Ask a Tech Expert Now- JustAnswerCreative Zen Vision W (60GB)
Manufacturer: Creative Part number: 70PF201100003
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- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The bulky but easy-to-use Creative Zen Vision W and its nice screen will dazzle video lovers who don't require video recording.
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CNET editors' review
Creative Zen Vision W (60GB) price range: $300.00
- Reviewed by: James Kim
- Reviewed on: 09/13/2006
- Updated on:03/16/2007
- Released on: 09/14/2006
The good: Beautiful wide-screen display; durable design; intuitive interface; holds up to 60GB; supports wide array of video formats; plays FM radio; supports TiVo To Go and limited movie downloads; syncs with Outlook; removable battery; CompactFlash slot is nice for photographers; good value for a wide-screen PVP.
The bad: Bulky body that's just a tad heavy; no line-in audio or video recording; no kickstand; TiVo To Go requires file conversion and third-party MPEG-2 decoder.
The bottom line: The bulky but easy-to-use Creative Zen Vision W and its nice screen will dazzle video lovers who don't require video recording.
Editor's note: A new, less bulky version of the Zen Vision W 60GB will be available soon in the U.S. market. It will reportedly have the same weight and dimensions (5.27 inches by 2.95 inches by .86 inch) and weight (9.73 ounces) as the current 30GB version of the Zen Vision W player. We will update this review as soon as the new player is released, but in the meantime, consider waiting to purchase a new 60GB Zen Vision W.
The Zen Vision W quickly brings Creative up to speed in the blossoming world of portable video. And how could it not, with its splendid 4.3-inch wide-screen display, intuitive control set, removable battery, and CompactFlash slot? Bulkier than the aging Zen Vision, this aggressively-priced 30GB ($299.99) or 60GB ($399.99) portable video player definitely marches to its own beat, forgoing the DVR functionality that makes the Archos 04 series and
The silver and black Zen Vision W makes the Vision look and feel wimpy. At 5.27 by 2.95 by 0.86 inches and 9.7 ounces, the 30GB version is much heftier than its predecessor (4.9 by 2.9 by 0.8 inches and 8.4 ounces). The 60GB W is a tad thicker and heavier. It's substantial in the hand, and while pocketable for sure, it's more of a backpack device. In other words, you don't want to be jogging with this thing, though it's extremely durable, thanks in part to the magnesium skin.
Of course the payoff is the gorgeous 4.3-inch TFT screen, which boasts a resolution of 480x272 pixels with 262K colors. Photos and video pop off the screen, and unlike the Vision's 3.7-inch 4/3 screen, it has an exceptionally wide viewing angle (however, when viewed head on, the Vision's 640x480-pixel screen is impressive). The antireflective screen is vivid and sharp, and you can adjust its brightness and choose any background image you like. Personally, I think the Archos 604's screen edges out the W's, but both are great in my book. I was also impressed with the W's ability to output video and photos to an external display at a maximum of 720x480.
The W's blue backlit controllers, exactly the same as the Vision's, are quite intuitive, and the GUI is classic Creative, simple and to the point with conveniences such as the context-driven options and a customizable main menu. A five-way controller plus Back, context menu, and playback buttons lie to the left of the screen--designed for right-handed use all the way. The buttons are tactile and actually offer resistance. Some users may not like the popping sound and sensation of the buttons.
Below these buttons is a built-in mono speaker--some fidelity with very little oomph. The right spine includes the headphone jack and a rubber cover, which hides the DC input, as well as the A/V-out jack. You'll find a Type II CompactFlash (CF) slot on the right spine. This is handy for many digital camera users, particularly those with Microdrives. In addition to photos, you can import videos via the CF slot (and you get the option to transfer the latest 10, 20, or 50 of the latest files). Transfers are quick and photos look great onscreen. Though you can zoom, create slide shows, and rotate, I prefer the Archos 604 as a photo viewer, though you won't get a CF slot.
A standard mini USB and a dock connection port (no dockable accessories yet) reside on the bottom, while up top, you'll find the power/hold switch, pinhole microphone, and dedicated volume buttons. I love dedicated volume, but I often instinctively use the main up/down controls, which of course don't work (though Creative could implement this if it wanted).
