[GnuB]

 
I am using a Sansa View 8g with an 8g microSD that I bought refurbished.  Overall I like the unit but it has a few frustrating idiosyncrasies.  I was wondering if users of non-refurbished units are experiencing the same thing.
 
1. Refresh database on every start-up with the microSD inserted
2. Occasional 10 - 15 second lag on pressing any of the control buttons.  For example, after listening for awhile I press the center button to see the album/song info and it will pause for several seconds before displaying with all of the other buttons locked out.
3. Displays the wrong album art.  I looked at the file/folder structure from Windows explorer after loading the 8g microSD with the Sansa connected via USB and it split albums across folders and put songs / album art from different albums in the same folder.
 
So if these behaviors are normal, I guess I can live with it but if not perhaps I am doing something wrong or the unit is not fully up to spec.
 
Verson 01.03.02A
 
Thanks
 
Ron

 

[Danneq]

I own a 16GB Sansa View that I bought in March 2008. I am using a 4GB microSD card and the only thing from your list that I have experienced is the never ending refresh of database when it starts up. This seems to be a problem with Sansa Fuze as well when using MicroSD, so I think it might be a case of bad firmware.
 
I have never had any lag when pressing a button. I use an earlier firmware version than you, though. I read that the 01.03.02A is not very good when it comes to battery life. The version that I use is the 01.01.06A, which supposedly has got a much better battery performance.
 
About your problems with album art, what size is the art? Is it embedded or do you use a generic "cover.jpg"? I have embedded all the album art, and I ALWAYS use images whose size is smaller than 31kb. I used bigger sized art before, but it never seemed to display correctly. I found a post on Anything but iPod about the album art on the View, and I followed the advice to keep the size of the images smaller than 31kb. Usually, the art is 340x340 pixels. As long as the size is less than 31kb, the pixel dimensions will not matter.
I suspect that some of your album art might be so big that the lag comes when the View tries to read the art.
 
Anyway, keeping the album art small and embedding it with software (Media Monkey or MP3 tag) works 99,99% on my View and as well on my other MP3 players. It is a lot of work, but it feels rewarding once I have finished it...

 

[Achmedisdead]

Sorry for the slightly off topic, but that is not the case with either my current 8GB Fuze V1, or my old 4GB V1 that I had a while ago. They only refresh database when something changes, in my experience.

 
Quote:

I own a 16GB Sansa View that I bought in March 2008. I am using a 4GB microSD card and the only thing from your list that I have experienced is the never ending refresh of database when it starts up. This seems to be a problem with Sansa Fuze as well when using MicroSD, so I think it might be a case of bad firmware.
 

 

[Danneq]

Is this using original firmware or using Rockbox? It might be that Fuze, having had firmware updates during the last 2 years, handles MicroSD cards better than the View...
 
I have read on forums that the Fuze, using original Sansa firmware, has got an issue with database updates. These might not be as bad as the View, though...

 

[GnuB]

The album art is just in the folder and there are generally three versions created when I rip using Windows media.  I didn't know anything about "embedding" but I will look into it.  I never thought about the size of the image files impacting the lag.
 
With my Cowon D2, I can just put the SD into the computer and use Windows explorer to copy the folders to the card and the D2 will read the card just fine.  That won't work with the Sansa.  I have to copy the music to the card inserted in the Sansa using the custom usb cable.  The problem I see when I look at the folders by putting the card in a SD slot in the computer is that some of the music from an album spans folders, so album art gets overwritten and does not match the album title.
 
Anyhoo, I will do a little research on Anything but IPod and see what I can find.
 
Ron
 
Quote:

About your problems with album art, what size is the art? Is it embedded or do you use a generic "cover.jpg"? I have embedded all the album art, and I ALWAYS use images whose size is smaller than 31kb. I used bigger sized art before, but it never seemed to display correctly. I found a post on Anything but iPod about the album art on the View, and I followed the advice to keep the size of the images smaller than 31kb. Usually, the art is 340x340 pixels. As long as the size is less than 31kb, the pixel dimensions will not matter.
I suspect that some of your album art might be so big that the lag comes when the View tries to read the art.
 
Anyway, keeping the album art small and embedding it with software (Media Monkey or MP3 tag) works 99,99% on my View and as well on my other MP3 players. It is a lot of work, but it feels rewarding once I have finished it...

 

[Achmedisdead]

That's using original firmware. Back when I had my older one, it was way before Rockbox was ready....and this one I have now behaves the same way, if I use the original firmware. I rarely use the OF now, of course, but I just powered it up in the OF and it did not refresh.
Quote:

Is this using original firmware or using Rockbox? It might be that Fuze, having had firmware updates during the last 2 years, handles MicroSD cards better than the View...
 
I have read on forums that the Fuze, using original Sansa firmware, has got an issue with database updates. These might not be as bad as the View, though...

 

[Danneq]

Here is a thread from ABi about the View and album art. When I wrote "embedding the album art", I meant in the ID3 tags. When embedding the covers, the file size must be under 32kb. I stick to that rule and it always works. I have never put the album art in the folders, so I do not have any experience with that practice. MP3 Tag is great for editing the ID3 tags in MP3 songs. If you haven't tried it out, you should give it a try!
 
The View firmware isn't that great, so that might be why the album art will not transfer properly to the microSD card. The only solution I can think of is embedding the art in the ID3 tags...

 

[GnuB]

Problem solved:  I bought a Fuze and gave the View to the wife.  She is going to use it to listen to audiobooks and won't need the microSD.  No album art - no database refresh.
 
BTW: Fuze -> FiiO E6 LOD -> Penguine Caffeine -> ER4P  = good stuff.  Inexpensive portable setup.