Creative Zen V Series User Manual

How to use this manual

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1.

On the Contents tabbed page to your left, click a topic heading.

2.

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3.

In the dialog box that appears, click the option to print one topic only, or all topics under a heading.

Page 1

Introduction

After completing the setup instructions in the Quick Start, take some time to read this User's Guide to learn how to get the most out of your player.

The Creative ZEN TM V Series player is compact but is filled with features normally found on larger players! With line-in encoding, album art, Audible ®

, ZENcast, video playback support, and FM radio, it is no surprise that this feature-rich and value-for-money player outshines even its closest competitors.

Note

 FM radio and video functions are available on selected ZEN V Series player models only.

 Audible files are currently available to selected regions only.

Page 2

Your Player at a Glance

Note

 Product specifications may vary, depending on model purchased.

Button/Connector

1. Power switch

What It Does

Slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there to turn your player on and off.

2. Lock

Slide the Power switch to the

Lock position to disable your player's controls.

3.

4.

5.

Microphone

LINE IN jack

Headphone jack

Make instant recordings with this built-in microphone.

Connect external stereo sources, such as cassette players, CD players and MiniDisc players, to this jack.

Connect your player's earphones to this jack.

6. USB port

To charge your player's battery or transfer files, connect one end of the supplied USB cable to this port, and the other end of the

USB cable to your computer's

USB port.

To charge your player without using the computer, purchase the

ZEN USB Power Adapter. For more information on this and

Page 3

7.

8.

Volume Increase button

Volume Decrease button other ZEN V Series accessories, visit www.creative.com

.

Press to increase the volume.

Press to decrease the volume.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Record button

Play/Pause button

Back/Options button

5-way Navigation Joystick

Select Extras Microphone, then press to record. Press again to stop.

Starts, pauses and resumes playback.

Press and hold this button to display the Options menu.

When scrolling through menu items, press this button to return to the previous menu.

· Push this joystick left or right to go to the previous or next track.

· Push this joystick up or down to scroll to an item.

· Press to select menu items.

· Push and hold this joystick right or left to move forward or backward within a track.

For more information, see

Using the 5-Way Navigation Joystick .

13. Reset button

Use a pin to press this button if the player does not respond.

Note


 In the process of Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display manufacturing, there may be instances of one or more pixels appearing in a dark or fixed color, or in an unchanging state.

 In line with industry standards and based on the Creative screen manufacturer's technical specifications, there may be occurrences of fixed spots and these occurrences are considered acceptable if they do not impair display quality.

 If, however, you notice fixed spots on your player's OLED display interfering with your use, contact Customer Support Services. You can find Customer Support Services information in the

Installation and Applications CD. Go to d:\support\<region>\<language>\support.chm.

 (replace d:\ with the drive letter of your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive, <region> with the region that you are in, and <language> with the language that your document is in)

Page 4

Turning Your Player On and Off

1.

To turn on your player, slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there until the OLED display lights up.

2.

To turn off your player, slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there until the Shutting down message appears.

2.

Page 5

Reactivating the Player's Screen

When the screen turns off, press any button on your player to reactivate the screen. For more information

about setting the display timer, see Setting the display duration

.

Page 6

Locking Your Player

Locking your player disables all of its controls and turns off the screen. Lock your player when you want to prevent buttons from being accidentally pressed.

You can lock your player with its Power switch. To lock your player's wired remote control (available separately), use the Lock switch on the wired remote control.

To lock your player

Slide the Power switch towards the Lock icon. The Locked icon appears on the Now Playing screen.

Page 7

Using the 5-Way Navigation Joystick

The 5-way Navigation Joystick is one of the most important features of your player. In this document, we will use the term "Select" to mean that you should push the 5-way Navigation Joystick up or down to browse through menu items, and then select the menu item by pressing down the 5-way Navigation

Joystick.

When playing music, you can do the following:

 push the joystick left or right to go to the previous or next track.

 push and hold the joystick right or left to move forward or backward within a track.



Main and Options Menus

To return to the main menu

Press the Back/Options button. You may need to do this more than once. Select an option. For more

.

information, see Using the 5-Way Navigation Joystick

To access an Options menu

In any menu, press and hold the Back/Options button. Select an option. Press the Back/Options button to return to the previous menu or screen.

Note


Page 9

Now Playing Screen

The Now Playing screen appears when you turn on your player, or when you select

Now Playing from the main menu.

In this screen, you can:

 view your player's settings and battery status icons.



 access the Selected Music screen when you press the 5-way Navigation Joystick. The Selected

Music screen displays a preselected list of music tracks. For more information, see Managing the list of selected tracks .



Managing Media and Data Files

ZENcast Organizer, Creative Media Explorer and Creative MediaSource TM Player/Organizer are included with your player. For updated information about your player's support for ZENcast media files, visit www.zencast.com

.

Creative ZENcast Organizer

With Creative ZENcast Organizer, you can subscribe to your favorite ZENcast channels, and download and transfer ZENcast audio files to your player. For updated information about your player's support for

ZENcast media files, visit www.zencast.com

.

Creative ZENcast Organizer is your center for playing, managing, and subscribing to your favorite

ZENcast channels. With ZENcast Organizer, you can:

 quickly access ZENcast channels of your favorite topics from ZENcast Directory and

ZENcast.com

 subscribe to your favorite ZENcast channels

 schedule regular updates of your ZENcast channel subscriptions

 transfer downloaded ZENcast audio files to your player

 synchronize ZENcast content with your player

Page 11

Creative ZENcast Organizer

With Creative ZENcast Organizer, you can subscribe to your favorite ZENcast channels, and download and transfer ZENcast audio files to your player. For updated information about your player's support for

ZENcast media files, visit www.zencast.com

.

