Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (White/Green)

by Creative

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000BR2OZ6
• Item model number: 70PF192200081
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With a tiny, eye-catching design, smooth contours, and discreet size, the Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player fits perfectly in your palm and slides effortlessly into your smallest pocket. With 2 GB of storage space,

A 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, as well as the easy-to-use Creative interface. View all Zen V features.

Not much bigger than a pair of earbuds! (black and orange model shown) See the Zen V in 3D.

the Zen V holds up to 500 songs, and the 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, full-color menus, and album art at any viewing angle. Another great feature built right into the Zen V is the tiny device's ability to support subscription services and pay-per-download music. Plus, you'll never sweat formats--the Zen V plays the broadest selection of MP3 and WMA music. And browsing your music collection has never been easier with Creative's innovative interface that enables effective and intuitive navigation and track selection.

Other great features include a Direct CD Recording function that allows you to record songs directly from a CD player or other audio source without using a PC as an intermediary. You no longer need to burn CDs to your PC then download to your MP3 player. Just connect an audio device directly to your Zen V, and record your favorite CDs, records, beats and more, direct from the source. Meanwhile, automatic track detection separates each song for you--a handy feature when you're converting analog (records and cassette tapes) to digital. If organization is a high priority, the Zen V's Personal Organizer will help you stay connected and in-sync with your Microsoft Outlook information. Just connect the Zen V to your PC, sync your Outlook information, and you'll be ready to carry around your contacts, calendar, and to-do lists right in your pocket. Plus, the Zen V uses a handy built-in microphone to double as a voice recorder, so you can capture notes, record lectures, and more.

No matter how you hold it, the Zen V is just the right size.

Creative knows that sporty is sexy, and this player is ideal for any workout junkie. The skip-free playback is perfect on your morning jog or your most rigorous workout at the gym. The optional armband and case fit comfortably on your arm and keep your Zen V safe and secure while running or lifting. The Zen V player was designed for people who appreciate style and function. Don't be surprised when people take notice of your cool, colorful music and photo player. You can proudly announce that your device carries up to 500 songs, and you can show off your favorite photos that you've stored on this pocket-sized powerhouse.

What's in the Box
Creative Zen V, EP480 earphones, drawstring pouch lanyard, USB cable, line-in cable, installation CD including user manual, and quick start guide.

Product Description

Includes: ZEN V Player, Earphones, Lanyard, Drawstring Pouch, USB Cable, Line-in Cable, Installation CD, Quick Start Guide

Zen is a discipline deriving joy from deep, meditative concentration. Creative Zen is an MP3 player that lets you derive pleasure forom whatever you do. The ZEN V player was designed for people like you those who walk a step or two ahead of the pack. So don't be surprised when people take notice of your cool, colorful music and photo player. Tell them you carry up to 1000 songs with you. Show them just a handful of the photos you've stored on the pocket sized powerhouse. And tell them there's even more but they'll have to get their own. ZEN V is ideal for your next jog on the trail or trip to the gym. At under 2 ounces, the Zen V from Creative is a digital-media player for everytime and anytime that can go anywhere. Direct CD recording Syncs contacts, calendar & tasks Built-in voice recorder Skip free playback Plays music, ZENCast & audiobooks Alarm & clock Customizable main menu 8 EQ settings (Acoustic, classical, disco, jazz, new age, pop, rock & vocal) Organizer - Syncs with and views Microsoft Outlook Contacts, Calendar & Tasks Audio Playback Format - MP3 - WMA - WAV JPEG Photo Format Battery Life - Up to 15 hours continuous playtime / Built-in, rechargeable Li-ion battery Unit Dimensions - Size WxHxD - 2.7 x 1.7 x 0.6 / Weight - 1.55 ounces Creative Bundled Software - Use Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer to import music into your computer and transfer it to ZEN V. Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer is your digital music center for playing, creating, organizing and transferring digital music. / ZEN Media Explorer offers you the ease of managing music tracks and data files in ZEN V, in a Windows Explorer environment / Windows Media Player 10 Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 1 or higher), Intel Pentium III 1GHz or AMD Duron 1GHz, 256MB R

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of reviews on same 2gb player, but the black/green version., September 21, 2006

By 

M. Paszej (Michigan, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (White/Green) (Electronics)

I noticed a lack of reviews here. If you're interested in buying this player, there are multiple reviews for this same Zen V, except in the black/green color. Same product, same storage GB's.

Look for -- Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (Black/Green)

Lots of reviews talking about pluses AND minuses of this player.

25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy This!, September 27, 2006

By 

J.S. "Jim111" (California, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (White/Green) (Electronics)

Update:

The player freezes with no sound and with the screen on (displaying album artwork), at random times and for no apparent reason. One of my two units had to be reset so many times that it can no longer be reset: it feels like that internal pad you press on with a sharp pin has now disappeared (it must have broken off). Our only recourse now is to wait 3 days for the battery to run dead, and hope that it will be reset simply by recharging it from scratch. We've only had this unit since August (it's now December), so I no longer feel the reliability level of this product is sufficient to justify its purchase. Buy something else that doesn't have to be reset all the time!



