SanDisk Sansa View Review
The Sansa View is SanDisk’s flagship flash MP3 player with the ability to playback video on its 240x320 64k color screen. What makes the Sansa View interesting is its high capacity flash memory along with memory expansion putting it in close rivalry to hard drive based players. The other thing going for the View is the “bang for the buck” factor. It may not be a high end player, but it is one of the best values on the market.
Throughout the review I many times compare the View to the e200 because it is basically an updated and improved e200- in all the good ways but some of the bad ways as well. If you are looking to upgrade your e200 or are looking for an inexpensive player with a lot of features, read on to see if the Sansa View is for you.
- Quick Look
- Size: 108.9 x 49.5 x 8.8 mm Weight: 82.2 g
- Screen: 240x320 64K color
- Audio Support: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Audible
- Video Support: MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, WMV, H.264
- Rated Battery: 35 hours audio / 7 hours video
- Photo Support: JPG
- Transfer Protocol: MTP/MSC OS selectable
- Capacities: 8/16/32GB
- Complete Specs
Accessories
The Sansa View comes with the basics to get you started: the player, USB cable, and the software. There are many aftermarket accessories like cases, docks, and speakers. Also a quick mention that at the time of this review there is no official video out cable, so you will have to make your own or wait till SanDisk releases them.
Design
The face of the player is made of a scratch resistant hard glossy plastic. It will scratch if you try, but it does hold up well with typical use. The back of the player is a rubberized metal, it has a velvet feel much like what is found on the Palm Treo. It will keep scratches at bay and at the same time keep it from sliding around on smooth surfaces. Overall the design feels solid and rugged. However, it does not quite feel like a higher end gadget and does still has the toy feel common to the Sansa family, but it is the best built Sansa to date.
Screen
The View’s 2.4” 240x320 pixel, 64k color screen is a bit bigger than the e200’s 1.8” 176x220 pixel 64k color screen, but it is almost identical in quality. In the e200 review I stated this screen type to be above par. However that was a year or so ago, and newer generation screens have been much improved hence making the View’s screen subpar to current competitors. The screen still looks great, it’s nice and bright and the colors are pretty accurate, but there is an odd texture or glow to the screen when compared to others of similar size and resolution. If you are happy with the e200’s screen you will be happy with the View’s since it is similar- just bigger and with a higher resolution.
User Interface / Controls
The physical controls are familiar to the e200’s, but are improved with regards to the build quality. Additionally the rubberized wheel just works better than the plastic wheel on the e200. There are subtle “clicks” (it’s not a click but that is the best way to describe it) in the View’s wheel that corresponds to a single item move in the interface. The wheel has 10 of the bumps per revolution, so when scrolling though a list you will get through a single page with one revolution. This works out well for short and fairly long lists, but it is a problem for very long lists such as the song list- it will take quite a bit of time to traverse that list with the wheel.
User Interface
The View has progressed nicely and improved in terms of features and design, but I am disappointed in the lack of user interface improvements. The e200 interface was good, but nothing great. What gets worse is the View has many more features than the e200 and they have been haphazardly thrown into the UI, cluttering the menus and options. So in some ways it has almost been a step back from the e200.
There is much on the View that can be improved with respect to the UI (I will be jumping into that in a multi part article on improving the Views’ interface), but the major gripe about the interface is the home screen. It is visually confusing in that there is not point of reference; it is one free flowing circular interface with very little contrast between the menu options. The interface would benefit by having a static iconic list where the only part the screen changes is the highlighted menu selection.
Overall the View’s user interface is not terrible, most anyone can pick up and use it and that says a lot. On the other hand, there is so much room for improvement.
Transferring Media
The View is an MTP/MSC OS selectable device. This means that it will mainly cater to Windows XP and Vista in MTP mode, but will default to MSC in other OSes (Though only XP and Vista are officially supported). Drag and drop is possible with fully updated XP systems and Vista. XP systems may have some issues with drag and drop since MTP was added later with updates, but Vista drag and drop works like any MSC based device; plug and play- no drivers needed.
There is still a huge community outcry for the View to have a user selectable MTP / MSC option. SanDisk did a perfect job with this option in the Clip, giving users the ability to set it as MTP, MSC, and Automatic- it would be great to see that on the View. There currently is an undocumented way to get the View to go to MSC but it’s a hack and a pain to use. (see View Forum)
Battery
I along with many users have found vastly varying battery times anywhere from 5 to 30 hours for audio. This variation seems to stem from the use and brightness setting of the back light. To maximize your battery you can dim the screen and set the back light time out to 10 seconds. It’s very odd since other players do not have a discrepancy this large with relation to screen brightness. On the video side I consistently achieved between 3 and 4 hours of battery life.
