Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Green) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had my Zen M for about 2 months now so I think I have a good feel for what it's pros and cons are. Here you go:
Pros: Beautiful and Bright Screen (displays thousands of more colors than the Ipod video by the way). Even at 50% brightness (which is default setting out of the box) it looks bright!
Ability to Customize most of the features. This includes being able to set your own photos for the wallpaper, custom equilizer, custom brightnes setting, custom shortcut button, organization of folders(audio, photo, video folders)...etc.
Great Sound! This isn't a surprise because Creative develops sound hardware/software like soundcards.
Good User Interface: The thumb scroller interface takes a few days to get used to, then it's pretty user friendly. You can customize the sensitivity of it too.
Ability to play lots of different video files like Divx and Mpg4.
This was a big selling point for me. The screen is perfect for watching cartoons and anime on.
Good Size. I'm refering to it's physical size. It's actually the perfect size and feels great in your hand. Still pocketable and still feels rock solid and not fragile.
Displays Album cover art! I had trouble with this function in the beginning only because in order to get it to display the album art correctly, you need to rip the Cd album with a program that automatically downloads album info including art. One program that does this is Windows Media Player.
--For the techies that don't want to re-rip everything to get the album art to display, just download a small jpeg image of the album cover that is about 150 by 150 pixels, rename it folder.jpg, make it a hidden file and place it in the folder of the correct album. When you move it to your player it will ask you whether you want to move it to the photo folder, make sure you select "no" and leave it where it is.
Cons: There isn't a lot about this player that is negative. But one aspect which is really annoying is that to charge it or plug it to the computer you have to use this tiny seperate adapter that comes in the box. It's the white adapter/attachment that looks like a dock connector. What the heck were they thinking! I have to carry the separate item everywhere I go just in case I need to charge it or upload music. It sucks man! Why the heck didn't they just build all of the ports into the player itself!!
Also, they should've included the video output cable instead of selling it separately! Or at least made it use a standard video cable! Also, the battery is not removable... at least not meant to be.
These are the only reasons why I gave this player 4 out of 5 stars. Otherwise I would have given 5 out of 5! All in All this player really rocks and is worth every penny! ... and is a much better buy then the "other" competition out there.
Hope this is helpful to you guys. If it is, please give me a vote. Thanks!
For more electronics and technology reviews, visit my site at:
http://newtechnews.blogspot.com/

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Green)

Creative Labs' ZEN Vision:M is the fusion of music, photos and video into one compact player. With its 30GB of storage you can store up to 15,000 songs, and up to 120 hours of video. Use it as a portable storage device, for sharing all your audio, video and photos easily. In between listening and viewing session you can hear the top songs on the FM tuner. Sync your player's personal organizer with Microsoft Outlook to transfer your calendar, contacts and task list so you won't miss your important appointments and anniversaries. Watch TV, film and video clips on the LCD monitor -- or connect the Zen Vision:M to a TV and enjoy video that's larger than life. Photo formats -JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP Video Playback -Up to 4 hoursSyncs with and views Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar & Tasks 8 EQ settings -Acoustic, Classical, Disco, Jazz, New Age, Pop, Rock and Vocal Contacts, calendar and tasks Repeat, resume, and random play Sleep and wake timers Outputs -TV-out with stereo audio; 3.5 mm mini-jack composite Battery life -Up to 14 hours (Charge time -6.5 hours USB, 2.5 hours AC) Dimensions(WxHxD) -4.1 x 2.4 x 0.7Weight -5.7 oz.

