Amazon.com Review 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.
Design 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.
Music, Videos, Photos, and More 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 application on the Vision:M that formats a portion of the drive for use as USB 2.0 mass storage, 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
Cons
Narrow screen viewing angle may be a problem for some
Finicky controls for some functions
Slightly more bulky than other competitors
What's in the Box 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.
Amazon.com Product Description The Zen Vision:M MP3 and Video Player lets you take all your movies, music and photos in a light, pocket-sized device that is loaded with 30 GB of memory. At this capacity you can carry tens of thousands of photos, 120 hours of movies (500 Kbps MPEG4-SP), or up to 15,000 songs (WMA encoded at 64 Kbps), all in the palm of your hand. You can also tune in the radio (32 station presets), record your favorite talk show, or make personal voice memos with the built-in microphone.
The Zen Vision:M can hold thousands of songs, photos, and movies in its 30 GB memory. View larger.
See the Zen Vision:M in 3D.
Today's big screen blockbuster, yesterday's picnic home video, and even your favorite TV shows--they all now fit in your pocket and are ready to be shared. Zen Vision:M supports many video formats, such as AVI, DivX 4 and 53, XviD4, MPEG-1, -2, -SP, WMV9, and Motion-JPEG, which simply means you have more choices and less restrictions. Instead of busting out your wallet to show snapshots of your kids, you can enlist the Zen Vision:M to give viewers a glimpse of your precious memories--tens of thousands of them. In 262,144 vivid colors and 320x240 resolution, complete with a thumbnail gallery, this device makes it easy to scroll through your entire photo collection. Of course, music files are a big portion of anyone's digital canvas. Perfect for taking with you on the road or just around the house, this device makes all your music sound as good as the Zen Vision:M looks. And with eight preset EQ settings and 97 dB signal-to-noise ratio, you can fine-tune your listening experience for any musical genre.
You can also connect the Zen Vision:M to a projector or TV with the included AV cable, and put on a big show from this little device. Synchronize music files with photo or video montages for a taste of spectacular, personalized big screen magic. Viewing images on this device is a pleasant experience. The 2.5-inch, high definition LCD screen features a 320x240 resolution and hundreds of thousands of colors. What this means is you see crisp, clear detail in every movie and photo, even under bright light.
Creative didn't scrimp on design, either. The Zen Vision:M features an ergonomic design with an innovative touch pad control that enables quick, comfortable access to menus and settings. And you'll get loads more playback time with the built-in rechargeable, battery. Enjoy up to 13 hours of music or 4.5 hours of movies on a single charge. The optional extended-life battery pack lets you double playback time, so you can enjoy days of uninterrupted entertainment. Other features include a personal organizer that you sync with Microsoft Outlook, and an integrated voice recorder that can store hundreds of hours worth of recordings. Take a closer look at all the Zen Vision:M features.
The Zen Vision:M MP3 and Video Player uses PlaysForSure technology. Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a portable music or video device and you want to make sure the digital music and video you purchase will play back on it every time. Match the PlaysForSure logo on a large selection of leading devices and online music stores. If you see the logo, you'll know your digital music will play for sure. Choose from a large number of digital music and video stores, including MTV's Urge, Rhapsody, Yahoo!, MSN Music, MusicMatch, MusicNow, Napster, Wal-Mart Music Downloads, and many more.
What's in the Box Creative Zen Vision:M, earphones, sync adapter, USB 2.0 adapter, pouch, user's guide, and installation CD. Note: As of July 2006 Creative no longer ships the Zen M with the AC power adapter.
Product Description 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.
Great, until your warrenty expiresJuly 23, 2008 So I bought my Zen in March of 07. It was amazing, I loved it! Easy interface and program. Until a few weeks ago when it stopped connecting to my computer. It would charge and not do anything else. Couldnt get music on or off of it. Of course my warrenty was expired, so customer service was very unhelpful especially when they told me they couldnt fix it becaue they didnt make the Vision M or its parts anymore and told me i had to buy a new one. So, now I'm thinking Ipod but I don't want one. I loved my zen and i miss it. it was a little too bulky but oh well.
