Creative Muscles In On Video iPod Market
Creative has unveiled the Zen Vision:M, a 30GB video player, photo viewer and MP3 player which has more than a passing resemblance to the new iPod.
The Zen Vision:M more than matches the iPod in a spec for spec battle. They both feature a 2.5-inch screen at 320×240 resolution, but where the Vision:M wins out is in the claimed battery life, number of songs stored and formats supported.
The 30GB iPod can hold 7,500 songs and 75 hours of video, but the Zen Vison:M packs in 15,000 tracks and 120 hours of those moving pictures we all love so much. Battery life for playing music is the same at 14 hours, but Creative have squeezed out double the battery life for video.
The Zen Vision:M wins hands down in the video format stakes, supporting WMV, MPEG4 and DivX, MPEG2, MPEG1, and Motion-JPEG. The iPod only plays H.264 and MPEG4.
However, once again, Apple wins in the design department with the iPod being almost identical in every dimension except depth where it is almost half the size. This certainly adds to the ‘wow’ factor with the iPod and Creative will be hoping that noone holds their player side by side with Apple’s.
However, Creative bosses are convinced they have a winner. “When people see the Zen Vision:M, they tell us it’s incredibly cool,” said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative. “We designed the Zen Vision:M with its mesmerizing 262,144 colorr screen to display four times the colour of the 30GB iPod that plays video, and to provide twice the battery life for video playback. Plus, we offer people the freedom to choose their video in a variety of different formats, and to get subscription music or download tracks from a number of different sites to their player.”
The last point is a definite sideswipe at Apple who are notorious for forcing iPod users to buy their music from iTunes.
There are a whole host of value-added features in the Zen Vision:M.
* FM radio and recording - with 32 preset options
* Intuitive Vertical Touch Pad and Tactile Buttons on the face of the player - including the new “My Shortcut” Button for quick access to favourite DJ functions
* Content password protection - Protects any content stored on the player
* Built-in Microphone - shows volume levels on screen for optimum voice recording quality
* Selectable themes, including Marine Blue, Sable Black, Ice Blue, Forest Green, Candy Pink and Pearl White to match the colour scheme of the player menus to any mood
* Organizer - Provides calendar, tasks and contact lists, and syncs with Microsoft Outlook
* Extras - Enables setting of Date & Time, plus allocation of Removable Disk space for dedicated storage
* A clock with wake-to-any-music alarm, colour themes and different languages for further customization
* A bundled AC adapter, valued at US$29.99
The new Creative Zen Vision:M will be available this month for US$329.99. It comes with an AC adapter, USB 2.0 cable, high-quality earphones, and a protective pouch. Optional accessories, including a docking station and an AV-out cable, will be available for purchase separately.
MediaCenterPCWorld believes that the reasons to buy an iPod, apart from wanting to have the same player as everyone else, have all gone away. If you’re looking for a video-enabled mp3 player, check the Creative Zen Vision:M out first.
Add comment December 9th, 2005