On the back, you'll find the thin and easily removable lithium-ion battery pack--a useful and rare design feature (the Archos 604 also has a removable battery). An integrated kickstand for hands-free viewing would have been useful. The bundled accessories include passable earbuds, a wall-wart power adapter, a USB cable, a software disc (with Creative Media Explorer, Yahoo Music Engine, and other utilities), A/V-out cables, and a felt case.
The W can handle MP3, WAV, and WMA (including subscription music) audio files. This time around, the Vision supports album art, albeit as tiny thumbnails. The W is decent as an MP3 player and holds it own in sound quality, and it includes handy features such as playlist creation and the Creative DJ (that is, Album of the Day and Rarely Heard). However, you should justify the unit's size and weight by using it for video.
The Zen Vision W supports a large number of video formats, including WMV, MPEG-4 SP, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4/5, and XviD. In most cases, Windows Media Player will do the converting for you, if necessary, though the bundled Creative Media Explorer will do the job (as well as help you create slide shows). Here's a bonus: the device is compatible with TiVo To Go, which means you have your TiVo content in the palm of your hand, but only after some slow TiVo-to-PC transfers and conversions. Also, new WMV video stores such as Amazon's Unbox can feed the Vision W with content. Our experience transferring and viewing Unbox movies and TV shows was nice and smooth. The device and store seem made for each other, though you won't get the all-inclusive feeling you get with iTunes, since you need to use the Unbox software to transfer content to portables.
The handy bookmarking feature allows you to mark an exact point in a song for up to 10 bookmarks. Videos get bookmarked automatically when you exit the video. You'll also get a decent FM radio with up to 32 autoscannable and namable presets, but no radio recording. Reception is good. The Microphone feature is decent sounding (16kHz mono ADPCMWAV). I like that you get a visual volume level meter. Finally, the Vision W continues the Zen support for read-only Outlook syncing, and the MTP device can be used as a hard drive on Windows and Mac machines, though you need to first partition the drive within the menu.
Battery life is rated for 13 hours for audio (mediocre) and 4.5 for video (decent). CNET Labs was able to muster nearly 17 hours of MP3 audio on a single charge; video fared well, too, with a solid 7.6 hours of playback per charge. You can recharge via USB, but it will take twice as long (6 hours vs. 3 hours) to fully recharge. Our sister site in Asia posts battery results in its review.
Overall processor performance is above average (start-up is quick), though you'll hit occasional one-second delays, especially when scrubbing through video tracks. The Archos 604 feels more precise with video scrubbing. The way a new screen slides into view when navigating on the W seems sluggish to me.
Sound quality is very good (though not as good as the Creative Zen Vision M's) and the numerous preset (and five-band custom) EQs are effective (as is Bass Boost). I just don't like having to navigate to audio settings to apply EQs; this should have been included in the context menu.
Overall, I think the Zen Vision W is well suited for those who already have large collections of videos (and those who use TiVo To Go) and for those who take lots of photos. It's a bulky beast, but an impressive display, good video format support, a sweet price, and nice sound quality make the W a solid playback-only choice.
User reviews
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The best Zen player available
by Ffenix on February 12, 2007
Pros: Wide gorgeous screen, plays most of the video formats I want, plays MP3s about as good as an iPod, radio and picture viewer, removeable battery, compact flash card reader
Cons: Big screen sacrifices size, weight and a little bit of battery life; still a bit pricey at $400, but worth every penny
Summary: I'm a fan of Creative ever since the SoundBlaster 16 sound cards back in the mid-90s. I've practically owned most of their sound cards, but this is the ...
Summary: I'm a fan of Creative ever since the SoundBlaster 16 sound cards back in the mid-90s. I've practically owned most of their sound cards, but this is the first time I ever bought a consumer electronic product from them. Before purchasing the Zen Vision W, I was using the 5th generation iPod (the one with video capabilities). I loved my iPod, but I was still disappointed that I can't watch videos with the iPod unless I convert all my videos into Apple's proprietary MP4 format. So it became primarily just an MP3 player, but it's still a damn good one, and I don't ever regret buying it. But after 2 years with the iPod, I really wanted an all-in-one device, and thankfully Creative designed the Zen Vision W.
The Zen Vision W is all I could ask for in a PMP/MP3 player: it plays DivX, a competent MP3 player, a picture viewer; you can output to a TV without buying optional equipment; a compact flash card reader; and a gorgeous screen with a very nice looking menu system. Other Zen Vision models are okay, but the screen is too small, and it's bulkier than the iPod. Now, I understand that what I said was a bit contradictory, but given the Zen Vision W's large screen, I can easily forgive this particular model's bulkiness compared to the other Zen's.
