Creative Zen Vision:M in stores now

Bard

The Creative Zen Vision:M is now available in retail outlets. Initially, there'll be very limited stock of it (only 60 for the whole country - so we got 3 where I work - in Harvey Norman, Dundalk - 1 is for display, another has been sold already - so we're down to 1 available for sale) - and it's only the black ones that are available as yet... but in February, stocks of them will start to flow properly in larger volumes.

Retail price is €358.99 ( a euro cheaper than the iPod 30GB )

I've played around with it a bit and Creative really have produced a top class piece of kit in this. Physically, it's not that much thicker than the iPod - and it feels better. Plus, it will hold up to 120 hours of video ... which is nice ... Battery life is better too, with 14 hours of audio playback or 4 hours of video playback and in-built support for MPEG (1/2/4), DivX, XviD, and WMV video files plus WMA (with DRM), MP3, and WAV audio files.

Lack of support for FLAC, OGG and other (lesser used) formats and lack of a line-in recorder is a pity - but not a major drawback for what is, overall, a pretty impressive player!

jones

In relation to my last thread about the best mp3 player with a radio the Creative Zen Vision:M has jumped straight to the front!
has anyone any experience with it??

i'm stuck between this and the iaudio X5L 30gig!!!

decisions decisions

Bard

If I was buying now, and choosing between this and an X5, I'd be very tempted by the Creative.

If video is *at all* a attractive feature for you, I'd say the Creative, with it's 2.5" screen, is a better buy.

Tusky

Should all shops have them in ? i.e Peats etc ? Have to pick one of these up tomorrow if thats the case. Heard anything about the software bard ? How does the device feel ? Good build quality? Heavy ? sorry about all the questions

Bard

All the shops should have them today or tomorrow, yes... they're being distributed at the moment but, as I said, there's only 60 of them in the country and they're being evenly distributed among selected stores throughout Ireland - leaving each store with a small-ish allocation of 2-3 units each... and most stores won't sell one of them, as the next deliveries of them will probably not be for a while, so they'll have one to use as a demo model while they take pre-orders from customers for the next batch.

I played around a bit with one today. The build quality on it is top-notch. It's a bit thicker than the iPod but it looks and feels like it's probably the best quality and best featured MP3 player Creative have built yet. It's also lighter than I expected. I didn't try putting any files onto it and I haven't yet installed the software of our demo model onto a PC - as I was too busy today in work, so I can't comment on that. I'll probably install it tomorrow if it's not too busy.

jones

Bard wrote:

If I was buying now, and choosing between this and an X5, I'd be very tempted by the Creative.

If video is *at all* a attractive feature for you, I'd say the Creative, with it's 2.5" screen, is a better buy.

that is a very good point the larger screen is definitely a bit of an issue - not that i'll be watching films on it or anything!!! decisions decisions just when i'd decided to get the iaudio this comes along ha

jones

i'm going to go with this bad boy €359 in Peats isnt too bad (especially when i'll be using vouchers too) now the only question is what colour??
i think peats only have black in at the moment can anyone confirm this??

Bard

jones wrote:

i'm going to go with this bad boy €359 in Peats isnt too bad (especially when i'll be using vouchers too) now the only question is what colour??
i think peats only have black in at the moment can anyone confirm this??

Yes, like all stores in Ireland, they'll only have black for the moment - and only 2 or 3 of them at that.

jones

yeah i am caught between black and white...when do you think white would be available??? i know in the ipods case the black version is a lot smudier than the white one if you know what i mean i wonder is it the same case with the vision

muckwarrior

Well there wouldn't be much of a choice for me tbh. The black is the only one that doesn't look gay!

jones

it looks sweet alright but so does white!! probabl get the black one though

Bard

jones wrote:

yeah i am caught between black and white...when do you think white would be available???

