Hey guys!

For all you owners of the Creative Zen Vision:M, come and drop by a line! This is some of the stuff you can do here:

*Share why you choose black instead of white!
*Did you buy it for movies or music?
*Which firmware you are using!
*How long did does it take to transfer 1GB of data!
*What cool accessories you have!
*Is yours a scratch magnet?
*How do you carry yours?
*What is your player/can combo?

And so on!

To read more about Zen Vision:M, refer to:

Hikaru's Vision:M Bulk - Comparison Writeup! Thanks Hikaru for allowing to link to your post

About the great debacle of iPod or Vision:M, read here:

The Great Debate - Creative vs Apple, Zen Vision:M or Ipod 5G/6G

Owner List!
========

1. johnliew - Black - Grado SR60, Creative EP-480, Sennheisser CX300
2. khtan2000 - color unknown - can unknown
3. creap - color unknown - Sennheisser CX300
4. supazta - Black - Philips SHP200 and SHP1000.
5. fizyboy - color unknown - can unknown
6. surferx - White - can unknown
7. Jackieboy - White - can unknown

This post has been edited by johnliew: Jul 29 2006, 10:40 AM

Here's the low down:

I got mine last night from My Gadgets, Ground Floor, Low Yat Plaza, KL @ RM1160! How I bargained was, because Creative is currently running a promotion, which bundles Vision:M with Creative's own HN-505 "Noice-Canceling" Headphones, which is, er.. crap, IMHO. The headphones "costs" RM129, and the bundle price is RM1299.

So I told the My Gadget guy (Kelvin, nice guy), that I have no need the the headphones, so give me good discount based on the value of the headphones la!

Anyway, mine is black, currently coupled with Grado Labs SR-60. Will be "inheriting" my cousin's secret headphone amp soon

Tranfer rate is outstanding so far (my current MP3 library is about 1.2GB, and took about roughly 2 mins (not scientifically calculated though). Will update all later.

I immediately flashed to firmware version 1.30.02 (as the previous released 1.40.02 was faulty, according to Creative forum @ http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board?board.id=pmc, and an interesting surprise is that, all setting and data was kept! This is my first firmware upgrade of any device that kept everything intact!

Tip: Firmware upgrade requires that the battery to be almost fully charged, as the installer will not allow it if it thinks it's to low <30%.

My only small gripe about the firmware, is maybe the touch strip is more sensative than before, even after I changed the sensativity to Low. Maybe it's my perspiring hands, maybe not

So far so good, a couple of episodes of Lost (HDTV rip), Top Gear <chuckles> and smooth sailing so far. All played without issues.

Will update all when I have more millage on it

previously no complain on my part...after having it for about a month plus now i do

firstly, my fm radio just went dead few days ago, previously not using this function usually but tried yesterday, couldnt work...it hang the whole player (when you tried autoscan or scan down etc), it got sound for first 1 sec then its muted when the bar for the radio and mono turns up(not due to the radio frequency as i could hear the radio station for 1 sec and the bar reads full or 1, then when you tried switching presets it will just give you no sound at all) ..well need to go warranty. Another thing is i tried uploading some mtv on to it, some says required to be convert, but after i convert and uploaded it, one gave me a black screen with no option to play, one totally hang my player.

btw mine comes with already presetted firmware version 1.30.02

you will get used to the touch strip after awhile

-edit-
it seems alot of ppl having these issues with radio as well...mine died after 2-3 weeks after the last usage for the radio function(previously was working flawlessly,didnt do anything with firmware or anything) ..try searching for radio problems in creative forums..will see tons of it..all diff thread..in my case..should be firmware bug cos its still working until the status bar and the mono thingy turns up in 1 sec...no point going for warranty yet..as some ppl still having the issues of radio going dead after few months despite changing to new units(got one guy change 5 times and the radio still went dead after a period of time)
http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/bo...scending&page=1

This post has been edited by khtan2000: Jun 8 2006, 11:40 AM

khtan2000: sorry to hear about that. I'll cross my finger <tight> As for the convertion, did you depend on the Creative software to do it? You might want to consider other <read:reliable> conversion software, e.g. Nero or DivX Pro.

As for the radio problem, did you try going into Recovery Mode and reload the firmware (not updating the firmware from PC, this is a Vision:M standalone function, pls refer to manual for full instruction). Failing that, reloading the firmware from PC is not a bad idea (since you don't lose data:)).

