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Creative Zen

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Creative Zen Vision:M 30 GB audio/video player, released in 2005.

The Creative Zen is a line of digital audio players produced by Creative Technology and a branch off the earlier Creative NOMAD brand (the other branch being the MuVo series). Some models feature a touch-pad interface similar to that of the Apple iPod, but using a vertical strip rather than a circle. They are capable of playing WMA, MP3 and WAV audio files, and with the exception of the Zen Nano, the Zen Nano Plus, the Zen V, Zen V Plus, and Zen Neeon, the players are based on miniature hard disk drives rather than flash memory.

The Zen have sufficient foothold in Asian markets, particularly in Creative's headquarters, Singapore. Zen players are compatiable with Windows Media Player 10 by utilizing the Media Transfer Protocol and giving it the Microsoft PlaysForSure certification. Certain Zen devices are also compatible with Microsoft Outlook for day planning and calendar features. The device also supports Yahoo Music Engine. Later versions also exclusively support Janus DRM.

The Zen stores files and metadata in an internal database, as opposed to a file system as used by most other MP3 players. For this reason, older models of the Zens used a tailored USB interface and a custom protocol called PDE (Portable Digital Entertainment) to transfer tracks, meaning they required special host software. The more recent devices are gradually supplied with firmware upgrades that convert them from PDE devices to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) devices. The older devices will however only support the PDE protocol. Some newer devices (like the Neeon) use the USB mass storage device class, accessible from any operating system.

Certain Zen devices support one or other derivative of Creative's environmental audio extensions (EAX). Some versions do not have much of it, whereas others can have a host of effects available.

Hardware

The Zen devices use a single digital signal processor as its CPU with a few peripheral circuits. The DSP/CPU directly takes care of all MP3 and WMA decoding without any specialized accelerator chips, making the design cheaper. All current models are based on the Texas Instruments TMS320 processor (TMS320DA255 or TMS320DM-variants). The touchpads on the newer units are controlled by Synaptics touch pad controllers.

Players

Currently, the main models of Zen are: Zen Touch, Zen Micro, Creative Zen, Zen Neeon, Zen Neeon 2, Zen MicroPhoto, Zen Vision (recently updated to Zen Vision W), Zen Vision M, Zen Sleek, Zen Sleek Photo, Zen V and Zen V Plus. The Zen Nano Plus is a flash memory based player and is in fact a rebranded MuVo Micro N200.

Creative also made a portable video-playing device named the Zen Portable Media Center. Another portable video-playing device called Zen Vision has been introduced and made available to the public in August 2005.

Nomad Jukebox Zen

(This model is no longer in production)

File:Creative zen.jpg
Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen

The Nomad Jukebox Zen, introduced in 2002, was the first generation of Creative's Zen hard-drive-based digital audio players. The Jukebox Zen had an anodized aluminum case and a backlit LCD for file navigation. Early models had a 20 GB internal 2.5" hard drive and used USB 1.1 or FireWire for file transfers. Later models, such as the Zen USB 2.0, featured up to 60 GB of storage and USB 2.0 connectivity. The Zen and Zen USB 2.0 featured up to 12 and 14 hours of continuous playback, respectively, with an irremovable, rechargeable battery. An optional wired remote adds FM radio and recording functions. This model is no longer in production.

Nomad Jukebox Zen NX

(This model is no longer in production)

The Nomad Jukebox Zen NX, or simply the Zen NX, was released in 2003 was the second generation of Zen MP3 players. It featured an internal 2.5" 30 GB hard disk and the release of new music management software called Creative MediaSource. The Zen NX also had slightly smaller dimensions than its predecessor. In addition, the rechargeable battery was removable. This model is no longer in production.

Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra

(This model is no longer in production)

Zen Xtra 60 Gb.

This player was mostly a revamped Zen NX, but featured a larger screen (160x104 pixels) and had a large hard drive. Three models were made, one holding 30 gigabytes, one holding 40 gigabytes, and the largest holding 60 gigabytes. Presumably, it was named Xtra because of the extra large screen and hard drive.