Creative ZENcast Organizer is your center for playing, managing, and subscribing to your favorite

ZENcast channels. With ZENcast Organizer, you can:

 quickly access ZENcast channels of your favorite topics from ZENcast Directory and

ZENcast.com

 subscribe to your favorite ZENcast channels

 schedule regular updates of your ZENcast channel subscriptions

 transfer downloaded ZENcast audio files to your player

 synchronize ZENcast content with your player

Page 12

Creative Media Explorer

Use Creative Media Explorer if:

 you are new to digital music and videos, and want to transfer them from your CDs or computer to your player

 you want to convert, synchronize, and organize audio and video files

 you prefer to manage your player in the familiar "Windows Explorer" environment.

Note

 The video function is available on selected ZEN V Series player models only.

To start Creative Media Explorer, double-click the ZEN V Series Media Explorer icon under

My Computer or on the desktop. For more information about using Creative Media Explorer, refer to its online Help.

Page 13

Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer

Use the full-featured Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer if:

 you require additional features such as recording, automatic playlist generation, and audio format conversion

 you want to manage a music library on your computer.

To start Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, double-click the Creative MediaSource

Player/Organizer icon on your desktop.

Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer has a Home page from which you can access common tasks.

For more information about using Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, refer to its online Help.

Page 14

Accessories

Your player comes with some of the accessories described below. Accessories that are not included with your player are available from your Creative Labs dealer or at our online store at www.creative.com

.

Earphones

Your player's earphones feature dynamic bass response and enhanced audio clarity.

Warning!

 For your safety and the safety of others, do not use your earphones while driving, cycling or during any other activity that requires your full attention.

Page 15

Earphones

Your player's earphones feature dynamic bass response and enhanced audio clarity.

Warning!

 For your safety and the safety of others, do not use your earphones while driving, cycling or during any other activity that requires your full attention.

Page 16

Pouch

Your player's protective pouch keeps it snug and safe.

Page 17

Neckstrap

With your player's neckstrap, your music collection goes wherever you go.

Note

 The player's neckstrap is available only in selected countries.

Page 18

Line-in Cable

With your player's line-in cable, you can directly encode or "rip" music to your player (see Encoding using the LINE IN jack

), instead of ripping music on your computer first and then transferring it to your player.

Page 19

About Content Types

Your player is capable of playing different types of content, including audio tracks in the MP3, WAV or

WMA formats, pictures in the JPEG (JPG) format, and videos.

Note


Page 20

Getting Content

You can acquire content from many legal sources. Here are some suggestions:

 Audio tracks - ripped from personal audio CDs and home studio recordings, or purchased from online music stores.

 Pictures - encoded from digital cameras, webcams or scanned from printed photos.

 ZENcast audio files - downloaded from the Internet using ZENcast Organizer.

 Videos - downloaded from the Internet or captured from your digital camera.

Note


 For updated information about your player's support for ZENcast media files, visit www.zencast.com

Page 21

Transferring Media and Data Files

Transfer music, picture, video and other files from your computer to your player. Before ripping or copying files, make sure your player is connected to your computer as shown below.

It is recommended that your fully charge your player before transferring files.

Note


To transfer or 'rip' music from your CD collection

1.

Double-click the ZEN V Series Media Explorer icon on the desktop.

2.

Click the Rip Audio CDs button.

3.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

3.

If you are connected to the Internet, album information is automatically retrieved.

Note

 Creative Media Explorer uses MusicID SM from Gracenote ® to get artist, title, track, credits, and other information about the CDs you play. This service is FREE and automatic. You must be connected to the Internet when using this service. For more information, refer to the Creative

Audio CD Ripper online Help. Creative Audio CD Ripper is found in Creative Media Explorer.

To transfer music, pictures or videos from your computer

1.


2.

Click the Browse Media button.

3.

Locate your media files and using the drag-and-drop method, copy them to the following folders in your player: o Media Library\Music folder for audio files o Media Library\Videos folder for videos o Media Library\Pictures for pictures

Note

 Use Creative Media Explorer, Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer or Windows Media

Player 10 (and above) to transfer your Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected files.

 The video function is available on ZEN V Series player models with video support only. All video formats require conversion before they can be played on your player. Use Creative Media

Explorer or Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer only to convert your videos. Note that if you choose to skip a video file, it will not be transferred to your player.

To transfer ZENcast audio files

1.

Double-click the ZENcast Organizer icon on the desktop.

2.

Click the Transfer button.

Page 22

3.


4.

Click the Done button.

Note


To transfer data files from your computer

1.


2.

Click the Browse Documents button.

3.

Locate your data files and using the drag-and-drop method, transfer them to the Data folder in your player.

Note

 Do not transfer audio files, pictures and videos using the Browse Documents button.

Page 23

Creating and Transferring Playlists

With Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, organizing music tracks into playlists (tracks you have organized into lists) has never been easier. You can create as many playlists as you like and transfer these to your player.

You can compile playlists using the drag-and-drop method, or automatically generate playlists based on your preferences using the Smart Playlist feature.

Tip

 For more information about using Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, refer to its online

Help.



You can also directly create playlists on your player. For more information, see Managing the list of selected tracks

.

Page 24

Synchronizing Content with Your Computer

You can use Sync Manager to update and synchronize music, pictures, videos, contacts, calendar and tasks between your player and your computer.

1.

Connect your player to your computer.

2.

Start Sync Manager.

2.

You can start Sync Manager by clicking the Sync Manager icon on your computer's system tray, and then clicking Start Synchronize.

3.