Firmware
The initial release of the View had some issues with the firmware that caused a few crashes and lockups. The latest firmware has addressed many of the issues making it a much more stable player. Expect many firmware updates that will fix bugs and add new features. For instance, at the time of writing the video out features were too buggy to announce as a feature and gapless playback has yet to be implemented as promised in early literature.
This is a common practice is the industry- Samsung is another example of constant firmware improvements adding features as they go. However, the difference lies in the stability; SanDisk releases unstable firmware, so ownership can be rocky. It is the same thing that happened to the e200; I thought they would have learned their lesson the first time.
I guess the silver lining is that the firmware update process is seamless with the Sansa Updater program. When a new firmware is available it’s automatically installed and updated when you plug your View into the computer. Additionally, I see SanDisk as one of the more responsive companies to community requests- so expect a bumpy ride, but expect the player to be constantly fixed and improved.
As I finished this review for the third time, the firmware got an update once again- literally the same night. It has addressed bugs and stability, but I am not rewriting again. The ability to create stable firmware is SanDisk’s biggest weakness. It is a frustration to early adopters, the last demographic you want to upset.
Features
Radio
The radio reception on the View is very good and the autopreset pick only the clear stations. You are able to manually add and remove presets as well. You are also able to record in WAV format. Files are high bitrate WAV and sound nearly identical to the initial recording, but there is a trade off since these files will be rather large in file size. If you are near capacity you will not be able to record much. Overall, recording is straightforward and there are no advanced features like scheduling, but you can set the duration of how long you want to record in five minute intervals.
Voice Recording
The voice recorder is standard, much of what you would find on any other player. Files are recorded in WAV format, a lower quality than FM, so there is plenty of room for voice notes or lectures. It does have the same problems as other players in that it will pick up mechanical noises of button presses or microphonics of anything rubbing against the player.
microSD Slot
The right side of the player is graced with a microSD slot capable of up to 32GB of additional memory (At the time of writing this review, only 12GB microSD cards are currently available, but 32GB is not too far off). Basically, the View can be a very compact 64GB flash based MP3 player which is very cool. The memory card does fully integrate with the main memory acting like a single library.
Photos
The photo viewing is not too different than what you would see on other players with typical thumbnail viewing and slideshow. While you will see many similarities to other players the View’s photo feature set adds a few more features than standard.
Photos can be viewed either by thumbnail or what I particularly like is the list version since you can set it to show (if the thumbnail setting is on) the thumbnail above in the top half of the screen. There is also an album view mode which will show a list of folders calling them albums. Album view will not however show a folder within a folder- each folder gets shown as one single list no matter what the depth is. The odd thing about Album view is that it will only allow you to browse by list and not thumbnail. Really album view should not exist and folders should be shown in list and thumbnail view.
The photo feature also has a “go list” that will allow you to create a single playlist of photos. This is nice for a full on slide show with music output to a TV.
Video
The View supports MPEG4, WMV, and H.264 in resolutions of 320x240 at 30FPS. I found that the View is picky in what it will play. While the Sansa Media Converter does a decent job of converting and getting the proper format onto the player- drag and drop of seemingly correct files was not consistent. Some 320x240 h.264 popular podcasts played, others didn’t.
If you are looking to rip and convert your own videos there are many other tools and programs out there aside from the included Sansa Media Converter. Most programs for the PSP and iPod will work for the Sansa View.
Video Out
At the time of writing this the video out feature has not been officially supported nor have any accessories been made to facilitate video out. I did hack together my own cable to test the video out and I was very impressed with the quality. It was a smooth 30 frames per second and could have been mistaken for 640x480 resolutions. When these accessories become available or you hack together your own cable, you will have a very capable portable video player.
Audio
Audio Books
The View allows for Audible Audiobooks. These are DRMed .aa files that you must purchase from Audible’s website. There is a section on the music list for audiobooks but this will only display Audible content, so if you rip you own books you are out of luck and will not be able to file them in the “Audiobook” section on the View. Also the downside is you cannot bookmark them either. They will however resume to the spot you left off when you turn your player back on.