It has a number of features setting it apart from its competition, including EAX sound and an advanced playlist editor. Until recently, the Zen Xtra could not be used as a portable hard drive: it needed a Zen driver installed to be detected by a computer (software is included for Windows; a gpl program, gnomad2, exists for Linux). Version 2.10.03 of the firmware supports "seamless support with any computer running Microsoft Windows Media Player 10 and Windows XP - no drivers or software needed". Version 2.x of the firmware utilizes the Microsoft MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) instead of the Creative PDE protocol; MTP (the "Basic" variant, not "Enhanced") is supported by gnomad2 as of version 2.8.3.

The Zen Xtra package includes the player, a leather case with belt-clip, a lithium polymer battery, Windows software for communicating with the player, a USB cable and a pair of low-quality earbuds.

The Xtra is notable since Real Networks cooperated with Creative to provide a tailored firmware for the Xtra that supported their Helix DRM digital rights management scheme, however the Xtra also was the only device ever to support this scheme natively.

Zen Touch

(This model is an end of life product)

File:Creative zen touch.jpg
The Creative Zen Touch (2004)

The Zen Touch was released in the summer of 2004. It marked the fourth generation of "Zen" MP3 players, and a substantive change from the "Jukebox" models based on 2.5" hard drives. The model incorporated radical changes in design, functionality and technology to compete with the Apple iPod.

The Zen Touch has a smaller form factor and larger backlit blue display in a curved industrial design. In addition, the device uses a pressure-sensitive vertical strip on the front of the unit for easier file navigation. These changes were enabled by the use of Toshiba's smaller 1.8" hard drive line, also used in the Apple iPod line. Units are currently available with a 20 or 40 GB of storage, and with 60 GB from third-party upgraders.

Unlike the previous two generations, the Zen Touch does not have a removable battery. However, Creative claims its battery provides up to 24 hours of MP3 playback at 128 kbit/s encoding. Users report 21-26 hours of continuous playback. [citation needed]

A new version of the firmware was released after one year, supposedly to fix many problems that existed with the player. A further update was released in October 2005 that fixed all major problems with the Zen and also added Playsforsure™ compatibility. This allows fully automated synchronization and means that the Zen Touch no longer requires any drivers to work on a Windows 2000 or above system.

Version 2.11.01 adds support of Windows Media Audio version 10 encoded files. WMA10 audio sounds better than the previous codec.

The Zen Touch has a brief uncredited appearance in Pepsi's new commercial which aired during Super Bowl XL [1].

Zen Micro

Creative Zen Micro pictured here with the Creative earphones
Creative Zen Micro glowing at night

The Zen Micro was released in November 2004 and is a micro hard drive music player available in 10 colors.

The Zen Micro is much smaller than its Touch counterpart and shares a similar interface for file navigation. The Micro has a removable battery rated to last for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. In addition, the player has an LED-backlit LCD, a glowing case, and offers hard disk capacities of 4, 5 and 6 GB.

The Micro also features a built-in FM tuner/recorder, voice recorder and microphone, partitioning for data storage (i.e. acting as a removable hard drive for PCs), and the ability to synchronize contacts, tasks and calendars with Microsoft Outlook. Accessories for the Zen Micro include matching colour speakers, wireless headsets and a wired remote control. [2]

The first 35,000 units shipped worldwide were packaged as a Limited Edition package that came with an additional rechargeable battery. Asian models of the Limited Edition included the extra battery and a wired remote control.

At CES 2005, it was announced that the Zen Micro line would be expanded to include 4 and 6 GB models.

The Zen Micro optionally supports the Microsoft Media Transfer Protocol and the PlaysForSure certification with updated firmware.

Zen MicroPhoto

In 2006 Creative released a newer version of the Micro, with the capability to view photos. It also has a colour screen. It has a 4GB capacity.

