Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB MP3 and Video Player (Black) Reviews

• I now own 2 Vision:M players

  
  By ATL0SCAEUPFNK on 2006-01-14
  I had ordered one of the players as a gift for a family member, then realized how difficult it appeared to get them, so I ordered another from a second source.
  
  I received the first unit as promised. I immediately started loading this on it. It's a little thicker than the iPod, but I actually like how it feels in my hand better (IMHO). The screen is beautiful, the file formats that are supported are great, the integration with WMP10 and the on-line stores is certainly better than the iPod. I just love it. I loved it so much, that when the second unit arrived, I decided to keep it for myself :)
  
  I have used iPod many times before and I do like them. But they can coexist and the competition will make all the players better. If you love the iPod's great. Again, I like them too, but right now I would pick this player. I have synched up CD music, on-line songs, even a bunch of my TiVo shows (via Tivo To Go TTG). I have taken those shows and played them directly on my TV too (with an A/V cable).
  
  The currently availability of accessories is a bit frustrating, but livable - I am sure it will not match or surpass the iPod in that respect.
  
  Like the iPod and other devices like this the screen scratches pretty easily. I immediately bought some Palm protectors and cut them to fit. I have customer shields ordered (from theinvisibleshield.com) but this will do for now.
  
  This FM radio works fine. I personally like one integrated. It doesn't take any more space and it's nice on rare occasion. I have read other reviews that say having the FM radio is a "negative" of this player. Huh? Why? If you don't want it, just don't use it.
  
  There is a reason why this little player just won the overall best of the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Even my friends that have iPods snap their heads when they see this. But again, this shouldn't be a religious discussion of iPods vs. non-iPods. Buy what you like best and suits your use.
  
  This one suits mine. I am even thinking about buying a third one. Why? I don't want to share mine (or my wife's) with the kids LOL
  
  

• Truly Amazing Gadget!

  
  By A1B4MIXYVIKMU2 on 2006-04-01
  I've had my Zen M for about 2 months now so I think I have a good feel for what it's pros and cons are. Here you go:
  
  Pros: Beautiful and Bright Screen (displays thousands of more colors than the Ipod video by the way). Even at 50% brightness (which is default setting out of the box) it looks bright!
  
  Ability to Customize most of the features. This includes being able to set your own photos for the wallpaper, custom equilizer, custom brightnes setting, custom shortcut button, organization of folders(audio, photo, video folders)...etc.
  
  Great Sound! This isn't a surprise because Creative develops sound hardware/software like soundcards.
  
  Good User Interface: The thumb scroller interface takes a few days to get used to, then it's pretty user friendly. You can customize the sensitivity of it too.
  
  Ability to play lots of different video files like Divx and Mpg4.
  This was a big selling point for me. The screen is perfect for watching cartoons and anime on.
  
  Good Size. I'm refering to it's physical size. It's actually the perfect size and feels great in your hand. Still pocketable and still feels rock solid and not fragile.
  
  Displays Album cover art! I had trouble with this function in the beginning only because in order to get it to display the album art correctly, you need to rip the Cd album with a program that automatically downloads album info including art. One program that does this is Windows Media Player.
  
  --For the techies that don't want to re-rip everything to get the album art to display, just download a small jpeg image of the album cover that is about 150 by 150 pixels, rename it folder.jpg, make it a hidden file and place it in the folder of the correct album. When you move it to your player it will ask you whether you want to move it to the photo folder, make sure you select "no" and leave it where it is.
  
  Cons: There isn't a lot about this player that is negative. But one aspect which is really annoying is that to charge it or plug it to the computer you have to use this tiny seperate adapter that comes in the box. It's the white adapter/attachment that looks like a dock connector. What the heck were they thinking! I have to carry the separate item everywhere I go just in case I need to charge it or upload music. It sucks man! Why the heck didn't they just build all of the ports into the player itself!!
  Also, they should've included the video output cable instead of selling it separately! Or at least made it use a standard video cable! Also, the battery is not removable... at least not meant to be.
  
  These are the only reasons why I gave this player 4 out of 5 stars. Otherwise I would have given 5 out of 5! All in All this player really rocks and is worth every penny! ... and is a much better buy then the "other" competition out there.
  
  Hope this is helpful to you guys. If it is, please give me a vote. Thanks!
  
  For more electronics and technology reviews, visit my site at:
  http://newtechnews.blogspot.com/
  
  

• iPod or Vision:M? Not black and white.

  
  By A1ZR28SCA9CRPQ on 2005-12-24
  Is the Vision:M a 5th generation (video)iPod clone? You bet... right down to the little green battery charge indicator in the upper right corner. Is it better than the 5th generation iPod? In my mind there's no contest, but there are trade-offs. Judge for yourself.
  
  Creative Vision:M, why is it better?
  -Plays DivX and XviD video, as well as WMV-9 and MPEG1/2/4.
  -Higher color screen (262,144 colors vs 65,000 colors)
  -Natively plays MP3, WMA and WAV, without conversion.
  -Better signal-to-noise ratio under same frequency response.
  -Longer battery life (approx 4 hours video playback vs iPod's 2 hours)
  -Includes AC charger.
  -FM Radio/ Recorder.
  -Voice Recorder.
  -Compatible with popular music services, like Napster.
  -Customizable menu, with background image.
  -Organizer features Outlook sync support; Contacts, Calendar & Tasks.
  -Colors blue, green, and pink are also available.
  -The back side isn't made out of scratch magnets like the iPod.
  -Natively acts as external hard drive in Windows.
  
  Apple iPod 5th Generation, why is it better?
  -Slimmer. iPod - 0.43in / Vision:M - 0.7in.
  -Lighter. iPod - 4.8oz / Vision:M - 5.7oz.
  -Clickwheel is still the preferred navigation input for many.
  -Lots of first and third party accessories available.
  -60GB version also available.
  -iTunes support.
  -30 USD cheaper.
  
  If you're in the market for a 30GB player and you're considering the 5th generation iPod, give the Creative Vision:M a serious look. If your friends ask you why you bought a "generic iPod," you can tell them with pride all the reasons why the iPod simply wasn't good enough for you.
  
  

• A Truly Unbiased review! Very good portable media player

  
  By A3S9HK98Z6TD8L on 2006-01-27
  For those of you looking to read something with substance, here's a review from someone who actually owns both an Ipod and Zen Vision M and has used the Ipod Video.
  
  I've been looking for a feature rich portable media player (PMP or PVP) and was about to jump on an Ipod Video when I saw the press release for the Vision M in December. I already own a regular 4G ipod and loved it. The clickwheel made using it so easy. I borrowed a Video Ipod from a co-worker and was impressed with the video capabilities; however I really wanted something with FM radio and better video codec compability.
  
  The early reviews of the Vision were fairly positive, but had a few bugs like video buffer issues and no on the go playlists, but both are now fixed via new firmware. The clincher was CNET's awarding it the Best In Show at the 2006 CES. For a reputable site to recommends this as best in show over the hundreds of other new devices says a lot.
  
  Ok, on to the real review.....
  
  I purchased the Black Vision M and the two things that stand out is the clean front layout and thickness. It is about .7 inches thick so it's signficantly thicker than the Ipod. Although I would prefer the slim shape of the Ipod, the thicker Vision M was fine as it still fits in my pocket comfortably and is quite snug in my hand. The instructions require you to do two things first:
  1) Update Quicktime if it's version 7.0 through 7.0.2 before installing Creative's software
  2) Charge it up first using the AC adapter which only takes about 2 hours (great advantage over Ipod)
  
  User Interface and Slide Touchpad:
  The software is pretty straight forward and so is using the menu system on the Vision M. The slide touchpad takes a little getting used and I have to admit the Ipod clickwheel is much easier to use. However, it does have its advantages. You are able to very quickly scan though large song lists by holding down at the top or bottom of the touchpad. Alternatively the user interface allows you to search alphabetically via song, albums, artists, and genre. This is something I wish the Ipod had as going round and round on the clickwheel sometimes gets old if you're looking for something in particular. The touchpad also doubles as a previous/next or rewind/fast forward button by pressing it the left or right respectively.
  
