First impressions

[rdow]

I found the new 4GB Sport at Best Buy today and decided to get it. I've been wanting a bluetooth mp3 model and I missed out on the previous model.

It's still charging so I can't comment on functionality yet, but it did turn out smaller than I had imagined. Width and height put it pretty much between the old model video and audio players and it's about the same thickness as the oldnaudio player.

The store only had two of the 4GB Sport players, none of the 2GB and no Pilots yet. Salesman said they typically only order a couple of each to see how they sell.

More to come...

[CrowdAds]

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by rdow

Salesman said they typically only order a couple of each to see how they sell.

That's strange when Insignia is Best Buy's house brand...

Looking forwards to your impressions (and pics ), rdow!

[rdow]

Bluetooth:
Connecting to bluetooth headset was a piece of cake.

Bluetooth only works with Audio, NOT video. Pops up a message and disconnects your bluetooth if you switch to a video. Ironically one of the videos they include is an animated clip explaining benefits of bluetooth.


Bookmarks:
I'm a user of the early audio and video models and bookmarking of some kind has seemed to be the most needed feature.

New feature to add bookmarks works great but is only for audio, not video.
But videos seem to remember where they were stopped, even if you switch to another!! I would have settled for that for the audio as well. What this means is that I can start video #1 and play for a while, then switch to video #2 and play it. I can then switch to play music and the player remembers where I was in both videos!

The player does not appear to lose track of it's current file and location when you plug it into the computer to charge!

[rdow]

Sport does not have a second headphone jack.

Sport documentation shows it supporting all the formats as the Pilot (this is different than the original announcements). MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, WMA DRM, WMA Pro, OGG, WAV, Audible

[rdow]

Bluetooth does add to time it takes to power-on. The Bluetooth initialization seems to add about 10 seconds to an otherwise speedy power-on time.

[epithetless]

You have one of the earlier models too, correct? How do they compare sound-quality-wise? And is the new Sport still noise- and hiss-free?

[rdow]

Ha, ha I'm afraid I'm no expert on sound quality. I use my mp3 players to listen exclusively to audio books (or an occasional video if I have a video/mp3 player).

[rdow]

I've had my first lock-up... during bluetooth initialization at power-on.

This led me to look for the reset hole... there isn't one.

Then I figured I had to remove the battery. Guide has no details on how to remove the battery cover. It is giving me some resistance so I'm reluctant to keep pulling.

I finally just held the power button for a while until it finally did power off. The next power-on went OK.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by rdow

Ha, ha I'm afraid I'm no expert on sound quality. I use my mp3 players to listen exclusively to audio books (or an occasional video if I have a video/mp3 player).

Fair enough. We'll skip sound quality. But even an audio book listener should be able to tell if there's hiss...so...how about that hiss? Hear any?

No reset hole, eh? Hm. And now that you bring it up, has it been stated anywhere that the batteries are removable for the new Insignia players -- or are we just making that assumption based on the previous gen?

[digitaldel]

Batteries are removeable but not as easily as the last model as there is a screw. However, the reset hole was removed as holding the power button to the right for about 10 seconds will hard reset the player.

[Riolist]

So is the Pilot shipping as well or just the Sport? (sorry for being off topic)

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by Riolist

So is the Pilot shipping as well or just the Sport? (sorry for being off topic)

Not a problem for me! Would like to know this as well. I'm also curious if a new chipset has been implemented in the newer models...Time will tell, I suppose.

Thanks for the info above, Digitaldel.

[rdow]

Originally Posted by epithetless

Fair enough. We'll skip sound quality. But even an audio book listener should be able to tell if there's hiss...so...how about that hiss? Hear any?

I can't tell any sound difference between the new and old. No hiss.

[epithetless]

Thank ye.

[Bonafide]

Does the player have A-B repeat?

[digitaldel]

Yeap, it does.

[rdow]

A couple of retractions/updates.

Bookmarks:
The player does NOT keep track of the song position when you plug into the computer. I've seen it keep track, but apparently that is only with the song/album that the player normally picks as the default when it first powers up.

Second I've found a problem with the new bookmark feature. If I'm listening to an album or playlist and bookmark my position, when I come back later and load the bookmark it is no longer playing the album or playlist, it is playing the single track with no knowledge that that track was part of a larger group of files that were playing.

Bluetooth:
A bit flaky. Two or three times I've had it come up playing through the headset but it is a high-pitched, FF sound (like those chipmunk songs). I've had to reset the connection to get it fixed. Seems to have something to do with the whether the headset it powered on before the player or not (I'm still trying to figure it out).

And I've got no idea why they don't support bluetooth with video but they do with the FM radio. You have to have wired headphones to act as an antennae for the FM....

[digitaldel]

What headphones are you using when you have the connect issues and what file types are you playing back when you have those connect issues?

Thanks

[rdow]

Headphones - Jabra BT8010
Filetype - DRM'd WMA 32 kbps via Overdrive system (used by my library)

I'll let you know if I detect any more clues to reproducing the problem.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by rdow

Bookmarks:
The player does NOT keep track of the song position when you plug into the computer. I've seen it keep track, but apparently that is only with the song/album that the player normally picks as the default when it first powers up.

Second I've found a problem with the new bookmark feature. If I'm listening to an album or playlist and bookmark my position, when I come back later and load the bookmark it is no longer playing the album or playlist, it is playing the single track with no knowledge that that track was part of a larger group of files that were playing.

Uh-oh...

EDIT: Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any M3U playlists you could test on the device, would you?