Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The Muse has a very bright, detailed screen and a terrific sound. The active noise cancellation, when it decides to kick in, is very nice. However, after a year of use there are two areas of annoyance of which you should be aware prior to purchase.
Firmware issues:
Although the Muse will organize audio clips/tracks from a CD by track number if the file is an .MP3 file, it will default to listing tracks alphabetically by track title if the files are in .WMA format. And that is the track title in the IP3 header, not the file's name. It makes no difference as to what track number is stored in the audio file's ID3 header in a .WMA album - the tracks will always be sorted alphabetically. The simplest way around this it to create a playlist for the album with the tracks in the correct order and use the playlist instead of the album play process. Or edit the track title in the ID3 information and preface each track with the track number.
Also, it sounds as if the firmware turns off/suppresses the audio amplifier between tracks and doesn't enable it again until after the next track begins to play. The result is that you'll miss the first few notes of any track where the music begins immediately. Short of editing every MP3 to add ¼-second of silence before any audio, there is no work around.
The above was discussed with Philips tech support, and using a playlist with WMA's was their only suggestion. Philips has yet to release firmware that addresses either problem, and given the age of this product, it is unlikely they ever will. Presumably, this problem afflicts the entire GoGear Muse line of products.
Finally, the Muse's ability to record directly from the FM radio has been disabled - but only for US customers. According to Philip's tech support, for copyright reasons. (A friend's SanDisk Sansa Fuze will record FM directly, so go figure.) If purchased abroad, recording from FM is enabled on the Muse. You can record using the built-in monaural microphone.
Video/audio Conversion Software (ArcSoft) Issue:
The bundled audio/video download and conversion software has locked default settings into a profile file for the Muse which cannot be edited or overridden. (If this bothers you enough you'll have to purchase the retail version, find a different converter or go without.) In many cases you can just load the video files directly into the Muse using Windows explorer, avoiding the conversion process -- as long as they're recorded at 30 frames per second and the file is in a format that the Muse plays naturally.
The default conversion settings that irked me are:
Screen size. The Muse's screen is 400x240 pixels, very nice for HD and widescreen video material. However, if the video is in a smaller aspect ratio, such as old television and film clips, the conversion software will stretch the video to fill the Muse's screen as much as possible. This distorts the original video and looks bad. There is an option in the conversion software that says "Stretch" and is check-marked. But it cannot be un-check-marked.
File size. When converting video the software tries to convert the source material into the best audio and video quality possible -- even if the source video clip is of poor quality. The result for me, in several cases, was that the resulting video file to be played on the Muse is 2 to 3 times larger than the original file. When you're dealing with mega-megabyte files, this impacts how much video you can store on the player.
File Extension. After ArcSoft conversion, the video file will have a different extension -- i.e.: StarshipGroove.PVI -- which means it is only playable on the Muse and not your computer. However, it turns out that it is still an AVI file, so you just need to rename it -- i.e.: StarshipGroove.AVI -- to play the converted file on your computer. This is just an annoyance and not a problem, per se.
*****
For the most part, I'm happy with the Muse - but, just to have the video capability and the active noise cancellation ear buds. (I just wish that Philips would revise the firmware.) If you just want an audio player, however, this unit is probably not for you.
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Philips GoGear Muse 16 GB MP3 Video Player with Month of Rhapsody Music and Free Audible Audiobook (Black)Philips GoGear Muse Portable AV Player features FullSound technology and noise cancelation headphones for exceptional sound and inspired music enjoyment on the go. Plus, viewing videos is a joy on its 3-inch Wide-QVGA color display.
Great Sound on the Go
Built-in active noise cancelation for undisturbed enjoyment With Noise Canceling technology, you can listen to music on the go without being affected by ambient noise. Earphone microphones detect ambient noise where it impacts you most and then a digital signal processor creates the necessary equal but opposite waveform to effectively cancel out the unwanted noise, thus bringing you closer to silence. The earphones' special design also provides exceptional sound isolation and a choice of three interchangeable ear caps to ensure a perfect fit.
FM radio with RDS and 20 presets for more music options RDS (Radio Data System) is a communications protocol standard that allows digital information to be transmitted over FM radio broadcasts. RDS-enabled FM radio receivers can display this useful information that includes station identity, program details and song title and artist, etc. At anytime, you can store a desired station as a preset channel on your GoGear player. With 20 preset radio stations that can be stored, you can quickly access your favorite radio station without having to manually tune the frequencies each time.
High-definition headphones for precise sound Designed according to the curvature of the human canals, these ergonomically designed headphones with exceptional noise isolation feature precisely direct soundwaves from the speaker to your ear drums with highest definition.
FullSound to bring CD listening experience to MP3 Philips' innovative FullSound technology faithfully restores sonic details to compressed MP3 music, dramatically enriching and enhancing it, so you can experience CD music without any distortion. Based on an audio post-processing algorithm, FullSound combines Philips' renowned expertise in music reproduction with the power of the latest generation Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The result is fuller bass with more depth and impact, boosted voice and instrument clarity, and rich detail. Rediscover your compressed MP3 music in true-to-life sound that will touch your soul and move your feet.
Your Media Anywhere
Up to 25-hour music or 5-hour video playback Forget about the hassle of having to recharge your GoGear player battery constantly. This longlasting player allows you to savor your favorite tunes for up to a whopping 25 hours of continuous music playback or up to 5 hours of video playback--all on a single charge. Now you can sit back and listen to music all day long or watch the equivalent of 2 movies back-to-back wherever you go.
Audible.com features digital audiobooks and more Audible.com is your destination for the widest selection of digital audiobooks, magazines, radio shows, stand-up comedy, and more available for download. Enjoy books in the car, at the gym, or around the house. Authors and icons read their own works, and famous actors narrate your favorite titles. At Audible.com you can browse and sample over 60,000 selections, including the latest best sellers and timeless classics.
Create playlists or delete songs directly on the device The Playlist on the go function lets you easily create playlists on your GoGear anytime, while on the move. Likewise, the Delete function simply lets you remove any media that you don't want on your player. No need to rely on your home PC to create playlists and delete files. Now you can conveniently manage your music library directly on your GoGear--anytime, anywhere.
Playback DRM-free music from your iTunes library Now you can playback music from your iTunes library--without any conversion--on your GoGear player. GoGear supports the AAC codec used by iTunes library to rip and store music. Simply drag and drop your iTunes music to your GoGear via Window Explorer. Please note that your player does not support music purchased from the iTunes store.
Easy and Intuitive
Folder view to organize and view media files like on your PC Folder view is an optional directory view of the GoGear player that lets you view all the files on your player as if it were a computer. Once you select Folder view, opening any supported file (i.e. music, pictures or videos) is as easy as selecting the file and hitting Play.
Easy video downloads from the Internet to your GoGear View videos on the go with Internet Video Download, an easy-to-use feature that lets you download videos from video sharing sites (YouTube, MySpace or Google Video) to your GoGear. Install the PC application provided, connect your GoGear to your PC and use Internet Explorer to visit your favorite video sharing site. Choose a video and click the Download button that appears when you hover the mouse cursor over the video. No need to wait, just move on to other videos and start downloading more.
SuperScroll to find what you want in a fast, simple way Double action search keys allow easy speed control when scrolling through large libraries. You can choose to move through your playlist one song or video at a time or just press and hold down a little harder to SuperScroll swiftly to your desired file.
What's in the Box Philips GoGear 16 GB MP3 video player (Black), CD-ROM, USB cable, Noise cancelation headphone
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