Hope this helps.

Hey guys,

Here is a scary one I went to compare do a AB auditioning of EP-480 vs Sennheiser MX500 in MediaPlex at Level 3, KLCC, and I got to eat my own words

I always insists that bundled earphones/cans are crap. But when I listened to Senn MX500, man oh man. Was I disappointed. I had to crank up the volume to level 20, repeated the track, Song 6 - Daniel Powter, and what I got was..totally no bass...nothing at all.. nadda... Mid and high were okey, and it probably did a better job in mids than the EP-480 (which came with my Vision:M), but EP-480 blow it out of the waters in terms of overall performance and bass.

So that's it folks, dun throw away the EP-480. Keep it as as spare (I got my Grado <evil grin>) and stay away from MX500... IMHO

lol..i did everything to recover but still cant including reflashing the firmware...feel there's some bug or some failure as the radio still works...until 1 sec later when the status bar and the mono word turn on (then no matter whats the status bar is 1-3 or anything, no sound will come out again)..dont know what happen as previously the radio function still works...tried yesterday to see whats on radio when i discovered this problem. probably i just wait awhile (until end of this month i hope)to see any new firmware available as i dont see any point of doing rma when the problem recurring after few weeks/months apart from getting new player(from what i see in creative forum)

yup, you are right..using the creative bundled software..but now im using other converter to convert...faster than creative's ones.

i feel the ep480 is too big for my ears...sound wise its good but sadly not comfortable. use only one time before getting myself the ep630 instead...just for ear comfort, regarding the bass and stuff...feel like average only

hey guys and gals,

Creative Zen Vision M has a line out port/function so i can bypass internal amp?

I was wondering if anyone tried to hook a portable amp to the player, if so is the lineout signal too strong/loud etc?

LittleGhost: Plenty of documented cases where people hook their portable MP3 players, especially iPods to headamps. Should not be a problem. If really needed to, you can use the Connector, the AV port as line out. You just need to disable video from the menu, and it'll become a line out port.

I just got mine today , totally disappointed with the function. The navigating button really , pissed me off . Others, i dont really want to comment , let others comment it .

Now i gave my ZVM to my sister as a gift , rather stick with my ipod 30gb . Ipod still rulez .

just got a reply from one of the forumer in creative forum...guess my bad luck then or good luck ..can constantly change new player every month until i get the good working ones or ..until the shop throws me out ..guess will go rma soon(1 more day to a month for my purchase)

my review on the player: navigating through the menu using the touch strip sure takes some effort(or patience)..sometimes tend to overshoot what you select or select the wrong thing. Another thing is only max of 16gB can be allocate to become your removable disc storage drive. Cant set more than that and also to use the drive, first need to go select the player as a drive before connecting it to usb, else the comp wont recognise it as a removable drive. Playing mp3 on this player is a hassle IMHO as somehow im not used to its play function, need to use playlist, if not your music will be jumble up together regardless of folder in one list(or you need to fill in every music file details, like author, genre etc in order to use the play mode option effectively)-also the album art not displayed correctly, if one album art is available for one song and you copy all the songs in that specific folder, the player assumes the album art is for all songs(imagine like having some album art for all the songs in the folder regardless of what author is it). Foremost, for video there is no playlist, finish one video, you need to select another one manually (probably this will be fixed in upcoming firmware update). another thing is the four buttons (back,next, menu, play ) is kinda hard to press due to the design

On the other hand, quite alot of video format is supported, quite alot of function(black light intensity,radio, mic etc). Sound output is quite satisfactory with adjustable EQ.
well, for me, im still satisfied with the creative product apart from the radio function failure

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm interesting.

Johnliew, have you tried amping the ZVM? I'm currently having a headache with line out signals being too strong, resulting very high volumes. Will the ZVM have similar issues?

mx500 is crap

who told you that the thing is 'high-end'?

Could be navigation issue over functions

While Ipod offer more ergonomics controls, Vision M has more functions. ZVM nav does not bad at all

anyway, can I be your sister for another free Vision M

perhaps this is the way creative players work...first time i use my micro i have the same feeling too, the touchpad is way too sensitive.

