Product Reviews

Samsung's YP-T10 is the successor to the Best Buy-winning YP-T9, so we had high expectations. It looks like a more angular version of the second-generation iPod Nano, while its brushed metal-effect back and glossy face feel tough and durable. The player has an illuminated touchpad, which remains dark when not in use. Seven touch-keys allow you to select tracks and move between menus, and a sliding switch on the side of the device is both the power and hold key.

You have to turn the player on its side to watch videos, and the controls changed orientation to match. The YP-T10 isn't comfortable to hold in this position. Video looked excellent on the bright 320x240 screen, and we were pleased to see that it played successive videos without returning to the menu after each.

The biggest problem with most portable video players is converting files to a format they can play. The YP-T10 supports Samsung's

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proprietary SVI format and, more usefully, WMV video with a resolution of 320x240. This makes it easier to download or create your own content, although we'd have liked to see support for MPEG4 video too.

We had trouble copying WMV files to the player, as Samsung's Media Center application insisted on converting them to SVI. When we switched to Windows Explorer it warned us that neither WMV video nor OGG audio files would play on the YP-T10. Fortunately, this wasn't true and the files copied and played correctly.

The YP-T10 looks great, and its interface is a pleasure to use. Three graphical themes radically alter the appearance of menus and the visualisations that accompany audio tracks. It has plenty of features, including support for RSS and Podcast feeds, an FM radio and the best text file reader we've ever seen. Built-in Bluetooth enables you to stream music wirelessly to compatible headphones and speakers.

Audio quality was clear, and there are lots of options for those who want to tweak their sound. We noticed a slight hiss, audible only through high-end headphones, when navigating the menus, but it wasn't a problem when music was playing. The supplied headphones were fairly comfortable, but not particularly clear. Battery life was a very respectable four hours, 12 minutes for video and 18 hours for audio.

The YP-T10 sounds great and is a pleasure to use, but the difficulty with some file types and the faint background hiss keep it from a perfect score.