[ILikeMusic]

Just got hold of one of these and thought a short review might be in order since there aren't too many out there yet....

Features

As you probably know the Vision:M is Creative's answer to the Video iPod. A copy? I dunno, not going there. But if it is a copy we need more 'copies' like this, more on that later. Basically the Vision:M is an audio (MP3, WMA, and WAV) and video (MP4, XviD, DivX, MPEG-2, WMV, and more) player, currently available in a 30gb capacity. Also included is an FM tuner (you can record directly from the tuner if desired) and a voice recorder function. Form factor is similar to the iPod but somewhat larger (after all, everything is somewhat larger than an iPod . In exchange though you get four hours of video playback on a charge rather than only two with the iPod. And as usual the Vision:M is more PC/WMP-centric than the iPod (in fact too much so, one of the Vision's biggest faults as discussed below.) IOW, the usual set of choices to make here. The compatibility issues alone might make the choice for some, but for the others... read on...

Sound Quality

I'll get to this early on because like the Video iPod the Vision:M is primarily an audio device, and there the news is good, very good. I'm very impressed with the SQ of his unit, in fact it's better than anything else I've heard. The main distinguishing factor is the power and clean sound of the audio amp. As I mentioned in another thread I'm a fan of Etymotic products but have been looking for alternatives lately in order to achieve more bass presence. To my surprise the Vision:M is the first player I've come across where I can add enough bass EQ to fill out the Ety's without distortion, and I mean no distortion or clipping with lots of bass EQ in and at full output. That's a rare treat and enough to send my CMOY back to the drawer, only to come out when using full-size phones. There's also a 5-band graphic equalizer that works (unlike the EQ in some other Creative products.) As you can tell I'm pretty happy here. I would like to see Creative someday expand their audio codec support to match the expansive video capabilities, but that's not a really big factor for me since I encode with LAME.

Video Quality

Pretty impressive for such a small (2.5") screen. OK, so you're not going to want to watch your first screening of 'Lord Of The Rings' on this thing, but quite adequate for catching up on your TV watching while on your commute or watching a movie while on an airplane or stuck in an airport (I hate that!) Plus the wide range of video codec support makes finding compatible material easier (without having to re-encode.) The video display is somewhat better than the iPod, mostly in terms of brightness and less posterization due to the capability of the Vision:M to display more colors. I think battery life is another distinguishing factor here as the two-hour video battery life of the iPod wouldn't even support watching many full-length movies on a single charge. I'd hate to get 4/5 of the way through a movie on an airplane and have the battery quit. However, if your main use for video is for commute-time watching then a 2-hour battery life might be OK and in exchange you do get a much thinner unit. (Note that this is a pick about video performance only; battery endurance for audio tracks is much longer with both units and is similar to most other HD-based players.)

User Interface

Unfortunately Creative seems to like to change (I guess they would say improve) the user interface with each new model, and the Vision:M is no exception. But nevertheless it is an improvement over previous models... the touch-strip actually works without driving you crazy (à la the Touch) and often-used functions are placed on four buttons on either side of the touchpad. Still not up to iPod elegance in this area but quite usable, or at least not annoying. The software UI is also OK, pretty powerful while not being overwhelming. The documentation is rather thin and could use some improvement, however... there are a lot of nifty features that you get to discover on your own. The function of one of the front-panel buttons is user-programmable and this is a nice feature that I'd like to see in more players. There are of course things I would have done differently but isn't that always the way regardless of whatever the unit in question. Beyond this not much else to say as preferences in this area are so subjective that every user just has to try it out and make their own call, just suffice it to say that I have no major complaints to make. With a high-res display like this the menus and track info are very attractive and clear of course, and I'm kind of jazzed at having the album art display with every track... I don't know why but that seems to add something to the experience.

Compatibility

Low score here, about the lowest possible unless you are running WinXP (or Windows Media Center Edition, in which case you will be in hog heaven - more on that below) as that is the only OS supported. Once RedChair (Notmad) supports the Vision:M (hopefully soon!) that should provide compatibility for all Windows platforms, but AFAIK Mac and Linux users are left out in the cold. I would guess this is mostly due to the complex DRM requirements of the popular subscription-based music services, but it's a pity nonetheless.