But now, apparently i got the hang of it

ZVM radio failure eh, no biggie for me as I almost never use that function lol ( why the heck do you need radio when you have 30gb worth of songs/movies )

LittleGhost: I will find out for you, suppose to "inherit" a pocketamp from my cousin soon. I guess the result depends on the following (in order)

1. Earphones/headphones impedance- high impedance cans are harder to drive (need more volume), therefore could be a good thing for amp-ed situations e.g. like my Grados

2. Amp gain - some amps can switch btwn low and high gain settings, so when you feel it's "over-amped" (if there is such a word ), switch it to low gain

3. Player/source volume - for amped situation, always turn off the EQ and the volume shall never be more than 50%.

If all 3 fails, just seem that it a bad combi of everything You need to get higher impedance headphones (not earphones) and low gain amp...

Good luck~

Hey guys, about the stripepad, I have learned to feather touch it, instead of like how we are so used in using the notebook touchpad, which we usually put too much pressure on it.

By feather touching it the ZVM, it gets much more easier to control Guess it's like any other sensative (read:delicate) stuff huh?

David: Hey, sorry to hear that ZVM did not work for you It's all based on personal preference.

IMHO, ZVM is definately NOT for those who just listen to MP3 using default earphones (eek, especially the default iPod ones), in another words, for people that just want to listen to a lot of music, but not reaching audiophile levels.

ZVM is definately for the following group of people (IMHO anyway )
1. Audiophiles - it has way better Signal to Noice ratio than iPods (any model), plus it has adjustable EQ

2. TV series junkies - this is your's truely... I need to download and run to a train. It supports the mass majority of downloads ...oops, i mean "acquirable sources from the Internet...". iPod needs the dreaded Quicktime conversion, which even highend PCs will take some time.

3. Value for money people - aka me again! - It has microphone, comes with wall charger, (btw, USB charging kills batts), FM radio (yeah, I know, there are reports of the radio hanging)

Ok, my 20 cents worth (no longer 2 cent due to the inflation...)

Ah, i was looking for an informative reply like this. Thank you.

Line outs do not have volume control (refer to bolded quoted sentence). They simply bypass internal amp. So i'm not sure if the way you guys use the amps are correct or not. I thought we should use line outs instead of headphone out? However, i emailed Gary (electric avenues) about the situation and he said there are cases where people prefer headphones out -> amp than line out -> amp because it sounds much better and the latter signal output being too strong and loud.

Anyway, if i lower the gain will it affect the purposes of the amplifier? Otherwise should i make an inline attenuator?

eh, johnliew...is it true the usb charging could kill the battery ? i have been charging my player via usb almost everytime, while using as a external storage disc and uploading songs..

probably now cannot as i heard the firmware currently(although the same number as mine) its different from my original which can charge from any usb connection, the current firmware only allows computer with creative software installed to charge via usb(this is what i heard, not yet tested), also the current one now enables me to use my player while still connected to the usb cable(when no reading or uploading)

LittleGhost: Glad to help. Although unfortunately, this discussion is beyond ZVM discussion, sorry May I suggest the DIY Amp Club instead? (which I am hoping to join soon:))

The dai-kors and tai-kar-ches there can help you with the inline attenuator question...

DIY Amp Club

This post has been edited by johnliew: Jun 9 2006, 11:19 AM

It's an urban legend, that USB or any other trickle chargers like car chargers, will kill the battery, although there are many people which can contest to that, including myself

Well you see, I own a Motorola SLVR (OT here, sorry), and it came with a USB charger/sync cable. I noticed that my battery goes koo-koo after I charge it using USB. Symptoms include:

1. The "fully charged" phone only lasts half the period, compared to charging using wall charger,
2. It does not handle half way charging (i.e. charging when u still have 50% batt) very well, as sometimes it reports Fully Charged in less than 15 mins!

Therefore, no way I am gonna charge my baby ZVM via USB!

I have talked to a few friends before, and they all say that USB/Car charger will shorten battery life expentancy. Possible (non-educated) guess include:

1. USB cables, unlike wall chargers, does not have a regulator chip build onto it
2. People tend not to charge fully when using USB/Car, due to convenience, therefore taking up more "batt lifetime charge cycle" often than normal (Note: all battery can only charge X number of times. After X, it can no longer hold the charge, check with your manufacturor for guess-timated X figure )

Back to topic... I flashed my ZVM to 1.30.02 (read my #1 post), and it still can charge from USB (unfortunately, for me ), but I can't really use it when it is USB connected (i think), coz its in Sync Mode. Will confirm about the Sync Mode later.