Hardware Issues

It has been reported by some that the headphone jack can partly break away from the host circuit (on the 5 GB model) board, which causes loss in one or both channels. Players under warranty should be repaired by Creative. If not under warranty disassembling your player and inserting a folded piece of paper under the metal cover of the headphone jack has been suggested as a solution. The jack can also be resoldered by someone with suitable knowledge ([3] or [4] - mirror). This problem was apparently common with the first series of Zen Micro, but Creative has said that the problem was solved regarding to the newer series.[citation needed]


Marketing campaign

In November 2004, Creative Labs announced a $100 million marketing campaign to promote their digital audio products, including the Zen range of MP3 players. In particular, the newer Zen Touch and Zen Micro are being heavily publicized by the company. These two products have been featured in an increasing number of television commercials, print ads and urban billboards.

Zen

The Zen 20 gigabyte player was released in May 2005, and copies the Zen Micro's successful aesthetics. Unlike the MicroPhoto, this player was not announced at CES 2005. A few design points set it apart from the Micro line, including a Magnesium case and a larger screen. Also, the battery is not 'user-replaceable'. Initially this model was available only in the Asia-Pacific region but it is now available in the United States through Cambridge SoundWorks, a Creative subsidiary. The player is also available though online retailers in the United Kingdom.

Zen Neeon

A Creative Zen Neeon

The Zen Neeon is a new addition to the Zen family. It is targeted at those that feel that the Zen Micro is too gaudy. It follows a similar design to the Zen Xtra, but in a much smaller size. This 5 Gigabyte DAP has an SNR (sound to noise ratio) of 98 dB and a battery life of 16 hours (extended to 19 hours with new firmware version). The front has a piano black finish, and the back is anodized aluminum that comes in ten colours. The LCD screen has a 7 colour backlight. Also, Creative has marketed what they call Stik-Ons, which are decal stickers that can be placed and removed from the face of the unit.

Like its Micro brother, this unit also has an FM tuner and a microphone, but also has a line record in function. This model does not use Creative specialized USB drivers; it is a standard USB mass storage device.

In November 2005, the HDD-based Zen Neeon line was updated to 6GB and a new Flash range was launched in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacity. The device is now equipped with a dual-tone OLED screen. The device is also accompanied by a new marketing campaign, Put a Face to Your Music, with emphasis on a whole new range of customizable "Stik-Ons".

More information on the device can be found on the manufacturer's website [5].

Zen MicroPhoto

File:Creative zen micro photo.jpg
A display model of the Zen MicroPhoto

The Zen MicroPhoto (sometimes Zen Micro Photo) is one of the newest members of the Zen family of digital audio players. It shares the same features of the Zen Micro except Audible.com support, and adds an upgraded 262,144 color OLED screen for displaying photos. To fix the lack of bass with the Zen Micro, Creative also implemented a Bass Boost feature in this device. The device is available in an 8GB capacity and can store thousands of JPEGs or 4,000 songs (according to Creative's estimates). Rather than the 12-hour battery found in the Zen Micro, this version has a 15-hour battery life due to its larger included battery ([6]). The 8 GB model is available in many colors, but the new 4 GB model is only available in black.

First introduced at CES 2005, the Zen MicroPhoto won the coveted 'Best of CES' award. The intended release of the player was spring of 2005, but did not appear until late summer of 2005.

Zen Sleek / Sleek Photo

A Creative Zen Sleek.

The Zen Sleek is a Zen Touch descendant with 20 GB hard disk storage, FM radio and microphone for live recordings. It is smaller than the Zen Touch, and boasts an aluminum casing. It can synchronize with Outlook to hold the calendar, address book, and tasks list. It also has a USB mass storage mode, which can be used to partition part of the disk for data files only. It supports MP3, WAV and WMA playback, and gives up to 20 hours of battery life (depending on usage).

It uses the same style 'touchpad' as the Zen Touch; but the 'OK' button has been removed. Instead, the user taps the touchpad to make a selection, in the same manner as a laptop touchpad.

The Zen Sleek Photo is also now available with a color screen.