Though it's a great system, the Vision W had to sacrifice weight, size and battery life (though not by much) in order to have the widescreen and massive 60GB space. Nonetheless, these things are easily overlooked, especially for the functionality this device offers.
I highly recommend Creative's Zen Vision W to anyone looking for an awesome "almost all-in-one" PMP.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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THE BEST media player: Better than iPod and Zune
by aalexsuprun on December 26, 2006
Pros: Huge (4.3"), high res (480*272) screen, Excellent-sounding earbuds, 60GB, comes with a case, basic USB cable used, easy to use, great samples given...
Cons: Its pretty big and bulky (60GB), fragile LCD
Summary: In my opinion, a Creative Labs player is the best choice in terms of quality because this company has been making high-end (like their E-MU series) sound cards for computers ...
Summary: In my opinion, a Creative Labs player is the best choice in terms of quality because this company has been making high-end (like their E-MU series) sound cards for computers since the 1970's. In addition to this basic brand-based logic, the screen is bigger than that of the Zune and the iPod and it plays basically any format. What's not to love?
P.S. The Zune only rips music at a maximum of 192 KB/s, while the iPods and Creative Zens go all the way up to 320 KB/s. Also, with this Zen, there is no need to stick some rare and expensive USB contraption (like in an iPod and Zune): it just uses a normal USB 2.0 cable to share files.5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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It's a great multi-functional device, when it wants to work
by yiang on April 14, 2007
Pros: Music, nice widescreen for video, FM tuner, etc. It does it all.
Cons: Really bulky, not convenient to carry around, long pauses when accessing large files (esp. by picture), hard drives crashes, overwrites ID3 tags, poor design
Summary: I've had this device since Xmas '06. Initially , I loved his thing for it's nice wide screen and multi-functionality. But just after a few days of use, I ...
Summary: I've had this device since Xmas '06. Initially , I loved his thing for it's nice wide screen and multi-functionality. But just after a few days of use, I notice the hard drive needed to rebuild itself whenever I turned it on. I ignored it at first but then i started to notice this happen ever few days or so. I took it back and got another one. Again, the same problem. I could understand the hard drive needing to rebuild itself if I was being rough with the thing and taking it with me on workouts. But no, I mainly used it to sit on my desk at work. not to mention , other things started to bug me. The small buttons in the bottom corner are scrunched together, so sometimes you really have to take a second to make sure you're pressing the right button. Furthermore, FF or rewinding through songs or videos require you to hold it down so I can't always get back to precise moments as I'd like. Also, the thing tends to lag when you have it loaded with lots of media. As a tip, don't bother to search for movies or music by picture or you'll have to wait forever for it load picture to picture from page to page. navigating through screens is easy enough but the button layout on the side really doesn't work for me, it's too spread out and the buttons are too small and stiff. And the on / off and volume buttons feel cheap. They remind me of an old Walkman from the 80's. Not to mention that the flimsy on / off button can sometimes get easily on the edge of clothing shutting the thing off while you're using it. For example, I can't mention the number of times I'm listening to music while the player was in the front pocket of my hoodie only to shut off as I'm walking. And finally, the device also reorganized my music files. I fixed this before because the IPOD does the same thing. I fixed this problem by correcting the ID3 tags, but the Zen will not recognize it and still split up my music outside of the way I label it. Despite all the faults I listed, the device is great for all the functions it has but for me, it's just marred by poor design and poor interfacing. Hopefully they get it right next time.
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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So Cool, its Awesome
by scottrug on February 6, 2007
Pros: The Screen is very sharp
Cons: Heavier than I thought it would be, but I can deal with it.
Summary: The picture on the Video side is crystal clear. The size of the screen is awesome. transfer from my audio and video were almost seemless. The sound quality is what ...
Summary: The picture on the Video side is crystal clear. The size of the screen is awesome. transfer from my audio and video were almost seemless. The sound quality is what you would expect from Creative Labs, brillant.