  Additionally, there are four buttons located around the touchpad: Play/Pause, Context Menu (Options), Back, and Custom Shortcut where you can set it to whatever you want (almost, you have a list of options). These buttons light up in aqua blue which is nice for night time use.
  
  Sound
  So how's the sound quality? Very good! The headset that comes with the Vision is slightly better than the average as they fit snug in your ear and have good response. In my opinion, both the sound quality of the Ipod and Vision M are good, but the Vision M is slightly better. Additionally you can enhance your listening experience with the built in preset or custom equalizer and bass boost options. I only wish it saved more than one custom equalizer setting. Be careful when using bass boost as doing this combined with boosting the low end using the equalizer may distort the sound.
  
  Oh, did I mention you can bookmark your music so you can pick up where you last left off which is something the Ipod doesn't do.
  
  Other info
  Radio: Very very good. your headphones is used as the antenna and the reception is very good. You are able to preset up to 32 stations (including renaming them) manually or thought the auto seek option. You also have a signal strength bar (similar to ones found on cellphones)
  
  Video: The player's codec supports DivX4/5, XviD5, MPEG-1/2/4SP, and WMV9 as well as Motion-JPEG. The included software will convert your videos to the proper codec and resolution including cropping if you so desire. My only complaint is the 4-6 seconds of wait time when you start playing, but since this is a hard drive based device, it's understandable. Oh yeah, you can even password protect files from viewing.
  
  Screen: Excellent, the 2.5" screen is bright and the colors are vivid; it's capable of displaying up to 262,000 colors. Easily better than the Ipod Video which I thought was good to begin with.
  
  Pictures: The viewer allows you to choose from specified folder and displays contents in a 5 x 4 format. You then pick the one you want to see via touchpad and then you have the option of zooming in. Again, colors are vivid and you can even get picture details (via context button).
  
  Miscellaneous features:
  Voice Recording, Custom Wallpaper, Sync your Outlook Calendar option, Button lock (disables the touchpad and buttons), song and picture rating, Play music while viewing pictures, Compatible with Windows Media Player 10, 6 hours of video battery life, Smart Playlists (higher rated songs play back more frequently I think), Smart Volume (Normalizes volume of all songs), Video Out, power saving options, and PlaysforSure compatibility.
  
  Weakness:
  So what keeps me from giving this unit a 5 star rating?
  
  An overly sensitive touchpad (should get better as I get more used to it), lack of accessories at this time, lack of a removable battery, lack of lyrics display support, can't do anything with it when docked to the PC, separate 3 in 1 dongle for USB, AC connectivity and Video Out. Overall these are fairly minor complaints.
  
  In summary, if you just need a decent mp3 player with video and photo capabilities, then the Ipod is a fine choice. For those searching for a more feature rich player, this is an excellent option. This item is selling well and I hope that translates to more accessories for this wonderful player.
  
  I have thoroughly enjoyed using this player and hope you find this review informative.
  
  
  

• Setting the record str8

  
  By A2PY3W8ZBJSSRA on 2006-01-07
  I would like to respond to the reviewer below who gave it a one star and is clearly some ipod fanatic club member.
  
  The creatives vision m battery life is better than the ipod video - TRUE take a look at reviews online. The one on CNET.com confirms 15 hours for audio (higher than suggested) and about 4 hours and 11 minutes for video under their test conditions. This is clearly better than ipod's 2 hours battery for video. Add to the fact that creative's screen is more vivid and bright - 262,144 color screen compared to ipod video's 65,000 color screen.
  
  The creative vision m is an ipod killer - TRUE in terms of features and value. The creative zen vision m is only 30$ more. With that 30$ you get: A much more advanced display. You get longer battery life for video. A more wide array of supported video formats (mpeg-1, mpeg-2, mp4, divx, xvid, avi). Also 640x480 resolution is supported by the vision m unlike ipod video which is limited to 320 x 240 resolution. The higher resolution allows the TV output to be much more clearer. You get more audio format support, FM radio, voice recording etc. Basically it does what an ipod video can do plus a few additions and features.
  
  The biggest problem I have with the ipod video (I bought one when it was released) is that it scratches easily. So much so that it will build up on scratches overtime and make the display look deformed. I have not dropped my ipod once and everyday new scratches appear. How could apple sell a product like this? How could any company sell a product like this? So I can go out and shell out more cash for a case? I'll get a case to protect it from scratching from drops not from scratching that happens when I pull it in and out of my pockets.
  
  
• I'm done with the Zen Vision M
  By A116NAT5P81M05 on 2006-05-23
  I purchased my Zen Vision M in early March and received it on March 22nd. I really enjoyed it...until it stopped working two weeks later. I sent it back to Creative and they sent me a new one. I really enjoyed that one...until it stopped working a month later. In both cases, the unit simply froze up and I was unable to turn it on. Resetting it didn't work either. The second one got SO hot while charging that it was honestly too hot to hold.
  
  I really wanted to like the Zen Vision M as I like a lot of the features, especially the FM tuner. However, after having two fail on me in two months, I am returning it to Amazon and exchanging it for an iPod. In their email response to me, Amazon noted that the problems with the Zen Vision M "are more widespread" than they anticipated so they are not offering replacements but are instead offerering me a full refund.
  
  The Creative customer service team is very slow in responding to issues. I must commend Amazon for their quick customer service and by doing the right thing by granting me a full refund.
  
  
  
  
• BETTER Than IPOD by far
  By A1BKX9MC3YAKF8 on 2006-03-07
  Let's see..., you can get the Ipod for "less" because it doesn't come w/ the AC adaptor($40),the integrated FM radio($30+),a pouch and other stuff included with the Creative Zen Vision. It also supports many video formats, such as DivX™ 4 & 55, XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9 and Motion-JPEG, which simply means more choice and less restrictions on the types of video formats you can use. The quality and feel of the Creative Zen Video are better, not cheap, it is sturdy. You can record directly from the integrated FM radio. 32 station presets let you switch stations whenever you want. You can also select from a myriad of online music stores - Napster To Go, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, Rhapsody To Go, and many more. With PlaysForSure support, you will always be able to play any digital music you purchase. You can even download your favorite TV shows. ZEN VISION:M supports many video formats, such as DivX™ 4 & 55, XviD5, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9 and Motion-JPEG, which simply means more choice and less restrictions on the types of video formats you can use.
  Ipods are for people that get things because everyone has them, not because they do quality research. The battery last longer on the creative and it is replaceable, on the Ipod after 18 month you have to send it back to them and have it replaced and pay over $150. If you want an excellent quality product, go with this one. They had started to come down on price (I got my for $289 here)and you don't have to spend money on extra stuff already included. Do research, Creative had been around for many years and they had won many awards for their MP3 quality products, Including this one.
  
  
• Awesome!!!!!
  By AXT8X95OAA351 on 2006-01-07
  I have two words.... HOLY COW!!!! This thing is amazing! First off let me say I returned a 30G Ipod Video due to the poor battery life for this thing and I have not been disappointed.
  
  Bonuses +++
  1- Waaaaaaaay better battery life over the ipod.
  2- Screen is amazing 4x the colors over the ipod.
  3- FM radio woot!
  4- Has everything you need to get started with chargers and cords.
  5- Sexy as all hell. I have the Black model :)
  6- 30 gigs!!! More space then I need with room to grow.
  7- Uses more formats so I am not limited to itunes anymore YAY!
  8 Creative software is extreamly easy to use. What the heck was I thinking all those years using a friggin ipod!
  
