Creative officially introduces the Zen Vision
posted Aug 3rd 2005 9:46AM
Is it us or is Creative really hitting all the right notes with the new
Creative Zen Vision?
It's been a while since we've been this annoyingly giddy about a new gadget, and while we're going have to reserve
final judgment until it actually comes out (we wouldn't put it past Creative to completely bungle the UI), the official
confirmation that it will indeed retail for $400 has us perilously close to pulling the pre-order trigger. The rest of
the press release mainly confirms stuff that we already know - like that it can handle playback of playback of MPEG2,
MPEG4, DivX, XviD, WMV, and MJPEG video files, and has a 3.7-inch, 640 x 480 pixel, 262,144 color LCD screen, a 30GB
hard drive, a CompactFlash card slot, a built-in FM tuner, support for TiVoToGo, and compatibility with PlaysForSure
and all of the "To Go" online music subscription services — but, man, is that some sweet action. Still no official
release date, we'll keep you posted on that.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]
check out their microsite!
http://www.creative.com/products/pmp
Hmmm...i am looking to buy a new mp3/media player and i am really torn between the new Archos AV500 or this new creative...
Sorry 30GB? What were they thinking? Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. If I'm going to be parted from my Creative Zen Touch I want everything that does and more, I don't want to have to carry around another gadget. Until this thing is at least 60GB I'm not going near it. Personally I'd want to have my existing 40GB archive of ripped CDs plus TV/Film on there, I don't want to have to make a last minute choice when I leave the house for work/holiday/trip. Also an FM Tuner? Just when everyone is starting to go DAB (I know I'm being picky but...)
The Compact Flash expansion is great but surely the point is to store your data centrally then sync, rather than having to buy more media to feed your new device. In the words of Roy Walker - It's close, but it's not right.
I love it. It turns me on. I want to hold it and caress it. Badly. I just can't decide if I want to pre-order the white or the black model. It may not be perfect for #3 Will, but it looks like the best media playing handheld out there regardless of the 30GB size. Considering it costs about the same as a Dell Axim but does so much more with much more storage, I think it's a great value.
Creative are finally getting the handg of how to "out do" Apple. Bring out superior products, b4 Apple and undercut Apple's pricing.
I am looking at the spec of this latest product and it's quite something. I have a question though. Could this small unit actually take a feed from my VHS Player and record to MPEG2 my family home tapes? If I could use the unit standalone for this process it would be fantastic overall value. I ask because I have recorded home VHS tapes to my pc but they suffer from the "jitter" which is because the cpu is probbably mul;ti-tasking. SO I am in the market for standalone product, such as made by ADS to do the recording. Now if this new creative product could assume this role and be a protable media player for me as well... it would be fantastic.
I like it. Will need to see some hands on reviews before pulling the trigger, though. Anyone see any mention of album art being displayed on the audio side?
What!? No support for RAW?
Just pulled the pre-order trigger. Love it, 30gb is fine for me, I switch my content up so much that it won't matter. I wonder if it will throw down on all of my H.264 vids from my DSC-M1 and my Quitime 7 stuff. Love the throwback FM tuner. Getting black, I feel like my vids and photos will contrast better, would you watch TV on a white tv set?
If there's ever been a "iPod killer", this is it. What really impressed me was the VGA screen and the compact flash adapter for use with other types of memory cards.
Pffffffff , I don't think so, I don't like the look of this thing and 30 gb is way to little.
yeah im getting one.... :)
Well the compact flash adapter isn't anything too special, those can be bought anywhere, but the built in compact flash slot is pretty hot.
I still have my doubts about album art, doesn't seem to be implemented, really want to get this player though.
For someone who has used similar devices, can you talk more about where you find yourself using these to watch movies, tv shows, etc.? I do like the general idea, but I'm trying to think of what situations there would be that I would be watching videos on a 3.7 inch portable device, and I haven't been able to come up with a lot. I have a PSP too, and I do like the idea of putting TV shows on it to watch, but in practice I haven't found myself doing that too often. I'd love to hear what sort of usage patterns, etc. people have and where they find these to be most useful, how much they use them, etc. The thing with an mp3 player is that I have a lot more places I can use it........ listening to music at work, plugging it into my car stereo to listen to while I'm driving, listening to music while reading a book or writing, etc. I guess the sticking point for me is that video is inherently more "visual" and "active", and most of the places I use an mp3 player, I wouldn't be able to sit there watching a video. And in the situations where I would be able to sit down and actively watch a video, it's often in a place where I could watch it on my computer (desktop or laptop) or on an actual TV.... at which point I'm not sure why I'd opt for something with a 3.7 inch screen, for example.