Hey owners!

Leave a msg here, so we can keep track and make this a truly "Owner's Club"!

p/s everyone is welcomed to post comments though, we just want to keep track how has an actual unit...

BTW,

I got myself this ==> Logitech� PlayGear Share(tm)

Because I will keep my ZVM in my Crumpler pouch (which I bought for my Sony Clie), and I noticed that when I plug on my Grados, it kinda stick out really wierd.

So I was searching up and down from electronic spare part shop, to electrical shop, to computer shop, cannot find any solution to make a L-shape mini plug convertor....

So last resort, also to protect my ZVM's headphone jack (coz I change from my EP-480 and Grados often), I went to Sony Wings and bought the PlayGear Share @ RM59.00 Damn expensive...

It's rather sturdy, and the arm is flexible. I did not notice any audio quality lost, even using the outer jack (the one furthest from the jack).

Anyone else got a better suggestion?

This post has been edited by johnliew: Jun 9 2006, 03:55 PM

Yea i'm pretty agree with wat u've mentioned , personal preference . my sister enjoyed the ZVM , but not for me .

I'll stop argueing about ipod here , but for me , converting video format aint tat troublesome, hence, i get a better quality file after i converted it using some 3rd party program , and it is quite fast in converting though.

Overall , ZVM is a good product , not regret getting it as it pleased my sister .

hey

how's the zen micro i sold to u last year?

still working?

it was until last week

i suspect the headphone socket is broken lol....

ahh nvm, imma getting a new one anyway...

check out the new firmware ...just released

-edit-
still not working...radio is still the same..hang whole player. Well generally i dont use the radio much but after awhile kinda get bored with the songs loaded in the player...so can use the radio to listen to fresh music.

new firmware opinion : well cant see much changes, didnt use audible software, also now...once usb connected to my player, its always in sync mode now like original (dont know why i flash the 1.30.02 version, i can use the player like normal although plugin to usb, except it will auto stop and goes into sync mode only when my computer request data or transfer data to the player)

This post has been edited by khtan2000: Jun 9 2006, 06:35 PM

khtan: That was quick for you to notice! Thanks!

Guys, new firmware available here ==> Creative ZEN Vision:M Firmware 1.41.01

Added Features or Enhancements:

* Supports the playback of Audible Type 2 and 4 tracks.

Fixes:

* Ensures proper playback of picture and audio files during a slideshow.
* Ensures that subscription and purchased audio files can resume playing when you turn your player on after a prolonged period of time.
* Ensures accurate time display when you turn your player on after a prolonged period of time.

For latest technical discussion, and see how other people faired with the new 1.41.01 firmware, refer here ==> Official Creative Forum, 1.41.01 thread

I will be updating mine tonight, will let everyone know how it goes

Update: Just upgraded my firmware to 1.41.01 and radio still working Tested all other function as well. So guys, I guess it's generally alright to update to this version of firmware!

Good luck!

just return my player to the place i bought it(need to send it to supplier and see what they can do to repair).unfortunately there is no 1-1 exchange..probably because its a month old player already. Hopefully they repair the player permanently and not give me another player which have a percentage of failure(hate returning it all the time)

just a caution : always keep your receipt as a proof of purchase in case of anything (creative will only handle warranty if there is a proof of purchase-thats what on the creative website and technical support says, luckily i kept mine), online registration will only give you technical support and product announcement.

Hey all,

Just update everyone, I have ordered my BoxWave FlexiSkin from the web site, will be writing an impression as soon as it arrives...

Hey all,

My Boxwave FlexiSkin has arrived!

The package arrived one day earlier then expected, which was a nice surprise, considering that it come across the Pacific Ocean! Thumbs up for the US postal service! BTW, it was shipped via First Class Mail, and it cleared Malaysia customs without any issue.

Here is the package:



The packaging was a plain transparent plastic, with no marking of whatsoever. Here is the front:



And here is the back, as you can see the label of the product and the lanyard. The label says "For Zen-VS-M30G". I'll leave it to you all to decode what it means.



Further emptying the box, I found the invoice.



First impression was... dude, where is the manual/instruction? OK, I know it's just a silicon skin, but it's my first one, so panicked a little.