There are not many after market in comparison to the I-Pod but its been out longer. I had to go on-line since most chain store (Best Buy and Wal-mart carry other Creative Labs but didn't the Vision W in either 30 or 60 gb versions so I had to settle on getting it on-line and Amazon was the place to go. I would reccomend it to all of my friends and co-workers.Updated
When My 2g IPOD bit the dust i went looking for a new player. I compared the price per GB and then compared the extra that came with them. I have had other hardware from Creative Lab and I know their quality. I went for the 60 GB player. The interface is so easy to use compared to the IPOD. I told all my buds to check it out when they need a new one. The only drawback are add-ons, covers, docking bays.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazing Video-Q!! May-B even deserves a 10
by eMiL-pR0p on January 30, 2007
Pros: Beautiful displaY, superb interface with WinXP, easy to use controlwize, Nice amount of storage, realtively good batterylife (even better than creative claims), it just goes on and on...
Cons: If I have to say something it has to be the non-existing kickstand. And it is a bit heavy (although I myself c that as a pro, Quote: SNATCH-Boris the Blade:"Weight equals quality";)
Summary: I am in love with this device! I had an Archos AV-500 but I never really got that exciting feeling when i was showing it of or using it. With ...
Summary: I am in love with this device! I had an Archos AV-500 but I never really got that exciting feeling when i was showing it of or using it. With this one I can honestly say that I am 100% satisfied! Gonna watch a video on it right now i think... THANK YOU CREATIVE
(anythingbutiPodwilldotho...)2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazing all in one device.
by scingram on January 3, 2007
Pros: Beautiful Video and Great Sound.
Cons: A bit bulky.
Summary: This is the one to get if you are thinking about purchasing a PMP. It is sleek, beautiful and very functional.
The screen is amazing, even better in person. The ...Summary: This is the one to get if you are thinking about purchasing a PMP. It is sleek, beautiful and very functional.
The screen is amazing, even better in person. The sound is great with the stock buds, but even better with a good set of upgraded ones.
Everything else works as advertised.
The CF card slot works perfectly for me and allows me to backup and view images taken with my Canon Rebel XT, it is the perfect companion to it.
The video functionality will blow you away and is what really sells the unit.
TV, Movies, and anything else you throw at it works well. Sometimes conversion is necessary, but I would say it natively plays 90% of what I try and load on it.
Who should buy this:
-Video Lovers
-Photographers
-Geeks (like me)
Who should not buy this:
-Technophobic People
-Anyone looking for a generic MP3 player
-People looking for a device to workout with
If you are thinking about it, do it!2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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good for entertainment. BAD BAD BAD for raw photos
by owen_meany on January 5, 2007
Pros: videos look great.
Cons: Audio is so so. Horrible raw image support.
Summary: My biggest gripe is that the vision w will not display file names of photo formats that it doesn't recognize.
Ex. I dumped my CF card full of raw ...Summary: My biggest gripe is that the vision w will not display file names of photo formats that it doesn't recognize.
Ex. I dumped my CF card full of raw files to the device. then I scrolled to the new folder and the device shows that the folder is empty! the files are there, but since the vision w doesn't recognize the file extension, it won't even display the file name/size.
I can understand not being able to preview the raw files, but at least show the file names.
If you're in the field and want to see which raw files have successfully been backed up, your SOL (unless you shoot JPG or raw + jpeg). But even with raw+jpg, the raw files won't show up and you can't delete them until you get home.3 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great for video lovers..... but not for all places
by rals.14 on May 16, 2008
Pros: Excellent Screen, Audio & Video Quality, Software, FM, Built In Mic & Speaker.
Cons: Bulky!! Heavy!!! Seems to Fraguile! No plastic or glass protection for the screen, few and expensive accesories, No Video In, haven't found a case.... Wi-Fi would be excellent in a dream world.
Summary: I have been using then vision w for almost a year... i love it BUT.... cannot play all Divx without some problems (audio sync), for the rest of the playable ...
Summary: I have been using then vision w for almost a year... i love it BUT.... cannot play all Divx without some problems (audio sync), for the rest of the playable video files is excellent to view tv shows or movies in there... Excellent software & converter!
The player is bulky, heavy and fragile, so it can't be taken several places, or in the pocket.. (thats the price of the EXCELLENT SCREEN), I love the screen but it seems that can be damage with anything.. andd to few accesories and to bad that it no has video in.