  Overall I have had this player for a week and all I can say is the hype is correct. This think destroys the 5G Ipods. Period end of story. RIP ipop hello Zen Vision M. Im in love!
  
  
• Truly an amazing gadget!
  By A1B4MIXYVIKMU2 on 2006-04-01
  I've had my Zen M for about 2 months now so I think I have a good feel for what it's pros and cons are. Here you go:
  
  Pros: Beautiful and Bright Screen (displays thousands of more colors than the Ipod video by the way). Even at 50% brightness (which is default setting out of the box) it looks bright!
  
  Ability to Customize most of the features. This includes being able to set your own photos for the wallpaper, custom equilizer, custom brightnes setting, custom shortcut button, organization of folders(audio, photo, video folders)...etc.
  
  Great Sound! This isn't a surprise because Creative develops sound hardware/software like soundcards.
  
  Good User Interface: The thumb scroller interface takes a few days to get used to, then it's pretty user friendly. You can customize the sensitivity of it too.
  
  Ability to play lots of different video files like Divx and Mpg4.
  This was a big selling point for me. The screen is perfect for watching cartoons and anime on.
  
  Good Size. I'm refering to it's physical size. It's actually the perfect size and feels great in your hand. Still pocketable and still feels rock solid and not fragile.
  
  Displays Album cover art! I had trouble with this function in the beginning only because in order to get it to display the album art correctly, you need to rip the Cd album with a program that automatically downloads album info including art. One program that does this is Windows Media Player.
  
  --For the techies that don't want to re-rip everything to get the album art to display, just download a small jpeg image of the album cover that is about 150 by 150 pixels, rename it folder.jpg, make it a hidden file and place it in the folder of the correct album. When you move it to your player it will ask you whether you want to move it to the photo folder, make sure you select "no" and leave it where it is.
  
  Cons: There isn't a lot about this player that is negative. But one aspect which is really annoying is that to charge it or plug it to the computer you have to use this tiny seperate adapter that comes in the box. It's the white adapter/attachment that looks like a dock connector. What the heck were they thinking! I have to carry the separate item everywhere I go just in case I need to charge it or upload music. It sucks man! Why the heck didn't they just build all of the ports into the player itself!!
  Also, they should've included the video output cable instead of selling it separately! Or at least made it use a standard video cable! Also, the battery is not removable... at least not meant to be.
  
  These are the only reasons why I gave this player 4 out of 5 stars. Otherwise I would have given 5 out of 5! All in All this player really rocks and is worth every penny! ... and is a much better buy then the "other" competition out there.
  
  Hope this is helpful to you guys. If it is, please give me a vote. Thanks!
  
  For more electronics and technology reviews, visit my site at:
  http://newtechnews.blogspot.com/
  
  
• former iPod owner says: Blows iPod away!!
  By A3TXD2RVB7P0C3 on 2006-04-21
  As a two-year owner of an iPod, i got absolutely sick and tired of my mp3 player becoming increasingly incompatible with just about everything. The more time that passed, the more times i lost everything on the iPod and the more i found myself shaking my head.
  
  i bought the zen vision:m about a week ago, and i have been amazed by it since it's been in my possession. i like to refer to it as an iPod without the bull****. i think the fact that people complain about its size, its menu interface and its reliability is a complete joke.
  
  I find the size to be just right for this device, very comparable to the 20 GB iPod i have owned for the last few years. it's a solid piece of equipment (scratches easy, don't even mess around just buy a case for it. there are plenty now.) The menu interface is quite reminiscent of the ipod's (which is a good thing), with a few excellent updates. it has a feature while browsing the media library that enables you to scroll to a specific letter rather than scroll through everything...very handy for large libraries. the touchpad that for some reason people are complaining about in their reviews has given me no trouble. it's not a click wheel...so what? get over it folks. it functions almost exactly the same, except it has a rapid scroll function which comes in handy. it has three sensitivity settings, so there is really no reason to complain about its sensitivity. also a clutch addition is the shortcut button. randomize all songs? one touch. whatever you want. one touch. great stuff.
  
  the screen itself is just what it advertises. it's awesome. i find it playing back videos at exactly the quality they should be, colors are right on. no fuzziness or lines in the video. i haven't had a compatibility problem yet, something all you iPod clowns (i can say that because i have been one myself) can't say. good luck getting a DivX video onto your ipod without going to nerdcentral.com to figure it out, and then you're still going to have a decreased quality video. apple is shooting itself in the foot by purposely not making their great product compatible. the zen vision:m is compatible with just about every music service there is...iPods don't have a chance with anything besides itunes. not to mention the zen is compatible with just about every media file you could want to put on your mp3 player.
  
  the one complaint i have with it is that you can't play the files directly off the player when it's plugged in. however, this is on the other hand an extremely smart security measure they have taken because it prevents your files from being mistakenly deleted, which is something that EVERY iPod owner goes through at least once. it sucks, and this prevents it. i still wish i could play them through winamp though...
  
  IF YOU WANT AN MP3 PLAYER, STOP WHAT YOURE DOING AND BUY THIS ONE NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. meanwhile, i'm going to start an anti-apple movement...
  see ya.
  
  
• vision M is a winner
  By A3AX59OCGJJSOA on 2006-01-24
  I got the Zen Vision M from Amazon last week. This thing really blew me away. The screen is beautiful, video quality is amazing. Sound quality is second to none (with quality headphones - not the junk they throw in). It is considerably thicker than the 30G ipod video, but it feels much more solid and is more comfortable to hold in your hand. Battery life is great (charger included!) You can drag and drop mp3, wma, avi, divx, almost any audio or video file you may have and this will play it (or use the included software if you prefer). On a few occasions, it said the video file was not supported, but with the included video converter, you're in business. The user interface is great, much better than ipod's in my opinion. The vertical scroll button now has side to side scrolling (an improvment on the zen micro). Other benefits are the FM radio and voice recorder. I tried the voice recorder and the quality was excellent, no spinning hard drive noise. My only concern is how easily the unit scratches. If you get this PLEASE get a case.. mine already has some minor scratches even though I have been careful. Enjoy!
  
  
• Creative > Apple
  By ABQPNW4RF6W1K on 2006-02-05
  Introduction
  I don't see what the big deal about iPods are. Especially when you have a product this much better. Yeah, there's people who say they just copied the iPod, but it's really not possible. Creative only had five months to see the iPod design, create their own item using that design, write software, throw parts into it, and market it. Not possible.
  
  vs. iPod
  I don't have anything against the iPod. It has a really great design, and it's easy to navigate with no experience. The Zen Vision is a bit clunky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it works great. No actual buttons to press, just tap the touchpad to make your selection. It's probably just as easy to use as the iPod, plus as others have stated, that's less buttons to wear out.
  
  Another thing I think this player has over the iPod is that there is no real need for extra software. Right out of the box, I plugged into my Windows XP computer and I could start putting music on it immediately. I don't need the eyesore that is iTunes to put music on my device. One problem I did have though was dragging and dropping XviD and DivX movies into my player. I got a warning that said the file type is not supported, but when I used the software that came with my player (very clean and easy interface, by the way), it worked fine.
  
  Features
  After having this device for about a week, I really can't think of anything else I could want. Of course, maybe wireless and a camera, but they're not very realistic wants. It plays pretty much every video I throw at it (MPEG, XviD, DivX 4 & 5, Motion JPEG, Windows Media Video 9), besides QuickTime and Real Media. It also does not have OGG or ACC support, but I think MP3 and WMA is plenty good enough. The screen is 2.5" and supports 262,144 colors. That's way better than any iPod video. It also has a Video output, so I can hook it up to my plasma screen at home and watch the episodes of The Office that I downloaded.
  