Btw, don't get me wrong, the Vision sounds really cool to me on a gadget level. I especially like the idea that it has native support for DivX, etc............ one of the things with the PSP is having to run everything through the video converter, and then only being able to use as much as I can fit on a 1GB memory stick at a time. Certainly there would be a big difference between that and something where I could just transfer my video files directly, and store 30 gigs of them. But I'm mainly just worried that there aren't that many places I would use it - but that is why I want to get a better idea of how other people use portable video devices like this, how often they use them, where they use them, etc. In theory I love the idea, but in practice, I'm not sure how much use I would get out of it.
Personally, I think any device like this coudl be trumped if Apple came out with a device combining the best of this and say...a PSP. Wifi enabled out of the box, a "video ipod" will serve as a itunes/airtunes controller (a la Sonos, but a lot cheaper), possibly even include a bare bones web browser, IM, email? Regardless, I do believe that the future of these devices are in media controllers, not just PMPs. Who the hell wants to watch a movie on one of these things. This is a competitor to the existing iPod, which is at the end of it's current versions lifespan. Nice job innovating Sim Wong Hoo, for his sake I hope they have somethgin in their back pocket to compete w/ the next generation. Then again, I don't care... I won't buy it anyways.
Picture a device that could do all this could, as well as navigate my itunes library, be it for audio OR video, & connect to my TV/stereo via airtunes/airport express &/or a yet to be released home media device/software. How many people on the fence would buy it then, I know I would... & I think Apple knows this.
Zadillo,
I think the issue is more of location. You drive a lot, so music is a big deal. For us in city areas though, we spend a lot of time on buses and trains/subways. Video is absolutely perfect for this.
I've watched more movies on my Treo in the last year during my commute than anywhere else.
It also is a great way to kill time waiting at the movie theater, doctor's office, etc.
That makes sense. I could see that being a lot more useful, especially if you had to ride on the subway a lot. Although I'm not sure I could handle that, I get motion sickness when I try reading on the subway, I am not sure what watching video would do.
I'm probablyh in the minority... but I kinda wish it had USB OTG.
Looks good to me specs-wise, but does anybody know if it supports subtitle files like .srt & .smi etc which sometimes go with foreign film files (like the iStation i2 does)? That's the deal clincher for me anyway...
#13 "Who the hell wants to watch a movie on one of these things." Only Apple snobs who says unfriendly things until Apple comes out with one of its own.
You people don't get it. It doesn't matter how great creative makes this product, it will still flop compared to anything apple makes. You want to know why? Advertising. Oh sure "we" know its superior and an awesome product, but no one else will. It's all about advertising, and creative just doesn't have enough.
#3 - the CF slot is not for memory expansion. That would make little to no financial sense for the user. It's for storing information from sources like a CF card from a digital camera. Even if your camera doesn't use CF, there is likely an adapter out there for your memory type. This is an extremely useful feature. My AV340 has an adapter for reading CF cards, and I used it on a trip to Europe to store THOUSANDS of photos, and all I had was a 256MB card.
#11 - like #14 said, portable video is wonderful for many situations, mostly for when you are waiting for something. I went to the doctor recently, and while my HMO made me wait for an hour, I was able to watch half of Joe Dirt :)
If you notice, all of the instances when you said you use your MP3 player are in cases where you're listening to music WHILE doing something else. With my AV340, I've found that if I'm not listening to music while walking somewhere, the only times I use it are when I'm just using it and not doing anything else. For instance, at work I'll frequently find a quiet spot for lunch, and watch a bunch of Aqua Teen Hunger Force :)
I've been a HUGE fan of Archos products since their AV300 series, which is when I felt they really took off as a company and started to create good products. This Creative device just may be my next purchase, though. However, there is still some info for both devices that I haven't been clear on:
-How does the Creative interact with the PC? Proprietary software, or can it just act as a mass storage device?