Zen Nano / Nano Plus

The Zen Nano is essentially a rebranded MuVo N200. However, the battery lasts up to 18 hours on a single AAA, and is available in ten colors (black, pink, red, orange, green, light blue, blue, purple, gray, and white). The Zen Nano Plus is identical to the Zen Nano, except that it has a FM Tuner with recording capabilities, and a voice recorder that accepts input from line in (not mic in) and from a small built-in mic.

Source: Creative official website

Zen Portable Media Center

(This model is no longer in production.)

Creative introduced the Portable Media Center in 2004. It is based on Microsoft's Portable Media Player specification and supports Windows Media Video, WMA and MP3, and can display JPEG images; other video formats are supported through converting the source file to WMV in provided software. This device was the first to exclusively support the Microsoft Media Transfer Protocol. It uses an internal 20GB Toshiba 1.8" hard drive and can currently be upgraded to 40 GB or 60 GB.

Zen Vision

The Zen Vision was introduced in 2005. The winner of several awards since its launch, including Best of Digital Life and CNET's Editor's Choice, the Zen Vision is not based on Microsoft's Portable Media Center specification but supports Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol. It supports audio (WMA-DRM, WMA, MP3, WAV), video (WMV, Motion JPEG, MPEG 1/2/4, DivX 4/5, XviD) and picture (JPEG) playback. The Zen Vision uses a 30 GB hard drive and can partition a part of its hard drive to work as a removable disk (up to 16GB) for any operating system. There are some features of the Zen Vision which require compatibility with certain operating systems, e.g require users to have access to Microsoft Windows XP (SP1 or higher).

The Zen Vision comes equipped with a microphone,a visual FM Radio, Calendar, and Organizer. The FM radio shows the frequency and signal strength when operated or recording. It is also possible to sync Microsoft Outlook's calendar and organizer functions to the player.

The Zen Vision has a hi-res transflective 262K 640 x 480 resolution LCD screen and also has a video output (PAL or NTSC) port. The high resolution and 3.7" screen size of the player put it in the league of the top-end portable media players. The flexibility of the player is shown by the inclusion of a CompactFlash slot which can be used to transfer the contents of storage cards to the player. However, only pictures and videos can be imported and viewed. An adapter for other memory card types is also available as an accessory. The Zen Vision also supports an optional Infrared remote.

Zen Vision:M

File:Creative zen vision m.JPG
Zen Vision:M

The Zen Vision:M was launched in December 2005 before Christmas. Like the larger Zen Vision, the Vision:M shares the same multimedia features in a smaller package. It supports audio playback (MP3, WMA, WAV), video playback (DivX, AVI, XviD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG4-SP, WMV-9, Motion JPEG), image display (JPEG), recordable FM radio and dictation through a built-in microphone. As of firmware release 1.41.01, the Zen Vision:M fully supports the playback of Audible Type 2 and 4 tracks. TV output is also supported at a resolution of 640x480 (VGA), although a separate cable must be purchased to utilize this functionality. The Zen Vision:M sports a 2.5" 320x240 (QVGA), 18 bit 262,144 color LCD display and has a battery life of up to 14 hours for music and up to 4 hours for videos. It can display album art and other pictures during playback. Although album art cannot be enlarged, the image-viewing function is enhanced with a zoom, pan and rotation feature. It's able to work as an external USB 2.0 hard drive with fixed sizes from 512 MB up to 16 GB. The Zen Vision:M is priced at U.S. $249.99 ($379.99 CDN), and is available in five colors: blue, green, pink, white and black.

Because of its popularity and design-functions, the Zen Vision:M has won a number of accolades from various media, including the coveted Consumer Electronic Show's Best of Show, Best in Category for 2006, and the prestigious Red Dot award for product design 2006.

On August 31, 2006, Creative announced that the Zen Vision:M would be made available in a 60 GB size. The 60 GB version also enable users to transfer photos from a digital camera directly to the player with the included USB host adapter cable. It will be available in black and white colors.

