iPod Video or Creative Zen Vision:M?

jones

i need a new mp3 player and would like a radio too which is why i'm leaning towards the Vision M.
which is the better mp3 player?

muppetkiller

There's no comparrison ..Creative ZEN for formats , Software and A/V quality.

jones

Really so its a total victory then with a radio included!!!
i was under the impression that the IPOD still had better audio qaulity though which was why i was hesitating in getting the Creative but this has made my decision a lot easier

now just have to decide which colour to go for...

lee_baby_simms

I got a Creative Vision M two weeks ago and i'm delighted with it.

I'm sure the video iPods are great but having to convert all movies to mp4 and the lack of a radio didn't attract me to it.

I have about 80 gigs worth of videos on my pc and every single video i've put on it plays perfectly. I got an av cable in the sony centre for €15 and the quality through the telly is fantastic.

I got it in Peats for €359, as far as i know they only stock the black models.

projectmayhem

i have the vision:m, a mate got the ipod. creative wins. the ipod is sleeker and more... ipodish, but creative wins hands down.

leche solara

Have you considered the iaudio X5L by Cowon. Super piece of kit. 35 hour battery life and very exclusive

Tusky

leche solara wrote:

Have you considered the iaudio X5L by Cowon. Super piece of kit. 35 hour battery life and very exclusive

I had one of them for a while, they are nice but the ZEN is so much better.

muckwarrior

leche solara wrote:

Have you considered the iaudio X5L by Cowon. Super piece of kit. 35 hour battery life and very exclusive

Yeah but it's shít for video!

Kintarō Hattori

BTW - The Zen Vision:M is down to 319 now.

Bard

eo980 wrote:

BTW - The Zen Vision:M is down to 319 now.

It is? ... Where?

jones

leche solara wrote:

Have you considered the iaudio X5L by Cowon. Super piece of kit. 35 hour battery life and very exclusive

hmm yeah the L version of the iaudio is supposed to be nice alright!!
anyone have any opinions on the iaudio compared to the creative vision M?

p.s. on the creative site the Vision M is €299 inc vat and delivery!!

is the docking station work getting for €40?

and i'm not sure what colour to go for! i was thinking black but in a few reviews i've read they say the black one scratches very easily so its really between the black and white ones...

Kintarō Hattori

Bard wrote:

It is? ... Where?

We dropped it down to that in Peats, it should follow suit in Harvey's.

muckwarrior

jones wrote:

anyone have any opinions on the iaudio compared to the creative vision M?

The iAudio is a fine player for audio, but when it comes to video it's not even in the same league as the Zen!

iFight

iPod Video--Best player out there!!! Definately, although i have had probs with mine, but it is all under guarantee and it is easy to get new ones(if they break)

Not that they break all the time or anything, i just got a faulty one that broke in a few days, my current is grand tho, GO iPod, Best on market!

muckwarrior

iFight wrote:

iPod Video--Best player out there!!!

Oh really? Perhaps you'd be so kind as to compare and contrast the iPod to the Zen so that we can see exactly how it's the "best player out there".

iFight

muckwarrior wrote:

Oh really? Perhaps you'd be so kind as to compare and contrast the iPod to the Zen so that we can see exactly how it's the "best player out there".

just my oppinion...go easy...he asked a q, i gave an answer;)

muckwarrior

iFight wrote:

just my oppinion...go easy...he asked a q, i gave an answer;)

Fair enough. But it seems like an ill-informed opinion to me

art

muckwarrior wrote:

Fair enough. But it seems like an ill-informed opinion to me

Why? If he owns an Ipod then he's not "ill-informed" of its qualities.