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Creative Zen 32 GB Portable Media Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great choice for those people who previously limited their flash players to workout duty, or only holding a small piece of their large music collection and having to change the music on it every so often. With a 16GB capacity most people can fit their entire collection on here without difficulty, and even have room for some videos.
First impressions of this player are very good. It is extremely appealing to the eye, everyone who sees it will ask about it. It is about the size of a credit card, just thicker (less than 1/2inch). The front is a very glossy black plastic that looks great until you touch it, instantly covering it with fingerprints :) The back is a rough, cheaper feeling black plastic. Overall it has a nice solid weight and feel to it, but not very heavy. This will easily fit in a pocket.
The 2.5" screen is absolutely gorgeous. Very bright with vivid colors. The viewing angle is very good, two people can easily look at the screen at the same time while watching a movie for example. The menus are all nicely animated and intuitive to navigate. The icons and text are big clear and easy to read.
One of the big perks to having so much capacity is plenty of room for videos. This was one of the first things I've tested as it was a big reason for my purchase. First of all it DOES play Amazon Unbox videos perfectly. Transferring files was very easy (just a few clicks) and very quick. The quality of the video was great as well. The max size of videos is apparently 320x240, I have not been able to get it to play anything larger than that. If the video is smaller (for example widescreen) you have the option of playing it at the correct aspect ratio, or fill the screen (stretched out). I've gotten it to play videos encoded in Xvid and WMV format. Xvid files were encoded with AutoGK, and the WMV files were encoded with Arcsoft MediaConverter. If you synchronize with Windows Media Player, you can put in *almost any* video file and it will automatically convert the file into WMV format and then transfer to the player. How long it takes to convert depends on the type of video you're encoding, how big the file is and of course the speed of your computer.
Music sounds very good on this player, but please... get rid of the stock headphones they are horrible. Using a decent pair of headphones makes a HUGE difference. The EQ options are OK, there are about a half dozen presets and a customizable EQ. The "Bass Boost" option just made it worse in my opinion, it just distorted the sound. Otherwise it is a very even and balanced sound, very similar to the Vision:M.
The FM radio has a whopping 32 presets and the reception is pretty good. Strong stations are in stereo, weaker ones come in mono. I haven't had a chance to test out the built-in mic.
I easily transferred music and playlists onto this player from Windows Media Player and MediaMonkey, as well as protected music (WMA) from Napster. Everything was very easy, usually just dragging and dropping. The speed of transfer is probably the fastest I've seen. I've used this player on XP Home and on Vista Premium 64-bit.
Regarding the SD cards. I think its only a slight inconvenience that the memory card media isn't directly integrated with the other content. Meaning if you have videos on the SD card you don't go to the "Video" menu where all the other videos are, you have to access them through the "Memory Card" menu. Once there, you browse through the file structure like normal. If you organize the content smartly on your cards you should have no problem. And really its a small price to pay for that feature. Currently SDHC cards are up to 16GB in capacity, meaning you could double the capacity and carry around 32GB worth of content in your pocket. Amazing. I tested a Kingston 512MB SD Card and a Kingston 2GB microSD card (with adapter of course) and they were recognized and played the content without difficulty.
A quick note about the firmware. Mine came with 1.10.05. When my player turns off, it really turns off. With newer firmwares when it turns off it goes into a sleep mode for a while before it finally turns all the way off. What that means is with the older firmware each time you turn it on it has to "boot" all over again, whereas with the newer firmware you get an "instant-on" at the expense of slightly reduced battery life (since it is asleep and not off). Something to consider before you decide to upgrade the firmware.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Zen 32 GB Portable Media Player (Black)

This credit card-sized ZEN has a stunning 2.5-inch color screen and is perfect for music, videos, and photos. Enjoy up to 8,000 MP3, WMA, or AAC songs; watch up to 120 hours of videos; and share hundreds of photos with your friends. Even expand your portable music, video, or photo collection by adding additional content through the convenient SD memory slot. The ZEN player also is available in 2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities.

Credit Card-Sized Player Supports 16.7 Million Colors View your album art, videos, and photos on this 2.5-inch razor-sharp TFT display. Your favorite photos will burst to life in 16.7 million colors on the fresh, new ZEN-patented user interface. The TFT display works under sunlight and allows everyone to watch your home videos and vacation slideshows from any angle.

Truly a Multimedia Player ZEN is the first Creative player to support the unprotected AAC format, so you can enjoy all your favorite CD tracks that you've ripped through iTunes software. ZEN also supports iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes store, in addition to MP3 and WMA music tracks. It is also compatible with music subscription services such as Napster To Go and Rhapsody.

ZEN also supports audio books from Audible.com. Download your favorite books to keep everyone entertained on long road trips, or download daily news reports every morning and listen to the news during your morning commute.

