Battery Life

[javamon]

Mirroring a thread I've started on the sandisk forum...

I've been using the View for a couple, almost three, weeks now, and I've always thought "this doesn't feel like it would be a 35 hour battery," but wasn't sure because the database kept refreshing (still happening to me even after 1.00.03), and I thought that the true battery level just wasn't being detected properly.

So this morning, I started a simple battery test. Fresh off a full charge, queued up 8gb of music, shuffled, primarily lame-encoded mp3's @ v3 ~150kbps (some v1 as well, but not much), half volume (on normal, not high setting), default every other setting, and let it go. 4 hours later, with the only interaction being one check of the level (by adjusting volume to get the screen to turn on), the battery is showing half empty.

Now, I understand that a vbr mp3 requires more processing than the 128kbps the 35 hour advertisement is based on, but at this rate, it's going to be about 8 hour life...so it takes 5 times as much processing power? My old karma will still give me about 8 hours of battery, and it's nearly 4 years old! (in addition to having to spin a hard drive)

Has anyone else done a test of their own or noticed a similar lack of battery life?

I'll update this thread as soon as the test finishes, but unless some miracle happens (or the battery meter is horribly inaccurate), it looks like it's a disappointing result. So much so that I've checked my bestbuy receipt for the return policy...and I think I've got another week or so to make up my mind.

[uansari1]

My battery isn't lasting 35 hours either. I've estimated that I get about 25 hours, at best... but that's using the View "normally" and not trying to conserve battery. My library consists mainly of 96 and 128kbit wma files.

[RiceBandit]

I've had my View running since 5 hours ago and my battery indicator hasn't even dented yet. I'm pretty sure most if not all of my mp3's are 128 mp3 files.

[javamon]

Originally Posted by RiceBandit

I've had my View running since 5 hours ago and my battery indicator hasn't even dented yet. I'm pretty sure most if not all of my mp3's are 128 mp3 files.

yeah, it was under 8 hours in my test. and that's in super conserve mode. if i start interacting and changing tracks i can watch the battery level go down.

i don't need stupid high bitrates because v3 - ~150kbps is transparent for me on my music, but 128kbps CBR isn't. i can't believe the firmware/logic unit is that inefficient @ VBR.

i'm actually on the verge of returning it now. ugh. i want to love this player, but i just can't.

[uansari1]

If that is indeed a problem with the way the View processes VBR, I too would consider returning it. Fortunately, to my ear 96 and 128kbps wma files sound perfectly fine.

[edward d. nygma]

This is a great thread to figure out how to get the best life out of your battery. (In short it does actually last up to 35hours-depending on certain criteria.)

http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/boar...&thread.id=891

[Drkepilogue]

Speaking for my self, but how long have u had it? I had 2 views, and both time, i would not get over 10hr when i used it for the first few days. But after a while I am able to use the view for 3 days without charing it while i am at school, and commute from and to work. I suggest you to do a few charge cycles and see if the battery life gets better. If not, it mean you have a defected unit.

[bradavon]

Originally Posted by edward d. nygma

This is a great thread to figure out how to get the best life out of your battery. (In short it does actually last up to 35hours-depending on certain criteria.)

http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/boar...&thread.id=891

Thanks.

What criteria? That link doesn't look very conclusive. Even those who follow the same settings as those who say they get 35Hrs don't always get anywhere near it.

All my music is MP3 at 128Kbps (except for the odd file which is lower).

[kvee]

I'm using high bitrate VBR and only getting about 5 hours from a full battery charge!! That's only playing MP3's and not video.

This is not good so I have no alternative but to return the View for a refund.

[Roadhog]

I have been on the Sandisk forums too. I also have had my View giving me about 28 hours of play time.

I contacted Sandisk because I was only getting about 10 before. So here is what the Sandisk person told me to do - and it works....

1. Make sure there are no MicroSD cards in the slot (this is because there is a bug on the FW that stops you from changing the brightness)
2. Reset to Factory Defaults
3. Change the Brightness to the minimum.
4. Charge up the View
5. Test.....