The Rest Of The Story...

So will this be the famed iPod killer..? I doubt it. While the Vision:M is excellent in many regards (and in terms of hardware it looks like this time it is the iPod that will be the one playing catch-up) it still lacks one of the major features that has propelled the iPod to success, and that is easy, 'one click' content availability, and this shows even more acutely now that video has been brought into the bargain. There's no iTunes-like shop to buy last night's 'Desperate Housewives' or U2 music videos, the user is on his/her own as far as video content goes. If one is computer-literate that's not so bad as that ability opens up a whole world of capability of the Vision:M, but if you are the sort that can barely figure out iTunes... well, let's just say I would stay away from the world of video transcoding Maybe (I would have to believe almost certainly) there are deals in the works with content providers to support the Vision, but my guess is that it will be a long time until they are able to match the simplicity and usability of Apple's model, if they ever do.

That said, if you don't mind getting your fingers dirty at the keyboard then there is load of fun and functionality to be had with the Vision:M. As mentioned above the wide range of video codec support provides a great deal of capabilitiy for more advanced users. Using a number of available free software packages available on the Internet you can easily rip movie DVDs to the player, or if you have a Windows Media Center PC you can even transfer your TV recordings... so you get your 'Desperate Housewives' for free (which is about all it's worth IMO) or of course anything else you like. You will need a decently powerful PC, though. Encoding video is a tough, processor-intensive job so you will either need a fast machine or have some patience (actually most of the video encoding tools support batch jobs so you can just let them run overnight.) Using an efficient codec like XviD or DivX a typical 2+ hour movie can be compressed down to about 500 to 1000mb so it's practical to store several movies in the unit in preparation for a trip.

Summary

Creative is really trying to be competitive here (they even finally figured out that it would be a good idea to put a multi-function port on the unit so that it can support all sorts of optional accessories... what a great idea and I think they've made a quantum leap in that direction with the Vision:M. In terms of raw audio and video quality they seem to have bested Apple (at least for this go-around in the product cycle) and the build quality is finally getting into the same ballpark. But as mentioned above they still haven't managed to duplicate the 'iPod Experience' in terms of seamless integration with content and frankly I doubt if Creative 'gets it' enough to ever do this... but perhaps Yahoo or Microsoft will someday, and if the Vision:M represents the kind of hardware platform that they'll have to work with when the time comes then a day may arrive when Apple needs to start worrying... but not yet.

So in the end you will still have to be somewhat of an iconoclast to choose the Vision:M over its competition, but if you are willing to put a bit into the relationship you will be rewarded with a truly state-of-the-art product. Play with one and you will see that it didn't win a 'Best of CES' award for nothing.

Hope this helps,

 

[jboehle]

Nice review. Makes me want one even more!

 

[LFC_SL]

No regrets with my brand new Archos Xs202s to compliment my 3 month old X5 (more money than sense)...but I want pics! Sorry, how rude...please

 

[mr_baseball_08]

Nice review.. Very in depth. Seems like you were biased towards the Vision over an Ipod before you even got started, though. Which is probably why you bought one.

Both are great players and users should choose according to their specific needs..

JD

 

[ILikeMusic]

Sorry if there appears to be an anti-iPod bias in the review and if so it wasn't intentional. I suppose I am biased in that in comparing the two pre-purchase the Vision:M seemed to meet my requirements better than the Video iPod, but as I mentioned depending on one's own requirements that situation may well reverse. There are certainly individuals (who may own an unsupported PC platform, or may not want to mess with doing their own video transfers, etc.) who would no doubt be better off selecting the iPod, so I am in complete agreement with you that they are both great products and one needs to choose according to their own requirements.

As for the differences in audio and video quality... well, what can I say, they were very apparent to me so I thought I had to mention it.

 

[Sethie]

*rolls around for not getting the Vision:M*

 

[the_engineer]

can you elaborate when you say it doesn't quite have the one click media access that the ipod does? I've not used the new ipod yet, nor this zen vision, so any extra info would be great!

