inch touch screen with its stylised interface looks fantastic, especially when you're viewing photos. The Creative Zen Vision is really a portable video player, but its body is sleek enough to go both ways. And its 640x480-pixel, 3.7-inch screen kicks major tech booty, though viewing angles aren't spectacular.

Apple iPod (30GB, video, white) Read review

Get the affordable, sleek, and sexy 5G Apple iPod for its audio virtues. Although video looks great, poor video battery life and a relatively small screen hamper its appeal to video heads. Screen: 2.5-inch, 260,000-colour, 320 x 240-pixel resolution Memory Capacity: 30GB, 60GB Supported formats: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG Battery type: Rechargeable lithium ion Claimed battery life: 14 hours Dimensions (W x D x H): 104 x 61 x 11 mm Weight: 136 grams

Olympus M:robe 500i (20GB) Read review

The 500i certainly makes a good first impression, thanks to its multifunctionality, its touch-screen display, and its beautiful graphics, but it needs to back them up with better performance. Screen: 3.7 inch, 307,000-colour Memory Capacity: 20GB Supported formats: MP3, WMA Battery type: Rechargeable lithium ion Claimed battery life: 12 hours Dimensions (W x D x H): 109.4 x 73.4 x 21.2 mm Weight: 210 grams

Creative Zen Vision (30GB; white) Read review

The Creative Zen Vision, a dazzling but occasionally frustrating personal media player, handles video and music with aplomb. Screen: 3.7 inch, 262,000-colour, 640 x 480-pixel resolution Memory Capacity: 30GB Supported formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, DivX, MPEG-4, WMV, XviD, JPEG, TIFF Battery type: Rechargeable lithium ion Claimed battery life: 13 hours Dimensions (W x D x H): 74.4 x 124.2 x 20.1 mm Weight: 239 grams

Archos AV700 Mobile DVR (40GB) Read review

The Archos AV700's huge screen should be the device's main selling point, but it fails to live up to its potential. Screen size: 7 inch, 262,000-colour, 480x234-pixel resolution Memory Capacity: 40GB, 100GB Supported formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, DivX, MPEG-4, WMV, AVI Battery type: Rechargeable lithium ion Claimed battery life: 30 hours Dimensions (W x D x H): 107 x 209 x 19 mm Weight: 590 grams