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"Excellent Player"
4.5 starson by hombredenievaPros: Design, Look, Feel
Cons: Buttons are a bit stiff
Summary: This is the best player I have ever owned, I previously owned a 4th gen Ipod and although I must admit the Ipod wheel was very easy to use, to get a player which is compatible with subscription services and can display video in a much more robust fashion than the ipod video, I feel I have gotten the most bang for my buck. I hooked this player up with rhapsody to go and I am having a blast.
The only things I do not love about the player are the stiff buttons, how sometimes the system will lag for 5 seconds when you go to view photos, since they are stored in a different fashion than on the ipod and how it is a little more complicated than the ipod user interface, but I feel in time it will allow me to use the player in the most effective fashion possible. These three reasons made me rate it as a 9 instead of a 10, but this is an excellent device and not to mention it looks awesome!
Also, the Ipod is much more slimmer and sleek then the zen, but the zen also packs under the hood an fm tuner and the ability to play back 4 hrs of video 2x the amount of the ipod, which makes you realize that if you watch one video, such as a full-length movie, you are out of juice for the day if you are away from an outlet. Yes, you may never use the fm tuner, but I'd have to say, it's nice to know it's there and to have a bit of extra juice to listen to music after watching a movie, such as on a long flight!Updated
If you are reading this review, you are either here to bash an excellent product because you love apple products, or you are here unsure of which product to buy, The 5th Generation Ipod, or the Creative Zen Vision M.
In terms of features and usability this product is far superior to the ipod video. The screen is more robust in terms of displaying richer colors. I must admit, I enjoy how simple and easy the apple interface is combined with its touchwheel and bundled software package for I previously owned a 4th Gen Ipod and have tested the Ipod Video, but if you subscribe to rhapsody to go or another subscription service, this allows you to get your money's worth out of the player. The touchpad is very responsive, the system is beautiful, the audio quality is excellent, the video playback is beautiful, although as with any video playing at 30fps (frames per second), the equivalent of the ipod, you can notice some artifacts at a distance on a video that displays a far away shot of a person ie in the ocean in a boat. If you think of this also happening on a small television, the result would be the same. The battery life is 4 hours long for video, twice the length of the ipod video, this comes in handy for long trips away from the outlet, you can watch a movie, and have time to listen to a few albums as well! This player also has an FM tuner, which may come in handy someday, although I may never use it, it's nice to know it's there!
Bottom Line:
Cons:
Not as easy to use as the ipod video
Thicker than ipod video
Firmer buttons than ipod video
Inability to display the ITune's video format
5 second loading time to view photos
Bizzare adapter which must be plugged into the bottom of the player, similar to the ipod connector. Previous zen products had the usb port on the actual player, but they did this to allow video out to a television set and you can also charge through it as well, therefore it is a small price to pay for a highly functional little adapter.
Pros:
Compatibility with subscription services
Diverse format support:
DivX™ 4 & 55, XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9 and Motion-JPEG
Excellent Video Playback
Does Not Scratch
FM Radio
Long Battery Life
Beautiful Device
- 13 replies to this review
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I was wondering how difficult it is to download podcast with vision. In the last couple of month, I have really enjoyed downloading some radio podcasts with itunes, which is really easy. I was wondering what ones options are with creative. I saw that creative does have podcast site, but it seems not be as extensive as itunes. <br><br>Thanks for the input.<br><br>EB
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Hey how do add movies, from where can i download them or do i have to buy the dvd ata store, save it on the computer , then put it on the mp3? what websites(like itunes) can i download movies for the player? please write back, i would greatly appreciate.
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Hey--<br>Based on the research this beats ipod.<br><br>But can someone tell me if I can create playlists on my computer and then drag and drop them onto the Zen like I'm supposed to be able to with an ipod?<br><br>Thanks!
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if you have this little "burdon" adapter that everyone is complaining about, there is only one output on the bottom of the player instead of like 3 or 4, so if a part of the switch starts to short out, you would just replace the little adapter and have the need to send your whole player in for servicing. pretty smart if i do say so myself.
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Thanks for the review. Very helpful!<br><br>I'm just wondering about listening to the device through an FM radio. I know it has an FM tuner, but does it work as a transmitter also? Thanks again!
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the onlything aboutthe review is that it is not creativs fault they cant display itunes video format. it is because apple is so narrow minded and are not allowing anybody to use their format. and because they are doing this france is passing a law requiring apple to let other companies to use their format or they will not be allowed to sell stuff in france. <br><br>apple created a monopoly and in case you havent been to seventh grade history that is illegal. i hate ipods with a passion.
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If you own a Vision:M or any other Creative player, there is a great new forum with tons of news and information.<br><br>Join http://www.epizenter.net/news.php
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really appreciate your thoughts
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I'm going to buy my first MP3 player and I decided in favour of Zen Vision:M too. I always do careful research before buying electronics and thorough reviews like yours help me in it. Thank you!<br><br>As far as iPod fans, don't pay attention to their flames. They can't stand when people buy anything but iPod. Still can't understand what's the big deal about it - this is just an MP3 player. Somebody need to relax <img border="0" src="http://www.cnet.com/i/mb/emoticons/happy.gif" alt=":)">
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But I am sticking with my 60 gig ipod. For 70 dollars more I got the same battery life, much sleeker and thinner look, and the ability to sync with iTunes which is a blessing that makes the loss of a FM tuner livable....
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Japan, often referred to as "the great imitators", is especially good at doing just that. And the Sony Zen, is just the latest proof. But they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so Apple I guess, should be flattered. You would think that a company like Sony, long known for it's innovation, could come up with an mp3 player that didn't steal from a tried and true AMERICAN design, but that obviously is not the case. Not only is the Zen an almost identical copy, abeit the click wheel, but it a more costly knock off to boot! <br><br>The list for 3rd party support of the iPod reads like a who's who in the electronics world, further adding to Americas love affair with the iPod and there doesn't seem to be any signs that the trend to support this little white (or black) device is going to wane in the near future. Add to the growing list, the fact that The Chrysler Group today announced that it plans to offer full iPod integration as an option in most of its 2006 models, with over three million Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge cars offering iPod connectivity this year, and Clarion has announced new car multimedia units with iPod connectivity. Clarions new devices offer full-featured control and functionality of the iPod interface, according to the company, it's doubtful that Apple has ANY thing to worry about from ANY mp3 maker for that matter.<br>The latest and greatest MP3 players shown at this week’s CES event in Las Vegas are unlikely to make a dent in the iPod’s market share, according to one Wall Street analyst. In a research note, Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster details his view of what he saw. “Yesterday we attended the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and examined the newest MP3 players from various manufacturers. While we found that there are several more legitimate devices out now vs. what we saw at last year’s CES,” Munster notes, “we still believe Apple has the market beat in: 1) form factor, 2) intuitive user interface, and 3) cool factor. We expect the iPod will continue to dominate the market in 2006.”<br><br>So, Sony...wake up and smell the coffee. They'll NEVER have the 3rd party support that iPod has or the COOL factor! iPod is on the way to becoming another AMERICAN icon. Ultimately, the American people have spoken as to what mp3 player is most popular and will continue to decide because of innovation, design and functionality and support, and there ain't SQUAT Sony can do about it! :o)
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I would pay $330 for that products because it comes with the power adapter and longer battery life. Ipod sells alot because the popularity but the inside is bad as sony's walkman.
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Thanks for your intelligent comments. I appreciate a well written review & this is certainly one. Thanks again!<br><br><br>And for the people who are bashing and don't have the product....grow up, you are wasting webspace & our time!
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