Podcasts
The podcasting section on the View may be a half baked feature since the only real thing the podcast section serves as is a genre filter for the main menu. They also do not include or have anything to do with video which is completely off base since the majority of downloaded podcasts are video. In order to user the podcasting section you just need to have the genre tagged “podcast”. There may be more features coming to this, but right now there is nothing to see here.
Playlists
Multiple playlists can be managed and created by most media players. You do have the option to create a “go list” which is a single on the go playlist, but the View lacks the ability to create and name multiple playlists. This is a much needed feature.
Sound Quality
The sound quality is good but not outstanding like the Sansa Clip, it is however a big improvement over the e200 series. The low end its nice and filled out much more so than the e200, but the highs are a bit lacking in that they are not as open as they should be. The bottom line is that the View can run with many of the above average players in terms of sound quality, helping to shake the Sansa’s bad reputation for sound quality.
Conclusion
The entire SanDisk Sansa line of MP3 players is undoubtedly the leader in the best “bang for your buck category” and this is no different for the View considering its many features and large capacities. Over time you will see the View getting big discounts like seen with the e200; making this player even more attractive. There are a few trade-offs in firmware stability, screen, and build quality, so it may not be a winner for the more demanding consumer. The bottom line is that the View is an excellent update to the Sansa e200 series and a great value for your money.
Comparisons
- Sansa View vs Sansa e200
- Sansa View vs Creative Zen
- Sansa View vs Zune 4 / 8
- Sansa View vs iPod Nano
- Sansa View vs Insignia Pilot
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Expandable microSD Slot
- Good radio
- Great looking video out
Cons
- Buggy Firmware
- Mediocre Screen
- Unorganized UI
- OK Build Quality
Purchase
The Sansa View can be found most retail stores that sell MP3 players, but if you would like to get the best price and avoid sales tax, check out Amazon. Currently it’s selling for well under MSRP.
Comments
Alex M on January 30, 2008 6:55 PM
Wow it's like about half as thick as my D2. Too bad mine makes up with the battery life, codec support, etc.
Another thing that surprised me is just how long this is compared to the YP-P2.
thither on January 30, 2008 7:59 PM
Great review, thanks. I totally agree about Sansa's awful record with firmware stability; I'm about ready to smash my Express into little tiny pieces, and my old e140 never managed to work all that well either. Between my own experiences with the two of them, I'm personally not going to buy another Sansa product unless it runs Rockbox.
JQuitly on January 30, 2008 9:49 PM
Does the MicroSD integrate into the main library, or is it separate like the Zen?
aaa on January 30, 2008 10:32 PM
Hey, you don't need to make your own video out cable, check out eBay they got plenty going for cheap
Leviathsin on January 30, 2008 11:00 PM
Why no mention of the true capabilites of the View's resolution of 640x480?
There was also no mention of the Nvidia Goforce 6100 which helps power the View or the fact that the View does both NTSC and PAL, two formats which can do resolutions greater than 320x240.
For some reason these features never get mentioned in reviews. Which is unfortunate because it down plays the quality of the View.
Anyway job well done, great review, very detailed. I wish more people wrote review like this.
EnzoTen (Grahm) on January 30, 2008 11:42 PM
@JQuilty - yes it fully integrates into the library. Just like all of their players. Thanks for mentioning, i failed to mention that important detail.
@Leviathsin - I have yet to get 640x480 video to work. But i also didnt play up the video out too much since its not supported, still sketchy, and still not mentioned by SanDisk.
thanks for the props =)
DeeW on January 30, 2008 11:58 PM
Honestly, I think this thing is junk, I bought the 16 gb version and the screen went black the second day. It started working again a few hours later then I had syncing issues with rhapsody and required me to resync it to play the songs. This was at work and you have no idea how annoying that is!!! Finally the thing doesn't feel durable when you grip it and feels like it will break if you hold it firmly.
I like to think when something doesn't work right when I buy it is an honest defect, but it's clear that the sansa view is size over quality. I massively downgraded in size for the p2 4gb and it is so much better built! Awesome interface, well built and much better than the view. I had problems with the express too and I even own the 2 gb clip which works great, but takes FOREVER to sync with rhapsody. I've lost respect for sandisk and despise how they purposely make cheap low quality mp3 players....
JSV on January 31, 2008 1:42 AM
My 16Gb View is unstable only when viewing large video files. It often locks up if the file is past 30 minutes. I therefore split all my video files in 20 minutes segments and, no more problems.
I never had a freeze or stability issues when listening music.
My view is much more stable than my previous Sansa e270.
