built-in FM tuner with 32 station presets * built-in voice recording microphone * high-speed USB interface (cable included) * SD/SDHC card slot (SD card not included) * 4GB music and video player *
Reviews for Creative Zen 4 GB Portable Media Player (Black):
Received this item in a timely manner. The unit looks brand new even though it was advertised as a refurb. Works great. I like this device.
The Zen vision is an excellent alternative to the current generation ipod nano. It matches or surpasses the features of the nano and is a functional device. It does however have a few problems.
The video player supports more formats than the nano,including divx to watch your favorite tv shows and the like. The startling problem with the video playback is that it cannot downsize larger videos to fit the screen. If they are too big,it just refuses to play them. Luckily the conversion software works well,but it's still a big let down.
The SD card slot is something you will want to use specifically for videos and other media that you arn't relying on listening to back to back with the rest of your library. Since any songs you put on the card will not be integrated into your library for things like play all.
The FM radio is a bit weak,but it picks up the stronger stations in the area without a problem. And it's certainly better than the nano's lack of the option.
IMPORTANT: If you have itunes,you will still need to stick with your ipod and other apple products. Itunes is very specifically made to force you to buy their apple products and your protected itunes music will not play on the zen or other players.
Overall it's the best choice in it's class due to it's lower price and abundant features. It isn't the strongest video player out there due to the requirement of converting larger videos (higher resolution),but it's an excellent mp3 player.
The creative zen 4gb lived up to my expectations with regard to sound quality. I have relatively large hands so the controls are a bit fiddly. Otherwise satisfied. MC
I bought this product because the price was right,and I wanted to try something non-Apple after my iPod was stolen.
First the good stuff
The interface is probably the best (non-Apple) that I've seen. I can't stand jagged fonts and I like when i can see the album art. The zen does displays album art embedded in MP3s and the fonts look nice and smooth throughout. The player is very small and light,like a small stack of business cards. It has a SDHC card slot (supports up to a 32GB expansion card,supposedly).
The not so good
It supports video,but only video that's encoded slowly by Creative's special software. I wasn't able to get better encoders like VLC to encode a file that the zen would play. Creative advertises that the device supports a range of video formats. It's a lie. You have to use the provided software to convert the video to the precise format the zen supports. The buttons are kinda clicky (loud).
The awful
Mileage may vary,I got a day and a half out of mine. I decided to RMA the device to Creative,because I figured I just got a lemon. Little did I know Creative takes it's sweet time with RMAs. Its been almost a month since I sent my device to them,and according to their website,they haven't even looked at it yet.
Conclusion
If you get a defective one or have problems - return it to Amazon if possible. Don't waste your time with Creative.
I'm giving it a poor rating because I haven't been able to use it since I dropped 75 bones on it over a month ago. And the supported video formats were not accurate. If you can't deliver a feature,then don't list it as a feature.
Easy to use for a non-techie. Holds my best photos and displays them well. Big enough to hold alot,but not too expensive. Best price at amazon. Love it!!
Creative Zen 4 GB Portable Media Player (Black) features: Product Type - MP3 Player Connectivity - USB 2.0 Memory - 4GB Dimensions WxDxH - 3.26" x 2.16" x 0.44" -- Clock and alarm function