Watch purchased or rented movies and TV shows from online services like Amazon Unbox. Share home videos, or load your TivoToGo recorded movies and TV shows.

Plus, share your collections of latest photos in 16.7 million colors. Instantly turn your slideshows into attention-grabbing multimedia extravaganzas by adding your favorite song to the slideshow.

Expandable Memory Need more space? Add additional storage capacity with the built-in SD slot and easily play new music, videos, or photos on your player. With SD cards to go, carry virtually unlimited amounts of your digital library, anywhere you go.

FM Radio In between your tunes, use the built-in FM radio to keep yourself up-to-date on world events, sports scores, or traffic reports. Or tune in to the program airing on the gym's TV while running on the treadmill.

Battery Life Enjoy up to 30 hours of your songs or 5 hours of video on a single charge--over a full day of music. Or 10 episodes of Scrubs!

What's in the Box Creative ZEN 32 GB player, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, installation CD, and quick start guide.

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Panasonic SL-CT582V Portable CD Player with MP3 Playback Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the SL-CT582V after much research on current available portable cd players. I was mainly interested in a cd player, as I prefer my music uncompressed. I have a couple of Sony portables and an Iriver portable lying around the house. I've never owned a Panasonic, and after doing some research I decided to try one. Boy, what I have been missing. None of my portable players sounded as good out of the box as the SL-CT582V. In fact, it sounds better than good. It sounds great. I just use the normal EQ setting and any genre of music I throw in it sounds superb. I've tried the other eq's and they seem to work great. I just prefer the normal setting. I haven't had the sound setting past 10 yet, and on some newer cd's I turn it down to 8. It's nice to know though, that when I want it loud, I can have it loud. This is the best sounding portable player (my iPod included) that I've owned to date.
The player is well constructed and durable. It feels great when holding it, and just as great to look at. I really like the design and style of the player. The buttons are very easy to use and navigate. When you go to make an adjustment with one of the buttons, it just feels natural.
The player comes with a lineout albeit through the included remote. I would rather see a lineout coming directly from the player. However, you can play it through your stereo, car, and digital recorder if so desired. The remote is a nice feature. It is well constructed and includes the basic functions of the player. The clip on the remote appears to be quite sturdy. It also comes with an external battery pack for extended play. The headphones that come with the unit I haven't tried. I use my porta pro's.
The player also supports mp3's if you like listening to sub par audio. MP3's hurt my ears. Now, once in a while I will make an mp3 disk to sample some music. In that instance, I would like to see ID3 tags supported in the future. I would also love to see a playlist feature supported in the future as well.
The AM/FM feature is huge plus for me. I love being able to listen to a ball game from time to time and the AM feature allows me to do this. It also comes with several play modes as well.
In my opinion, if you want a portable audiophile system, then do purchase the SL-CT582v and a pair of porta pro's and you'll have one at your fingertips. I do.
I want to mention the "Digital Re-master" function for playing mp3's. What this function does is regenerate lost frequencies due to mp3 compression methods. I tried it on some live recordings I have, along with a test of my own from one of my cd's. I have to say I am quite impressed and excited about this feature. It seems to do what it says and does it quite well. I still prefer uncompressed, but for the mp3's I do have, you can't get any closer to the original file using this function.
The battery life also seems to work as advertized. I'm goin on two weeks and several hours a day on original batteries.
Enjoy. I am.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic SL-CT582V Portable CD Player with MP3 Playback

Panasonic's ultra-slim SL-CT582V CD player is less than an inch thick, offering pocket sizing, remote-control operation, and the ability to play not just standard CDs, but recordable CDs filled with MP3 audio files. Not to mention amazingly long battery life (up to 141 hours) and reliable anti-skip protection. Panasonic's No-Skip technology is designed to reduce or eliminate CD skipping during most use--there's even backup memory to cover extreme bumps. There's even a digital-synthesized FM radio with 30 station presets so you'll never be more than a button press away from your favorite stations.The player runs on 2 AAA batteries and comes with an external battery case to hold an additional 2 AA batteries (no batteries are supplied). When using both pairs of batteries, the player will run for 141 continuous hours with MP3 CDs and up to 75 hours playing standard audio CDs.At the core of the SL-CT582V's sound is Panasonic's advanced D.sound technology, which comprises 4 chief components: a digital amplifier (which helps reduce distortion and bring you crystal-clear sound--even at high listening levels), S-XBS super bass boost, Digital Audio Gain Control (which helps improve bass response at high levels), and MP3 Re-master technology (which restores through simulation lost fidelity in your compressed MP3 music files).Playback options include 20-track programming, repeat (track or disc), and random play, and a 3-preset equalizer so you can tailor the sound to your preference. A hold function prevents unintended interruptions in playback and saves batteries by negating playback when the player is stopped. The player does not include an AC power adapter.What's in the Box CD player, WrapIt stereo headphones, an external battery case, a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Old School Style High Performance Portable Music System with Ipod Slot Review