I love the ZenJuly 14, 2008 I have had my 30GB Zen for a few years now, and I still love it. It has more features than an Ipod: FM Radio and ability to connect to a TV to view movies just by buying a cord. An important feature to me is that you don't have to have Itunes to add music. You can drag files to it like you do any other file on your computer without having to open up a specialized program, so you can visit friends and put their music files on your Zen very easily. There was a period about a year ago that it was acting glitchy, but I think it was just going through its adolescence. It's been fine for a long time now, and if this one ever gives out, I will absolutely buy another. True, there aren't as many accessories designed especially for the Zen as for the Ipod, but there are plenty of generic mp3-compatible accessories that fit the bill: cases, portable mini speakers, stereo systems, etc.
ZENS SUCK!! BUY A ZUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!July 9, 2008 0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I began by purchasing a 8 gb Zen, it broke within the first week and became inoperable! Luckily I returned it and was given a credit. I then took the credit and purchased a 30 gb vision, which broke within the extended warranty period, so I returned it and was told it wasn't covered under the warranty, so I was out 249. I purchased another 30 gb Vision and only used it for a handful of times, as I also had aquired a Zune and much preferred it to the Zen, well this one broke, was returned and they then sent it to an address in Buffalo, NY, instead of my home here in Florida!! What a bunch of incompetent imbeciles!!! Their product sucks and so does their customer service!!
Best MP3 but long in the toothJuly 3, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Ok I have had this player for well over two years and I have an Ipod and Bottom line up front, it's slightly better than the Ipod as a player and more importantly it's free from the control of Apple Itunes. The Ipod has that cool wheel which is a little easier to use than the slide and the Ipod has some games, which the Zen doesn't. But the Zen has some better futures like the video play features and some better less confusing menus, which make accessing your stuff easier. Finally, the Zen has an FM radio recorder (mono only good for NPR) with an open-air recorder mic for memos and lecture recording. That all by itself trumps the Ipod all to heck! When you combine the features with the fact that you can score your movies and audio files from any source and you aren't bound to the whim of Itunes and Apple software "upgrade" scares, I know you'll find the Zen a superior product for a cheaper price.
Now if you're like me and like better rather than just what everyone else is carrying then the Zen is for you and has been for over 2 years.
But I did say its getting long in the tooth right? Yep it needs upgrading.. Blue tooth for headsets and download would be a nice start. The addition of a module that lets it use WiFi for downloads of movies and music would be cool too. Improvement to the slide would be nice but not a make or break point. However, a touch screen with a video keyboard would really help go to features and songs quicker and give some better more" custom controls. All these things that might change the size and price point of this awesome device but, they are the next logical steps.
Oh and a word about durability and quality. My Ex girlfriend could break anything! She broke 2 razors phones in 2 months, my F150, twice, her Ipod nano in a $30 plastic case in 2 weeks and the suspension on her 2 year old car... but in the last 2 years she hasn't been able to break my Zen... Scratch, dent the plastic? Yes. But not break it.
Would not buy it again if I had the chanceJuly 1, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have experienced two big problems with this player: 1) It freezes up a lot. This usually happens if you fast forward to the next song "too fast". The player will stay stuck, paused on the song you didn't want, and you are unable to use any functions. You cannot even turn it off and it will eventually drain the battery unless you Reset the player. To do this, you have to stick a paper clip or other similarly-sized object into the Reset hole. 2) The shuffle feature does not really play songs in much of a random order. You can choose to play an entire Genre in shuffle mode and still hear nearly the same songs in nearly the same order every time. It will mostly choose from a small selection, yet leave hundreds of songs unplayed. Never seen anything like it, not even from my 17-year-old Pioneer CD player which has a somewhat-predictable shuffle play mode.
Another HUGE drawback is a design flaw. To do any charging, whether it be via USB or an AC wall charger, you must first attach the "dongle", which is a small interface piece that fits on the bottom of the player. Really an annoyance to have to deal with.
I believed a lot of the hype about this player and feel now that I'm paying the price as a result. Save your money!!