Espaņol:
Eh tenido el vision durante casi un aņo... me encanto, pero tiene uno que otro pero, no lo puedes usar siempre o cargar siempre ya que es pesado y se ve muy fragil la pantalla, pero si es bueno en viajes o si usas mochila,
La pantalla esta excelente para las peliculas, o series de television, especialmente las 16:9... si conviertes a archivos Divx se desyncroniza el audio..Software y convertidor de video excelentes... se muy pocos accesorios para el player, no e podido encontrarle una buena funda, pero la que trae esta perfecta para evitar rayaduras. No trae entrada de video eso es malo.
pocas palabras si es para ratos o viajes esta excelente, si quieres uno para uso de todos los dias creo que un vision:m estaria mejor...
saludos1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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fantastic product from Creative
by lyrikhan on May 30, 2007
Pros: great quality video, easy navigation, good battery life
Cons: somewhat bulky
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Can play almost anything format out there.
by mack5555 on June 4, 2009
Pros: Large screen, decent battery life, lots of storage.
Cons: Not many after market accessories, no recent firmware updates. Screen backlight stays on all the time could shut off when when not navigating around to save battery.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Creative
- Part number: 70PF201100003
- Description: Creative's Zen Vision W is the widescreen multimedia MP3 player for movies, music and photos. Its high-gloss, scratch-resistant 16: 9 display with adjustment makes all content fit the entire screen, and its large hard disk stores up to 120 hours of movies, 15000 songs or many thousands of photos. The player has a Compact Flash slot for the transfer of stills from digital cameras, and it supports popular movie and audio formats as well as Album Art and customized wallpapers. Additional features include a built-in FM radio, a microphone for live recording, and connectivity to external TVs and speakers.
General
- Device Type Digital AV player
- Key Features FM tuner, Voice recorder, Memory card reader, Digital audio player, Digital photo viewer, Digital video player, External HDD function
- Compatibility Intel VIIV Technology
- Width 5.3 in
- Depth 0.9 in
- Height 3 in
- Weight 9.7 oz
- Color Black
- PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB
- Features Organizer, FM recording
Display
- Display Type TFT 4.3 in - Color
- Display Form Factor Built-in
- Image Aspect Ratio 16:9
- TV Standards Supported PAL, NTSC
Memory / Storage
- Flash Memory Cards Supported CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
- HDD Capacity 60 GB
- HDD Form Factor Built-in
Still Images
- Supported Still Images Formats BMP, GIF, JPEG
- Photo Playback Modes Scroll, Zoom in
Digital Audio
- Supported audio formats MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM)
- Signal-to-noise ratio 96 dB
- Playback modes Repeat all, Resume play, Random play / shuffle
- Audio output Built-in speaker
- Microphone Built-in microphone
- Digital audio features 5 band EQ
Radio
- FM station preset qty 32
Video
- Video Playback Formats AVI, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG
Connectivity
- Connections Composite video output, Audio line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, Hi-Speed USB
Power Adapter
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Required Qty 1
- Rechargeable Battery Rechargeable
- Battery Enclosure Type Internal
- Included Qty 1
- Technology Lithium ion
- Battery Life Details MP3 playback - up to 13 hour(s), Video playback - up to 4.5 hour(s)
Software
- Software Included Creative MediaSource, Creative Media Explorer, Creative ZENcast Organizer, Microsoft Windows Media Player 10
System Requirements
- Operating System MS Windows XP, MS Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
- Peripheral(s) CD-ROM
- System Requirements Details Windows XP 64-bit Edition - Pentium II - RAM 64 MB - HD 170 MB, Windows XP - Pentium III - RAM 64 MB - HD 170 MB
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories AV cable, USB cable, Carrying pouch, Stereo headphones
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year, Limited warranty - Labor - 90 days
Product series
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Manufacturer: Creative
Specs: Digital AV player, TFT 4.3 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 3 in, 9.7 oz
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Manufacturer: Creative
Specs: Digital AV player, TFT 4.3 in - Color, MP3, WAV, WMA, Audible, Protected WMA (DRM), AVI, WMV, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DivX 4.0, DivX 5.0, MPEG-4 SP, Motion JPEG, 5.3 in x 0.9 in x 3 in, 9.7 oz
Manufacturer info
- Creative
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Creative products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://us.creative.com
- Address:
1901 McCarthy Blvd. Milpitas, CA 95035, Milpitas, CA 95035 - Phone: 800-998-1000
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