OK, never mind. Going on, taking it out of the transparent display box:



Emptying the contents, here is what you get:



. One black silicon skin
. One belt clip
. One lanyard
. One screen protector

Hmm. I thought that something is amiss here. Where is the screen protector? It turns out that it hidden inside the skin, which also houses the cardboard model Zen Vision:M. Out it goes to my wife, which I told her that I gotten a white unit for her... /me got slapped.



The screen protector is made of stiff transparent plastic, although it's a bit too reflective for my taste. But it's not more (or less) reflective than the ZVM screen anyway.

OK, here is my ZVMiB (ZVM in Black). Still has the default plastic cover that came with the packaging. At the bottom, is the default suede pouch cover that came with the packaging. One word of advice, please take off the default plastic cover, because it caused quite a scratching to my unit



Hey there buddy, meet you new friend:



Off it goes, naked:



And scratched



The back of my unit, scratch-less, thanks to the sandblasted nature.



Using my common sense (thanks to the missing manual), I formalized a strategy to put the baby in. OK, here it comes! Through the large opening, bottom first.



Nice fit!



Taking off the protector for the screen protector (d'oh)...



And slid it into the case, snugly.



Here's the back of the case. The belt clip holds to the FlexiSkin by means on a large metal screw at the back.



This post has been edited by johnliew: Jun 22 2006, 02:59 PM

I decided to take off the screw, because I already have a nice Crumpler pouch to house my ZVM. Using a screw driver, and a little bit of force, the screw comes off:



Following are shots of the different views after everything is fitted:

Right view. Note the cutout for the build in mic:



Bottom view. The connector fits fine, without any obstruction. No idea about the cradle, which I don't have (and unobtainable in Malaysia, BTW).



Back side view. Note the lanyard hole. I decided not to use the lanyard, because it's too long, and I think the screen protector will pop off if I tugged the lanyard too hard.



Front view. Notice the perforated markings, which you can feel using your finger:



Top view. Everything accessible.

More on the screen protector. The protector has a little "leg", which are dots, in the 4 corners. It sits on the 4 corners of the screen, so the protector will not move around. The protector itself adds a bit of height to the screen, as you might be able to see from here:



But it sits totally flush with the rest of the skin. Here is how it looks like from the side:



BTW, the black L shaped thing sticking out of the headphone jack is the Logitech PlayGear Share.

Summary
=======
I paid USD 26.95 for the package, and the shipping was USD7.50, bringing the total to RM130.91 (based on USD1 = RM3.80). It was a bit costly, but I had no other choice because there is no equivalent available anywhere in Low Yat, Klang Valley or anywhere in Malaysia that I could find.

The touch of the material is actually very soft, very silky, unlike more silicon products, which are somewhat sticky at times. There were some talks that the FlexiSkin will attract dust, which I do not agree. Even if you get dusts on it, it's can be easily blow/wipe off.

The fit was okey, not super "condom-slap-on" tight, but form fitting. I don't think the ZVM will fall out easily. All of the cutouts are perfectly located, but I have to say that the cuts could be cleaner. But I guess you can only do a better job using laser  It's not Jet Black (totally black) as some people thought, but it was okey with me. If you want to know how black, it's just as black any other silicon iPod skin.

One other nice pleasant side effect of having the skin on is that the touch strip has gotten more accurate. This is possibly to the fact that my hands are already sweaty, and Synaptic touchpads are generally flimsy when you fingers are damp. Synaptic technology is used in almost all recent notebooks, Zen products and iPod's ClickWheel.

I tried on the belt clip, which looks pretty sturdy. It clips onto the skin with a reassuring "click" and taking it off the clip was a no issue matter as well.

So here is a summary:

+ Nice silky touch
+ Sturdy belt clip
+ Hard plastic screen protector

- Questionable lanyard hole
- Expensive (compared to iPod or Kroo alternatives)
- Shipping from US required

IMHO Rating: Recommended, unless you get something similar cheaper locally.

Hey ZVM owners!

