Sandisk Sansa View review

Sandisk's MP3 players have always offered great value compared with Apple's iPods, and the new View is no exception. It looks similar to the e280 but is thinner (just 9mm) and feels tougher.

The View has improved on the e280's circular dial and separate buttons by merging them together, and the new controls are almost as easy to use as the iPod's Click Wheel. Above it is a 2.4in screen with a resolution of 240x320. It's a shame that Sandisk hasn't mounted it horizontally as Apple did with the new iPod Nano, as you have to turn the View on its side to watch videos. A slightly more serious issue is the narrow viewing angles, which force you to hold the player head on if you want to see the correct colours.

Disappointingly, most of our DivX files wouldn't play without first being converted in Sandisk's Video Convertor, but MP4 and WMV files played fine. Video quality is great, thanks in part to the View's smooth frame rate of 30fps.

It's good to see 16GB of flash memory integrated, and even better to be able to add extra storage through the microSD card slot. An FM radio is built in, and you can record directly from it. There's a microphone, too, so you can use the View as a voice recorder.

Synchronising the View with Windows Media Player 11 or any software that supports the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) is easy. You may find dragging and dropping files on to the View frustrating, as you have to switch the power button to 'Hold' and press the left side of the direction pad while connecting the USB cable - there's no menu option to switch between MTP and MSC modes. The proprietary USB connector is also a pain as you must carry the cable with you if you need to charge the View or upload files to it. A standard mini USB port would have made life easier.

Sound quality is great, and we have no complaints about the volume on offer. As you'd expect, the bundled earphones are nothing special, and you'll want to replace them with a higher-quality set. Unlike previous Sansas, the View doesn't come with a case, and this is another essential accessory if you want to avoid scratching the screen.

Battery life is good. When playing music, the View lasted 30 hours and three minutes. You can expect to watch four hours and 40 minutes of video before recharging.

The View isn't perfect, but it's still great value. The screen's viewing angles aren't a dealbreaker, and nor is the awkward drag-and- drop method. DivX support is the only serious omission and prevents the View receiving an award; otherwise, it's a fine choice.

Author: Jim Martin