I'm expecting them to get to retail outlets in early February.

i know in the ipods case the black version is a lot smudier than the white one if you know what i mean i wonder is it the same case with the vision

I'm not sure what you mean by "smudier". "smudgier?" Scratches and fingerprints on the surface are easier to see on the black iPod than they are on the white. This isn't an issue on the Zen Vision:M, as it isn't a full glass surface on it like the iPod has, but a tough matt finish, so it doesn't get as easily scratched or smudged...

Mind you, the screen on our display model Zen Vision:M already has a couple of small scratches, so it's well worth considering getting a case or silicon skin (something like a zCover case - I'm sure they'll be bringing out a Zen Vision:M cover at some stage soon - they have X5 ones ) - something that will protect the screen anyway...

jones

Bard wrote:

I'm expecting them to get to retail outlets in early February.

I'm not sure what you mean by "smudier". "smudgier?" Scratches and fingerprints on the surface are easier to see on the black iPod than they are on the white. This isn't an issue on the Zen Vision:M, as it isn't a full glass surface on it like the iPod has, but a tough matt finish, so it doesn't get as easily scratched or smudged...

yep i meant smudgier!! i just heard it was a problem with black ipods probably will get some sort of case for it alright dont want this glorious screen covered in scratches

Tusky

Got one of these in peats this morning, they only had one in stock. Just charging now. Im v.impressed with the look at feel of the player and am surprised at how small it is. Theres been alot of talk about how its so much thicker than the ipod but this isnt the case. It certainly doesnt feel large. Its a nice size. Just like my willy. :v:

Bard

Tusky wrote:

...this isnt the case. It certainly doesnt feel large. [...] Just like my willy. :v:

Fair enough. You said it.

jones

Tusky let me know how you find it software/performance wise.
dying to get it now

muckwarrior

Tusky wrote:

Got one of these in peats this morning, they only had one in stock. Just charging now.

Well at least you've removed the temptation of an impulse buy for me.

Tusky

muckwarrior wrote:

Well at least you've removed the temptation of an impulse buy for me.

I bought from the Blanchardstown branch though so town might have a couple!

jones wrote:

Tusky let me know how you find it software/performance wise.
dying to get it now

Will do, just fiddling around with it now, will take me a while to get used to the scroller.

jones

Dam it i was going to get it in blanch to get rid of some vouchers....

Bard

jones wrote:

Dam it i was going to get it in blanch to get rid of some vouchers....

No harm in ringing them to see if they've any left. Most stores will have gotten three of them.

Tusky

Bard wrote:

No harm in ringing them to see if they've any left. Most stores will have gotten three of them.

The guy said they only got one. No harm in ringing though. Im sure Peats in city centre would have gotten at least 3 in.

Tusky

After fiddling around with the thing for a while I couldnt be happier with it. Its not perfect but other than me, what is ?



pros
- looks and feels expensive and well built
- the player is surprising small. I was quite taken back when it took it out of the box
- oh so pretty! love the way theres a light at the top under the power slider
- The screen is...delicious...by far the most loverly screen I have seen on an mp3 player of this size. I watched a full episode of family guy on it and it looked absolutely perfect. Contrary to what I had thought before I got the player, the screen is big enough to watch things on.
- customizable button...for example mine is set to play a random album
- Wallpaper, clock, alarm, calander & personal organizer. Everything is customizable
- DJ mode in which the player will play random songs out of either most played, highest rated or least played tracks etc
- making & saving playlists on the fly couldnt be easier
- the scroller! I love it! I have to admit, took me quite a while to get used to it but once you do, its a great way to navigate. tapping the top or bottom moves your selection one place up or down. Tapping the left or right side goes next or previous track. Sliding your finger up or down controls volume and scrolls through menus. Tapping the centre selects your ...eh selection.
- you can look at photos while listening to music. It also supports slideshows and zoom
- took 2 hours to fully charge battery which isnt half bad
-can be used as a removeable harddrive
- video can be stretched to fit screen or kept at original size....in fact, everything about the video is great. V.smooth. Cartoons in paticular look best on it. Downloaded episodes of family guy look better on it than they do on a computer screen ( obviosuly due to screen size )
You can also buy a video cable, connect the player to a tv or projector and play the videos on the big screen!
- Sounds greeeeat and has loads & loads of EQ settings
- The radio is really nice, it auto tuned in all the FM channels in about 30 seconds. You can also record and save from the radio to the player.