Own up Let me know your ZVM experiences...

how much is it now anyways?
ZVM?

i got mine at RM1300.. shud be cheaper now i guess..

anyone of you know where can i buy an AV cable that actually works with ZVM?

just bought it!!
today...hehe
i got it for 1140.
huh..expected to pay only 1k for it...
erm...ZV is 1400.

im charging it.and yes..my baby is black..i wanted lime green..to stand out among all the ipod lovers...but oh well...
according to the salesman..only makcik makcik bought the green..

i am soo not makcik ok!

hehe

proud of ur new baby huh....

i thought u r surely getting ZV....what made you change ur mine?

ive surveyed the ZV..read reviews till my eyeballs popped out...seems like they have a few things that im not satisfied with:

1. viewing angle
2. the card reader needs adapter(which will cost me another rm180) to read MMC and SD
3. i surely need the docking station..another rm180
4. u cant use ur pic as the background
5. NO ZOOM IN function!!!!!
6. Only support JPEG format...damn...im a budding photographer..hehe..so might edit my pics in BMP format too!
7. i figured i dont really need the wide screen as i can watch movies on my laptop =p

there u go...of course...people recommended cowon x5L but i cant find it anywhere in kl...+ my dad doesnt want me to buy anything that has been discontinued its production..but cowon's product support is very good compared to creative

will have future probs with accessories and im worried abt the service centre...

its a matter of convenience and cost and functions that i dont need.

=)

hence...ZVM...did hope the price to be cheaper though...

Who said so? Most of the young teenagers in S'pore prefer lime green.

thats what i thought also...
my dad wants black...
better not fight with the man paying lor...

Yup, you are right.

droooling with saliva
envy you got one, make it stay safe & sound

you bought it with credit card ? from official site or retail seller ?

This post has been edited by enCORe: Jul 2 2006, 02:08 PM

im currently looking for a pair of canal earphones which has built in antenna to be used with this baby..

any suggestions?

almost bought SHE9500..but then..it has no antenna..

and i just ordered invisible shield (got lifetime guarantee some more!) from the states for USD25...

huh..i hate waiting.....


This post has been edited by supazta: Jul 2 2006, 10:08 PM

Encore: Just to and get it! Got it directly from www.boxwave.com...

Hey supazta!

Congrats on your new purchase!!! Hope you are enjoying every second of it...

As for the antenna, I think any headphone/earphone should be fine. I use a Grado SR60, and FM was okey. As long the cable is not shielded lar...(which you can only find for headphones > RM500)

Please give a pic review of the InvisibleShield when you get hold of it! There has been a lot of talk of shield vs. silicon lately... Which retailer u got it from? USD25 including shipping?

sure will...

got it from their official website : http://www.shieldzone.com/item_description...ZENVISMFUL.html

yes...usd25..free shipping

there's a similiar company which produces the same thing(or so they claimed) and sells it at 1/3 or Invisible Shield's price...but i dare not buy it from them as i think they do not offer life time warranty


duno which one to buy lorh..
she9500 or edifier h260?

as for the portable speaker
philips sba290(davis sells this) or edifier mp220..

what do u think?
i want unbiased opinions...
wont spend more than 200 for both earphones and speakers...

btw, my cans are philips hp200 and hp1000.

looking for a pair of canal earphones.

Do you mean you want a music splitter??

cx300 is my choice....though i hate the "J" splitter......

but overall 7/10 from me....

ohh btw..anybody knows where i can buy ep630 and the price?
seems like the gurus in head-fi recommends it ...

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=187404

No no, actually I wanted a L shaped Mini Jack extension, but the next best thing is the Logitech la... But it does serve the purpose, plus it has an extra mini jack to share, in the rare case that I need to...

Hey creap,

Did you get a pair of the Senn CX300? Mind to share how much and where?

got my she9500 from davis together with his sba290 black portable speaker...

uuuuuu..now the whole set is complete!

everything in black!

yay!

Yup i did. Got it from Jessen who is still doing a 2nd bulk sales for it. Got it for RM185

What so unique bout a L shape extension? Considering it costs so much? I might be interested in making one..

i am planning to buy creative zen: vision m..just wan to know..may i know how long does the player lasts? thx a lot

d*mn! d vision M club has been started! i thought i would be d 1 who start it.. haha
still considering the vision M.. money prob of coz.. haha hope i can get my hands on it...

i waited for the price to drop..but cannot tahan anymore...
good luck bro!

btw..after i upgraded the firmware from 1.30xx to 1.40xx..the my zvm freezes few times..
should i downgrade the firmware?
the screen froze while i was listening to the music and another time while i was viewing my pics.