 

[dskywalker]

I finally saw this little puppy at Frys last nite! Build was solid and display quality was exceptional. But I didn't get a chance to audition the zen with my e4c, shame on me

. Anyways, today there was a deal on the white zen vision:m for $279 (after coupon etc at crutchfield), I couldn't resist and ordered one (although white wasn't what i really wanted, but it's too cheap to pass up). I just can't wait! Did anyone else jump on the deal? I got on it too late and mine is being backordered.

 

[ILikeMusic]

$279 is a killer deal, good for you. $329 everywhere that I have seen.

But I didn't get a chance to audition the zen with my e4c, shame on me

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that you are going to like what you hear...

 

[ILikeMusic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_engineer can you elaborate when you say it doesn't quite have the one click media access that the ipod does? I've not used the new ipod yet, nor this zen vision, so any extra info would be great!

I was taking a bit of poetic license when I said 'one click', even iTunes requires a few clicks

What I was referring to was the quality of integration of software and player that Apple products provide. iTunes and the iTunes Music Store are well known for being very easy to use and are still pretty much unmatched (at least in terms of ease of use) in the industry. And for easy video downloads iTunes is pretty indisputably out in front as well. Be aware that music and video purcahsed via iTunes will only play on Apple products, though.

There are also music download sites designed to support Creative and other non-Apple products (i,e, MSN Music, Yahoo Music, Napster, etc.) and many of these are quite good too. Several of these sites offer 'subscription' music services (where you can download as much as you like as long as you pay a recurring monthly fee) which is a whole different model than iTunes. Some think subscription music services are the only way to go while others have no interest in them. And to be fair I should mention that like the iTunes restrictions, music downloaded from the above sites won't work on Apple products, the result being that the consumer is put into a difficult position because of all of these restrictions.

Probably best to take a look at all the sites and offers and see what you think as the variables are too involved to go into here.

If you are willing to go to a little more effort there are other ways to acquire content, such as ripping from CDs and/or DVDs on your own. This provides several advantages (better quality, no digital rights restrictions, etc.) but these methods do involve a modicum of PC literacy and effort on the user's part and are not as easy to use as the online music stores.

I've only scratched the surface here but hope this helped a bit...

 

[Otophonus]

I want to know abou the sound quality .
I have a X5 . Do you think it's worth replacing with zen vision M .
Thanks

 

[GSTom1]

ILikeMusic, I though your review was pretty fair and balanced and didn’t display a strong Creative Labs bias. You pointed out the strengths of the Zen Vision: M including battery life, screen, features and sound. You also pointed out that the iPod wins in size and navigability and that iTunes gives the iPod a huge advantage over its rivals.

All in all a good review. I would like to hear some reviews after some regular daily usage. How’s the portability? Durability? Video viewing experience?

 

[EscaBoi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSTom1 All in all a good review. I would like to hear some reviews after some regular daily usage. How’s the portability? Durability? Video viewing experience?

i've had my Vision M since the beginning of January and it still functions very well. At first the buttons were unlikable mainly because they were stiff, but as time went on, they are easily accessable and the buttons wore in.

portability wise, it's perfectly fine for me, because i use to have a 3rd Gen iPod and the Vision M is the exact same size

the picture quality on it is phenomenal, sit the Vision M side by side with an iPod video and you'll see. if you seen the pictures in one of the "Vision M vs iPod picture topic" that's exactly how the pictures look. Previously a lot of people kept speculating that the pictures on the Vision M were either photoshopped or had more light to make it look more saturated.

As the topic creator said, you probably won't want to watch the LOTR trilogy on it, your neck will most likely hurt after starring at the screen for more than an hour. What's nice though, is if you can get your hands on the AV Out, and watch it on a Television set, which i have not done yet.

 

[the_engineer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILikeMusic If you are willing to go to a little more effort there are other ways to acquire content, such as ripping from CDs and/or DVDs on your own. This provides several advantages (better quality, no digital rights restrictions, etc.) but these methods do involve a modicum of PC literacy and effort on the user's part and are not as easy to use as the online music stores. I've only scratched the surface here but hope this helped a bit...