cons ( mostly v.minor cons)
- buttons on the front are a little stiff. This doesnt really bother me but it might bother some. Have a try of them in the shop before you buy maybe?
- Front of the player gets smudged very easily ( minor niggle )
- You have to use software ( biggest annoyance) the software though, is fine. Once you install it, its literally drag and drop into the relevant folder ( photo, music, video ) It also converts video to a format that will work on the player.
-To use the player as a removeable harddrive you have to go into settings and reserve space for it..dunno why this is necessary?
-The tracks dont have numbers...really silly...with alot of albums, I know the songs I like by their track number and not by the name of the song. After the need of software, this is my biggest annoyance.
- There a good 2 second delay when opening photos. Its instant if you just want to flick through them in sequence but when selecing one from the menu, theres a delay. ( again, doesnt bother me but some people are picky! )

I have most likely forgotten loads of things...hmm. Will update if I remember anything.

jones

wow nice mini review Tusky. really looking forward to getting this bad boy!!

Goodshape

Damn that looks nice. Haven't actually used a Creative since the original Zen (which I loved) and this could easily tempt me into getting another.

What's the size of this when compared to the iPod video?

Tusky

Goodshape wrote:

Damn that looks nice. Haven't actually used a Creative since the original Zen (which I loved) and this could easily tempt me into getting another.

What's the size of this when compared to the iPod video?

Side by side its a fair bit thicker. The size really isnt an issue though, when you hold it in your hand it feels small. + The screen is bigger than on the video ipod.

youcancallmeal

Any chance of picture of it beside something like a phone give us an idea of size?

Tusky

they are a little bit fuzzy, was in a rush taking them.

youcancallmeal

^ Nice
Will defintely have a look into getting one of these

GerryRyan

Bard wrote:

only 60 for the whole country

Had one before Christmas.
Friend was in Thailand over the break and brought back 3 to sell to friends

I'm going to have to agree bout it feeling better than ipod.

Steoob

whats the story witht he creative site? are they part of the 60 distributed or are they just not selling htem at all? (which makes no sense)

Bard

I doubt they're selling them on the Creative site yet as they don't have enough of them. As I said, I was told there was 60 being distributed to retailers for January. Stocks will start to flow properly (including, I expect, all the colours other than black) at the end of the month.

WhiteWashMan

does the software only run on XP?

anyone know about this?

muckwarrior

WhiteWashMan wrote:

does the software only run on XP?

anyone know about this?

More than likely yes, due to Micro$oft "play for $ure".

Bard

WhiteWashMan wrote:

does the software only run on XP?

anyone know about this?

I'll check the 'system requirements' on the box of our demo model in work tomorrow morning and let you know for sure, but I'm thinking the answer is, as it would be for the Zen Microphoto, "yes, it's Windows XP only".

By the way, if anyone is interested, the retail price of the Zen Microphoto dropped from €299 to €269 today.

Tusky

WhiteWashMan wrote:

does the software only run on XP?

anyone know about this?

says on the box "windows xp service pack 1 or higher"

Bard

er, yes... Windows XP only, as Tusky said.

muckwarrior

Hey Tusky, have you used the video out function on this yet? Just wonderin what it's like. The ability to watch vids on a TV is the one thing that might make me choose this or an Archos over another H300.

Tusky

muckwarrior wrote:

Hey Tusky, have you used the video out function on this yet? Just wonderin what it's like. The ability to watch vids on a TV is the one thing that might make me choose this or an Archos over another H300.

no, you need to buy a cable for that. Its a very nice feature though, I must say! To be able to download an episode of family guy and have it playing on a tv in minutes is pretty damn cool.

muckwarrior

Just wonderin what the quality would be like compared to a DVD say. Like is there a maximum file size/bitrate/resolution that you can play?