  Customization
  Oh Lord, is it customizable. It has six different themes to choose from, all look very nice depending on your taste in color. Maybe you will be able to import more in the future? You can set a custom display background as well.
  
  Also, the menu system is customizable. For example, if you want to remove the Radio, Microphone, and Picture items, it takes about four seconds. The only option you are required to have is System. I thought this was a very nice feature.
  
  As you browse your media, you can also change the way it's viewed. For example, when viewing a particular artist, you may choose to view by album art, album title, or by tracks. This is consistent throughout the player for different types of media.
  
  Pros
  - Supports many video and audio codecs.
  - FM tuner
  - Voice recorder (You can also record FM streams)
  - EXTREMELY customizable
  - Plug-and-Play setup
  - Video Output
  
  Cons
  - No support for QuickTime and RealMedia
  - No Ogg or ACC support
  - Included headset is terrible
  - Desktop Dock sold separately
  
  Conclusion
  All in all, this player really beats the iPod on all levels. That's just my opinion. I would rate it 6/5 if i could. Buy this player.
  
  
• Creative Zen Vision:M
  By A1RFRVMJ5OSBXZ on 2006-05-11
  Since most of the reviews of this product are either a) out-of-date or b) really more of a review of amazon's shipping techniques, I felt it necessary to write a cohesive, up-to-date review of this product.
  
  Summary:
  
  The Creative Zen Vision:M is a multi-award-winning mp3 player for good reason. CNet, one of the market's leading reviewers, gave this the award for Best In Show in the Mp3 and Portable Video Category, as well as the Best of CES and Editor's Choice award, all for 2006. The Apple iPod Video was one of the other products reviewed. Overall, the Creative Zen Vision:M is a better product than anything else on the market. And while it did cost more than the iPod originally, the price has come down to equal, giving you few reasons not to buy it.
  
  The Interface:
  
  The interface of the Vision:M is extremely ergonomic and easy to use. The touchpad's sensitivity is easily adjusted and comfortable to navigate through any menu. Holding down on the top or bottom of the touchpad will activate fast scrolling and smaller movements are controlled by running your finger up and down. Selections are made by tapping the touchpad. In addition, the Vision:M has six buttons: One for play/pause, a next/previous arrow on either side of the touchpad, a menu button, a back button, and a customizable shortcut button. In addition, all the menus are fully customizable so you can maximize your own browsing preferences.
  
  The Performance:
  
  The Vision:M's screen is incredible. With six times as many colors as the iPod, the difference is easily visible. I compared the same video clip on my Vision:M to my friend's iPod and could easily tell which screen was better. In addition, the battery life when playing video is up to four times that of the iPod, meaning you can watch feature-length films without charging, and still have enough battery life for hours of music. To test it, I charged the battery fully and then watched The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Extended Edition with the maximum brightness settings. When the movie was done, I listened to an hour and a half of music before the player ultimately died on me. The sound quality is also supurb - something you can expect from a company that specializes in digital audio equipment (chances are the sound card in your computer was made by Creative).
  
  The Features:
  
  In addition to the features offered by the iPod Video, the Vision:M offers a radio am/fm tuner and a radio/voice recorder. While these may not sound that useful, I've used them more than I thought I would, especially the voice recorder. Another incredible feature the Vision:M offers over the iPod is complete compatibility and integration with Windows. You can transfer songs, tags, and album art from your Windows Media Player library as well as sync a calendar with Outlook to carry with you. It also comes bundled with its own software for transferring files. Unlike the iPod, the Vision:M offers support for a large library of filetypes - where the iPod only supports its own formats and has to reformat your files to make them compatible, the Vision:M rarely (if ever) has to do so - even Xvid/DivX formats will play! Unfortunately for you Mac users, Creative has yet to release a set of drivers for Mac OS, but reports say they're currently developing them.
  
  The Quick Review:
  
  Pros:
  Ample battery life
  Clear, bright, colorful display
  Customizable menus
  Ergonomic interface
  Comes in five colors
  Excellent sound quality
  Same price as iPod
  
  Cons:
  Slightly thicker than the iPod
  Not Mac compatible
  Only comes in 30GB - iPod offers a 60GB model
  Few accessories (can find more on eBay, ship from overseas)
  
  The Bottom Line:
  The iPod comes with a huge culture identification behind it that the Vision:M just doesn't have, so if you're looking to be a part of that culture regardless of the quality of the product, there's no reason not to buy the iPod. It's still a good product. Also if you're looking for a massive library of accessories, the Vision:M isn't for you. But if what you're looking for is a high quality, affordable media player that won't let you down and will consistently outperform the competition, the Vision:M is your best choice.
  
  
• Just trying to even things out.
  By A3R2T5BNJBX0UM on 2006-01-11
  Hey I think the ipod line of products are fantastic! I think apple is doing some really great stuff. The fact of the matter is that Creative and other companies are doing great stuff too. The zen vision:m is an example of this. Why cant both products be good at the same time?!
  
  Of coarse the reason I chose the zen vision:m is because of its ability to play multiple formats of video. I also have a subscription with napster to download all the music i want for 14 bucks a month. I do not like the iTunes interface and setup...but thats just me. I think that some people are better off with iPods (mainly the people who dont have a clue about technology). I also think that the 2hours of video on the iPod video is not enough for me...again this is not true for everybody. The zen vision:M gives a solid 4 hours of video playback time. Hopefully more people can come to love both products instead of sending hate one way!
  
  
• Wow! iPod on steroids!!
  By A178ZAM8JHZFFB on 2006-01-28
  I returned a Nano to buy the Zen (Amazon slowest refunds ever@#!) But, the Zen is miraculous! iPod should be very scared. You can put music to slide shows (very simple process), change show transition types and speed (display on a TV is razor sharp-videos too). FM reception is VERY good (blows my Sony hifi component tuner away, way away), battery life excellent. NOT EASY controls and video settings, etc. at first--they took a bit to figure out since the manual was so sparse, but once you know how to use, controls are superb (the volume etc are very intuitive). The hole Zen operation is near identical to a laptop touch pad with tapping, then you get audible confirmation with each selection. For example, volume up, simply slide finger up. The music sounds great, the unit looks sharp, and the functions are seemingly endless. Zen is not just a fancy CD player as iPod really is, and it comes with everything you need. With iPod most will want a charger, maybe an FM adapter, blah, blah, blah. All pricey, all bulky and all included with Zen. Absolutely the right choice for me, I won't own another iPod.
  
  BTW, bought theinvisibleshield.com's translucent protective covering ($15) for my Zen, a pain to apply correctly, but it is indestructible and clear as a bell when you get it right--forget the need of any type of case, etc. once applied.
  
  
• I love it!!!!
  By AXZK2GRIQ4XL on 2006-01-29
  I bought a 30GB iPod for my daughter and the Zen Vison:M for me.
  She has about 60 new songs and 10 videos for a total cost of $80.
  I have over 2000 new songs(and more each day) for $15/month. They are both great products. But is comes down to what you can afford in the long run.
  As far as my Zen. I love it and know that I made a great choice. I have waited 2 years for a product like this. I love the FM radio and use it everyday to catch the news weather,traffic,interviews,sermons,ect. I can also record them a play them for others or future reference.
  By the way, my daughter with the iPod, she wants to sell hers and buy a Zen Vision:M just so she can have more music.
  It also has voice recording that sounds great. I use it for song writing,lectures and meetings.
  I also love the calander and event planner.
  Another great feature is the ability to change the screen backgroud to personalize it.
  I find it very easy to navigate with one hand just using my thumb.
  I can even navigate it while running 7.5 mph on a threadmill, but do not try that at home kids.
  This is a great product and would recomend the ZEN to anyone.
  just remember: Even if you can afford to spend $1/song and be traped to iTunes only, I would still recommend the Zen just for the extra features,longer bat.life,and more color for video.
  