Smurfpiss

if he owns an orange he's not ill informed about its citric qualities, however if he has yet to try an apple he hardly has the right to say "best froot evah!"

really tempted to get a vision:m.....

iFight

Smurfpiss wrote:

if he owns an orange he's not ill informed about its citric qualities, however if he has yet to try an apple he hardly has the right to say "best froot evah!"

really tempted to get a vision:m.....

and you know that as you said ' ive never tried an apple before' how? Btw, bit confusing that u would use Apple to describe a Creative and Orange to describe an apple!!

jones

Okay I've pretty much decided on the creative Zen vision m - probably the white one due to bad press for the black one but I just wanted to make sure that there's not some uber mp3 player going to come out the day after I buy this one!! its happened me before with other things so does anyone know of some new one about to be launched or will I just go ahead with the vision m?

cormhag

vision m is €264 in peats now. i was once like you and wanted a zen vision m. i got one at the start of april, it was great and yesterday it died. i went to the creative forums and this seems to be a big problem. it wont reboot or reset or anything. im sure it will be easy to get replaced as i bought it in peats but as far as i have read this happens to the replacements as well.
still, the same type of thing happens to ipods and they are pricks about replacements. i would get an ipod if they are in fact more reliable, but i couldnt live the that crappy screen after having the zen.

sprinkles

I have an ipod and I was the proud owner of a Zen touch 20 gig. I will say this once, but I will say it clear.

DO NOT BUY AN IPOD!

jones

cormhag wrote:

vision m is €264 in peats now. i was once like you and wanted a zen vision m. i got one at the start of april, it was great and yesterday it died. i went to the creative forums and this seems to be a big problem. it wont reboot or reset or anything. im sure it will be easy to get replaced as i bought it in peats but as far as i have read this happens to the replacements as well.
still, the same type of thing happens to ipods and they are pricks about replacements. i would get an ipod if they are in fact more reliable, but i couldnt live the that crappy screen after having the zen.

is it not €264 BEFORE VAT? €319 after???

Bard

jones wrote:

is it not €264 BEFORE VAT? €319 after???

Yes

jones

well its only €299 after VAT delivery et all on the creative.ie website so i went with them!!!

Blaster99

cormhag wrote:

but i couldnt live the that crappy screen after having the zen.

What's the difference specifically?

muckwarrior

Blaster99 wrote:

What's the difference specifically?

I don't think theres much difference on paper, but when compared side by side the Zen just has an all round better screen. Brighter, more colourful etc.

Bard

Blaster99 wrote:

What's the difference specifically?

The screens compare like this:

iPod: 65,000 colours on screen, 32x240 resolution (sources: 1, 2 [click 'Videos'])
Zen Vision: 262,144 colours on screen, 640x480 resolution (source)

Basically, the Zen's screen has twice the resolution and 4 times the colour depth as the iPod's making the image on it sharper, clearer and more vivid.

It also supports more codecs out of the box than the iPod meaning that you'll actually get more (longer) video onto it as the formats it supports can be compressed more than the formats the iPod supports.

muckwarrior

Bard wrote:

Zen Vision: 262,144 colours on screen, 640x480 resolution

I'm pretty sure that the Zen screen is only QVGA as well. I think it's the A/V out that can output VGA.

Bard

muckwarrior wrote:

I'm pretty sure that the Zen screen is only QVGA as well. I think it's the A/V out that can output VGA.

According to the page I quoted (here), the "2.5” (51x39 mm) colour screen displays 262,144 colours"

EDIT:

I stand corrected... according to this page the built-in screen is indeed 320x240. I'd say the TV-out goes out at 640x480 though, yes.

The colour depth on-screen most definitely goes to 262,144 colours though.

muletide

Hey Jones how long does delivery take from Creative website ? I also heard that the screen scratchs easily is there somewhere you can get those screen covers or are you better off with a carry case

cormhag

get an invisible shield from shieldzone.com . it works a treat, not a scratch on mine even when i keep it in a pocket with keys. i still wouldnt buy a vision m until creative sort out this whole dying after a few weeks thing. i read somewhere that it is just the firmware and will therefore be fixed soon enough

jones

muletide wrote:

Hey Jones how long does delivery take from Creative website ? I also heard that the screen scratchs easily is there somewhere you can get those screen covers or are you better off with a carry case

well they say on their site delivery in 2/3 working days but i ordered on tuesday and it still hasnt been sent yet - hopefully get it for friday

Sir Oxman

Bought a Creative ZVM Tuesday @ Peats €319

Screen video is absolutely crisp and faultless in playback, I can't get over the sharpness and almost minimum artifacts on converted files, colours are amazing. Viewing angle is strictly limited though, but I don't find that a problem at all.