There is one thing you got wrong in your review and in the comparison specs: On-the go delete is available in the view, for all three types of files: audio, pictures and video. The delete function can be accessed by pressing the sub-menu button WHILE the video/song/photo is being played/viewed.
on on January 31, 2008 7:49 AM
So does it play the same movies the iPods can?
Is the firmware really that bad?
Does it have search by ID3 tags like Rockbox (and the iPod)?
DaHarder on January 31, 2008 1:00 PM
I bought my Sansa View/16gb the day it came out, and it's been a sheer pleasure to use.
All of my H.264 videos play perfectly, and the MicroSDHC card implementation is spot on.
The sound quality (through my Shure SE530) is much better than my E280, and it plays all of my music files without a hitch, including displaying the correct album art.
Comparing this to my Creative Zen 16gb, I'd take this in a heartbeat, I just hope that more options for GUI customization are soon made available.
panasonikku_ho on January 31, 2008 6:15 PM
DaHarder: could you give some first hand comparison on the +'s and -'s that may stand out from a first-person user perspective between the zen and the view?
As informative it is to read different reviews on each separately, it would be nice to know if there're other opinions on how they stack up (besides the obvious difference in prices, SD integration, UI, codec supports, sizes etc).
For example, how are the sound qualities when each is paired up with your Shure? Durability? etc.
Grahm: Would a shootout between players of each class be possible from ABI's point of view? Since you guys would have the most resource and experience with each.
Besides that, great review. :)
EnzoTen (Grahm) on January 31, 2008 7:22 PM
I was thinking about doing some head to head articles as a tie in with abi>>compare. I will put Zen vs View first on the list.
here is the link to the comparison if you missed it at the top: Zen vs View
DaHarder on January 31, 2008 10:02 PM
panasonikku,
Understand that these are ONLY my opinions, as an owner of both players...
Pluses:
Zen: Very Nice Video/LCD, Nice Customizable/Intuitive GUI, Decent Sound Quality.
Sansa View: Good microSDHC Integration, Good GUI, Intuitive (Backlit) Controls, Good Sound Quality, Excellent Output Volume, Durable Finish/Construction w/metal Back, Plays Many Files w/o Conversion, Integrated Dock-Port for Future Options.
Minuses:
Zen: Poor SDHC Integration, Poor Output Volume, Convoluted (Non-Backlit)Controls, Questionable Construction ('Something' Rattling Inside), Finicky File Acceptance, No Dock-Port Which Limits Future Options i.e. Video Out etc., All Plastic Construction.
Sansa View: Construction Issues On Some Early Models.
I just listened to both players, back to back, exact same files, using exact same Shure SE530, and the Sansa View Wins Hands Down!
Chris Clarke on January 31, 2008 10:50 PM
I picked up the player during a boxing week sale at FS. It's a great player once you update the firmware - I was very upset for the hours prior to updating!
I'll be honest, my previous player was a monstrous RCA Lyra 20gig, so anything would have been a major upgrade. That said, I was very picky about players, and I found this one to be far and away the best bang for my buck.
It does a lot of things well, but none great. In a perfect world it would have a bigger screen, be lighter, better on-screen interface, less variability in battery life, and stability when it comes to playing videos. I say all that because it falls short of some people's expectations, but for the price, you can't ask for much more. This player has to last me at least two years, and I'm happy with it so far and expect nothing short of that.
chris120783 on February 1, 2008 1:03 AM
Anyone else think it's ridiculous that this player came out about the same time as the Clip and is many times larger yet still doesn't have sound quality that's on par with it? Lil ass-backwards I think. :)
Jethro on February 1, 2008 12:00 PM
Another great review EnzoTen :o)
In the comparison photo, the view has the smallest screen and the second largest form factor.
For a PVP they really need to take notes from D2, P2, and ZEN.
Whatever happened to their original concept(abi 6-4-07)?
panasonikku_ho on February 1, 2008 5:05 PM
Thank DaHarder, I especially appreciate the first-hand back-to-back listening test, which would contradict for example on cnet's praises for zen's SQ while critizing the view's.
Grahm: I definitely will be looking forward to your head-to-head articles for this class, as well as any others you may provide. :)
Its inputs like this that helps me make smart and informative purchases (got 2 clips, 1 for workout, 1 for limited parental use, and have been perfect thus far), thanks guys.
EnzoTen (Grahm) on February 1, 2008 11:18 PM
The original View got axed because they felt it was the wrong product to release based on the market and what consumers were looking for.
