Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Review
I have had my Creative Zen Vision M for 2 years and still love it. I originally bought a Sansa e player (being an anti-iPod music lover) and enjoyed the Sansa. I was traveling internationally and wanted a second player because the battery would not last through the plane ride. This "back up" quickly became my primary mp3 device.
It is large by today's standards - jogging with this is like jogging with a brick - but it is sturdy, reliable, high quality and has survived the test of time. I now catch up on TV shows and movies on the road, by using TiVo and the Zen Converter program. Easy to use, easy to set up, great music and video - it's a great little package all around. My only other "nit" is that the menu navigation can be a bit touchy.
I thought the 30 Meg size would be a limitation. I have yet to fill this puppy past the 85% mark. I use Napster and am constantly filling it / exchanging music. I also have at least 15 audio books and 20 1 hour recorded seminars. At least 10 hours of movies / videos. Still can't fill the dang thing.
I was initially concerned about battery life, especially with the funky exchange program with the iPod. With constant use (at least 10 hours a week) the battery is still going strong. I bought a power supply with international adapters, so I can recharge it from anywhere in the world. I use a set of portable speakers (my favorite is the HMDX set from Bed, Bath and Beyond) and am never bored where ever I am.
My husband now enjoys the Sansa e for his own use. At first, it was a challenge to synchronize it with Rhapsody but that settled down once I started using Media Player. I recently purchased a Sansa Clip, but that is for exercise only because I am tired of running with a brick.
Net, net - If you are thinking about buying a Vision M used, or buying another Creative product, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend Napster and Media Player. Both have been extremely reliable for managing all of my music needs.
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Feature
- 30 GB multimedia device holds tens of thousands of photos, up to 120 hours of videos, or 15,000 songs
- 2.5-inch, high definition LCD screen features a 320x240 resolution and hundreds of thousands of colors
- Supports many video formats, such as AVI, DivX 4 and 53, XviD4, MPEG-1, -2, -SP, WMV9, and Motion-JPEG
- Integrated FM radio and recorder, voice recorder
- Measures 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.7 inches and weighs 5.7 ounces
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Overview
Creative's Zen Vision: M is the ultimate player for people who want to enjoy music and movies on the go. This stylish, versatile system features an advanced 2.5-inch high-resolution color screen that can display movies! The Zen Vision: M's rechargeable battery delivers playtimes up to four hours with video and music. For live entertainment or capturing those special moments there's also a built-in FM radio and voice recorder. The Zen Vision: M supports popular music, video and photo formats. It can also be connected to the TV to share images and videos with friends and family.
Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (White) Specifications
In its own right, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a very capable digital audio player, video player, photo viewer, FM radio, and more. Indeed, one could go on and on about how it has the right specifications to make it a constant companion for entertainment on the go. The really big news about this device, though, is that it's the first device to boast complete compatibility with Amazon Unbox, the new digital video and music download service from Amazon.com.
The Zen Vision:M has the features, ease-of-use, and power to become your constant media companion. See the Vison:M interactive demo. |
Let's get things out in the open. The Apple iPod is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to the digital media player business and, unavoidably, every other device is measured against it. In most respects, the Vision:M matches up pretty well, and there are few things you may even like better. Length and width dimensions are exactly the same at 4.1 and 2.4 inches respectively. When it comes to girth, though, the iPod has the Vision:M beat; the Vision:M is .7 inches thick, while the iPod measures .4 inches. The Vision:M is slightly heavier, too. These details aside, the Vision:M feels comfortable, yet sturdy, in the hand, with curved surfaces in all the right places.
Creative takes a somewhat different approach with the Vision:M's controls, answering the iPod's Click Wheel with a vertical touch pad--which allows you to scroll up and down menus and control volume--plus four buttons that offer navigation through the user interface. The contextual menu button on the bottom right is a welcome addition, allowing you to make quick settings changes and view information about media files on the fly--functions that are more cumbersome on an iPod. Creative could have made the buttons a bit more sensitive--they require a firm press that gives an overall feeling of clunkiness to an otherwise well-designed user interface. Another annoyance is the touch pad's over-sensitivity; it's easy to make selections unintentionally, sending you on a wild ride through the user interface.
