Audio Video News

Touch screens are definitely the hot addition to any multi-media device on the market right now, and Creative is taking advantage with the updated version of last year’s Zen X-Fi. The X-Fi2, will come in 32GB ($229), 16GB ($179) and 8GB ($129) versions, all of which are priced very competitively against the other big guys in the game.

The 3-inch touch-sensitive TFT LCD is an obvious improvement, especially when it comes to video playback, but there’s a TV-out, in case you want to view your content on a bigger screen. The player is compatible with MP3, WMA, AAC, Audible 4 and FLAC, and video files in WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD formats. It’s currently available for pre-order at Amazon, so it will be interesting to see how it fares against the upcoming Zune HD and the new version of the iPod touch everyone seems to be expecting next week.  

More on the added features after the jump.

     * Capacity: 8GB, 16GB & 32GB (availability may differ in different regions)

    * Dimensions: 102 x 57 x 11.6mm

    * Weight : 75g

    * A vibrant 3-inch TFT Touch Screen LCD with 262,000 colour support for an excellent viewing experience with videos and album art

    * X-Fi Audio Enhancement:

      - Adjustable X-Fi Crystalizer to restore the highs and lows to music during playback that was lost during the ripping process

                  - Adjustable X-Fi Expand to move and expand the sound forward for a natural listening   experience over headphones that simulates the sound from stereo speakers

    * Audio formats: MP3, WMA(DRM9), Audible4, AAC, FLAC

    * Video / Audio Out: PAL or NTSC in stereo (via A/V cable sold separately)

    * RSS: Display RSS content feeds offline (Sync via PC/laptop connected to Internet)

    * Expansion slot: microSD memory card slot to add more music, video or photos to the media player

    * Built-in speaker

    * Flexibility to arrange the main menu icons according to preference

    * Video format support: WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX** 4/5, XviD

    * Photo formats: JPEG, BMP

    * Built-in microphone for voice recording

    * Built-in FM radio with 32 presets

    * Clock / Alarm / Calendar / Task / Contacts Functions (Sync with Microsoft Outlook via PC/laptop)

    * Free preloaded music tracks from eMusic, a digital music retailer offering music fans an alternative to mass market retailers, with a corner music store vibe, incisive reviews and great music. Included tracks are by Ani DiFranco, Anuhea and Blessid Union of Souls. These tracks are courtesy of Righteous Babe Records, OneHawaii Music and V2 Records.

    * Courtesy of Audible.com, the first book in James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series in a full length preloaded audio version valued at US$19.99. Soon to be a major motion picture, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Patterson’s thrilling story is narrated by Evan Rachel Wood, star of Across the Universe, The Wrestler, and Whatever Works.