I bought the 2 GB model because the 4 GB version wasn't available yet and it had the largest flash memory of any unit that works with my Napster-To-Go subscription, so it can store the largest number of songs and color photographs.

Why did I choose a flash memory based MP3 player? Napster-To-Go compatible hard drive models with much larger storage capacity abound, but I figure they'll break prematurely because they use a hard drive that can't withstand much jogging, accidental bumping or dropping.

I bought two of these players plus the separately sold AC wall charger, and attached one of them to the wall charger for 6 hours, while I attached the other one to a USB port on my PC to charge it for 6 hours.

At the end of 6 hours, the unit attached to the PC was fine until I unplugged it, then it went comatose and would not even revive when the reset button was pushed several times. I had to exchange it for a replacement unit just two days after buying it.

The unit attached to the wall charger was fine, and I went on to load it up with music using my Napster-To-Go subscription. That was fine until 2 weeks later, when my wife charged it on a PC using the USB cable. After charging and disconnecting from the PC, it too went comatose.

This time I was able to revive it by pushing the reset button.

Then I took a look at the other unit, which had been charging on the AC wall charger. It had also gone comatose, and I was able to revive it by pushing its reset button.

The reset button is inside a tiny hole on the left edge of this unit. You can find it by following the thin groove that's below the screen all the way to the left edge of the unit, where you'll find it on the side. The picture in the manual does NOT accurately depict its location.

The hole leading to the reset button is very, very small. The instructions say to penetrate that hole with a pin.

I used the sharp end of a safety pin to do this. When the pin is inserted, it's quite easy to miss the reset button unless the pin is inserted at exactly the right angle. You'll know it's not at the right angle if you don't feel that you're pushing on a pad with a spring behind it when you reset the unit. That pad travels a short distance until it's stopped by a control surface inside the unit; that's when you know it has been reset.

The reset system should be redesigned so that it doesn't depend on the angle you insert the pin to work. I suspect that the first unit I returned could have been reset if I had known that you have to insert the pin at just the right angle to do it. Since I didn't know, my several attempts to reset it were not successful.

Resetting the unit is akin to rebooting a PC: it revives it when the internal software (called "firmware") has frozen by restarting the software. It does not erase your songs or photos.

Make no mistake: this MP3 player looks, feels and works beautifully. However, since the firmware is newly designed, it appears to have bugs relating to disconnecting it from USB or charger power that cause it to freeze, and the reset button is a little hard to use if you don't know about the things I described above that could cause you to be unable to reset it. You may just end up with a unit that's frozen and not be able to reset it.

It needs to be a little more user friendly than that. Hopefully a future firmware update will be available that will lower the occurrence of the unit locking up (freezing), especially when disconnecting from a USB port or AC charger after recharging it. As another user noted, the "safe disconnect" icon is often times not even in the system tray.

If you don't subscribe to Napster-To-Go, your options to get content for your MP3 player are to transfer your favorite songs from CDs you own to your hard disk ("ripping the songs"), or purchase songs one track or album at a time, at a price ranging from 88 to 99 cents per song from Napster, Rhapsody or WalMart.

You can also download books you want to listen to (such as best sellers and classics) or "podcasts" (your favorite newspapers read aloud, or your favorite radio programs like NPR) from a plethora of sites (like NetLibrary or Audible) that make these available, onto your computer's hard drive. Now you can listen to your music, audible books and podcasts over your PC loudspeakers while sitting at your PC.

Then you can transfer your songs, audible books and podcasts from the hard drive of your PC to your MP3 player(s). This enables you to take your MP3 player with you to enjoy listening in your car, in your office, while jogging or working out at the gym, while shopping, or at the pool or the beach to hear your music, audible books and podcasts anywhere.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great MP3 Player, March 10, 2007

By 

G. Christophe (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Creative Zen V 2 GB Portable Media Player (White/Green) (Electronics)

When I was looking for a MP3 I read a lot of reviews and none of the products had flawless records. Despite some reported problems on the Zen that freezes when being disconnected from a PC(USB connector), I bought one and I am super happy with it.

I have not had a single problem, the sound is great, the size is perfect and it works perfectly with my PC. I did not buy an iPod because I did not like the complexity and restrictions to what source you can download music from and I have no regrets. Installation on my PC was easy and it works perfectly with Media Player. Too easy!! It comes with a little protection bag and that's great to protect your Zen when you throw it in your backpack with the rest of your stuff.

All in all and when comparing with my friends' iPods, I am so glad I bought the Zen. It is cheaper, works great, easier to download music with and maintenance free (my friends buy protective sheets to prevent scratches on their iPod).

Definetely a "BUY"