The Vision:M's screen, which measures 2.5 inches diagonally, offers sharp details, vibrant color, and excellent response with little or no video ghosting during high-action sequences. The 320 x 240 resolution is to be expected from a device this size, and although it's small, you'll likely have no trouble enjoying video while you're sitting on the subway or a flight, or in the back-seat of a car. Our only nitpick was the screen's less than stellar viewing angle, especially when compared side-by-side with a video iPod. While this can be good for maintaining privacy, the narrow viewing angle also means that friends beside you will struggle to see anything other than a black screen.
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The Vision:M's music organization scheme is standard fare; you can browse playlists, artists, tracks, albums, and genres. Equalizer settings are robust, with a nice range of automatic settings, plus a custom equalizer that's easy to control. The music library's "DJ" function is a nice touch, allowing you to listen to your most popular tracks. It can also pull up the tunes you listen to least frequently--in case you've got some forgotten tunes lying around on the Vision:M's 30 GB hard drive. Sound quality is everything you'd expect from a top shelf digital audio player, and DRM'd Windows Media files played without a hitch. The device fully supports a whole range of "PlaysForSure" download and subscription services, such as Napster and Yahoo Music. Creative also ships a CD-ripping and music transfer application called MediaSource with the Vision:M.
Playback of Windows Media DRM'd video files (WMV9) was also hassle-free. Purchased videos delivered crisp colors and detail, with no frame drops. Video playback consumes a lot of power, bringing Creative's claim of four hours of video playback into serious doubt. Expect under three hours when watching videos continuously. Thankfully, if you need to come back to your video later the Vision:M's software remembers the timecode of where you left off--unless you power the device down between viewing sessions. In addition to protected and unprotected WMV files, the Vision:M can play MPEG 1/2/4, Motion-JPEG, DivX 4 and 5, and XviD formats, making it a very flexible device with respect to encoding options.
The Vision:M can also store thousands of photos, letting you browse through them or set up a slideshow. The device's TV-out option comes in handy here, as you can present slideshows on a TV or projector. Videos can be displayed this way, too. An FM radio with easy preset tuning functions and great signal reception, plus a voice recorder feature, round out the extra media features. There's also a handy tool to format a portion of the drive for use as a USB 2.0 mass storage device, letting you set aside up to 16 GB for data storage.
Connectivity and Synchronization
A Creative Sync Adapter ships in the box with the Vision:M, making it a snap to connect the device to a USB 2.0-capable PC. With the connection made, Windows XP recognized the device right off the bat and Windows Media Player immediately asked us if we wanted to load the PC's music onto the Vision:M. Music management and synchronization has come a long way on the PC, and the experience of organizing and transferring music to and from the Vision:M was, barring a few curious click-through boxes, pretty seamless. The Vision:M also supports synchronization of your Outlook contacts, calendar, and tasks, in case you want to use it as a personal organizer of sorts.
Amazon Unbox Integration
To be truly successful, the Vision:M has to be more than a great media device, it has to integrate with Amazon Unbox and make the process feel like second nature. Although the Vision:M was tested using a beta version of Amazon Unbox, things are looking good already. Amazon Unbox and the Vision:M go together like peas in a pod, making the process of purchasing, downloading, and enjoying content on the go a real cinch. The Amazon Unbox Video Player, which queues, downloads, organizes, and plays your purchased movies and TV shows, recognized the Vision:M right off the bat. An icon for the Vision:M appears in the devices panel of the application, and you can immediately begin transferring downloaded content to the device. Once you're all loaded up, the Vision:M offers a great way to bring Amazon Unbox entertainment along for the ride.
Pros
- Crisp, vibrant color screen is great for video
- Generous video format compatibility
- Excellent sound quality and music management functions
- Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
- Finicky controls for some functions
- Slightly more bulky than other competitors
Creative ZEN Vision:M, earphones, Sync Adapter, USB 2.0 cable, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD that includes Creative MediaSource and Creative Media Explorer software. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 28, 2009 18:10:05
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