Note


 To launch Sync Manager in Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, click Sync Manager.

 To launch Sync Manager in Creative Media Explorer, click Synchronize Media and Outlook

Data.

 To configure the synchronization settings, click the Sync Manager icon on your computer's system tray, and then click Player Settings <your player name>.

Page 25

Disconnecting Your Player

When you have finished transferring files, disconnect your player.

DO NOT disconnect your player if you see the left picture below on the display. Track or data file transfer is in progress and disconnecting your player may damage the content being transferred. Wait until you see the right picture below on the display before disconnecting your player.

Page 26

Selecting and playing music tracks

You can search for music tracks by album, artist, genre or title. If you have created playlists (tracks you have organized into lists) on your player, or transferred playlists from Creative MediaSource

Player/Organizer, you can search for music tracks in playlists as well. The steps below also apply if you want to search for Audible and ZENcast files.

1.

Press the Back/Options button.

1.

You may need to do this more than once until the main menu appears.

2.

Select Music Library and select a music category, such as Albums or Genres. Select All Tracks if you want to search by track title.

3.

Continue searching with the 5-way Navigation Joystick until you find what you want.

3.

At any time, press and hold the Back/Options button for more search and playback options.

4.

To start playing a music track or a category of music tracks (like an album), scroll to the item and press the Play/Pause button.

4.

The currently playing track appears on the Now Playing screen. See Now Playing Screen .

Note

 To manage Audible files, you need to install AudibleManager ® .


 You can also get your player's DJ to select and play songs according to criteria set by you. See

Selecting tracks with your player's DJ

.

Page 27

Adding a music track to the list of selected tracks

1.


1.


2.


3.

Select an album, artist, genre or track.

4.

Press and hold the Back/Options button.

5.

Select Add to Selected.

Note



For more information about creating playlists on your player, see Managing the list of selected tracks

.

Page 28

Searching for tracks by the same artist

If you like the artist of the song you are playing now, you can do a quick search for other titles by the same person.

1.

During playback, press the Back/Options button.

1.


2.

Select Now Playing.

2.

The Now Playing screen appears.

3.


4.

Select Lookup Artist to display albums or tracks from the same artist.

Note

 The Lookup Artist option is also available in the Options menu in the Selected Music screen. To

access the Selected Music screen, see Now Playing Screen .

Page 29

Selecting tracks with your player's DJ

Instead of selecting tracks yourself, you can let your player's DJ pick out tracks for you.

1.


1.


2.

Select Music Library DJ and select one of the following options from the menu: o Album of the Day o Let your player's DJ play an album of music tracks.

o Random Play All o Let your player's DJ randomly play all tracks, including your recorded tracks.

o Most Popular o Let your player's DJ play frequently played tracks.

o Rarely Heard o Let your player's DJ play rarely played tracks.

Page 30

Managing the list of selected tracks

Tracks you have selected for playback can be viewed and managed from the Selected Music screen.

1.


1.


2.

Select Now Playing.

2.

The Now Playing screen appears.

3.


4.

Select one of the following playlist management options from the menu: o Remove... Remove Track o Removes the current track from the list.

o Remove... Remove All o Clears the list.

o Save As Playlist o Saves the list as a playlist. Name the playlist using the characters in the list box that appears, and then select Ok.

Tip

 These playlist management options are also available in the Options menu in the Selected Music

screen. To access the Selected Music screen, see Now Playing Screen

.

Page 31

Shuffling and repeating the list of selected tracks

You can shuffle or repeat your list of selected tracks by selecting a different play mode.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings Play Mode.

3.

Select one of the following items in the Play Mode screen: o Normal o Plays your selected tracks in sequential order.

o Repeat Track o Repeats the current track. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.

o Repeat All o Repeats all selected tracks. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.

o Shuffle o Plays all selected tracks in random order, once only. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.

o Shuffle Repeat o Plays and repeats all selected tracks, in random order. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.

o Track Once o Stops playing after the current track ends. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.

Tip

 To change the play mode in the Now Playing or Selected Music screen during playback, press and hold the Back/Options button and select Play Mode.

Page 32

Searching within a track

You can search for a particular point within a track and start playing from there. For example, if you want to start playback one minute into a music track, you can pinpoint or seek to the one minute position and then play from there.

1.

In the Now Playing screen, press and hold the Back/Options button and select Seek To.

2.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to scroll to any point within the current track.

3.

Press the 5-way Navigation Joystick to start playing from the selected position.

Page 33

Using bookmarks

You can insert bookmarks during playback. A bookmark helps you mark a point within a track, so you can return to it at a later time.

For example, if you are listening to your recording of an interview, insert a bookmark if you need to stop halfway through. When you want to continue listening from where you left off, go to this bookmark.

You can use up to 10 bookmarks at any one time.

To insert a bookmark

1.

In the Now Playing screen, press and hold the Back/Options button and select Set

Bookmark. Playback pauses and the Set Bookmark screen appears.

2.

Select a bookmark number.

2.

Your bookmark is assigned to the selected bookmark number. If all 10 bookmark numbers have been assigned, you can replace an existing bookmark with the new bookmark.

To go to a bookmark

1.


1.


2.

Select Music Library Bookmarks.

3.

Select the bookmark that you want.

Page 34

Playing Audible Files

After downloading Audible files to your player, search for Audible content by album, artist, genre or title.

See

Selecting and playing music tracks

.

You can also skip sections within an Audible file.

Note


Skipping sections within a track

1.

In the Now Playing screen, press the 5-way Navigation Joystick.

2.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to skip sections within the track.

3.

To go back to the Now Playing screen, push the 5-way Navigation Joystick twice.