I did these and got 28 hours with WMA compressed to 64k. I wasn't even using MP3s.

Believe me I didn't believe the guy about changing the Brightness because the screen is off for most of the test, but when I changed it, it lasted nearly to their specs. So I was happy with battery life after that...

[slawson]

Originally Posted by Roadhog

1. Make sure there are no MicroSD cards in the slot (this is because there is

Roadhog, Assuming you have a microSD, have you tried putting it back in afterwards? Do you still get around 28Hrs with the card in?

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by slawson

Roadhog, Assuming you have a microSD, have you tried putting it back in afterwards? Do you still get around 28Hrs with the card in?

To be honest, no I haven't repeated the test with the MicroSD card in. It is a 6 GB but I have nothing on it other than video - no music. I can try it and see what happens.... Let you know.

[slawson]

Originally Posted by Roadhog

To be honest, no I haven't repeated the test with the MicroSD card in. It is a 6 GB but I have nothing on it other than video - no music. I can try it and see what happens.... Let you know.

If you get a chance, it could prove useful... I had a similar problem on my D2, just having the SD card inserted knocked a good 1/3 off the battery life. I left the card out in the end, before eventually selling the D2. Thanks

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by slawson

If you get a chance, it could prove useful... I had a similar problem on my D2, just having the SD card inserted knocked a good 1/3 off the battery life. I left the card out in the end, before eventually selling the D2. Thanks

Well I am running the test. I still don't have music on the SD card, just movies, but having it in doesn't seem to make much difference. It has been over 20 hours and the battery is still marked as being 80% full. But of course when it starts to go it goes quick.

I'll continue to monitor it, and let you know. Then I'll put some music on the card and only play that music and let you know how that goes.

[Roadhog]

The battery finally died in the night. It lasted for between 26 and 30 hours. So even with the SD card in it didn't impact the battery.

I'll put some music on the SD card tonight, and rerun my test playing only the SD music and see how long it lasts that way.

[DaHarder]

I consistently get between 22 and 28 hours of continuous music playback.

Note: WMA/MP3 mix between 160kbs and 256kbs

[slawson]

Originally Posted by Roadhog

The battery finally died in the night. It lasted for between 26 and 30 hours. So even with the SD card in it didn't impact the battery.

I'll put some music on the SD card tonight, and rerun my test playing only the SD music and see how long it lasts that way.

Thanks for your time doing this Roadhog. Its reassuring to know that it doesn't drain the battery. Its one of the reasons why I sold the D2 and I'm still looking at purchasing the View.

[kvee]

The Sansa forum battery thread is interesting reading. Suggestions are to take out the SD card, reset to factory settings, reduce volume, reduce brightness.

One issue I think affects me is - is the view actually turned off when the screen says "goodbye"? I thought so but next day found significant battery drainage from the point when I turned the View off. I take it holding up the slider for much longer really does shut down the View and its not in some "standby" mode?

[Roadhog]

Originally Posted by kvee

The Sansa forum battery thread is interesting reading. Suggestions are to take out the SD card, reset to factory settings, reduce volume, reduce brightness.

One issue I think affects me is - is the view actually turned off when the screen says "goodbye"? I thought so but next day found significant battery drainage from the point when I turned the View off. I take it holding up the slider for much longer really does shut down the View and its not in some "standby" mode?

Yes, when it says goodbye it is really only in a standby mode - it still drains the battery. Holding the button up for more than 5 seconds actually turns it off.

And yes, the recommendation is to reduce the brightness to the minimum. You can't do that with the SD card in place, but once it is reduced the card can go back in.

[Roadhog]

OK. So, I tried the battery test with music playing only from the SD card. This time the battery lasted for 23 hours.

Not as good as from the main flash memory, but I kind of expected that.

This isn't a big deal for me, as I usually only put movies on the SD card. But it does tell me that the battery won't last as long on videos either, so perhaps I should put my movies on the flash memory of the device and not the SD card. Using the SD card will use up battery power quicker than the flash memory.