Customer Reviews

Latte iVü 8 GB Video MP3 Player with Built-in Camera and FM Transmitter (Black)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used to own a 1st Generation 30GB Zune until it was stolen from me. I loved all its features except the fact that I had to used the Zune software to sync my files and that didnt go to well. So i decided to try the latte iVu media player. I've had it a couple of weeks now and here's what I think on the features that were important to me.

PROs:

-Drag and drop files: I love the fact that you can organize your files in the order that you want in folders that you want. Everything gets transferred unlike my Zune which would skip files for no reason. Also there is no software to install.

-Use your current media player to sync files: If you have a large music library you can use your current media manger software (if it recognizes portable devices) to sync with the iVu. I currently use Winamp and it works perfectly.

-Videos: The iVu supports .flv files so you can transfer you favorite clips from Youtube straight to the iVu . However, this did not work for all of my .flv files so I use a smal avi converter. The file size more or less remains unchanged and the resolution and sound quality is great.

-Digital camera: I love it!!! Even though it's only 2MP the quality is ok and it's convenient for those candid moments. In addition to still pictures it can record video with sound. You can't listen to music and use the camera at the same time though.

-FM Transmitter: I don't really use this but I tried it out. Work great and doesn't have to be near the receiving radio.

-Customizeable Equalizer: Several Presets and User defined equalizer.

Cons:
-Auto off timer: I tried this setting out. But even when I was listening to music it would still shut off. Idk if they fixed this glitch in their firmware updates though.

-The buttons/user interface: the knobs are a little small and takes some time to get accustomed to how to navigate cause you have to press and hold several little buttons. But as I said it takes getting used to cause I can use it while it's in my pocket. Check out the demo vid on YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQKBoJ6yfl8

-The headphones: they dont keep a lot of external sound out. They are very comfy but you have to turn the volume way up which kills the battery.

OTHER FEATURES I havent tried or don't care about:
Favourites, Deleting files, Calender, Timer, e-Book, Voice recorder.

Overall I am satisfied with my purchased, a media player. If you want games go buy a PSP. All IPOD & Zune have are big brand names so you pay more for the same thing. The Latte iVu has potential to be a serious competitor. Apple and Microsoft better watch out.

I recently purchased this item. It seemed to be a Nice package of features.
Right away after receiving it I noticed the Volume control was a bit difficult to make it work. The buttons that controled the volume level also changed the track that was playing depending on how a seperate button was toggled. Sometimes it did not work at all or would change the track instead of changing the volume and sometimes the volume control would stick cranking the volume way up or down. I suspect the latter was a defective switch the rest was just a bad design. there where several other design flaws in the interface. Latte really needs to develope it some more and yeah I returned it.

It has a great screen. I put an avi movie on it and it looked great. Music sounds very good also. You have 8 preset equalizer settings you can choose from or you can make one of your own. The earbuds are decent. The two internal speakers are just for convenience when your testing the thing. They don't put out much sound. You will want external speakers. It's treated as a usb device. You just create folders on the PMP and drag and drop, so it will work with a mac. There is a hold button and you can shuffle all of your music. The photos I put on it looked great after I turned up the brightness of the screen in the settings menu. It will not play when it is charging. Don't buy it for camera. What can you expect for two megapixels? It takes a little while to get used to the buttons but once you play with it it's a snap. If you expect an ipod I guess you better buy one. For the price this is a pretty good player. I almost forgot. It has FM radio and picks up stations pretty good. Other things it does that I don't care about: Text reader, calendar, stop watch, voice recorder, and video camera. I didn't bother with those. I also didn't bother with the cd that came with it.

PROS: This sounded like a good deal and I bought it. This MP3 player has surpassed all my expectations. It is easy to operate, delivers superb sound with the enclosed air buds and is very attractive. I use it everyday and think it is an outstanding value for the price. It is so versatile, it has replaced my Samsung T10 and an iRiver that I had been using.

CONS: None

It was easy to use, and easy to figure out. Loaded all my favorite songs, it was a snap. The buttons were either touchy or ?? They never did work the way the instructions said they should. Volume control didn't work at all. I felt like the battery life was a little short but oh well. Until one day it just wouldn't recharge. I tried different chargers. One different charger worked for while then it just stopped recharging. I tried contacting customer service to find out if there was just something I didn't understand about the product. Never got through to a real person, or even a returned email. Again, it was a lemon and not worth the trouble I got.

A great player, with great software. Only thing I can't figure out so far is how to create multiple favorite playlists. The instructions don't seem to cover this detail.

This is my first MP3 device, so perhaps my expectations were not realistic for this price point. The Latte iVü 8GB player does have some nice features, which other users have already covered.

However, in my opinion, the iVü has two irritating flaws:

1. You can't play songs while the device is plugged into the car battery(!)

2. I most always use the transmitter to listen to music through the vehicle's radio. Unfortunately, the transmit option has to be turned on every time I turn on the iVü. Probably not a big deal to most users, but why in hell couldn't this have been a set-and-forget feature?

Bottom line; based on my experience with the iVü, I'll buy a Zune or Ipod next time.

Addendum, July 2009: I discovered that the player will operate on the car battery if you turn the iVü on *before* plugging it into the car. Go figure...

Update, May 30, 2010: A year later and the Latte player just went south! One of the select buttons appears to be stuck, so the result is the display rapidly scrolling through menu options upon power-up. Multiple attempts to get into the menu have failed.

My next decision is to decide which one of my hammers is best suited to put the player out of its misery...

Following are the areas which I like: Size, fit and finish, screen resolution, features(lots and useful), drag and drop file transfer.

I did not like the interface. You need to "play with it" for a while to get the feel of how to navigate. Sometimes you end up in "Neverland" and have to use the reset switch on the bottom of unit and start over. The web site is not workable and I was unable to even find an update file for the firmware.

Overall OK, and after you get the feel of using it, worth the [...] I spent on it.

The Pros:

Great 3 inch screen however a little narrow.
Two outside speakers instead of just one.
Decent headphones.
Great Price (99$) for the features.
FM Transmitter Works Great.

The Cons:
The refresh rate for movies is bad. yoy can sometimes see a diagonal line through movies.
Do not buy this for the camera.
.....that is about it hope this helps.

My wife bought this for me in March, In Early June 1/3 of the screen was taken up by white lines. I contacted by e-mail their service department, I got a response back that I needed to send back the MP3 Player with proof of purchase, and contact information, I did this In that e-mail they gave me a service # to call it was long-distance but I called them about a 3 weeks later, to find out if they had received it and the status of the claim, I waited for over an hour on the phone, and never talked to anyone. I tried the service e-mail and got no response, I have since sent two e-mails to their customer service e-mail that I got a response from the first time and still haven't gotten a response.
This is the type of company you are dealing with....

BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

The product it's self seems dated next to a IPOD, The Camera was Very Low Quality, Radio was OK, Transmitter worked, Interface was sloppy, Sound quality was OK, Was louder than other MP3 Players that I've had. Dependablity is questionable....