  I have Napster to Go. It works great. I also have bought music from Yahoo and Walmart. Try that with an iPod.
  
  Make sure you have a modern day computer: XP,USB 2.0
  
  I see neg.rev. from people who should have bought a new computer and not an MP3 player who are complaining they can not use windows 98.
  
  
  By the way, my daughter with the iPod wants to sell it and buy the Zen Vision:M so she can have more music to listen to.
  
  
• amazing...truly amazing
  By A1243ABCV81AZR on 2006-08-10
  Ive been in the process of buying a mp3 player and spent countless hours researching the best of the best, trying to get the biggest bang for the buck...look no further.. The Creative Zen Vision: M has a 30GB hard drive thats able to store up to "15,000 songs", "120 hours of video", and "tens of thousands of photos". It also has a FM radio (with the ability to record songs off the radio), a calender, contact list, and task menu (of which all can be synched with Microsoft Outlook).
  I have to admit, im not a real big fan of the ipod..tis a product for the followers of the glorious (only people who want to seem cool buy it). I, myself, love to be different (and still like to look good doing it) so when i saw this product, the features, the PRICE...i knew this was the perfect player...
  I was skeptical at first, reading some of the other reviews...complaints about problems with freezing, minor things like- "the buttons are too hard to push", "ive only gotten 11-12 hours of music", and other such stupidity... The Creative Zen Vision: M has a 4.5 rating on Amazon whereas the Ipods have only 4 stars...i mean, whats up with that? If you look at reviews for this product you'll probably see some really dumb ones...like this one posted by an Ipod freak-
  
  "Why settle for less, when you can get a brand new original iPod Video 60GB for Free! I got mine from this web site: bestfreeproducts.info/ipod-video"
  
  What was that?! The Ipod people are getting scared...lol.. Anyway, i got mine and have had it for a week and it works PERFECT! No freezing, no glitches, perfect sound quality, the easiest, most user-friendly software EVER, a great scroll pad for selecting music!
  
  Ok, now here's the real meat of this review:
  
  The great things the Creative Zen Vision: M has-
  1. GREAT battery life
  2. A multitude of colors (262,144 vivid colors ), making images clearer and sharper
  3. 30GB of memory...whats not to love about that?
  4. FM radio...a nice plus for those random moods
  5. FM radio recorder
  6. Can store videos and photos in addition to the music
  7. Can create playlists and slideshows using the awesome Creative Zen Mdeia Explorer
  8. Media can easily be dragged and dropped into player
  9. Can buy an AV cable to hook up to tv to play videos and slideshows
  10. Voice recorder
  11. Calender and such
  12. Scroll button (the controls in general)
  13. Price...Ipod-299.99
  Creative Zen Vision: M- 268.99 Obvious choice?
  14. Display (has a clock, time left panel, and the ability to change color themes to go with the background picture)
  15. Oh...duh, you can set your own background picture
  
  Some bad things-
  1. Have to convert files in order for player to read them (but the Zen Media Explorer software that comes with it will ask if you would like to convert and will do it for you)
  2. Have to buy case and charger (if you want to charge from a wall outlet) charging from a wall outlet takes 2hours vs. the 6.5 hours it takes to charge by computer
  3. The black color of the player makes scratches more visible...get a CASE!
  
  Ok, another important part...what the package from Amazon includes (some reviews are deceiving so id like to set them straight)-
  
  1. Creative Zen Vision: M
  2. Software
  3. Adapter (for charging on computer and transferring files)
  4. USB cable
  5. Earphones
  6. Pouch (it is what it is, a simple leather pouch...Best Buy sells a nice holder with belt clip on their website)
  
  It DOES NOT come with the power adapter to charge by way of wall outlets...it DOES NOT come with AV cable
  
  Hope that this review will be as helpful to you and clear as possible..the last thing you need when trying to make a investment involving a good sum of money is to have confusing reviews...
  
  
  
  
• Excellent Player
  By A1UE1PNPZ24NZ1 on 2006-12-08
  This is by far the best of the players that I have used. I have a friend with a 30GB Ipod Video and the Creative Zen Vision is way better in my opinion.
  First, there is the screen. The Vision just plain looks better and you can clearly see more detail even if you take the same video or movie and put it in both players.
  
  The Vision also plays a variety of different video and audio formats including DIVX and WMV.
  
  Then comes the most important part the sound. I've had a few MP3 players and this one kills them all. If you are a true audiohead as I am you would understand. The only thing is that the earphones that come with it are not your best. If you get a nice pair such as the Shure Inner Ear Noise Cancelling earphones then you are in Audio Heaven. For those that are ipod worshippers I'm not an Ipod hater but again I put this up against the same 30GB ipod Video and the Vision is miles ahead in video and sound quality. It is a little thicker but still looks awesome I have the black and it turns heads wherever I go. You can also use the adaptor with the av out that comes with it as a line out so you get true clear audio. All you do is go into the settings and change that feature. This is a great player to set up in you car especially if you have an in dash dvd player you can just use an AV cable and you're all set. I don't recommend cassette adaptors or FM transmitters unless thats you're only option because line out will give you ultimate experience in sound.
  
  Another great feature of this player is the FM Radio built in. You can actually record a radio show or a song that you like.
  
  The battery life is great. I've watched full length movies and videos.
  You get 14 hours of audio and 4 hours of video. Not bad at all.
  
  The only drawbacks I think are that the AC home charger does not come in the package and the slider is a little sensitive but you can change the sensitivity to your liking.
  
  Its a breeze to transfer your music or movie collection to the Vision and you don't even have to install any software. Windows XP picks it up in a second and all you have to do is drag and drop files and create your folders.
  
  I did alot of research before purchasing the Vision and I'm glad I did.
  I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a versatile player that can be used with so many different formats as well as many different online music stores so not everyone has to be a slave to Itunes because in my opinion their content is not any better than the others.
  
  
• Why I chose this over an iPod
  By A1EL3CB1DBBAH4 on 2006-02-20
  I'll try and avoid philosphical discussions of the iPod and competition. I don't know why iPod users seem to need to bash products that they've never seen or touched, but they seem to.
  
  I was looking to replace my Zen Touch 20 GB. I was almost going to buy the black iPod video 60 GB. I went with this instead. I only wish that it had a 60 GB model.
  
  They've made improvements over the Zen Touch. The buttons on the front are better, the navigation is better, and the USB cable charges the thing as well, the external power supply isn't required (although it is supplied!). The iPod charges $30 for their AC charger, but this one is included, kinda. The only bad thing about that is they both plug in to an external dongle. The dongle plugs into the Zen Vision, and both the AC adapter and the USB plug into the dongle. I'd like to leave my USB plug at home, and the AC adapter at work so that I always have power somewhere, but I have to remember to bring the dongle with me everywhere I go, or buy another one or buy a docking station. Kinda irritating. In addition to that, there is a noticeable lack of accessories for the Creative player. If that bothers you.
  
  So as for the un-avoidable comparison to the iPod... It's slightly less than once heavier than the 30GB iPod. Not a big deal to me. It's dimentions are identical to the iPod from the front, but it's a little bit thicker. Extra space to house the FM receiver, recorder, and more battery life I suppose, not a big deal for me. It's very stylish, solid, good looking machine. So is the iPod. However, the video iPod that I was playing with actually had a bit of a sharp edge where the plastic front met the metal back, which completely ruined the asthetics for me. The Vision also has a screen with more colors and brighter images. It just looks better.
  
  But most of all, the great thing about the Vision is the fact that I don't have to use iTunes. The iPod and iTunes are a great combination for those who aren't the most computer saavy. But the Vision works with creative's iTunes equivilent just fine, in addition to windows Media Player 10, in addition to the windows file system directly, akin to a mass storage device. So with a little knowledge, you have many more options. I like that.
  