Sound is excellent (even the buds supplied are a step above type of normal crap thrown in the box) but as always, volume is capped because it has eu firmware - I read on the Creative forums that you can load the North American firmware to get higher volume but I am going to research that a little before deciding on replacing the OS. I wonder does that affect the FM radio?
The special adapter to stick your USB cable and power lead into is weird, why couldn't the unit have inbuilt ports for that (probably because there is a docking station advertised as an accessory?)

Controls are finicky at the start, the middle scroll pad really annoyed me for the first day or so but now I've got the hang of it.

I've been treating it with extreme kidgloves and have just ordered a complete protective shield for it from the URL given above, about $25 inc postage.

So far, very happy

jones

Good stuff delah, the one thing I hate about ordering on-line you need patience something I do not have!!! I got the docking station and player for 339 which is not too bad considering the brick and mortar price is 319…I heard that the supplied earphones are pretty good alright...regarding the firmware change I'd definitely research that - it could do some funny stuff to your radio or maybe not ha!

Sir Oxman

Yeah, when I saw it I had to have it in my hands that day otherwise I would have gone online!

Regarding the firmware, I'm definitely going to take my time reading about changing it and the consequences - volume and sound level is fine as is, but I hate caps on anything..

jones, the video crispness and smooth playback is topnotch - I've converted about 20 files with the included software (it's sloooow) and all but one was successful - I've an episode of BBCs Planet Earth on it and it_is_excellent.

Now, having said all that i hope I haven't put the mockers on it and it'll die in a week (however, Creatives support and RMA policy seems to be very good by all accounts.

There's a good few tips on the Creative PMP forum to get the best out of the ZVM.
Hope you get it tomorrow!

mepink

Hi,

I updated the Zen Vision M firmware to NA firmware get away from the EU sound limiter - absolutely no problems. Sound is absolutely much better - especially when you hook the player up to external speakers. (Tip - try the FX6021 Altec Lansing speakers with it - unreal sound).

You have to update the firmware via the reformat/reboot screen, otherwise it won't work (it will still have the "e" on the end).

Re player dying, I was one of the first to own this player and it has given me zero problems after 2.5 months.

Video is amazing - you have to buy the adapter for the TV out, but it is worth it.

FM is much stronger than Zen Micro, which is a big plus for me.

Album art is great also.

Battery life is very good, although video does drain it quickly as would be expected.

The player is not for those who want a few songs to go walking/jogging with, it is a mini entertainment system for commuters etc.

I got the invisible shield for the front - no need to get it for the back as nothing there worth protecting. Excellent product, free postage from States. Also got the Creative "leather" case, which is great. I have found that the player does not fall out of pockets etc. when it is in the case.

Sir Oxman

mepink wrote:

Hi,

I updated the Zen Vision M firmware to NA firmware get away from the EU sound limiter - absolutely no problems. Sound is absolutely much better - especially when you hook the player up to external speakers. (Tip - try the FX6021 Altec Lansing speakers with it - unreal sound).


Re player dying, I was one of the first to own this player and it has given me zero problems after 2.5 months.



I got the invisible shield for the front - no need to get it for the back as nothing there worth protecting. Excellent product, free postage from States. Also got the Creative "leather" case, which is great. I have found that the player does not fall out of pockets etc. when it is in the case.

Hi mepink,

Yeah I flashed the NA firmware yesterday - no problems, sound much better and FM untouched.
A few vids I had on it wouldn't work after (sound not supported, video type not supported - worked beforehand) but maybe I need to reconvert them? Haven't had time to do that yet.

Ordered the Creative black case too and the invisible shield so should be up and running with the complete package within a week - till then I'll stare at it through a glass case ;-)

Glad to hear you've had no problems at all since you bought.

muletide

delah wrote:

Hi mepink,

Yeah I flashed the NA firmware yesterday - no problems, sound much better and FM untouched.
A few vids I had on it wouldn't work after (sound not supported, video type not supported - worked beforehand) but maybe I need to reconvert them? Haven't had time to do that yet.

Ordered the Creative black case too and the invisible shield so should be up and running with the complete package within a week - till then I'll stare at it through a glass case ;-)

Glad to hear you've had no problems at all since you bought.