Page 35

Skipping sections within a track

1.

In the Now Playing screen, press the 5-way Navigation Joystick.

2.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to skip sections within the track.

3.

To go back to the Now Playing screen, push the 5-way Navigation Joystick twice.

Page 36

Playing ZENcast Audio Files

After transferring ZENcast audio files to your player, search for ZENcast audio files by album, artist,

genre or title. See Selecting and playing music tracks

.

Note

 Use ZENcast Organizer to subscribe to your favorite ZENcast channels, and download and transfer ZENcast audio files to your Creative portable media player. For more information, refer to the Creative ZENcast Organizer online Help.


Page 37

Viewing and Managing Pictures

You can store thousands of pictures in your player, and even set up a slideshow, so that you can share memories with friends and family. Your player displays pictures that are in the JPEG (JPG) format only and sorts them alphabetically.

Use your computer to sort pictures by date or alphabetically for quicker searches.

You can also view album art on your player. When you play an album or music track that supports this feature, the album art is displayed automatically.

Page 38

Viewing album art in full screen

If available with a music track, album art will be displayed on your player.

To view the album art in full screen, press the 5-way Navigation Joystick in the Now Playing screen.

Page 39

Viewing pictures

1.


1.


2.

Select Photos, and select the picture you want to view. To view the picture in full screen, press the 5-way Navigation Joystick.

3.

Press and hold the Back/Options button to select display and wallpaper options.

3.

If you select Zoom In, use the 5-way Navigation Joystick to move your picture up, down, left or right.

4.

To change the display setting, select System Photo Settings View As and select one of the following items: o Fit Screen o Resizes your picture to best fit your player's screen.

o Full Screen o Resizes your picture to fill your player's screen.

o Your player's default display setting is Full Screen.

Page 40

Viewing pictures in a slideshow

1.


1.


2.

Select Photos and highlight the picture or folder that you want.

3.

Press the Play/Pause button to start a slideshow.

4.

To stop the slideshow, press the Back/Options button.

5.

To change the slideshow interval duration, select System Photo Settings Slide Timer.

Page 41

Deleting a picture or folder

1.


1.


2.

Select Photos, and select the picture or folder that you want to delete.

3.


4.

Select Delete Picture or Delete Folder.

5.

Select Yes.

Page 42

Setting a picture as wallpaper

1.


1.


2.

Select Photos, and select the picture that you want.

3.


4.

Select Set as wallpaper.

5.

Select a wallpaper brightness or color.

Page 43

Using Your Radio

Listening to the radio

The FM frequency range on your player is set to "International" by default. Most regions in the world receive FM broadcasts in this range.

Note

 The FM radio function is available on selected ZEN V Series player models only.

 If you are using your player in Japan, make sure you have selected "Japanese" as your player's default language before selecting your FM region.

i.

In the main menu, select FM Radio.

ii.

Press and hold the Back/Options button, and select Set Region.

iii.

Select the FM Region that you want.

Page 44

Listening to the radio

The FM frequency range on your player is set to "International" by default. Most regions in the world receive FM broadcasts in this range.

Note

 The FM radio function is available on selected ZEN V Series player models only.

 If you are using your player in Japan, make sure you have selected "Japanese" as your player's default language before selecting your FM region.

i.

In the main menu, select FM Radio.

ii.

Press and hold the Back/Options button, and select Set Region.

iii.

Select the FM Region that you want.

Page 45

Performing an autoscan and autosave

1.


1.


2.

Select FM Radio.

3.

To automatically scan and save radio stations, press and hold the Back/Options button and select Autoscan. At the end of the autoscan, your player saves all stations as preset channels and tunes in to the first preset.

Page 46

Performing a manual scan

1.


1.


2.

Select FM Radio.

3.

To fine tune or manually scan for a radio station, press the Play/Pause button to switch to the manual tuning view.

3.

4.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to fine tune the radio frequency.

5.

Push and hold the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left for one second to scan for the next available radio station.

6.

To save a radio station as a preset, press and hold the Back/Options button, select Save As

Preset, and then select a preset number.

Page 47

Deleting radio presets

1.


1.


2.

Select FM Radio.

3.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to select the preset you want to delete.

4.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Delete Preset.

Page 48

Recording and Encoding

Recording with the built-in microphone

1.

Press and hold the Record button to start a voice recording.

2.

While recording, you can press and hold the Back/Options button and select one of the following options: o Pause o Pauses the recording. You can also pause the recording by pressing the Play/Pause button.

o Stop o Stops and saves the recording. You can also stop the recording by pressing the Record button.

o Split o Ends and saves current recording session, and begins a new one.

3.

Press the Record button to end the voice recording.

3.

The recorded track is named MIC followed by the date and time of the recording (MIC

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS). For example, if you record a track on March 15, 2004 at 2:57 pm, the track is named MIC 2004-03-15 14:57:00.

Tip

4.

To preview your new recording, press the Play/Pause button. To delete it, select Delete

Recording.

 For a better quality recording, make sure you place your player as close as possible to the source.

Page 49

Recording with the built-in microphone

1.

Press and hold the Record button to start a voice recording.

2.

While recording, you can press and hold the Back/Options button and select one of the following options: o Pause o Pauses the recording. You can also pause the recording by pressing the Play/Pause button.

o Stop o Stops and saves the recording. You can also stop the recording by pressing the Record button.


3.

Press the Record button to end the voice recording.

3.

The recorded track is named MIC followed by the date and time of the recording (MIC

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS). For example, if you record a track on March 15, 2004 at 2:57 pm, the track is named MIC 2004-03-15 14:57:00.

Tip

4.