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(More customer reviews)I will share Gizmodo's sentiment about this product 100%. This booooombox doesn't have to sound like a Harmon Kardon system. All it has to do is look good next to cardboard and play N.W.A., Nolan Thomas, Warren G and Kenny Loggins the way they were meant to be heard. That, it does.
It does take 10 "D" cell batteries, and I found that you can find a pack of 10 at Target for about $9 if you hunt around, AND you can prolong the life of the batteries if you make sure to switch the AC/DC switch on the back to AC when you are not using it. Otherwise the clock (any "sleep mode" functions) will suck the battery life down. That or it all transferred to the iPod. I'm not sure - just make sure to flip that switch.
It even comes in a huge box you could cut up and breakdance on.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Old School Style High Performance Portable Music System with Ipod Slot

The beautiful Lasonic i931 is a portable music system in true retro ghetto blaster style. The i931 features playback of MP3s via an iPod dock, usb port, or SD/MMC card slot. In addition, the i931 has AM/FM radio, remote, mic input, and bass and treble EQ controls. The system is capable of blasting out 15 watts per channel through separate woofers and tweeters. Headphone jack output Radio function (AM/ FM) Large text display on LCD Full function remote controls Separate bass and treble controls Many adjustable features in menu Accurately real time clock display Volume level indication (LED) Powerful Audio Output USB slot compatible Support USB flash drive and SD/MMC card to playback MP3 files iPod control available for playback, charging and interaction Mic Mix with /ECHO VOL Max power 15W x 2 Dimension (mm):650 x 166 x 365

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Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30 GB MP3 Player Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first started looking for a portable jukebox, I--like everybody else--was drooling for an iPod. Then I did my research, and here's why I decided on the Zen Jukebox Xtra: (1) the iPod battery is not user-replaceable, you have to pay $60 for a two-year Apple plan in order to get it replaced, and you have to send the unit back to them to get it replaced (evidently it starts losing its charge about six months into ownership); (2) huge storage space--I have my entire CD collection on it plus a whole bunch of downloaded tracks at high quality and I've still only used half the space; (3) sound quality is fabulous, especially if you spring for a decent pair of headphones. As far as durability goes, granted I haven't passed the dreaded 90-day-warranty mark, but it goes with me trail-running daily (because of other reviews I've read, I hold it in my hand over rough spots so it doesn't get jostled too much) and in the car on long drives a few times a week. I've also dropped it from a pretty good height with no damage. My one complaint? No support for MP4. BUT...you can upgrade the firmware to be Real Player compatible (their downloads are only 49 cents) and I've found the process easily done. Good tech support as well. I just don't think there's a better value for the money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30 GB MP3 Player

Featuring a large, hi-res, blue backlit LCD, the NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra builds on the industry-leading music features of the NOMAD Jukebox Zen product line.

