Creative Zen 4GB
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Battery Life
Creative claims a playback time of 25 hours.
For audio tests, the Zen was set to volume 7, with Rock EQ. The volume was set to output the same level as for all our previous battery tests.
A 3.5mm-3.5mm audio cable was used to connect the players to the line-in of a computer, with software recording the audio input. The battery life is considered to be the time from which music starts playing till it stops (when the player switches off due to insufficient power).
Click for larger picture.
The first thing we noticed was that the Zen outputs a higher volume. We were at a volume of 7 out of 25 steps. This is good news especially for those who use headphones that draw more power. Creative gave a conservative figure, as we were able to obtain over 26 hours of continuous playback of MP3 (at 128kbps) without any EQ. With EQ turned on, we were still able to get about 19 hours of playback, even with Smart Volume enabled. AAC (at 128kbps) gave over 18 hours, and WMA managed over 17 hours. FM also managed 19 hours, while playing without "Hold" lasted about 12 hours. All these timings were obtained with EQ turned on.
For video, performance was overall decent. WMV lasted about 4 hours 30 minutes, and XviD just under 4 hours. Since the Zen is primarily a DAP, these are acceptable times.
Screen & Video
The Zen sports a decently large 2.5" screen capable of displaying 16.7 million colours. The screen has a resolution of 320 x 240, but the picture quality is immediately apparent. Colours appear more natural on the Zen, and while it has the same resolution as the Zen Vision:M, images appear sharper and more well-defined. The photos we took of the screen definitely do not do the Zen any justice, as the screen looks much better in real life.
We also found that under bright sunlight, the screen does wash out like most other LCD screens. However, even at 50% brightness, we could still make out the words on the screen, and could essentially navigate through the user interface.
When playing videos, we found that the Zen performed well. Video playback was smooth, and image quality was sharp. The screen was not straining on the eyes. The Zen remembers where playback was stopped on the last video file, so you can easily resume the video.
Quirks and Issues
While using and reviewing the Zen, we encountered a few minor quirks. One was that while connected and charging via AC power, we noticed that the Zen would cycle through a power on sequence, even if it had been switched off. This was rather unusual, but happened only occasionally. Another thing we noticed was that when the battery was flat, the screen would flicker. We do not think this is an issue, as it may simply be a result of a power conservation mode, and it only happens on the low battery indicator screen.
In addition, the Zen is picky about the SD cards that it accepts, and when we tried using a generic, no-brand SD card, it caused the Zen to hang (we ignored the warning that the Zen displayed). While writing the review, Creative released a new firmware for the Zen which improved SD card compatibility. You can see the current list of compatible cards here.
Previously, we mentioned that the zoom function is disabled when viewing photos from SD cards. The limited functionality applies to any media accessed on SD cards. You can play music, but you cannot lookup any details of the track and playback stops when browsing away from the menu. The SD card slot, at the moment, is more of a bonus feature, than a fully integrated system. Some might find this a big turn-off, but it is less so for us.
Finally, slightly related to the above point, we would have really loved the ability to copy data from the SD card to the main storage. This can be very useful for photographers who are on-the-move and do not want to bring too many SD cards along. Currently, the Zen can play music or videos, as well as view photos that are on the SD card, but not transfer them to the main storage. Of course, this is more of a "want" than a "need", and we are just being picky.
Update: We are pleased to report that Creative has acted on feedback, ours included, and a new firmware, version 1.20.02, released on 19 Dec 2007 adds the ability to copy photos from SD cards to the main storage.