To preview your new recording, press the Play/Pause button. To delete it, select Delete

Recording.

 For a better quality recording, make sure you place your player as close as possible to the source.

Page 50

Encoding using the LINE IN jack

You can directly encode or "rip" music to your player, instead of ripping music on your computer first and then transferring it to your player.

1.

Connect the LINE IN jack on your player to the line output of an external stereo source, such as a CD or MiniDisc player, using the supplied line-in cable.

1.

2.


2.


3.

Select Extras Line-in Recording.

4.

Press the Record button to start a line-in encoding.

5.

On your external stereo source, start playing the song you want to encode.

6.

While encoding, you can press and hold the Back/Options button and select one of the following items: o Pause o Pauses the encoding. You can also pause the encoding by pressing the Play/Pause button.

o Stop o Stops and saves the encoding. You can also stop the encoding by pressing the Record button.


7.

Press the Record button to end the line-in recording.

7.

The recorded track is named LINE followed by the date and time of the recording (LINE

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS). For example, if you record a track on March 15, 2004 at 2:57 pm, the track is named LINE 2004-03-15 14:57:00.

8.

To view and play back encoded tracks, see

Playing recorded or encoded tracks .

Note

 Enable Sync Track ("SYNC") to encode the songs from your source as separate tracks. For

more information, see Synchronizing encoding .

 It may be illegal to encode files for trade or sale unless you have the express or explicit

Page 51

permission of the copyright holder(s).

Page 52

Synchronizing encoding

If you are encoding songs from a CD or MiniDisc, enable Sync Track ("SYNC") so that your player will properly encode the songs from your source as separate tracks. Your player will automatically stop when the last song is played. Sync Track is enabled by default.

1.


1.


2.


3.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Sync Track.

4.

To enable or disable the Sync Track feature, select On or Off. When Sync Track is turned on,

SYNC appears on the Line-in Recording screen.

Page 53

Adjusting sound quality of the encoding

You can adjust the sound quality of encoded tracks by changing the encoding bitrate.

1.


1.


2.


3.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Rec. Bitrate.

4.

Select the bitrate you want.

Note

 Higher bitrates offer better sound quality but take up more storage space.

Page 54

Playing recorded or encoded tracks

1.


1.


2.

Select Music Library Recordings, and scroll to the recorded or encoded track you want to play.

3.

Press the Play/Pause button.

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Playing and Managing Videos

To play videos, you must first convert and transfer them to your player. For more information on

transferring videos, see Transferring Media and Data Files

. Transferred videos are categorized by name and duration in your player's Video Library.

Note


Page 56

Converting a video

To convert your videos to a format supported by your player, launch Creative Media Explorer and click

Convert Video. You can also use the drag-and-drop method in Creative Media Explorer to transfer and

convert a video automatically. See Transferring Media and Data Files

.

For more information, refer to the Creative Media Explorer online Help or the Creative Video Converter online Help.

Page 57

Playing a video

1.


1.


2.

Select Videos Video.

3.

Select the video you want.

4.

To play the video, press the Play/Pause button.

5.

To pause the video, press the Play/Pause button again.

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Going forward or backward in a video

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to go forward or backward in a video.

Page 59

Deleting a video

1.


1.


2.

Select Videos Video.

3.

Select the video you want.

4.


5.

Select Delete Video.

Page 60

Displaying the last viewed video

1.


1.


2.

Select Videos Recently browsed.

Page 61

Deleting Tracks

1.


1.


2.


3.

Continue searching with the 5-way Navigation Joystick until you find the track or category of tracks that you want to delete.

4.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Delete Playlist, Delete Album, Delete

Artist, Delete Genre or Delete Track.

4.

For more song management tasks, connect your player to your computer and use Creative

MediaSource Player/Organizer.

Page 62

Viewing Track Information

To view detailed information about a track, such as its duration, scroll to the track, press and hold the

Back/Options button, and select

View Details.

Page 63

Viewing Player Information

You can view player information, such as disk space and the total number of tracks, in the Information screen.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Information.

Page 64

Storing Media and Data Files in Your Player

You can use your player to store music, pictures and data files, or to transfer files from one computer to another.

Use Creative Media Explorer if you need to transfer data files between your player and your computer.

Creative Media Explorer offers you the ease of managing data files (as well as music, pictures and videos) in your player, in a Windows Explorer environment. Creative Media Explorer is automatically installed when you set up your player's software on your computer. For more information, refer to the

Creative Media Explorer online Help.

Use your player's Removable Disk mode if you need to transfer and manage data between your player and computers that do not have Creative Media Explorer. See

Using Your Player as a Removable Disk

.

Page 65

Using Your Player as a Removable Disk

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Removable Disk.

2.

When you select this menu item for the first time, you must select the amount of disk space you want to use for the Removable Disk mode.

o Press and hold the Back/Options button, and select the capacity that you want.

3.

When you see Removable Disk on the player's OLED display, you are ready to transfer data files.

4.

Connect your player to your computer using the supplied USB cable.

4.

4.

Your player appears as a Removable Disk under My Computer in Windows Explorer.

4.

5.

Use the drag-and-drop method in Windows Explorer to copy files to and from your player.

6.

When you have finished copying files, safely disconnect your player using the Safely Remove

Hardware

icon on the Taskbar. To safely disconnect your player, see Stopping Your Player

Properly .

Note

 Data files saved in the Removable Disk mode disk space cannot be viewed or managed with

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Creative Media Explorer.

 Similarly, data files transferred to your player using Creative Media Explorer cannot be viewed or managed in Removable Disk mode.