-What is the resolution on the AV500? It sure appears like Archos isn't moving on from low-res screens. 640x480 isn't exactly high, but it might be better than what Archos puts out there.
Anyway, I'm very interested in this product. I agree that 30GB is not enough, though. I'll wait for them to release a higher capacity one.
Sorry I Just can't see using that to watch anything. My eyes are bad enough after staring at 2 20" monitors all day long.
If stating that Hoo isn't innovating is unfriendly... so be it, he started it. The PSP is innovating, throw a HD in that & I'd own one. Although it's a bit big.
Truth is, this device will be outdated as soon as something combining the usefulness of the PSP/ipod/pepperpad/cell phone comes out that's elegant & user friendly. I love gadgets, but once it hits $400 it's gotta serve a lot more purpose. Given, it's a pipe dream to combine all those, but someday... someday!
Yeah, I'm really tempted by this device, but I'm willing to bet that the vPod is only a month or two away and if it's half as pleasant to use as an iPod, I'll be snapping one up ASAP.
If this device displayed NEF (Nikon RAW) I'd be more likely to get it, but as it is it's a slightly sleeker p-2000 that's not as useful.
... doesn't seem to support H264, no RAW, only 30 Gig... Perhaps I'm putting the stakes too high, but I'll wait for the next gen.
Hold off if you are a portable gaming fan. PSP with 50gb hard-drive comming soon (I think ;^). Add this to the new 2.0 features (i.e. tab browsing), and you have yourself an awesome device. Will probably be cheaper too (definitely cheaper than any pending video iPod).
http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000827033322/
#20 The Zen vision is Plays For Sure, so it uses MTP. No propriatary driver for this.
How sick would it be if a gadget like this had GPS navigation like those nice phones over at Nextel? Imagine having a way of attaching this to the dashboard of your car, then using it as a navigation tool/bluetooth phone/mp3 player (synced to car stereo of course) ... man i'm such a dreamer...
To: #11
#20 (Dignan17) , and #14 Aaron make good points about when a pocketable video player is handy. Consider also that you don't have to be limited to full length movies. I don't encourage television watching that much, but I do like the Simpsons (the more classic ones anyway) and I've got maybe 100 - 150 episodes digitized. It's a pretty simply matter to edit out the commercials when you do that, and given todays marketing machines once you do that the show is only about 21 - 24 minutes long. Heck I stand in line at numerous places for 20 minutes. If I think I'm gonna be in a waiting room (doctors office etc...) I generally take a book (curse my mother and her success at instilling a love of reading in me), but sometimes I'm caught by surprise and find myself in a puddle of downtime. So, out comes the Zaurus and on goes the show (or I crack open an ebook).
But with only a 512mb SD card and 1gb CF card I can only keep a couple complete movies and few episodes of the Simpsons (and recently The Twilight, Start Trek TNG, and DS9) at any one time. Even with 30gb you can have quite a selection anytime...anywhere...
30gb is a little small for something intended to store video content, but you can probably upgrade it...
Personally, I think any device like this coudl be trumped if Apple
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of course it could.. this is creative.. dude.. they're not exactly rolling in dough.. Apple has said time and time again that portable video is a lousy experience.. don't expect that to change..
we've learned recently that Apple may begin adding shortform video (music videos... podcast video) to the iPOd.. which is cool.. that means you can get your podcasts, of things like news reports and have video along with it.. that's totally doable through iTunes.
As for movies.. I fail to see what you guys think is so great about watching a 2.5 hr movie on this thing..
Neither does Creative. They've ceded the MP3 Player war to Apple.. now they're gonna try and beat Apple in... a market they're not in yet.
I'm pulling for some kind of Apple Tablet with a stripped down version of OS X.. even that would be a premium product..not something mainstream..
Most people just want to hold movies on their iPod and be able to plug it into the TV and watch on a NORMAL screen.
Any word on whether or not the Vision is gonna be able to record TV directly, like the Archos pmp's can?