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Olympus m:robe MR-100 Digital Music Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, lets kick this off with how I wound up buying the M:Robe 100, over everything else. I broke into the world of mp3 players with a 128mb Iriver. Nothing special, but despite being a cheap player, it offered alot,(like the AM/FM Radio, which some high end players lack) and like I said, it was cheap. Anyway, about a year or so passed, and I saw the new mp3 players, and wanted somthing more.
I wanted at least a gig, and I didn't want to spend a fortune on it. So, for whatever reason I wound up checking a Radio shack today, for a good, affordable player.
Ipod..too pricy and "fad fitting", all in one multimedia players, far too expensive and bulky, and then I saw it. This little jet black thing, sitting in the display, with the marked price of 99 dollars. I also noted how much it could hold, which was 5 gig. I asked to see it a few seconds later, after confirming the price, and I was shocked. Not only was it the cheapest 5 gig player I'd seen yet, but it had SERIOUS STYLE. That jet black, turned into a mix of red and black, when it turned on, and when I used it. It had a touchpad control system, it came with a dock, USB2 cable, headphones, AC adaptor...I mean.
Would you have passed it up?
Anyway, I got home ASAP and began to tinker with my new toy. First things I did were, aside from installing the software, downloading and upgrading the firmware and software. Firmware was already updated though. I realized though, this thing had some drawbacks a few hours later.
For one, it's max volume, while being fine for me, may not be for others, who like to blast the sound so loud, that people around them hear it for miles. Secondly, the touchpad makes it very hard to keep this thing in a pocket and switch tracks or change settings, and the sensitivity of the interface became easy after about 20 minutes of learning the quirks of the player. My only other personal gripe is the battery. I am a tad annoyed I bought a player that doesn't have a user swappable battery. So now, when this thing runs out of charges, I hope that I can get another battery, otherwise, I'm out a very nice mp3 player.
However...these are minor, as the one huge flaw, is the crappy software you get, that MUST be used to sync and transfer music to the M:Robe. M-trip, is a peice of crap, no joke. It locks, it's slow at times, and often will not do what it's supposed to. Now I don't really like Itunes either, being a fan of the simple "drag and drop like a harddrive" concept. You can drag and drop files to it, but you can't play them with the player, unless you do the adding and syncing with M-trip. Some people here didn't mention that, this player can be used as an external harddrive...which can be useful, if you only use up 1 or two gig. You still have a good 2.5 gig or so left free, so why not throw stuff on it?
I already tested it, by transporting a huge 3.8 gig file, and it worked great. Not to mention the transfer speed on files, and the music, is very fast. Even on USB1, it's faster then other mp3 player transfers.
So you have a few minor complaints, and one very large one. It still doesn't sink this ship though. The M:Robe 100 is fantastic, and the best bang for your buck, if you want a nice mp3 player, that works well at playing songs, and looks great.
Trust me, the Ipod and Zen might look cool, but this thing will amaze people more, as it REALLY lights up, and not to mention, it's smaller then most models out there, but works comfortably enough for the size. It's no Ipod killer, but it was never intended to be one. What you have here is, somthing that's new, fresh, and I have no doubt, you'll see clones of this model, made by all sorts of companies.
Only other thing I can say, is get a case from the offical site...because as it was stated, this thing scratches up pretty easy. If you really do hate the interface that much though, you could buy the remote there too, but thats like 50 dollars, and really, practice with the interface will allow you to use it, without even looking at the thing.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus m:robe MR-100 Digital Music Player

Let the music play anywhere you go with this sleek, stylish music player. At home or on the go, enjoy over 1,200 of your favorite tunes with 5GB of internal storage and even sing along - word for word - using the Lyrics feature. Easily import any music files directly from a PC using the high-speed USB 2.0 connection, and customize the m:robe and navigate the menu with the simple illuminated touch panel.m - trip software automatically launches once USB connection is established for easy online music purchasing or file transferring to/from your PC View the tracklists of your favorite albums or the lyrics of your favorite songs on the brightly lit display Music List display lets you select music tracks for playback from Favorites, Recently Played, My Top 20, Tracks with Lyrics and Unplayed Tracks categories Play tracks in Repeat mode or in Random order Adjust the volume equalizer to listen to the genre of music you selected in the manner you prefer External headphone jack Headphone extension cable HOLD switch prevents unintentional operation of the m - robe while carried in a pocket or bag Specify the date and time, select your language of choice and more with the ability to edit device settings Bright battery indicator keeps you up-to-date on your m - robe 100's battery Also functions as an external hard drive for data storage Up to 8 hours (WMA) or 12 hours (MP3) continuous playback battery time Dimensions -2 (w) x 3.5 (h) x 0.5 (d) Weight -100g (3.5 oz.)

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