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Changing the Amount of Disk Space in Removable Disk

Mode

You can change the amount of disk space in Removable Disk mode at any time.

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Removable Disk.

3.

Press and hold the Back/Options button, select Set Capacity, and select the capacity that you want.

3.

Before you can decrease the amount of disk space, the existing data files stored in Removable

Disk mode must be able to fit into the decreased space.

4.

Alternatively, connect your player to your computer and use Creative Removable Disk Manager to increase or decrease the amount of disk space in Removable Disk mode.

Note

 To delete all the data files in the Removable Disk disk space, press and hold the Back/Options button and select Format.

Tip

 Use Windows Explorer if you want to delete individual data files stored in Removable Disk mode.

 Creative Removable Disk Manager is included with your player and is automatically installed when you set up the ZEN V Series software on your computer.

 To start Creative Removable Disk Manager, click Start Programs or All Programs Creative

Creative Removable Disk Manager Creative Removable Disk Manager.

Page 68

Stopping Your Player Properly

To prevent data loss when in Removable Disk mode, ensure that:

 you have stopped your player properly in Windows before unplugging it from the USB port on your computer (refer to the steps for your respective operating system).

 you do not unplug your player from the USB port on your computer when transferring files to or from the device, or when files stored in your player are in use.

Caution!

 Only disconnect your player after the Do not Disconnect message disappears from the OLED display. If not, your player may not be able to function normally.

To stop your player properly, click the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the Taskbar, click

Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device, and disconnect your player when you are prompted to do so.

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Using Your Player's Organizer Features

Your player stores your contacts, calendar events and tasks from Microsoft Outlook ®

. Read on to learn how to use these organizer features.

If you do not have Microsoft Outlook installed, you can use the Personal Information Manager (PIM) editor in Creative Media Explorer to edit your calendar, "to do" tasks and contact information. In

Creative Media Explorer, click the

Manage Organizer Data button.

Page 70

Synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook

1.

Connect your player to your computer.

2.

Start Sync Manager.

2.

You can start Sync Manager from Creative Media Explorer or Creative MediaSource

Player/Organizer.

3.

Select My Computer and your ZEN V Series player as the devices you want to synchronize, and then click Sync Now.

4.

Select the information you want to import from Microsoft Outlook, and then click the Next button.

5.


Tip

6.

Click the Finish button.

 You can also use Sync Manager to synchronize music, pictures, videos, contacts, calendar and

tasks between your player and your computer. For more information, see Synchronizing Content with Your Computer

.

Note


Page 71

Viewing the Calendar

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Organizer Calendar.

3.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to scroll through the various months, and up and down to scroll through the days in a month.

4.

Press the 5-way Navigation Joystick to view the events and task list in a day.

Page 72

Viewing Today's Tasks

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Organizer Tasks.

Page 73

Viewing Contacts

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Organizer Contacts.

3.

Select a name in your contact list to view details about the contact.

Page 74

Changing Audio Settings

Using equalizer (EQ)

EQ is the player's collection of equalizer settings, which you can use to enhance your music. You can select preset equalizer or customized settings to suit the genre or style of your music, or customize your own setting.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings EQ.

3.

Select one of the EQ menu items.

3.

When an EQ setting is selected, appears on the Now Playing screen.

To customize an equalizer setting

1.

In the EQ screen, select Custom EQ.

1.

Each slider on the Custom EQ screen represents successively higher frequencies that can be adjusted.

o 80 controls bass frequency o 250 adjusts the low mid-range frequency o 1k adjusts the mid-range frequency o 4k adjusts the upper mid-range frequency o 13k adjusts the treble frequency.

2.

Select a slider, and push the 5-way Navigation Joystick up and down to move the control knob up or down to vary the amount of boost or reduction in the selected frequency range.

3.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to select the remaining sliders, and repeat step 2.

4.

Select the check mark to save and enable the Custom EQ settings.

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Using equalizer (EQ)

EQ is the player's collection of equalizer settings, which you can use to enhance your music. You can select preset equalizer or customized settings to suit the genre or style of your music, or customize your own setting.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings EQ.

3.

Select one of the EQ menu items.

3.

When an EQ setting is selected, appears on the Now Playing screen.

To customize an equalizer setting

1.

In the EQ screen, select Custom EQ.

1.

Each slider on the Custom EQ screen represents successively higher frequencies that can be adjusted.

o 80 controls bass frequency o 250 adjusts the low mid-range frequency o 1k adjusts the mid-range frequency o 4k adjusts the upper mid-range frequency o 13k adjusts the treble frequency.

2.

Select a slider, and push the 5-way Navigation Joystick up and down to move the control knob up or down to vary the amount of boost or reduction in the selected frequency range.

3.

Push the 5-way Navigation Joystick right or left to select the remaining sliders, and repeat step 2.

4.

Select the check mark to save and enable the Custom EQ settings.

Page 76

Enabling Smart Volume

You can limit the volume range of playback with Smart Volume. When enabled, Smart Volume sets playback at a constant volume, so you do not have to continually adjust the volume when you play back different tracks.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings Smart Volume.

Page 77

Enabling Volume Restriction

Listening to audio at high levels for prolonged periods may damage your hearing. To protect your hearing, you can control your player's maximum playback volume.

To enable volume restriction

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings Restrict Volume. The volume bar appears.

3.

Select the maximum volume that you want. You will be prompted to set a password.

4.

Set a password. To disable password control for this feature, enter 0000.

5.

Press the 5-way Navigation Joystick to save your password and enable volume restriction.

To disable volume restriction

1.

Stop audio playback on your player before disabling this feature.

1.