Tusky

muckwarrior wrote:

Just wonderin what the quality would be like compared to a DVD say. Like is there a maximum file size/bitrate/resolution that you can play?

Ive no idea. You'd be better off searching one of the indepth reviews. http://www.cnet.com

Bacchus

Been a while since I'v looked at the state of MP3's players (my lovely Sony player just does music. None of this video or picture stuff at all ).
Anyway, I wanna get one of these for my gf's birthday. It's not for a while yet but I'd like to load it up with her fav. music and some TV shows, movies etc. What format do the videos have to be in to work on the player. What size and resolution would a typical hour long episode be in this format so that it'll look good on the player? Is there software to convert video to this format? Thanks.

Tusky

Bacchus wrote:

Been a while since I'v looked at the state of MP3's players (my lovely Sony player just does music. None of this video or picture stuff at all ).
Anyway, I wanna get one of these for my gf's birthday. It's not for a while yet but I'd like to load it up with her fav. music and some TV shows, movies etc. What format do the videos have to be in to work on the player. What size and resolution would a typical hour long episode be in this format so that it'll look good on the player? Is there software to convert video to this format? Thanks.

The software you get with the player converts videos for you. However, I havent needed to do this, avi's & mpg's work fine on it with no conversion. Everything I have put on it looks perfect. An episode of family guy which would look slightly fuzzy on a pc screen transfers really well, it looks like you are watching a mini tv.

Bacchus

Sweet. What kind of size are the videos for the player. I realise they can be any size for varying quality. Say for instance i have an episode of Family Guy that is about 140 Mb. That's plenty resolution for TV/Laptop. What size can I expect to compress the file to so that the picture quality looks fine on the player.

muckwarrior

AFAIK you shouldn't need to compress it. The major difference between the Zen and say the iPOd video is that it can handle files of higer resolution than its own screen, it can scale them down on the fly. Thus the capability of watching them fullscreen on a TV.

Tusky

Bacchus wrote:

Sweet. What kind of size are the videos for the player. I realise they can be any size for varying quality. Say for instance i have an episode of Family Guy that is about 140 Mb. That's plenty resolution for TV/Laptop. What size can I expect to compress the file to so that the picture quality looks fine on the player.

I dont compress them. Ive been putting 180mb episodes of Family guy on it and they look absolutely 100% perfect.

Kazujo

If there any sign or an IR port on it? I know the Zen Vision has an optional remote it would be nice if they could release one for the M since it has the AV out and all.

Steoob

just checked the creative store its there now! whoohoo cant wait to get this little guy http://ie.europe.creative.com/shop/product.asp?category=10&subcategory=94&product=1129&

the creative store also has a new look with the vision m ad on the front page of it

muckwarrior

Ok, just bit the bullet and ordered this baby. I know the lack of plug & play is gonna annoy me a bit but it was the AV out and video codec compatibility that won it for me.
That said, I dunno when I'll be able to use the AV out coz the stupid creative site doesn't seem to sell the cable. Bard can you tell me have these cables been distributed to retail outlets yet?

Bard

Not by Creative, no... but they're a pretty standard part. It's a 3-part (left and right stereo and video) 3.5mm jack to composite (red, white and yellow) lead. Our electrical department has them in stock as far as I know - they're about fifteen quid (I think... I'm not in work today).

Tusky

Bard wrote:

Not by Creative, no... but they're a pretty standard part. It's a 3-part (left and right stereo and video) 3.5mm jack to composite (red, white and yellow) lead. Our electrical department has them in stock as far as I know - they're about fifteen quid (I think... I'm not in work today).

Ah, I didnt know it was just a standard AV wire. 15 quid is alot to pay for one of them. I got one for 5 euro in maplin.

muckwarrior

Ah right deadly. I assumed that it would be some sort of proprietory cable. Should already have one so.