  OK, so even more most of all was my real test. One morning, I wanted to watch a 15 minute segment of a local new show on the train. I was hoping to be able to plug it in to the TV and record it directly, like some other products on the market do. I wasn't. However, I was able to record it on tivo, transfer that video to my computer, and using Windows Media Player convert, resize and transfer to the Vision in one step. All in all, it took about 30 minutes, but only because tivo is really slow. If I had tried to do that with the iPod, I would have had to transfer the video from tivo, find some sort of software to convert it to a format that QuickTime Pro can play, then convert and save it in the right size/format for the iPod, and then transfer it to the player. I never did it with the new show recording because I didn't know how to get it into Quicktime, but I did take a 5 minute MOV file that I already had and converted it to iPod format and that alone took forever. It's this lack of flexibility that killed the iPod for me. The Vision will take many different formats without converting, the iPod will only take a very specific format. That's bad in my book. Now if you only EVER plan on buying video from iTunes, then that won't be a problem for you. The rest is just a pain in the butt. I can't make that committment.
  
  So that did it. I love the thing, although I'm still kinda getting used to it. I'm not anti iPod, but the iPod just isn't for me. I'm above it.
  
  Creative has been making these things for a long long time, and although apple has come along with a very good product for the masses, it isn't the end-all be-all. Apple has, however, motivated some of the Asian players again, and there's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.
  
  
  
• Thoroughly Impressed
  By A325R5MFCZ457M on 2006-01-22
  In my opinion; Creative audio/video players are the best on the market in terms of value, performance, and features. These traits outweigh the aesthetic qualities of the ipod. What first impressed me with the Vision M was the quality of the screen; it is very bright, the abundance of colors is amazing and the backround customization is great. The navigation system is a little tedious at first, but it becomes a breeze after a little practice. The best thing I like about this player is the fact that it supports a large array of video/audio formats. I was able to transfer my video and music files easily.In regards to performance, the playback was perfect. I was able to watch a full length video and still have plenty of juice left to listen to music. The sound quality of the music was very impressive, (97 db SNR), add to the fact that you can use Custom EQ to tweak it to your liking. The only drawback with this device is the screeen scratches easily, but as one reviewer pointed out, you can use PDA screen protectors to preserve the screens finish.Other than this; the player is perfect. If you're looking for a product that will play your music and video files flawlessy and more, then this is the player for you. It is a better choice than the ipod and your dollars will go a lot furthur with this investment.
  
  
• Blows Apple Away
  By A2HJS4WHMYLRY1 on 2006-01-10
  This product has it all of over Apple's Ipod. More importantly it is getting more and more obvious that Apple Fanatics (probably shareholders) go around and give every non-Apple product only one star and then make up some ridiculous negative review.
  
  But the worm is about to turn for Apple as the competition is now coming up with superior products at better price points. Which brings me to the new Creative M.
  
  Superior battery life, FM Radio free (not a $50 add on like the Apple)and wider compatibility. Enough said.
  
  
• Why this rocks the ipod...
  By A1IC43REQV9JDF on 2006-03-04
  Man. Where to start.
  Reasons why the zen rocks the ipod.
  1)the color screen is simply AMAZING.
  2)all high quality movies gotten off bittorrent are 90%
  divx and xvid. meaning you dont have to go through the
  demeaning process of converting videos.
  3)And for the ipod, if you do convert your videos, they are restricted (quality wise) to the point that apple forces you to buy their videos off itunes to avoid stabbing yourself.
  4)Battery life. Conpared to the Original Zen PMC (12 hours
  of video life!) the zen sucks. But against its current opponent,
  the ipod, the zen wins by 2 hours. Thats one more movie/4 more episodes of family guy.
  5)The shortcut button is an excellent idea.
  
  P.S. Sadly the only reason people find the ipod as a excellent mp3 player is that apple advertises the hell out of it. The ipod is actually a good mp3 player, it just isn't excellent like all of apple's herd of sheep think it is...
  
  
• Greatest thing ever-this is for all you biased ipod junkies
  By A3NQE0JX60GTSI on 2006-01-07
  This player is amazing....All you ipod junkies need to break away from your little cult on ipods, and actually realize there is something better manufactured that an ipod, and thats a creative zen vision:m. My Zen Vision is amazing, its battery life is phenominal, and its screen blows me away. Totally blows the ipod out of the water...GREAT JOB CREATIVE ON AN AWESOME PRODUCT....and yet another IPOD KILLER...
  
  
• IF YOU DON'T OWN IT DON'T RATE IT
  By ARN4SPYG1AKVD on 2006-02-01
  I've spent alot of time on Amazon reading reviews on this product. I couldn't help but to notice that everyone who is loyal to Ipod gave this product one star. Most of these reviews are being written by people who have never even touched the vision m. People who don't want to believe that there is a product out there better then the ipod, like this one, are just bringing the rating down. Anyone who is interested in this product can visit Cnet.com they review hundreads of mp3 players a year and they're not bias to one company. This product is rated better than the ipod in more than one category on that site.
  
  
• 120 days of shear bliss !
  By A1VDI9LS45HNZE on 2006-05-28
  I have had this device since February and it is great. Everything it promises and more. I was an MP3 neophyte and studied and looked around before blindly plunking money down on an Ipod. I think we all know from experience that best selling isn't always the case. I stumbled on a review of the Zen Vision M from the CES electronics show and my decision was made.
  
  The video quality is great. I hadn't anticipated using it much but I am now using the video feature everyday, downloading episodes of "Lost" from ABC's website, then watching them at lunch.
  
  The MP3 player is great. I am using it daily at work where I get miserable radio reception. I download the Don and Mike show each day and listen to it the next day at work. Works like a top for any podcast or video cast as well as most any type of music file (Real, MP3, WMA, etc.)
  
  Creative makes great sound cards for your PC, why not a great MP3 player.
  
  The interface will take about a day to get used to but in a very short time you will be flying through the menus.
  
  I haven't used the Outlook Calendar or memos feature yet.
  
  I have used the partitioning capability to allow my MP3 player to also serve as my USB thumb drive.
  
  I haven't had to test the battery life much. With the included wall charger/adapter, you can keep it powered on all day and not rely solely on USB charging/connection (which it also supports.)
  
  The radio gets great reception.
  
  The recording capability is a nice bonus. It has saved me a great deal of time in staff meetings - being able to capture important conversations and retrieve them easily later is quite nifty.
  
  Scanning the Web, there is ample online support for most any issue you might have. With four months of daily use under my belt, I haven't had any issues.
  
  Summary, if you need a nice high quality MP3 player and don't have to have an Apple Ipod; if you are able to accept high quality over popularity, I would highly recommend the purchase.
  
  
• IPOD KILLER!!! Awesome player
  By A3F4XPEH0F8WYI on 2006-01-07
  I had first written a review, and my original enthusiasm still remains for this player. I bought it on the US date of release, and have used it for a fair amount of time. I still love the player, and here's what's happened so far.
  
  The Player (after a Firmware upgrade) still performs like a beauty. Most Divx/Xvid files downloaded from Torrent sites can be thrown right on. The Majority of the content on my Vision M are videos, which is my main purpose. The player performs well, and I can squeeze off a movie, and 2 TV shows, roughly 2.5 Hours of video, and still go on with about 6-7 hours of music (or possibly a few more shows).
  
  The player is indeed a scratch magnet on the front. I had originally invested in screen protectors from Kroo. Unfortunately, they are of low quality, and a Screen protector is a must. I also snagged an Action Jacket for my Vision M, which increases the bulk slightly, but not enough for me to notice. The player has survived Coke and Sprite spills, and there is no evidence of discoloration.
  