Pic appreciation for us please! BTW, all my recent stuff are black too... SR60, Edifier speakers, Motorola SLVR....

That's the part I dun understand also... it's nothing special. I tot can get it for RM5 at electronic shop... but ended up asking every game/electronic/electrical parts shop also don't have I even thought of doing my own, but cannot find L shape mini jack anywhere....

For me, 3 hours of TV shows, no problem. Music only, whole day (12 hours) using my Grado SR60. These cans drains quite a bit of juice. BTW, I always put 100% brightness..

Ben: go go go and get it! Worth every penny...

supazta: are your pictures properly scaled? it happened to me a couple of times, because I loaded a ton of 6MP pictures! After a while (around 50 pics viewing) the ZVM heats up and hangs... I guess overheat issue.. just scale down the pics la...

Nice.... pics pls? And short sound test impression

im quite concerned of having not enough space for my harddisk(where i store all my pics)..so my pics never exceeded 2mp...

so..whats the prob eyh?

does ZVM play DivX/xVid file format that usually are used by movies and tv series?

quite tempting la.. maybe just swap my credit card 2 explode la..wahahaha...

Yup! It can play most latest downloaded movies, i.e. DivX 4, 5 and Xvid (in SP - Simple Profile mode). Only much older movies (based on DivX 3) are not supported.

Try to make it 320x240 la...because:

1. it's the native resolution of the ZVM screen
2. it saves a lot of space on the ZVM...

ok john!
thx..
im bringing my zvm for my holiday today...
yay!
with a cute portable black speaker..my holiday will be perfect!
LoL

i wonder if there is a program telling u tat d file is not playable b4 i send it 2 ZVM?.. or i'll hav 2 test in d player 1 by 1 instead i can straight away notice it n convert it 2 a playable format...?

Hey Ben,

There is two ways to approach this. Basically, there is two ways to copy files into ZVM.

Method 1: Via Windows Media Player (WMP) - also known as MTP device method.
By using this method, WMP does not really perform a check whether it can play the video file before uploading. You can use a third party free program called GSpot to determine whether it's DivX 4 & 5 or Xvid. This is my preferred method, coz I hate installing Creative drivers.

Method 2: Using the Creative software. This software does actually perform the check, and based on option, it will help you to convert unplayable files to playable format.

So take your pick. Anyway, I have found only two file of video that does not play properly:

1. DivX version 3, very rare, unless the file was encoded > 2 years ago.
2. Any movie files with AC3 (surround sound). I usually don't download these kind of files, because it's too large (usually 50% larger than normal files), and I don't have surround hardware anyway.

Hope this helps you to make your purchase, Ben.

Well,for now, this canal doesn impress me. The bass of it is more defined compare with the sony's..hehe(sony is way too boooommy and do not have defined bass lol)

However, my first impression of the treble WAS horrible.The lack of clarity on the treble almost made me threw it away,but i decided to keep it,just yet. Currently, I notice a huge improvement on the treble which I can easily play rock-ish songs without pulling my hair.

The isolation isn't anything to brag about, just okay.Successfully blocked mom's nagging ,bus engine,honking and up to 4db of isolation from LRT train.

Probably upload the pics sometime tmr...or whenever i feel like it

woot, just got my creative zen two days ago..costs me around RM 1270..now discharging my battery..any faster way except play audio for 14 hours consecutively or 4 hours of video non-stop...kinda slow..=.="

lol, i don't even know how to use the FM radio to get the radio channel that i wanted..=P

yea...how can i set the frequency of the fm radio without using the autoscan option?
it didnt detect hitz and fly fm!

[johnliew]
well, i guess tat answer my questions... but then again.. d*mn, those file u mentioned cannot play in d player...frankly i got quite some, i usually download old movie.. n i sometimes download AC3 movie also(although i dun hav any surround hardware anyway hehe )... d*mn, conversion all time liao lo....

nimloth32: Where did u get it from? BTW, I think ZVM has Li-Ion batteries, not really a good idea to dischage until 0%. Not that healthy for the battery.

OK guys, I have figured out how to make the FM work for you. Please note I am using firmware version 1.41.01.

FM Radio => Press Play/Pause button, you will notice the word "Preset x" turn on or off (where x could be 1-20). Press the Play/Pause button until the "Preset x" is turned off, then using the left and right button to manually tune. Hold down left or right to scan forward/backward.

