Question on Music & Play:

I am planning to buy a new MP3 player and am deciding between the Samsung P3 and Apple iPod touch. Can you suggest which is a better buy when it comes to audio and video support?

Submitted by Reader

Answer:

The Samsung P3 trumps the iPod touch when it comes to video and audio format support. While the iPod supports AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, MP3, WAV H.264 and MPEG-4, the P3 has additional support for WMA, Ogg, FLAC, ASF, DIVX, WMV, ASF and RMVB.

As for audio quality, this is very subjective and I would advise that you at least sample the players with your own pair of headphones at the stores. Or read reviews on the audio aspect of the two players.

Here's a link on our site to help you along.

For video playback, while the P3 offers a wider video format support, the iPod touch offers a slightly bigger screen (3.5-inch versus 3-inch). Video performance between the two players is very similar, therefore it's choosing between format support and screen size.

Finally, there's the X factor: Looks as well as the desirability element. If you like the Apple experience including using iTunes on your computer, then you're liable to overlook the shortcomings in the iPod touch.