  The Player is obviously a little large, in a "brick" sort of design. Don't let this turn you away though. It is very easy to hold, and is very sturdy. The Buttons require a significant push, and the player feels like it is well built.
  
  Sound quality is great. The Navigation does have a learning curve, and your Menu Colors are limited. Your options as far as customization go are wallpapers and menu order.
  The Main menu contains menu items, which can be deleted/rearranged with ease. There are 6 preset themes, appealing to different tastes. There is little lag in between menu options. The player is VERY sensitive, almost to the point to cause frustration in some people. Scrolling does have a clicker noise, which can be disabled, along with a clock, calendar, and dates. Customization is a key feature. Imagine an Ipod Scroll wheel, with all the options broken apart into 4 buttons, and the actual wheel became vertical. Enter, Vision M!
  
  For the Ipod fans, I have used an iPod video enough to review, and it can be safely said that you will probably navigate easier on an Ipod than a Vision M. The Ipod's Navigation wheel is much easier to use. However, usually this has nothing to do with the actual features.
  
  The FM Radio is of good quality, and features a little Cell phone style bar that indicates signal strength. I usually have full bars, and the reception quality is crystal clear. No hissing, buzzing, or such (for you Rio Fans).
  
  The Screen is gorgeous, and re-encoded TV shows and DVD movies still retain their quality. I tested many movies, and all have been clearer than your standard Tube TV. Although the Vision M can support many formats, movies play best at medium-High Divx Bitrates. Oddly enough, XviD seems to cause problems such as synch (see below).
  Most of your p2p, Torrent, and Ripped movies will be ripped in Divx. It is best to Re-encode DVDs into around 700+ kbps Divx movies, to avoid problems. The codec is simple and most full-length movies will set you back 14-20 minutes. A good program is PocketDivx.
  
  Now come for the Two Massive Cons. Movie Synching, and Freezes.
  
  My player has frozen on me 5 times. 1 time included me asking a hotel for a sewing kit so I could use the needle to reset. All this time an image of Brad pitt was frozen on my screen. When the player freezes, the lights will usually remain on, and the on/off switch will not work. Usually I encountered this problem on XviD Movies. Divx however, was very stable.
  
  Another Huge Con is the synching of movies. Again, usually with XviD movies, video files desynched after 20 minutes of play. This meant that the audio was about 2-5 seconds behind the video. The point of desynched was set in stone, and there was no fix. Desynching usually occurs when the Video Bitrate exceeds the Vision M's CPU capabilities. Recommended bitrates are 600-800 kbps, and a 14-minute re-encode to Divx can skip over such hassles.
  
  The Vision M comes with a proprietary connector to Charge and to use Video Out. Video Out is good at the proper resolution, and looks like Basic Cable. Still fun to use, but don't expect HDTV. The Dongle can be annoying, and it is like an ipod dongle, but reversed.
  
  PROS:::
  Amazing Feature set
  Crystal Clear FM radio
  Good Software for Transfer
  Gorgeous screen
  Sturdy
  Good sound/video quality
  
  CONS:::
  Freeze/Desynch Bug
  WINDOWS XP ONLY!
  No Drag and Drop (not a biggie)
  Scratch-fiesta in your pants pocket
  Proprietary connections
  
  
  Overall, I am very happy with the Vision M. It Performs well, and under good care, looks well too. Once you learn the navigation, and find your sweet spot to avoid the bugs, you'll be in heaven!
  
  
  IMPORTANT!!! There are 2 different Versions selling currently. Once reported as a Vision M: lite (not a common term), there is a smaller box that includes a Vision M WITHOUT A CHARGER. The Prices don't seem to be different. THE PROPER BOX IS THE ONE THAT IS ENCASED IN A THICK COVER, AND SLIDES OUT LIKE A MULTI DVD BOX. The smaller version usually is the same price. THE SKU NUMBER IS THE SAME. You are safer buying the vision M in store, as Both Boxes will be acceptable with the same SKU.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Not perfect yet!
  By A3M0XNF8738FW2 on 2006-01-07
  Before you buy, make sure it supports the codecs you use. It has very good codec support but it's not perfect yet. It may not support all forms of divx and xvid (it has not been certified by the divx company).
  
  This player DOES NOT SUPPORT AC3 (the 5.1 surround track of a dvd).
  Many of the movies downloaded off the net use soundtracks encoded in 5.1 or 2 channel AC3.
  
  Hopefully a new firmware will fix these glaring omissions in an otherwise very competitive product.
  
  If you are looking for a small video player though, this is much better than the Ipod w/ video. The screen is considered better by reviewers and the improved codec support means less time transcoding your videos.
  
  
• Hands down the best
  By A289FBEOWDAE0S on 2006-03-02
  First of all [i] was sucked into buying an ipod (the fourth generation click wheel) and loved it. I used limewire for a while(it was illegal though), but when i got a new computer i decided to stop and use iTunes. Well to say the least iTunes has a TON of songs, but i hated the fact that there was other music stores that didnt charge .99 cents a download. So that was the major facor into me deciding to switch to a new mp3 player. Basically all the kids in my school have an ipod video or an ipod mini, so you know i kind of wanted to be different. So i did some research and stumbled upon this CNET thing on the best new mp3 player and the vision M was there. Now the first thing that came to my mind was the fact that it looked similar to an iPod, but after i did my research I realized that it was far from it.
  The PROS:
  Best screen quality for videos- has something like 265,000 colours while the ipod has 64,000. Also you can change between 6 different backgrounds, which is a small but yet cool feature.
  
  Long Battery Life- I used to charge my iPod every night but with the Zen I only charge for two and a half hours every two or three days, which is great if I forget to charge it one night i dont really have to worry about "Is it going to die on me" factor. By the way its amazing because you can plug it in for around 45 minutes to charge and its halfway full when you pull it out. 2-2 1/2 hours to charge fully.
  
  Controls- I peronally love the layout of the buttons and ill exlplain them to you too. The one on the upper left with the arrow touching the dot is your "short cut" button. What that means is you can set it to on your setting and set it to bring you to a certain page in you player ( I set it to "Artists") so that when you are listening to a song and dont want to go back you just press that button and BAM you are there. The button underneath it is the back button which is just to go back. The button on the top right is the Play/Pause button, and the one on the bottom right is the small menue type button. You can use this to delete a track from you player(+)at any time.
  The controls are pretty basic to get used to, I picked them up in around ten to fifteen minutes. By the way on the long touchpad button there is to little small buttons to the left and right that is the Forward and Back buttons used to cycle through songs.
  
  Navigation- When you are in any of the sub folders for music you can hit the side button next to your touch pad and access a small side bar that has all of the letter in the alphabet. You just scroll down with the touchpad while it brings you the beginning section that starts with that letter. Which save you all the time of scrolling through thousands of songs.
  
  Video- I used windows media player to transfer music videos onto there and it transfered in about 10 seconds for a 3 minute video.
  
  Programs- I use Window Media Player to transfer songs, which is basically like a more advanced version of iTunes, and its pretty easy to get used to.
  
  Sound- Better than the iPods in my opinion. I played the exact same copy of a song on my ipod and on my zen at the same time with a different headphone in each ear (the song opened wiht a slow but loud drumming) and the zen beat it by a mile. To describe the sound its basically like your watching T.V in a way its sort of all around you and right next to you.
  
  Size- I don't see why everybody is complaing about the size. its basically about the size of the 40g 4G ipod. It feels comfortable in your hand. The front is pretty scratch worthy, but not too bad. I ordered an invisible shield from www.shieldzone.com and i could rub a coin all over it and just wipe it off and it looks brand new. The best part is you dont need to worry about the back getting scratched up because its like a sand blasted back. On the back the zen logo is indented with a ripple effect which adds some nice touch.
  Here is a website that shows a comparison to the ipod video (but if youve ever held an ipod video in your hand they feel somewhat uncomfortable, the zen feels sturdy but light)
  (...)
  