I've got no problems with the computer literacy portion of the player, I rather dislike Itunes at that sooo yeah. Anyways, I guess what I was driving at with my previous question is this.
I'm going to be using this player in my work truck. could one use it well enough whilst driving to say, change playlists or artists? Or at least as well as an ipod? Or is the interface much more cumbersome? I know some of this is opinion, but there are some players that have come out with just plain piss-poor UI's. Thanks!

 

[ILikeMusic]

I would like to hear some reviews after some regular daily usage. How’s the portability? Durability? Video viewing experience?

I've been using it quite a bit each day and can share some more thoughts. I'm still getting used to the user interface (and being an owner of previous Creative products hasn't helped much as the Vision:M is somewhat different, as I mentioned above.) The Vision:M just isn't going to go head-to-head with the iPod in terms of easy 'out of the box' usability, period. But OTOH there are a lot of features in there too so the ease of use vs. capability issue is always a struggle for designers. The Vision:M does have some nice new software features that make it much easier to locate specific artists, albums, or tracks than prior products, maybe even easier than the iPod in some respects. But also some other items are buried deeper in multi-level menus than I think they should be. Biggest improvement is probably the touchpad, now easy to use vs. the frustrating experience of earlier Creative products that used this feature. The circular touchpad of the iPod is still better than any linear touchpad I think, but the latter is becoming almost equally usable.

Portability and durability also seem to definitely be a generation ahead of past Creative products. No external screws visible, very solid feel to the unit and buttons, etc. It is also smaller than past Creative HD-based players and similar to earlier iPods, although not in the same class as the current iPod which is much thinner. It's definitely not a brick and the Vision:M incites a 'wow, that's small' response from most who see it... until you hold it up to an iPod But again there's a price to be paid for extremely small form factors in terms of battery life so that's something each individual needs to evaluate for themselves.

The ability to watch videos on a 2.5" screen is also going to be a subjective issue, but if you are going to do that it would be hard to imagine much better quality in a small screen. Very sharp with accurate colors and almost no posterization (maybe just a bit on very challenging scenes such as those with many shades of black.) I have watched full-length feature films (just to see if I could!) with no problem. Actually, once you get into it and considering the good sound it can be a pretty involving experience. You certainly are not going to choose to watch a movie on one of these devices when something better is available but I expect this thing to be a Godsend for use while traveling. All in all it's much more usable as a video device than I expected. Watching music videos in particular is a lot of fun. The thing I marvel at most is how much this device can do in such a relatively small and pocketable size.

Not that you'd put it in a pocket without some sort of screen protection, although right now I'm not using any and am not too worried. The screen is plastic and will scratch if you are not careful, can't say whether it is any better or worse than the Apple because none of my friends will let me test with theirs I have some tiny scratches already but they are only visible if you hold the unit up sideways to the light. The display is very bright and think it would take a pretty major flaw or scratch to actually be visible while viewing straight-on so I'm just not too worried about it.

I'm really finding it hard to find much to pick about. From what I read the original and larger version of the Vision (without the ':M') was and is pretty buggy, but not so with the Vision:M so far as I can tell. Very smooth operation and smooth video display (very stable, no frame jumps) and the only lockup I experienced was during a torture test where I was randomly pressing buttons in a rapid sequence to try to kill it... eventually I did and got it to lock up, poking the reset button restored operation. But no problems at all so far in normal operation. I'll note that I'm definitely not a fan of Creative's PC interface software, though. It keeps getting better but has a ways to go. Luckily there are some good aftermarket alternatives, and Windows Media Player 10 provides full support so if you are familiar with that you don't even need to load any additional software.

But of all the attributes I'm happiest about the audio quality... I expected pretty much the same as previous Creative units (which have a good reputation for SQ in their own right) but was surprised to see (or hear) a nice improvement, particularly in ability to drive at high bass levels without distortion -- an all-to-common weakness of most portable players. If it sounds this good with the Ety's then I can only imagine how good dskywalker's E4C's are going to sound. I'll be very interested to hear others' opinions about the Vision:M SQ as more of them hit the streets.