Product Description 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 hours Syncs 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 0.7 Weight - 5.7 oz.
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 tool to format a portion of the drive for use as a USB 2.0 mass storage device, 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.
Just wanted a simple MP3 w/ Video capabilitiesJanuary 6, 2009 Tyrisell(Portland, OR USA) The tech support is limited to one year, unless you pay an extensive amount for it. The software is incompatible with common mp3 sites (iTunes, Napster, etc) so everything has to be converted and unless you know what you're doing before getting it, there isn't much help available. I've had mine for nearly 2 years now (was a gift from my MIL) and still can't get videos to transfer without having bitrate issues, connectivity troubles, and "cannot convert" errors - using not only their software but 3rd party programs as well. It's beyond frustrating and I'm about to give in to the Apple craze and just buy an iPod, I have 4 kids and just don't have time to fiddle around with this thing. I want to load n' go. Seems like most of the reviews on here are pretty good so perhaps it's user error on my part? (I consider myself to be an intermediate pc user and am usually quite capable of figuring out electronics so I dunno.)
4 1/2 Stars - My 1st MP3 PlayerDecember 31, 2008 ER(CA) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
(Please Amazon make it so we can rate with half stars.)
I've had my Zen for just under 2 years and I'm very pleased with it. I originally bought it because it was cheaper (only $200 when I purchased it) than an iPod.
Pros:
1) It has always worked fine. I've used it with Amazon Unbox, Amazon music downloads, Audible, iTunes, pictures and many of my old music downloads and almost everything has been compatible (see Cons #4).
2) Videos are amazingly clear. I've always been skeptical of tiny mp3 screens, but WOW. I bought a cable to use it with my TV and that works great too.
3) Adding tracks and creating and managing playlists is easy.
4) I've never had any problems with the button system or touch pad. I love the shortcut button. You can set it up for almost anything; I have mine set to Playlists.
5) Comes with an FM radio/recorder and a voice recorder. I don't use either a lot, but it is nice to have them, and you don't have to pay extra.
6) It is also nice to customize a background with pictures. Not important really, but a feature that iPod doesn't have.
7) It comes with a pouch for carrying, that I use all the time. Screen protectors are recommended for all mp3 players, I just have yet to get one.
Cons:
1) When you turn off the Zen, DO NOT pause tracks, as this makes the track start over when you turn it back on. It took me quite a while to realize this. This wouldn't be a problem for music, but I mainly use it to listen to audiobooks. I realized that if I just turn it off without pausing, it opens up at the same spot in the book. Or you can set a bookmark; I recommend this if you are listening to something long, like a book, and want to be able to switch to music or a video without losing your place.
2) You can use the random option for a playlist, but for the DJ options (least played, highest rated, etc.) it plays all tracks. In other words, it will play music, audiobooks, my voice recordings, lectures, etc. Not very helpful. But cool in theory.
3) I use Audible for my audiobooks and it is compatible, but for some reason in the Creative Playlist Manager these files don't show up.
4) I had a bit of trouble adding a few tracks to it. It comes with an audio converter, which helped with some of the tracks, but not all. In the Zen's defense, these tracks were given to me and some may have been corrupted so it's possible that's why it wouldn't accept them, but on the other hand, my sister's iPod didn't have a problem. I also noticed that one song I downloaded from Napster about a year ago won't go onto it. Weird.
5) It has frozen on me twice. Both times, I got a paperclip, pressed the reset and it worked just fine after.
6) The 1st thing people notice is that it's a little thicker/heavier than an iPod, but I don't care. To me it feels sturdy.
7) Why the extra piece for charging? I'll never know.
Overall, I'm satisfied and glad I didn't pay extra just for a "name brand". Also, it's nice not being chained to iTunes.
UnreliableDecember 23, 2008 MDH(Georgia, USA) I bought one of these for my mother. She used it very lightly(ie 20 times or less over a year). Just over a year after it was bought(and shortly after the warranty expired), it got corrupted and the recovery software from creative doesn't help.
I have a somewhat high computer/technical experience and normally can recover gadgets like this.
Save some aggrivation and buy a Zune or iPod instead
Stopped working after about a year and a halfDecember 22, 2008 Julian Bender 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've noticed most reviews are written shortly after buying a product - I thought I would give a caution to any buyers who are curious about the durability of this mp3 player. This thing worked great for about a year and a half. Then it abruptly stopped working for no reason. I had dropped it once or twice, but not for a long while before when it quit working. It's the second mp3 player I've bought from Creative, and the other one lasted about the same time and then broke, same as this. If you don't mind your mp3 player breaking down after a year and a half or so, then this one would be great. Otherwise, stay away.
Preferred to IpodDecember 11, 2008 LMO(still traveling europe) I've had my Vision M for a few months now. I upgraded from a Zen Micro. I'm sticking with Creative. Why? The main reason is they do not use a proprietary format. I can copy MP3s from my computer right to the Vision drive, without the stupid conversion process that Ipod and others use. I have to admit, I do not use the video capabilities. The idea of watching a movie on the screen just doesn't make sense to me. I do have pics stored and will go through them while listening to music on a plane trip. The Vision is easy to use, has good sound (especially if you buy a decent pair of head phones), and holds ALOT of music. I mostly have it plugged in to an MP3 capable alarm clock (through a mini-jack cable), and use it to listen to music to while I fall asleep. The automatic off mode is great for this. Easy to use, and user friendly. I also have to admit I got mine on EBay, as I have all the accessories. Way less expensive than Amazon. Check it out.