  THE CONS-
  Album art- O.K i have strived to get the album art onto the Zen but to me its literally impossible. Its not like itunes where you can just copy and paste a picture from amazon if you dont have it. I went to creatives online support and followed the instructions, which include, deleting a hidden folder on you zen, saving the picture, resizing it, import it, open it and choose the cover style. Its just crazy for creative to do everything practically perfect and screw up on a small thing like album art
  
  Customer Support:
  Not really part of the zen but I called the technical support (for the album art)and i had to wait on the phone for 45 minutes, which is far from reasonable for a technical support (all the while listening to some sort of Japanese techno) and when the guy answers he reads me the thing from the website and says hes not to familiar with the vision M. So i called again (another 45 minutes) and the lady sends me a software up date for the wrong player. So i call back again (40 minutes) and now im really mad, and that lady puts me on hold and talks to her supervisors about how to do it and just redirects me to the online website which didnt even help me in the first place. So you get the picture on why the technical support stinks.
  
  Forgot to add i subscribed to Rhapsody for 15 dollars a month and now have unlimited downloads ande everything so that made this purchase all the more worth while.
  All in all the Zen is a great produc, and in my opinion kills the iPod video. BY THE WAY IF YOU DONT HAVE WINDOWS XP DONT BUY THE VISION M BECAUSE IT WONT WORK ON ANYTHING ELSE. Just wanted to let you guys know how much I love this little gadget
  
  
  
• Making the choice.
  By A17DNQ7NXS8SWZ on 2006-05-23
  While the Vision: M and the iPod Video (5G) both have their strengths, neither is the perfect mp3 player.
  
  A quick rundown: The Vision: M has a better interface, better file handling, and a more vibrant screen. The iPod is slightly slimmer, and perhaps more stylish, and has more accessories and a wider viewing angle from the top.
  
  The screen on the Vision: M is better looking. Put the iPod and the Vision: M side-by-side with an identical image and it is instanlty clear that the Vision: M is brighter and more vibrant. The minor downside is that if you angle the screen down or up a little too far, the colors either white-out or invert. This means that you have to tilt the player just right for optimal viewing. The iPod colors aren't as rich, but the wider viewing angle doesn't require any particular tilt to see the screen. Your hand will get tired from constant positioning if you watch a movie on the Vision: M, but your eyes will be a lot happier with the images they are seeing.
  
  As far as storage space is concerned, both units are exactly the same. Battery life is similar between the two and you won't notice a difference.
  
  Along with storage space and battery life, something else to consider is the user interface. Apple's player controls are easy to use and very responsive. The Vision M: has a touchpad, which is also very responsive and easy to use. The 4 buttons surrounding it require some force to depress. Hopefully the buttons loosen up a bit with use; otherwise, you'll gripe every time you strain to press them.
  
  Despite the good hardware controls, the software interface of the iPod is lacking. The breadth and depth of the functionality and options available in the Vision: M are better. Things like themes, folders, navigation options, shuffle options, etc. that are not available in the Ipod stand out on the Vision: M. As an example, there is no bookmark function for iPod audio unless a file is a specially created "audio book". If you have a few long audio files (e.g. recorded lectures, etc.) that you want to pause in the middle and then return to later, you're out of luck. The Vision: M does have a bookmark feature so you can do just that. On the downside, neither of them will let you bookmark a movie. Nor will either of them let you bookmark a song within the context of a playlist, a nice feature if you listen to a long playlist, stop in the middle to do something else, and then want to return later to the same song within the playlist.
  
  Apple's iTunes software is awful because if you plug someone else's iPod into your computer you are likely to wipe out all the songs on their iPod. Once your files go onto the iPod, its almost impossible to get them back out (it is possible to get around this with third party software, but it is a far from perfect solution). The Vision: M, on the other hand, not only lets you easily transfer files back and forth, but also lets you organize them any way you want in folders on the player. Since many people have built up a music collection over the years in their own unique folder structures, being able to keep them intact on the player is important.
  
  The iPod is too restrictive since it requires very specific audio and video formats to work with the player. With the Vision: M, there is no need to spend time jumping through file format hoops.
  
  Finally, the bundled USB adapter of the Vision M: requires a cable and a second adapter to connect. This means you will tote two things around with you to connect to a computer when all you really need is one. The iPod has only one cable. On the other hand, the bundled adapter on the Vision: M allows you to plug into a wall socket to charge. The iPod requires a completely different adapter to plug into the wall. It doesn't even come with the player; you have to pay extra.
  
  In the end, there is no clear winner. If you like style, small size, and choice of accessories, perhaps you'll be happier with the iPod. If you like control over your files and rich screen color (with a little positioning), perhaps the Vision: M is better.
  
  
• Awesome Tool! Great Sound and Video...
  By A1KK2Q9PSR6NSX on 2006-07-22
  Ok first let me say I got this yesterday, I am a techno junkie and wanted something to watch Photoshop TV videos on. I almost bought an IPOD but I love that this has an FM radio tuner in it.
  I did my research and ordered it. Now here is my review....
  
  First let me say that I almost hated this at first. You need to convert your MP4 (Apple) movies to wmv format. I looked all over for freeware to do it, but ended up purchasing inexpensive software to do it. Still, I could not watch my photoshop TV videos. I had to again use the creative software to convert the already converted wmv videos into an wmv format that the Zen could read. Phew! Did you get all that.
  
  On to DVDs. I figured that it professes to be able to watch 120 hrs of movies, this was definitely for me. What they don't tell you is that the movies have to be in avi format (camcorder movies) not DVDs(VOB format), so I needed to get software to do that also. There is freeware for that, but still I have to rip the DVDs into wmv format and then again convert them into wmv format that the Zen can read.
  
  BUT, and that is a big but......
  
  I was NOT disappointed when I got all that work done. The Zen is amazing. I have an MP3 video player that can play wmv videos, but it is nothing like this. The quality of the movies is stunning. It is like watching HDTV, crystal clear and the sound is marvelous. So for all the work I have to go through to get my videos over, I am sooooo glad I bought this instead of the IPOD. Extremely pleased.
  
  Please email me at hobbitskorner@hotmail.com if you would like to know what software I got to convert all this stuff. I'd be happy to steer you in the right direction.
  
  Now what comes in the box. People who said there was no AC adapter DID NOT buy the Zen Vision M, because guess what, there is an adapter in the box. I have mine plugged in right now! I agree with those who said protect the screen. I broke the screen on my other one, just a touch cracked the bottom of it. Get some screen covers and cut them down to size. Do not take the plastic off your Zen until you get them.
  
  I gave this 4 stars because of the software headaches, but other than that, this is a marvelous piece of equipment!
  
  

• Cambridge Soundworks PlayDock Zen Portable Docking Speaker System for Zen Vision:M
• Creative Zen Vision: M Leather Case Brown
• Creative Zen Vision: M Leather Case White
• Creative Zen Micro Wired Remote Control (White)
• Creative Zen Vision:M skin Wht Protects Player From Bumps Scratches & Slips

• Travel Wall Charger fits Creative Zen Vision / Vision:M / Sleek / Sleek Photo MP3 Players
• Creative Vision M 30GB Video Protectective Silicone Skin Case with 15" Sports Armband / LCD Sheild / Belt Clip / Video Stand - 7 Color Options -
• Case for Creative Zen Vision M 30GB Choose From Silicone or Leather. Skin Cover comes with Armband, Screen Protector, Belt Clip (More Colors Available)
• Creative Power Adapter for Zen Players (White)
• Creative Lab Vision:M Zen Video 30GB Premium Silicone Skin Kit - Bundled with 12v Rapid Car Charger and Home Travel AC Adapter Wall Charger