Sony 8 GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I won't even compare it with any other mp3 player as this is a class on its own.
I just got it 4 hrs ago from sonystyle shop and am playing with this for a couple of hrs now.
I've had tons of mp3 players in past. Actually i have 3 ipods at this time (shuffle(1GB), nano(8GB) and ipod (20GB) and except shuffle other 2 are going to go to for sale today. Personally i can say with 100% confidence that ipods sound quality is at the rock bottom. Shuffle 1st gen is good though.
Ok now about this player, sound quality is beyond comparison (you need to hear it to believe). player itself is smaller in size than 2 gen ipod nano and is all brushed metal body so no chance of scratching. screen is absolutely gorgeous and vibrant with more than 260k colors.
player is extemely responsive and there is no lag in anything.
Drag and drop is the best you can ask for. it plays mp3 and wma files with no issues.
Connection port is also covered with inbuilt cover that automatically engages once usb cable is disconnected.
supplied earphones is of extremely high quality (though not as good as my shure e2c).
Overall i am absolutely convinced that Sony is the only company that knows how to reproduce excellent sound quality.
Also this player doesn't seems to need any kind of enclosure as it is really durable.
I'll update once is use this over the weekend.
Okey here is the update!!!
I've been using this player for a week now and i'm extemely satisfied with the performance, sound is the best i've ever heard from a mp3 player and there are lots of useful sound settings...
i've transfered a lot of video songs to the player by converting them to AVC format using nero 7 and it playes with absolutely stunning details and as i said earlier "no lag" the player is very responsive (i think sony used some very fast processor in there).
earphones that sony bundled with player is extemely good and very very comfortable.
I converted some movies to play on this player using nero 7 into AVC format and a single 2 hr movie is about 500 mb (at highest settings) which is great as i can have about 4 movies in addition to about 6 gigs of music on the player.
I have uploaded some pictures that i took comparing this player with various ipod models which might be useful for potential buyers.

Important Update:

Based on several other reviewers comments and a couple of emails i have received it seems that several users are having trouble playing and/or transferring videos onto the player. So for the benefit of everyone i'd try to explain the process.
For playing videos there are 3 important aspects
1. This player can only play videos in MP4 format (sony's "memory stick" video format) which has 2 varieties MPEG4 and AVC. Max bitrate for MPEG4 supported is 2.5 MBPS and for AVC 750 KBPS.
2. The player can only play video with maximum video size of 320x240, anything larger than this size will not be played.
3. Videos needs to be copied in video folder on player.
I find Nero Recode 2 (included with NERO 7 Ultra) to be an ideal SW for converting videos into MP4 format as it gives options for manipulating video size and audio range and also extracting parts of videos.
I use the following settings for video conversion
AVC format (portable) with 320x240 video size and 500 KBPS bitrate and i use very high audio settings (to keep audio low on player).
I hope this information helps users. Feel free to seek more help.

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Product Description:
Rock with your favorite music, watch crystal clear full-motion video and enjoy your photos on a beautiful color-rich screen with the NWZ-A818BLK Walkman Video MP3 player. The slim-line player lets you see it all on its high-resolution 2" QVGA LCD screen. Small enough to slip into a bag or pocket, the 8GB NWZ-S818BLK Walkman Video MP3 player can store up to 5,050 songs, 30 hours of video or hundreds of photographs, giving you the delight of multimedia entertainment anytime, anyplace. Also available in silver.8GB Built-in Memory
Store up to 5,050 Songs or up to 30H 40M of video on your Walkman video MP3 Player and never be without your entertainment again.
High Quality Video Playback
Playback your favorite videos right on the player using MPEG 4 and M4V profile at 30 frames per second.
Battery Life
With up to 33 hours of audio playback and up to 8 hours of video playback you don't have to worry about charging your player.
2.0" QVGA LCD Screen
Easily view your movies, photos and music information on the high quality, 320x240 display.
Compatible with Secure Windows Media Audio
Giving you more options than ever for downloading and listening to music.
MP3/WMA/AAC Audio Codec Support
Supports playback of MP3 and WMA DRM and non-DRM audio files downloaded from multiple sources. Also supports non-DRM AAC content, giving you multiple options for downloading music the way you want.
4 Clear Audio Technologies
Digital Sound Enhancement Engine(DSEE), Clear Bass, Clear Stereo and EX Series Headphones give an enhanced listening experience. Clear Bass enahnces the bass sound, minimizing distortion while Clear Stereo reduces the leaking from one channel to another. DSEE restores the higher sound frequency lost when creating compressed music files, thus reproducing a sound quality closer to the original CD quality.
Time Machine Shuffle
Shuffle play among songs from a randomly selected year. (Information will come from CD information that is downloaded from the Gracenote CDDB)
Music Search
Search for music on your Walkman video player by All Songs, Album, Artist, Genre, Release Year, Folder and Playlists.
Initial Search
Use the first letter of the song, album or artist to easily find the music you are looking for.
Bi-Directional LCD Display
Watch your videos and view your photographs either vertically or horizontally by adjusting the screen to the orientation you prefer.
What's in the Box
NWZ-A818BLK Walkman Video MP3 player, USB Cable (22 pin to USB), MDR-EX082 Headphones and extension cord, CD-ROM with Windows Media Player 11 and MP3 Conversion Tools, Quick Start Guide, Adaptor Plate (for optional 22 pin cradle).