Creative Zen X-Fi

Video
One vexing problem with the X-Fi is that it didn’t come with any conversion software, so I had to download it. For some reason it seemed as if most files I introduced into the player needed conversion. I’m sorry to report that conversion continues to be a tedious process, and the process is a pain in the rear. Small files could be added easily and converted quickly, but movies were a different story. Most of the time the player hung when I tried to add a file.

I figured there could be some issue with the .EXE file I downloaded, so I uninstalled the software, downloaded the setup once again, and reinstalled it. No change. I did this on two PCs and faced a similar problem (of the software shutting down when it came to heavy files). I doubt this would be the case with everyone... at least I hope not. The player allows you to fit videos full-screen in case you don’t like black bands, so long as you don't mind elongated faces and scenery!

The Zen X-Fi reportedly supports MJPEG, WMV9, MPED4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD formats, but you can’t copy-paste files into the drive. The converter is necessary. That makes it even odder; I wonder why it wasn’t included in the packaging.

Let me add this though: considering the resolution of the display, once you work a way around the converter and the painstaking file transfer process, you can sit back and enjoy the videos. Just remember: the more wide-screen the video, the smaller it’ll appear on the X-Fi’s display. So choose your files carefully.

Battery
The battery life falls short quite drastically except when it comes to video. I squeezed two full-length videos out of the X-Fi and a little music as well (but only a little). That’s not too bad. Unfortunately when it comes to audio I was expecting over 20 hours of nonstop usage, but got only 16.5 hours. That’s in no way good; the company claims 36 hours. If you’re a stickler for power, like me, this doesn’t cut it at all. Not by a long shot.

The Bottomline
The price of Rs 13,550 (without Wi-Fi) for 8GB of space is not too happening, even though the X-Fi engine may be a boon for the Zen's audio capabilities. Although this upgraded version offers slightly better sound quality, it's unchanged on all other fronts. A price drop will make it a deal... if you’re willing to put up with the painful video conversion and transfer process. Otherwise the player's fine, and the in-ear earphones provided are really good. It's the price I'm unhappy about; I expected better from Creative.