Creative 'Zen Vision W' for Widescreen

Creative has just announced a new portable media player they're calling Zen Vision W, as a replacement for the older Creative Zen. What's special about this new one is the rather large 4.3 inch screen with a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. It's perfect for widescreen movie viewing. The color widescreen TFT display will have nice clarity, at 480x272 pixel resolution.

The Zen Vision W will play back more digital media formats than you can shake a flash memory card at, although they're still all the same as their predecessor, Creative's regular old Zen Vision. It's pitched as a portable photo, video and music player. The new W will play back audio in the form of MP3s and WMA with PlaysForSure compatibility, allowing you to use popular online music services like Napster or Yahoo Music.

You can carry massive photo galleries on either the 30GB or 60GB flavors of the media player. It'll even port your photos through the AV outputs at a resolution of 720x576 or 720x480 on either PAL or NTSC respectively. You can input new media through its CompactFlash port that support both CF types I and II. You can even use an optional adaptor to make the slot compatible with other popular solid state storage formats like SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Secure Digital.

One of the W's coolest features is the video it supports. Sure it can do Mpeg4 and Mpeg1 and 2 in its sleep. But it also plays back MJPEG, DivX and XviD. While playing back audio and video, the removable battery is rated to last a good 4.5 hours, which is plenty of time to get in your favorite installment from the director's cut of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Creative is promising that the W will be out by the end of September '06, for a price of US $412 for the 30 GB version and US $475 for the 60GB. The word on the street is that the coming of the new Zen W has knocked the price of the older 60GB Zen M down to $380.

5 comments
Posted by FelixTHEcat on September 7,2006 at 9:49 PM
Interesting enough. The AV output is great and to be able to add to the storage or load up files through external memory (CF and such) is a great feature.  Like snagging images and music off a buddies Ericsson P990.  Speaking of ... Wayde.  Write up a piece on that phone.
Posted by nhogan on September 1,2006 at 3:08 PM
Next indulgence for self: Zen Vision W. I love convenient things like that. Stick it in your pocket, pull'er out if you want to watch a bit of tele.
Posted by Alissa on September 1,2006 at 3:01 PM
Wow, i'm usually not into this sort of thing, but i could definitely see myself with one of these.  Especially on the long bus trips home, it would be awesome to watch something besides 'Around the World in 80 Days' and 'Bambi'.  It's really stylish, and sounds like it does a lot (even though it might take some getting used to to get the most out of all its capacities). It's going on my wish list.

Plus I love that panda.
Posted by Dynasty on September 1,2006 at 2:32 PM
What ever happened to MPEG3?

Looks interesting, might consider asking for one for Christmas.
Posted by graham on September 1,2006 at 1:10 PM
I think the AV out is the thing that's attracts me. I've been considering a portable DVD for the car (kids) and would like to see this playing a divx'ed kids' movie to a small flat panel. I'm not sure what do about audio without making a nest of wires though. perhaps headphones, perhaps an FM transmitter...

Anyone else done anything like that?