Creative Zen Vision:M review

Yes, as soon as you look at the Creative Zen Vision: M you think “this is a video iPod copy cat” but it's not. Creative were making MP3 players long before Apple swept all aside with their slick design and heavy marketing.

The main feature of the Vision:M is its ability to playback video, either on its 2.5” diagonal screen or on a TV via the optional AV cable. The Vision:M will output up to 640 x 480 on a TV screen whereas the iPod can only do 320x240 so the picture will look better using the Zen. The screen displays up to 262,144 vibrant colours, to give crisp, clear detail in high-definition 320 by 240 resolution. Of course, watching films on a screen this size is going to be an inferior experience compared to watching it on your TV but it can certainly make a dreary journey more enjoyable. The Zen Vision: M supports many video formats, such as DivX 4 and 5(5), XviD(5), MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV9 and Motion-JPEG, a good choice that means less time can be spent converting video formats on your PC.

Of course, the Zen Vision:M can store and display photos. Its True Resolution image display means you can view any photo you import without loss in quality or having to resize it. To take a closer look at your photos you can use the Zoom function - great for picking out people in group photos, or scroll through your entire photo collection easily with the touchpad.

Navigation is via a vertical touch pad which looks the same as the ones on other Creative players. Ergonomically designed, it allows quick, comfortable access to menus and settings.

The rechargeable Li-ion battery is claimed to last up to 14 hours for music playback, or 4 hours of movies. This is not quite as long as competitor models but enough to watch an entire movie wherever you are.

Like even the most basic of MP3 players these days, the Creative Zen Vision:M comes with an integrated FM radio from which you can record. The 32 station pre-sets let you switch stations whenever you want.

The Creative Zen Vision: M syncs easily with Microsoft Outlook, and lets you edit your information with Creative Media Explorer. You can transfer daily tasks, contact lists and even a calendar. Like the voice recorder, this isn't going to be as powerful as a proper PDA but it is another feature that may tip the buying decision in the Vision:M's favour.

Meetings, lectures, even voice memos to yourself can be captured with the integrated voice recorder, which stores hundreds of hours worth of recordings. The quality is not as good as a dedicated voice recorder but a useful feature nonetheless.

The Creative Zen Vision:M gives full access to online music stores such as Napster To Go, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and Rhapsody To Go. The PlaysForSure support ensures you will always be able to play any digital music you purchase.

• ZEN Vision:M
• Earphones
• Power Adapter with Interchangeable Plug
• Sync Adapter
• USB Mini-B Cable
• Pouch
• Installation CD
• User's Manual

The Zen Vision:M comes in the following colours: | Green | Black | White | Light Blue