Randall on February 4, 2008 2:12 PM
OS X and Linux users beware! The View's USB Mass Storage support does not work in either of these operating systems!
According to their tech support, Sandisk is not interested in fixing this problem since they only support using this player with Windows.
Angel on February 6, 2008 8:10 AM
Wonderful Review; ALWAYS Check here before making hardware choices. You and others have hit it on the head, Sansa provides the BEST bang for the buck. Unfortunately, it is quite clear that they are willing to accept whatever business comes their way, and it is clear that they are UNWILLING to appoint an AUDIO Geek to manage the DAP division. It almost seems as if products are designed (or purchased/OEM'd) by different folk as there is NO consistency in product concept, design, quality, etc. PITY.
What is necessary is a union of Sansa & Creative to AT LEAST use the same docking pin configuration so that accessories would be usable on both. If other like Cowan, Archos, etc. are willing to join the covenant - better. Most of the smaller companies are being hammered by Apple; the M$ gorilla has awaken with the latest Zunes. If the other guys don't get smart, their share of the market will become zero. Look at SONY, once a leader - now it's, Huh? Oh? Sony makes MP3 players???
Anywayz - kepus Up-pus the goodes workus!
chris120783 on February 7, 2008 12:49 AM
I'm still waiting for Sandisk to team up with a hard drive manufacturer to take on Apple's Ipod Classic.
Just imagine, Seagate Sansa!
Bradavon on February 10, 2008 6:37 PM
Thanks for the review.
I think you're being rather harsh to be honest.
I think you should've mentioned video actually works up to 640x480 despite the fact you personally haven't got it working.
I only have an iAudio X5 30Gb and iRiver H10 6Gb to compare it against but I think it's a fantastic Mini MP3 Player. The fact I can get 16GB (before memory card) in such a small form factor is fantastic for me.
I've not come across any of the glitches or stability problems other users have (I've not tested video yet, being a bonus for me). I think it's a fantastic MP3 Player with a fantastic quality screen to boot, much better than the e200 series (a friend has one). Add that to the fact it looks really nice too.
The price is also staggeringly good value for money. For that alone you shouldn't expect the earth, not that I have any major quibbles.
I do agree that the menu is a little haphazard. I wish they'd put Radio for instance on the Main Menu.
I'm very pleased with my purchase.
p.s - You should've mentioned you can buy Sansa View AV cables from eBay.com, eBay.co.uk or even dreamtimeshop.com (if you live in Europe).
I bought one from Dreamtimeshop.com and it's as good as any official cable.
Bradavon on February 10, 2008 6:40 PM
Oops double post. I was getting errors posting.
Audio quality is so subjective. I always take it with a pinch of salt.
I never believe it when people say one MP3 Player has better audio quality to another. As people's ears differ so much. I prefer to hear it for myself.
The Sansa View (like iAudio X5 and iRiver H10) sounds excellent to my ears.
Bradavon on February 10, 2008 6:42 PM
"OS X and Linux users beware! The View's USB Mass Storage support does not work in either of these operating systems!"
There are lots of people in the Forums using it on Linux just fine.
I personally use my View in MSC mode on Vista as I found it buggy using Drag/Drop in MTP Mode. In MSC mode it works perfectly, if a little annoying to get it into MSC mode.
eyezack87 on February 11, 2008 2:41 AM
You forgot to mention how easily dust settles under the screen as well. I emailed SanDisk if they could sent out plugs to go into the microSD slot and so far nothing. They seem to know whats going on since I exchanged 4 models due to dust and the separation of the seams. Unfortunately, the 5th time with dust in the screen made me throw in the towel for a product I recommended over the iPod Nano. I eventually went to the iPod Touch 16gb soon to be 32gb. Technology is my main viewpoint now. SanDisk is a great brand, just not really the View...
Gumby Tech on March 3, 2008 3:59 PM
No, sorry, this unit is terrible. I am now about to return by second view. I got it largerly because it would host Rhapsody channels. Even after updating firmware on both it was unstable in handling tracks, ratings, downloads and nearly every other function. It was also very buggy in handling the Rhapsody channels. My 2nd unit goes back to the store and thats it for me.
At a reasonable hourly wage, this unit cost me more in troubleshooting time than it actually cost.
dave Daring on March 20, 2008 1:33 PM
Help. The wheel won't turn easily. It as if it's got grit in it. How the &^*% do you clean it?