Creative Zen V User Manual

How to use this manual

This document has been designed to provide you with complete product knowledge. You can resize the document window, print this document, access linked web sites and get information from specially prepared graphics.

To jump to a linked topic or a web site, click the underlined blue text, or the hand symbol



whenever it appears. To show a short description (tooltip) of an object, move your mouse cursor over it. A tooltip



appears after a few seconds.

You can choose to print portions of this document:

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

On the menu, click the Print button.

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 ZENTM 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

Button/Connector

What It Does

Power switch

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

Lock

Slide the Power switch to the Lock position to disable your player's controls.

Microphone

Make instant recordings with this built-in microphone.

LINE IN jack

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

Headphone jack

Connect your player's earphones to this jack.

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

Note

Product specifications may vary, depending on model purchased.



Page 3

other ZEN V Series accessories, visit www.creative.com.

Volume Increase button

Press to increase the volume.

Volume Decrease button

Press to decrease the volume.

Record button

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

10.

Play/Pause button

Starts, pauses and resumes playback.

11.

Back/Options button

Press and hold this button to display the Options menu. When scrolling through menu items, press this button to return to the previous menu.

12.

5-way Navigation Joystick

· 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

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



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

To turn on your player, slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there until

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

the Shutting down message appears.

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

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



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 MediaSourceTM 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

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



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

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



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

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



To transfer or 'rip' music from your CD collection

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

Click the Rip Audio CDs button.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

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

Note

Creative Media Explorer uses MusicIDSM 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

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

Click the Browse Media button.

Locate your media files and using the drag-and-drop method, copy them to the following folders

in your player:

Media Library\Music folder for audio files

Media Library\Videos folder for videos

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

Double-click the ZENcast Organizer icon on the desktop.

Click the Transfer button.

Page 22

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Click the Done button.

Note

For updated information about your player's support for ZENcast media files, visit



www.zencast.com

To transfer data files from your computer

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

Click the Browse Documents button.

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.

Connect your player to your computer.

Start Sync Manager.

You can start Sync Manager by clicking the Sync Manager icon on your computer's system

tray, and then clicking Start Synchronize. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Note

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



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.

Press the Back/Options button.

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

Select Music Library and select a music category, such as Albums or Genres. Select All Tracks

if you want to search by track title. Continue searching with the 5-way Navigation Joystick until you find what you want.

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

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

Note

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



Audible files are currently available to selected regions only.



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

Press the Back/Options button.

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

Select Music Library and select a music category, such as Albums or Genres. Select All Tracks

if you want to search by track title. Select an album, artist, genre or track.

Press and hold the Back/Options button.

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.

During playback, press the Back/Options button.

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

Select Now Playing.

The Now Playing screen appears.

Press and hold the Back/Options button.

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.

Press the Back/Options button.

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

Select Music Library DJ and select one of the following options from the menu:

Album of the Day

Let your player's DJ play an album of music tracks.

Random Play All

Let your player's DJ randomly play all tracks, including your recorded tracks.