PLEASE HELP! ive never had to deal with this before, but how do you rip dvds. i thought i could use windows media player, but i guess i cant. wich LEGIT program is the best! thanx so much!
PLEASE HELP! ive never had to deal with this before, but how do you rip dvds. i thought i could use windows media player, but i guess i cant. wich LEGIT program is the best! thanx so much!
PLEASE HELP! ive never had to deal with this before, but how do you rip dvds. i thought i could use windows media player, but i guess i cant. wich LEGIT program is the best! thanx so much!
tivo2go is approx 20 mb a minute at basic quality so an hour is about 1.4 GB an hour.
You could transfer quite a few shows to this thing.
I'd love to have one in the car plugged into a screen instead of a dvd player or in the doctor's office to keep the kids busy.
what i really don't get, from ALL these companies, is why they never support AAC... I mean, if they wanna steal ipod users, why not support their format? im not talking about itunes downloads but regular 128 unprotected AAC. even my K750i and PSP can play that. I love my ipod, but this prouct looks cool. but I cant even use it because all my music is in AAC. idiots.
I agree with #34. the only way im going to buy something that plays music is if it supports AAC or if its a really good product
This is a Hot product! And the $400 tag will force Apple (and Archos) to true competition with their upcoming products. No doubt the Apple vPod will be laden with DRM as well, making the Vision that much more attractive. Apple allowing Divx movies to be played on their vPod? I don't think so. I see the Vision as being adapted as the superior solution by tech savey college students and others, driving sales by word of mouth. Apple watch out.
I don't see anything on the Creative site r.e. support for TiVoToGo. Did I just miss it or what?
Perhaps too expensive for the spanish market
..c'mon, folks, admit it... this is da bomb... yea, there are some issues (Creative, only 30GB, let's look at 60, or even 80-100) but this is a sweet box....
I hope there's some kind of Mac compatibility with this. I don't particularly care if any video encoding software provided by Creative doesn't work. I just want to be able to transfer files off my Mac.
This is a very cool looking device. Looking on how to convince the wife I deserve one. Does anyone know if this shows up like a real USB drive on the PC when you hook it up? Is it a proprietary format like the older Nomads? COuld be VERY cool if you couls just snap in a new bigger HD and keep backups on it too.
Very compelling hardware but after a thorough look at Creative's site, there are unanswered questions.
1) What does one do with AAC files? I assume the tracks one is willing to pay for are those that one really likes to listen to.
2) How are images organized? Can folders be created? Can folders be loaded and viewed in a browser window? Is there slideshow capability built-in or does one have to compile them in Creative's software loaded on an XP machine (that may not be present when one wants to go into slideshow mode)?
3) Does this sync with iTunes or does one have to organize all audio files once again? Playlists?
well the aac thing isnt a problem if you simply burn your music out to a cd then rip it from the cd back into a format that your media player can understand.
one question though, the ipod can power devices that are atached to it(ex. italk and itrip). So far I dont see a way for the vision to do this. For me driving with the itrip pumping out my tunes to the radio sounds very apealing.
does the zen vision function as an extra hard drive ? can i store any kind of data on it ?
any1 have any idea ?
creative are saying nothin about it .
hans
I can see alot of people here that doesn't seem to be able to understand how anyone can watch movies on a screen like this....Have you ever done so? Belive me...as soon as you hold a unit like this in your hands...your eyes open up for sure. :)
For people who spend time on the bus/train or generally travel alot, its little wonders like this that can make the difference on a good and a bad day. So grap one where ye can, test it and then give out about it! These little things are all about killing time and having fun. Yea' Music is great, but movies are way better!
People! I just can't read this without feeling bad..I've just got the Zen Vision.. tobad.. My friend has the AV500,I'm gonna sell the ZV ,and do like my friend,Get the AV500.The ONLY thing better with the ZV is the LCD resolution , but everything else sucks!From the installation all the way to the LCD or TVset..I'm really uppset now,the ZV doesn't even play 640X480... Just learned it , the 640 is just for the menus! Makes me sick! Damn it..
Dear friends,
i have a plan to buy creative zen vision . I need your valuable openion abtb
that one and pls let me know that price in india