Your player will play back audio at maximum levels when you increase the volume to the maximum of 25. Listening to audio at high levels may damage your hearing.

2.


2.


3.

Select System Audio Settings Restrict Volume. You will be prompted for your password.

4.

Enter your password. The volume bar appears.

5.

Select your player's maximum volume of 25.

6.

Press the 5-way Navigation Joystick. The Restrict Volume setting turns off.

To remove the password

If you forget your password, clean up your player's storage drive to delete the password.

1.

Turn off your player.

2.

Press and hold the Power and Play buttons simultaneously.

3.

The Recovery Mode screen appears when your player turns on. Four menu items are available in

4.

When the clean up is complete, select Reboot. Your player restarts and starts rebuilding its

Music Library.

Note the Recovery Mode screen: Clean Up, Format All, Reload Firmware and Reboot. To clean up your player's hard disk drive, select Clean Up.

 For more information about volume restriction, see www.creative.com/volume_restriction .

Page 78

Enabling Bass Boost

Enabling the bass boost feature enhances the bass in your audio during playback.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Audio Settings Bass Boost.

Page 79

Setting the date and time

To adjust date and time settings

1.


1.


2.

Select System Clock Settings Set Clock.

2.

Alternatively: i.

Select Extras Date & Time. ii.


iii.

Select Set Time or Set Date.

3.

Change the date and time settings and press the 5-way Navigation Joystick to save your settings.

To adjust the date and time display formats

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Date & Time Date Separator, Date Format or Time Format.

Page 80

Setting the alarm

1.


1.


2.

Select Extras Date & Time. The current date and time are displayed.

3.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Set Alarm to adjust alarm settings.

4.

Select the setting you want, and use the 5-way Navigation Joystick to make the changes.

Page 81

Changing the theme

You can change your player's display color by selecting a different theme.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Theme. The current theme is displayed.

3.

Select the theme that you want.

Page 82

Personalizing the player with your name

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Owner.

3.

Use the 5-way Navigation Joystick to spell out your name using the characters in the list box that appears, and then select Ok.

Page 83

Setting the display duration

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Display Timer.

3.

Select the setting that you want before your player's screen turns off.

Page 84

Setting the display contrast

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Contrast.

3.

Select the setting that you want.

Page 85

Rotating the display

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Orientation.

3.

Select the orientation that you want.

Page 86

Setting the Idle Sleep time

You can specify how long your player remains inactive before it automatically shuts down. This feature helps you conserve battery power.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Idle Sleep.

3.


Page 87

Enabling the snooze timer

You can specify a period of time before your player automatically turns off. This feature helps you conserve battery power.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Player Settings Snooze Timer.

3.


Page 88

Changing the Menu Language

1.


1.


2.

Select System Language, and select the language that you want.

Page 89

Resetting your player

You can reset your player to its original settings.

1.


1.


2.

Select System Reset Settings.

Page 90

Adding and Removing Main Menu Items

You can personalize the main menu by adding and removing menu items. For example, if you usually search for songs by album, you can add Albums to the main menu so you can access the Albums screen more easily.

1.


1.


2.

Press and hold the Back/Options button and select Configure Menu.

3.

To add menu items, select the check boxes.

4.

To remove these menu items from the main menu, clear the check boxes.

5.

To change the order of the menu items, press and hold the Back/Options button and select

Change Order.

6.

Use the 5-way Navigation Joystick to change the position of the highlighted menu item.

7.

To revert to the default menu settings, press and hold the Back/Options button and select

Default Menu.

Page 91

Frequently Asked Questions

This section covers questions you might have while using your player. For further assistance, you may wish to consult our self-help tool "Knowledge Base". Go to www.creative.com

, select your region and then select

Support.

For the latest firmware updates to improve the player's functionality, go to www.creative.com

, select your region and then select Support

Downloads.

What are the minimum system requirements for setting up the player's software?

 Microsoft® Windows Vista™, Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Service

Pack 2 or later

 CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive with digital audio extraction support

 USB port

 170 MB free hard disk space (more for audio content storage)

 Internet connection for Internet content downloading and CDDB2™ support (any charges incurred are the responsibility of the user)

Note

 The software applications on the Creative ZEN V Series CD may have higher requirements for basic functionality. Refer to each application's documentation for details.

Can I transfer Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected WMA files to my player?

Yes. To transfer DRM-protected WMA files to your player, you can use Creative MediaSource

Player/Organizer, Creative Media Explorer, or Windows Media Player 10 (and above).

I cannot play DRM-protected WMA files on my player. What do I do?

The files may have become corrupt during transfer or the DRM license may have expired.

If the DRM license is still valid, try transferring the files again, and make sure you do so with Creative

Media Explorer, Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, or Windows Media Player 10 (and above) only.

Can I use Windows Media Player 10 (and above) to transfer videos?

Yes, but before your videos are transferred, they must first be converted into a format recognized by

ZEN V Series player models with video support. Only Creative Media Explorer and Creative

MediaSource Player/Organizer can convert your videos.

After a video is converted in Creative Media Explorer or Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, why does its file size increase?

For playback on ZEN V Series player models with video support, all videos are converted into an uncompressed format. This format, though it results in larger file sizes, provides you with the best possible viewing quality on your player.

Can I use the player for portable data storage?

Yes, you can. For more information, see Storing Media and Data Files in Your Player

.

I have to recharge the player's battery quite often. Is there anything I can do to make it last longer?

Some operations consume more battery power:

 a long display duration setting. A shorter display duration setting conserves battery power.

 a high contrast setting. Position the player so that you can read the display without using a high contrast setting.

 fast forwarding or rewinding.

 turning the player on and off too many times.

 prolonged use at high volumes.

