SanDisk Sansa Fuze 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Pink) Review

There is a lot to love about this MP3 player. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would do so. I just purchased a little over a week ago, so the jury is still out and I have some minor quibbles, so out of principle I gave only 4.

The Good:
1) Although it comes in a default of "auto" USB mode (which switches to MTP mode if you have Windows Media Player installed), this player is easily switchable in menu (SYSTEM SETTINGS > USB MODE) to MSC mode, which allows you to easily copy and paste MP3 (and video, see below) onto the drive as if it were a flash drive. This also allows it to work with Ubuntu Linux, and I assume Mac (but untested by me) - for audio files only. BTW, files loaded in MTP mode are not accessible in MSC and vice versa.
2) The touch wheel is extremely comfortable and has a very intuitive and predictable feel. I would have changed some of the settings (e.g. up and down for navigating menu lists like my TV remote, rather than glide 'rotating' the wheel) but that is a minor quibble.
3) Comes with free video conversion (Windows) software called Sansa Media Converter, or SMC for short (but see below for the downside). This is very nearly a mandatory software requirement to view video (unlike Rhapsody which is an optional install and not required to hear audio).
4) Player has update for firmware that allows use of open source audio codes FLAC (free lossless) and OGG (an open source MP3 alternative). I have not yet tested these formats on this player (may not be supported on earlier firmware to which I reverted).
5) FM radio is a nice bonus, and appears to work well, even in my relatively radio-wave-free neighborhood and on the train. Up to 10 presets possible.
6) MicroSDHC card expandable (up to 32gb!) I have not tested this with audio or video, but this was a strong selling point for me, and I will take it back if it doesn't work!

The Bad
1) The video. In a nutshell, even though advertised to support MPEG-4 videos, do not be fooled: no attempt appears to have been made to support compatible video podcasts (e.g. h.264 codec) or Ipods (320 x 200 size video and different codecs)...so count on pre-converting ANY video you want to watch on this player using the SMC (see above). As this is not available on Linux, you may as well not try to use video with Ubuntu Linux or any other version that I know of. I have spent many hours trying to find a codec that was both compatible with this player and available via Linux converter software (e.g. mp4 or h.263 etc) but apparently this player uses one and only one unique flavor of mpeg-4 - a DIVX version? Or perhaps something that relies on DirectShow (I have no particular knowledge about this so these are only guesses).
2) The viewable video screen is an odd size: 224pixels wide by 176 pixels high (vs. the usual 320 by 200 for IPods. This means if you transcode any ipod videos, any text will be smudged. NOTE: The Fuze screen is very clear otherwise, if a bit small to watch much of anything on for a long time!
3) The free SMC converter is kind of lousy - it takes nearly as long to convert a video as to watch it, and the Fuze must be plugged into your computer to do any conversions (ie you can't convert videos while you are out and about unless you leave the Fuze with the computer).
4) I DID find one other program (on Windows) which works well and seems faster than SMC. Its called WinAVI (google for, I believe, Version 8), and provided you choose the right settings (224 x 176, 20 frames per second, and mp3 audio, saved in an AVI container file) Just drag the resulting files into the "Videos" folder on the Fuze and you should be golden.
5) One other reason I would take off a half point is the odd behavior of inability to turn off the MP3 player (apparently common these days). This could be considered a 'feature" (resume where you left off), but it turned up as a problem when somehow the Fuze tried to play the SMC converted video with the audio player, and I didn't know how to get out of that loop, even with a soft reset (hold the on button on for several seconds, it will reset). The solution? Hit the home button, navigate to Record, start to record, but don't save...MP3 and FM radio will both be turned off. I also reverted to an older firmware just to be sure it wasn't the new firmware causing the instability.
6) It only has a built in, non-changeable, rechargeable battery, so consider this device a 'rental'. BTW, it can only be charged with its own special adapter to USB (not a generic USB connection on the Fuze proper). This means you'll probably want to buy an AC and car adapter if you're going to be out for a long time (I have not verified the battery life but it seems pretty good, at least for audio-only use).

In the future, it would be nice to see:
1) More standard open source video codec format compatible with all platforms and various other software, not just the SMC
2) More standard (larger) video screen (e.g. 320 x 200)
3) Replaceable battery (I can dream)

Overall, an excellent MP3/OGG/FLAC audio player. Video screen although clear and bright is marginally functional as a video viewere and more useful as a navigational device.

Buy it here now!