Zen Vision M?
 

Hey,

I have finally had it with my ipod (again.) It was only a matter of time since it drove me nuts.

My best alternative seems to be the Zen Vision M, but I have a few questions before I committ.

i) does it go on sale? Most stores I am looking at seem to have a firm 300USD price tag.

ii) is it easy to transfer video content. I am no computer genius, so the easier, the better.

iii) does it come with some kind of wall connecter so that I can charge it?


Finally, does anyone have any other tips / advice before I buy?

Thanks so much!

anyone?

I'm only slightly familiar with the Zen Vision (though I've owned other Creative products in the past and like them very much). I can answer one of your questions, though. Transferring video from one medium to another, regardless of manufacturer or device, requires some understanding of the nature of digital video and the process for transcoding. I move video around all the time -- between my Tivo and computer, computer and iPod, DVDs and computer and iPod, etc.

Regardless of device, you need to cope with, at least, five or six distinct kinds of digitized video: mpeg2 (in the form of VOB files) for DVDs, variations on DivX (which is really mpeg4) for podcasts and other downloadable content, DV-codec-encoded AVI for miniDV and Digital8, wmv for Windows Media source material, QT for QuickTime source material and, possibly, RM for Real Media source material. To complicate things further, each of these formats may come in a variety of flavors with respect to resolution, frame rate, data rate and encoding format (for example, variable bit rate vs. constant bit rate).

It is possible to go back and forth between all of these -- I do it all the time. However, there's no single software tool that I'm aware of that can handle transcoding between any and all video formats. I'm afraid you're going to have to bite the bullet and learn a bit about digital video. The amount you need to learn depends on how much flexibility you want in transferring video to your Zen Vision (or any other device). Once you've got your source material in a format that your media player can use, it should be a relatively straight-forward process to get it into the media player.

I've got one and am reasonably happy with it. As for your questions:

i) It's new, so the price is pretty firm.

ii) See PTravel's answer. It's quite accurate. Add to that Creative's manual pretty much sucks. You have to go to their Support Website to get any real info.

iii) Yes. You can charge it through the USB cable to your computer (as well as download files). But you also get a wall charger which is much faster than using the USB connection.

Advantages over Ipod:

1. IMO the biggest advantage is that the color picture is much better than the Ipod's.

2. FM Tuner

3. A longer warranty

4. You can use Rhapsody to download music. Cheaper than ITunes.

5. The psychic satisfaction in not being a Lemming and buying what every other jerk is buying. When I pull out my Creative Vision M and Shure E3c headphones on the plane, I can feel morally superior to the jerk next to me when he pulls out his Ipod and Bose headphones. :D

Disadvantages:

1. Like I said, the manual sucks.

2. You can't use ITunes. (I really don't consider that much of a disadvantage. :D )

3. The touch pad takes some getting used to.

4. About the same size as an Ipod, although not as thin. (Again, I don't personally consider that much of a disadvantage.)

5. Ipods control the market, so it's hard to find accessories for it.

Overall, it's the distinctly superior color and graphics and the FM Tuner that make me really glad I bought a Vision: M.

Just a side note: the Video iPod (the 5G one with the 30 and 60gig drives) has an FM remote available.

I finally bought it :) Got a good deal - just under 220USD.

Initial Impressions:

^ Quick, easy transfer of music / videos.
^ Hassle free video transfer for the most part
^ Outstanding high-quality screen
^ Touch pad is better than I had expected

:td: User manual is awful, I couldn't figure out how to do some basic things without asking people in online forums
:td: No wall charger
:td: You can't use the Creative Vision M software (import songs, play songs that you have added onto the player etc) unless the Vision M is plugged in. I really appreicated this on itunes.

Overall, I would have to say 9/10. It is a great player, with only a few, minor drawbacks. Plus it's not an Apple machine :D

Thanks for the review. I have been looking for this model to go onsale. $220 looks to be a good price. May I ask where you bought it?
Thanks!

We bought it at staples, but using Best Buy's pricing.

The listed price (www.bestbuy.com) was $240 or something but when you clicked to purchase it went down to $220. We printed this puchase page and went off to staples and showed it to them. They do a price match, so they charged us the same price. We bought it at staples as it was closer than BestBuy.

Cheers

Thanks for the review sadiqhassan.... I have enjoyed your great work on the Emirates forum.

For those of you who live in the US, you may find the Creative Vision M works really well with Tivo to Go. I can transfer shows from my Tivo to my desktop and then on to my Creative Vision M. Great way to catch up on those TV shows that pile up on the DVR and there is no time to watch them between trips.

My guess is that there is nothing wrong with your i-pod that a quick dip in the aircraft lav wouldn't fix. ;)

That was smart. Thanks for the tip. I wonder if the same thing can be done at staples.com?

Wow, good info!

How easy is it to copy tivo video to the Creative ZEN?

Do you need to use special software or do any type of conversion?

How possible is it to watch a movie/tv show on a 2.5 inch display?

Thanks!

I was surprised. Before purchasing the machine, I assumed that videos would be almost unwatchable.

However, the screen is crisp and very clear - I was able to watch Friends comfortably. I wouldn't recommend watching action movies etc, but it is definately ok for that weekly dose of Survivor, Grey's Anatomy or 7th Heaven. My eyes did start to strain after 1 or 2h.

Cheers

I've had a ZVM for almost 6 months like. Like it a lot. My wife has a iPod video and the colors on the ZVM's screen look significantly better. Integrates nicely with Windows Media Center Edition. I would be taking a hard look at the new Archos products (404/504/604) if I were buying now. Maybe also the Vision:W which appears better than its predecessor product.

No special software beyond what you download from Tivo.com and the standard Windows Media player. You move the content from your Tivo to your desktop using the Tivo Desktop program. Then drag it into the sync window for the Vision M and it will convert and transfer. Easy.

Detailed content in movies is lost, of course, on a 2.5 inch display. However, it is surprizingly clear. I find that programs like The Daily Show or sitcoms are best... it is the dialog not the cinematic subtleties.

One word of advice. Make sure that you ALWAYS keep your Vision M in a soft bag when you are not watching. The screen is hard plastic but can always scratch. Treat the screen like a lens.