One of the following diagrams appears on the OLED display. What does it mean?

Page 92

How do I reset my player when it does not respond?

Your computer is actively managing your player. Warning: DO NOT disconnect your player while your computer is still actively managing it.

Your computer is not actively managing your player. To use your player, disconnect it from your computer.

You are upgrading your player's firmware.

The firmware upgrade is complete. Reset your player for the new firmware to take

effect. For more information, see How do

I reset my player when it does not respond?

.

There was an unexpected power loss during audio file transfer. Use your player only after this library rebuilding is completed.

Your player is updating its tracks. This occurs after transferring tracks to your player and unplugging it.

There was an unexpected power loss while saving settings. Reload the firmware, download a newer firmware version or contact Customer Support

Services.

The firmware is corrupted. Reload the firmware, download a newer firmware version or contact Customer Support

Services.

Page 93

You can solve most issues with your player by resetting it. To reset the player, use a pin to press the

Reset button.

My player does not turn on or stops responding. What do I do?

 Make sure the Power switch is not in the Lock position.

 If you're using the wired remote control (available separately), make sure the wired remote control's Lock switch is not is the Lock position.

 Your battery may need to be recharged. Connect your player to your computer's USB port with the supplied USB cable.

 If all else fails, reset your player. See the FAQ above.

My wired remote control (available separately) is not working. What do I do?

 Make sure the wired remote control's Lock switch is not in the Lock position.

 Make sure the wired remote control is properly connected to your player, and the earphones are properly connected to the wired remote control.

What is PC Music Library?

PC Music Library is your collection of digital audio tracks in Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer. In

Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, you can have more than one PC Music Library. When sharing the same computer, multiple users can each have their own music library, each with its own settings.

However, only one music library can be active at one time.

Can PC Music Library be automatically updated?

Yes. You can use the Media Sniffer tool in Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer to monitor or 'watch' folders in your computer. With Media Sniffer enabled, PC Music Library is updated when tracks in monitored folders are added, deleted or moved. This helps to prevent broken links in PC Music Library.

For more information about using Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, refer to its online help.

Where can I get more information on Creative products?

See www.creative.com

and select your region or country for updates and downloads relating to all Creative products.

Page 94

Disclaimer

As with any digital media-based storage device, data should be backed up regularly. We strongly recommend that you observe the usage precautions, and also back up the data in your player regularly.

In no event will Creative be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages to any persons caused by Creative's negligence, or for any lost profits, lost savings, loss of use, lost revenues or lost data arising from or relating to this device, even if Creative has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event will Creative’s liability or damages to you or any other person ever exceed the amount paid by you for the device, regardless of the form of the claim. Some countries/states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.

Page 95

General Specifications

Size (WxHxD)

 43.5 mm (1 7/10") x 67.5 mm (2 7/10") x 15.9 mm (3/5")

Weight (approximate)

 43.5 g (1 1/2 ounce) with battery

Power Source

 Battery: 1 x Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery

 USB bus powered when connected to a power outlet or powered USB port on a computer

Playback Formats

 Audio playback formats: MP3 (Up to 320 kbps), WMA (Up to 320 kbps), WMA with Digital

Rights Management (DRM) 9 or later, WAV (PCM and IMA ADPCM)

 Picture format: JPEG

 Supports transcoded video format (for selected ZEN V Series player models only)

Recording Formats

 Voice (via built-in microphone): IMA ADPCM (8 kHz, Mono)

 Line-in Recording: WMA (128 kbps and 160 kbps)

FM Radio (for selected ZEN V Series player models only)

 Stereo and Mono

 Up to 32 preset stations

 FM region support

 International: 87.5 MHz ~ 108.0 MHz, 100 kHz intervals

 Japan: 76.0 MHz ~ 90.0 MHz, 100 kHz intervals

MP3 Playback Performance

 Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Up to 90 dB

 Channel Separation: Up to 65 dB

 Frequency Response: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz

 Harmonic Distortion Output: <0.05%

Line-in Input

 2.5 mm (1/10") stereo minijack

Input Voltage (max)

 850 mVrms

Connectors

 Headphone jack: 3.5 mm (1/8") stereo minijack, 5 ~ 7 mW per channel

 USB port: Standard USB mini-B receptacle

Firmware Support

 Upgradable via USB (firmware upgrades are available from www.creative.com

)

Earphone Specifications

 Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 KHz

 Sensitivity: 112 dB ± 3 dB (I/P Level:1 mW)

 Impedance: 32 ohm ± 15%

 Plug: 3.5 mm (1/8") stereo minijack

Page 96

License and Copyright

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technology Ltd. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the written permission of Creative Technology Ltd. The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any other medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement. The licensee may make one copy of the software for backup purposes only.

The Software License Agreement is found in a separate folder on the Installation and Applications CD.

This product is not intended for the unauthorized recording or distribution of copyrighted material.

ZEN, Creative MediaSource, and the Creative logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Creative

Technology Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

Audible and AudibleManager are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Gracenote is CDDB, Inc. d/b/a ""Gracenote."" CD and music-related data from Gracenote CDDB®

Music Recognition Service SM

© 2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote. Gracenote CDDB Client Software © 2000, 2001, 2002 Gracenote.

U.S. Patents Number #5,987,525; #6,061,680; #6,154,773, and other patents issued or pending.

CDDB is a registered trademark of Gracenote. The Gracenote logo and logotype, the Gracenote CDDB logo and logotype, and the "Powered by Gracenote CDDB" logo are trademarks of Gracenote. Music

Recognition Service and MRS are service marks of Gracenote.

All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2006 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.

Version 1.2

July 2007

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