Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news

The MP4 player, a new-generation portable digital product developed only two years ago, may soon become a new center of competition at Shanghai's digital markets, analysts pointed out.
By 2008 the market may expand to tens of billions of yuan in China, following MP3 players, digital cameras and digital video recorders, analysts predicted.
But the growth may begin slowly, they noted, because MP4 player prices remain at around 5,000 yuan (US$605), high compared with MP3 players which usually sell for about 1,000 yuan.
Technology problems will also slow market growth, they added. Though the devices usually come with a 20G memory capable of storing up to 5,000 songs or 80 hours of films, their power systems can only support three hours consecutive use.  In other words, only one film can be played at one time.
Because the battery is internal, it cannot be removed to be charged, so the player can play nothing when the power is out, an obvious inconvenience for a user on a long journey.
Overseas companies such as Archos, iRiver, Samsung and MobiNote currently produce most of the MP4 players on China's market. 
France-based Archos unveiled a new model AV400 in July with seven functions, such as DVD, MP3, video recorder, voice recorder, mobile hard disk, photo storage for digital cameras and video output.  It sells for 5,999 yuan.
MobiNote from Taiwan has marketed its first flagship product DVX-POD7010.  The product, distinguished by its 7-inch super large LCD screen, is priced above 7,000 yuan.
South Korean Samsung has unveiled the world's first MP4 player able to receive television and radio signals; it is reasonably priced at 3,300 yuan.
IRiver's product caters to women with its fashionable design.  Its latest model, looking like a digital camera, sells for 4,000 yuan.