Hope this helps.

i get it from penang, gurney plaza..heard that you can get around RM 1000 in kl but i scared kena conned..hehe..thx for your tips anyway..besides that, any helpful tips on prolonging the battery life and taking care of my mp3 player? well, of course except from the tips that stated in the manual lar..hehe...i am kinda new using mp3 players..thx a lot sifu..



This post has been edited by nimloth32: Jul 10 2006, 12:28 AM

when i pressed the play/pause button..it began recording instead of tuning..
btw..my zvm froze twice today and i had to reset it..didnt do anything except was listening to the radio..

is it possible because of the incoming sms into my hp..the zvm freezes?
coz i did hear some strange noise before it stuck..

while it was rebuilding the data..the screen became really weird...take a look at the pic..


Attached thumbnail(s)

I only got one... prevent charging from USB! Reasons stated previous post ....

Hmm...are u using firmware 1.41.01? Please check from System.

SMS? Hmm... very wierd.. ZVM does not have any wireless capability... Your screen does look wierd... Two things I can suggest:

1. Upgrade to firmware 1.41.01 again, if you have already done so.
2. Return for warranty.

okok, i read bout it d..but the thing is..once i plug my ZVM into my computer via USB port, i thought it automatically recharging from USB d??..how to prevent that from happening?

Well, there is three "simple" ways to prevent this.

1. Charge via power first until 100%, then connect USB to sync.
2. Plug in and turn on power and connect to USB at same time.
3. Plug into USB as usual, but cepat cepat sync then unplug USB

Your pick... Hope this helps.

the invisible shield and the invoice for the lifetime warranty.



the front side



the back side (the spray and the 'squeegee'-for squeezing the bubbles out)



the opened package.


i ordered on the 1st of july (saturday)
the order was shipped on the 3rd of july
i received the bubble wrapped envelope on the 12th of july.
9 days for international shipping from the states. not bad.

now i have applied the invisible shield and is currently waiting for it to dry out.
need to leave it for 24 hours.

btw, thx john.
i reinstalled the firmware and the problem (the hiccup during 'rebuilding' dissapears)

[supazta]
wow!! d*mn!! tat was freakin' COOOL man!!

supazta, how much the shield including shipping? kinda insterested with it. and is it ship to malaysia?

the front and back, 25USD, free shipping to anywhere in the world + lifetime warranty.

front only about 15usd..cant remember exactly.

this is their website : invisible shield



This post has been edited by supazta: Jul 15 2006, 08:30 PM

this one comewith lifetime warranty
erm ...whoa i told u


how much the total cost you spend (item+packages)?

read previous post pls.

i got a question...again... how would it be when i play wide-screen movie in vision m? coz d screen is only 2.5", if with d black top n bottom bar then it will be smaller!! then no fun watching movie in vision m, rite? n dun thnk pan d view by croping d side n lose some of d pictures would help?

ben_ang:

In ZVM, there are three modes when playing videos.

1. Original Size = dun really get what this mean, as it does not have any effect. You though use this options as "Original Ratio"

2. Fit to Screen = same as below...

3. Stretch to Full = for widescreen stuff, it simply stretches the video upwards and downwards, making Fox Mulder looking like an elongated alien himself

But for me, since the ZVM screen is hi-res enough, I don't really have issues watching widescreens with the black bar...

supazta:

Thanks for the pic review! But if it would be a bomb if you can share some of your "application" experiences

ure welcome!

ok..here are the steps:

1. cleaned up my zvm..make sure its free of dust and microfibres

2. peel off the shield and then sprayed both sides of the shield using the given spray.

3. slowly alligned it and then i used the 'squeegee' to remove bubbles trapped underneath the shield (pressing the squeegee/credit card from the middle and outwards)

4. waited for 24 hours for the shield to settle itself.

5. after a few days, the microbubbles dissapears. (magic? heheh)

did encounter some probs like..i misalligned the shield and i had to peel it off and re-applied it and there were some microfibres(must have came from my shirt) glued inside it..

overall, im quite satisfied of the end result.



the scroll area is also being protected by the shield and i found it to be quite nice as my fingers a bit sakit when i scrolled on the sandpaper surface..and the back side also protected, so nomore sandpaper surface..all become plasticky..like the front side.

i dont have to worry about it anymore if i accidentally put my zvm together with my keys inside the bag.