SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

I bought my Sansa View to use with [...]. It is extremely easy to use and to read. I am visually impaired so the screan size was a main factor in my purchase. I can also transfer pictures and videos onto it as well. A great buy.

After about 8 months of use of the 8gb Sansa View, I decided I should write a review of my experiences. I did quite a bit of research and choose the View over the Creative Zen. My requirements in the video mp3 were to be a minimum of 8gb, cost effective, and radio (which ruled out any ipod). The expansion slot was also a much needed bonus, which was crippled on the Zen (i.e. files on the expansion card were much more limited).

PROS:
Good screen quality that is large enough in my opinion to watch videos.
Micro SD/HC expansion slot is fully integrated with files on main memory.
Being able to drag and drop files onto player
Multiple video formats supported.
Menu and buttons are easy to use
Sound quality is good
FM Radio can automatically search and save local stations.
Good battery life and quick charging (~2 hours)
Good size in my opinion, not too big, not super small.

CONS:
Limited personalization of menu
Playlist can only be 500 files
Can be more tedious than nessary to sort through long music/ artists lists
Initally limited accessories (cases, cables, etc), but getting better.

NEUTRAL:
Included media converter works, but was fairly limited in it's options. I found a free program that can covert to multiple formats and convert youtube videos (.flv).

All in all, I have been very pleased with the purchase and would purchase again. Although there are a few cons, there are pretty minor to me and I didn't find another player that met my requirements as well as the Sansa view did. I have been using a 4gb micro sdhc card and it works flawlessly to have all of my files together. Using an expansion card does seem to decrease battery life, but haven't done a formal comparison test to know how much. Would recommend to anyone looking for a good video/mp3 player that won't break the bank.

I'm frustrated by things that never get fixed on this product. I use the Sansa View to listen to 1-hour mp3 recordings from a class I'm taking. If I pause the recording in the middle and resume later in the day (after the Sansa has powered down), the recording NEVER starts where I left it!!!!! The most frustrating thing is that I've reported this problem to SanDisk over 6 months ago and it is never addressed, even though my problem was acknowledged by their tech support.

To further complicated things, the fast forward does not accelerate, so when I need to get back to the 30th minute of the recording, I have to hold down the fast-forward button for about five minutes. I also reported this problem over 6 months ago with the same result -- acknowledged by tech support but never addressed.

With the amount of firmware updates they've made, this is clearly a product being beta tested on the customers.

I'm on my third Sansa View right now... The main problem that happened to the replaced two was probably heat. When left in the car (even under the cover of glove compartment), it appears that the Sansa View gets too hot and the rotation wheel expands to a degree that it detaches from the sensors inside. The same scenario happened to both of my previous Sansa Views. They were left in the car's glove compartment one day when it was a bit too hot and the rotation wheel stopped working (which renders the unit unusable). I've had other MP3 players before and had even left them on my car seat and they never had this problem.

The first issue can be counted as my fault for leaving it in the heat. But another issue with this unit is driving me crazy. I listen to audio books alot. Some of these MP3 files are 1 hour long files. Typically, Sansa View remembers the playing position and resumes the book where I last paused it or turned it off. But sometimes, it resumes the position on the wrong file (like a previous file/chapter), in which case I had to fast forward it to my "bookmark". And Sansa View does NOT have a "fast" fast-forwarding feature. I literally had to hold down the fast-forward button for several minutes. That was very annoying. Playing music is fine, but for audio books I'd try something else next time.

On the side note, I do like SanDisk's return policies and their speed in processing my two replacements. That was good.

First off: the only thing wrong is battery life. It runs out quickly (four hours) when set on high level with the volume turned up. The cheap cure: I bought an A/C power supply and a car charger for next to nothing. That said, here are the positives, and they are strong positives. Size is perfect for my large hands. The wheel works perfectly, the screen is bright and incredibly detailed. Audio quality is excellent. The unit has a custom EQ which is easy to reset. I especially like the fast on and return to last played feature. Memory--8 gig is a whole lotta music! Really it is. Set up and download using WMA files is wickedly fast. Of course there is also the FM tuner, which grabs stations from Miami easily (I live in northern Broward County). This unit, when attached to my home system, is easily CD quality. I use this mostly in my car and office, and though not a headphone freak it sounds excellent with the supplied ear buds. Also sounds good played through my Altec Lansing im600 dock. Sansa deserves a lot of praise for this unit. It seems well-built, feels solid in the hand. I had some work finding the right holder for it--I bought a Body Glove cell phone carrier with an elastic strap that puts the earphone jack on the side of the strap--very convenient. While I have only had it for a month and I'm still finding out new things about it, so far it's all been good.