Zen V / Zen V Plus

File:Zen plus v.JPG
Zen V Plus

Creative's new Zen flash memory player, announced in late June 2006, features a 128x128 pixel OLED display and comes in black or white, with orange trim for the 1GB model and green for the 2GB. The 4GB model comes in only black with blue trim. The Zen V Plus has an FM tuner and video playback, but the standard Zen V does not. Both models support MP3, WMA, IMA, ADPCM, WMA and DRM formats, in addition to photos and album art in JPEG format. They also have built-in microphones for voice recording, in addition to line-in recording to WMA. The embedded rechargeable lithium-ion battery has a life span of up to 15 hours of audio playback. In a June press release, Creative said the Zen V would be available in July and the Zen V Plus in August of 2006. However, the Zen V Plus has been available since September 2006 in North America (notably in the Best Buy stores)

Zen Neeon 2

Creative's latest Zen flash memory player is much like the original Zen Neeon, with some new changes. Zen Neeon 2 features a 1.5" 128x128 pixel color LCD display and comes in 1, 2 and 4GB models. The brushed metal backplate for the 1 and 2GB models comes in either black, silver, blue, pink or orange. For the 4GB model the backplate comes in only black and silver. The Neeon 2 supports MP3, WMA and WAV audio formats, in addition to also having an FM tuner. It can also be used to view transcoded video and JPEG photos. It features a built-in microphone for voice recording, line-in recording to WMA and an embedded rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated for up to 20 hours of audio play back and up to 8 hours of video playback. An additional cosmetic feature of the Neeon 2 like the previous version is the option to customize the front with decal stickers called "Stik-Ons". However, the "Stik-Ons" for the new Zen Neeon 2 is different from the "Stik-Ons" used in the original Zen Neeon and they cannot be used interchangeably. This is due to the difference in screen size between the Zen Neeon and the Zen Neeon 2.

Zen Vision W

On August 31, 2006, Creative announced a new player, the Zen Vision W. The Zen Vision W is essentially an improved version of the Zen Vision, with a 4.3" WQVGA wide aspect 16:9 high-resolution TFT LCD screen. The player comes in 30 GB and 60 GB storage, and is equipped with a microphone, FM radio, calendar and organizer. The FM radio shows the frequency and signal strength when operated or recording. It is also possible to sync Microsoft Outlook's calendar and organizer functions to the player. It supports audio formats MP3, WMA and WAV. It plays back video formats WMV9, AVI, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4-SP, MJPEG, DivX 4.x/ 5.x and XviD-SP. It also includes a compact flash memory card reader, which can copy photos onto the device and an adaptor to fit most other memory cards that are available.

Marketing campaign

In November 2004, Creative Labs announced a $100 million marketing campaign to promote their digital audio products, including the Zen range of MP3 players. In particular, the company is heavily publicizing the newer Zen Touch and Zen Micro. These two products have been featured in an increasing number of television commercials, print ads, and urban billboards.

Many celebrities were seen with the Zen Micro, including Paris Hilton, pop group Maroon 5 and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

Creative was awarded a U.S. patent on a music management system consisting of several pages (commonly seen on audio players, including the popular Apple iPod). Along with the launch of the Zen Vision:M, Creative announced that it will "aggressively pursue" respect of its intellectual property, addressing "all manufacturers that use the same navigation system." So far, Creative has only addressed Apple's infringement of its "Zen Patent". Creative announced on May 15, 2006 that it has filed two lawsuits against Apple. Apple has since filed 3 lawsuits against Creative. [citation needed]

Beside Creative Labs' packaged Creative Playcenter and Nomad Explorer software, there are other transfer and track/file management programs:

  • Proprietary software:
    • Notmad Explorer by Red Chair Software (homepage) is a transfer program for Microsoft Windows. This program includes a file streamer and can convert an MP3 player into a file server that users can access over the Internet. Red Chair offers Notmad Explorer in several versions for specific Nomad-family players at several prices; the universally compatible version costs $35.
    • MediaMonkey (homepage) is a free jukebox/organizer that synchs with Creative Zen devices. The Gold version also adds on-the-fly format conversion (e.g. FLAC to mp3).

See also

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