Did you order drom Creative ? and if so how long did delivery take I am currently awaiting my one. Which site did you order the shield from ? and again how long did it take

Thanks
M

Brerrabbit

Does anyone know if a freewware program has been made yet for connecting the vision to a mac?
I am using an ibook and the lack of mac compatibility is the only thing holding me back from getting a vision. I know similiar programs have been made for older creative models.


I used to own a creative zen and at the time it was cheaper, had better capacity, far better sound quality and was a lot cheaper than the equivalent ipod. That was threee years ago though, the situation now might be different.

Sir Oxman

muletide wrote:

Did you order drom Creative ? and if so how long did delivery take I am currently awaiting my one. Which site did you order the shield from ? and again how long did it take

Thanks
M

I bought mine in Peats €319

http://www.shieldzone.com/ is where the invisible shield can be got $25 inc postage. Haven't got it yet, they say 8-10 working days from the States

hth

cormhag

re: my player dying

i sent an email to creative and they say that the latest firmware update (1 .40.02) on their website fixes this. i would advise everyone to update.
Now, about the invisible shield: according to the website you can take it off and put it back on and it leaves no residue. so i thought: ill take it off this vision m (the broken one) and then get it replaced and simply reapply the invisible shield. i peeled off the shield and it left a big sticky, rock hard mess on my screen which looked terrible.

the shield itself is also a mess and unusable. i realised that peats would be unlikely to replace a player with a messed up screen. i had to scrape off this mess and now have a suspiciously scratched looking mp3 player.

Does any body know where to get a good strong scratch remover in dublin because i need a chance to remedy this awful situation, caused in equal measure by creative and the invisible shield.

muletide

delah wrote:

I bought mine in Peats €319

http://www.shieldzone.com/ is where the invisible shield can be got $25 inc postage. Haven't got it yet, they say 8-10 working days from the States

hth

Thanks Delah - I ordered from creative for 299. Still waiting for mine although the problem now is with f**kin DHL. They have made me wait two days at work for it and assured me it would be there, yet, come 5 o clock today and yesterday there was no sign of it. And only then did they realise it was not on the van. Still third time lucky tomorrow

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Sir Oxman

muletide wrote:

Thanks Delah - I ordered from creative for 299. Still waiting for mine although the problem now is with f**kin DHL. They have made me wait two days at work for it and assured me it would be there, yet, come 5 o clock today and yesterday there was no sign of it. And only then did they realise it was not on the van. Still third time lucky tomorrow

I would have ordered online through Creative but couldn't wait!

I got the Creative carrycase yesterday through Parceline, took 2 working days - hopefully you get yours today.

Sir Oxman

Solitaryman666 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I know Peats only had the black ones, haven't seen any coloured ones about the place at all.

As a PS, I said before that I flashed the NA firmware, all went well - sound level is much higher if you want to burst your eardrums (it is nice not to have it capped) and the video I converted before I updated the firmware works flawlesly - I just had to sync the video files back over and all was well. Radio works fine too so if anyone had any doubts about replacing EU with NA firmware, there are no worries (subject to unforeseen tech disasters etc etc)
Only problem I've had is with the clock not keeping correct time whatsoever, but that happened before the flashing too.

Bits and bobs:
To view Google or Youtube video on your ZVM:
http://epizenter.net/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?6371

Scruff

dont have either but here is a Head to head review of the two

Summary:

Overall, the Zen Vision M is the better choice as it has by far that best video that we seen so far.

dor83

cormhag wrote:

re: my player dying

i sent an email to creative and they say that the latest firmware update (1 .40.02) on their website fixes this. i would advise everyone to update.

can anyone tell me where to get this update, i can only find 1.30.02 which is already on my player and it has froze twice since i got it on sunday.
thanks.

Killaqueen!!!

I hate iPods. I really do. I would say 80% of the people I know/have met, who have some sort of iPod have had difficulties. They always break/crash and comparing them to the qualities of Creative, I would definitely choose a Creative Zen Vision. Just my opinion, but it's funny the way earlier in this thread someone said something along the lines of "Choose the iPod. I have one and it's fantastic...except that it broke straight after I got it. But that was just mine...they don't always break...ahem.."

Dman001

I dont know if to get the new U2 video ipod or the creative zen vision m.Which one is better