Eye to eye: with new video technology on devices from phones to laptops, watching movies on the move has never been easier. Mark Prigg gives the next generation of mobile offerings a screen test.(TECHNOLOGY)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The world of portable entertainment has perhaps undergone the most radical changes of all technology in the past five years. Whereas once the idea of watching video on the move was an impossibility, and using your laptop to watch DVDs was the only option, today things are very different. There are a plethora of mobile entertainment devices, ranging in size from laptops to mobile phones, and all capable of playing video and music in high-definition formats.

For the seasoned traveller, it may really be possible now to have a large-screen mobile phone such as Apple's iPhone as your only device, as it can manage music, video web-surfing, email and even the odd phone call. And while Apple has grabbed all the headlines, manufacturers such as Nokia and Archos have been quietly turning out incredibly well-specified devices, which offer great music and video playback on the move.

When choosing a device, screen size is the obvious first choice--while a mobile phone is fine for the odd You Tube clip, for a feature-length film it's a different story. Even film director David Lynch has spoken out against the viewing of movies on phones, claiming it simply isn't a good experience. However, for TV shows or the occasional film, these devices will certainly ease those long flights. One key thing to do with any of these players is to dump the supplied headphones as soon as possible--all the models we tried were supplied with disappointing headphones, and we'd recommend investing in a decent pair from the likes of Shure or Etymotic. Here are the best portable entertainment options out there, from phones to laptops.

ARCHOS 605 WIFI

$254-$352 DEPENDING ON CAPACITY

WWW.ARCHOS.COM

Archos is undoubtedly the unsung hero of the gadget world, and for years has been battling the glitz and glamour of Apple with a range of big-screen portable video players, perfect for the long-haul traveller. The 605 Wifi is its latest and greatest, and boasts a large 10.9cm 800 x 600 pixel resolution touchscreen display. It's very impressive, and movies really do benefit from the larger screen size. It's still not really an all-encompassing experience, …