Sansa Fuze
Encyclopedia
The Sansa Fuze is a portable media player
developed by SanDisk
, and released on March 8, 2008. The Fuze is available in three different Flash memory
capacities: 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB. It comes in five different colors, black, silver, red, pink, and blue. Storage is expandable via a microSDHC slot with capacity up to 32 GB. All models have a 1.9 inch TFT LCD
display with a resolution of 224 by 176 pixels, built-in monaural microphone
and FM tuner
, recordings of both are saved as PCM WAV
-Files.
, WMA
, PCM WAV
and, since the 1.01.15 firmware
revision, OGG Vorbis, and FLAC
audio codec
s, and can display both pictures and videos, both of which must first be converted with the Sansa Media Converter software for Windows; this program converts images to BMP
format and videos to DivX
-AVI
, with specific parameters that make the media compatible with the device. Alternatively, the open-source, platform-independent application video4fuze can also be used. Video4Fuze offers more options and the ability to save the file to your computer instead of having the device plugged in every time you want to convert a file. The Sansa Fuze supports media playlists types of .m3u and .wpl
As of the 1.02.26 and 2.02.26 firmware
revisions, Fuze now supports ReplayGain for MP3, WMA (non-DRM
only), Vorbis and FLAC, which utilizes any ReplayGain metadata that has been encoded into the media files. Also, navigation by folder was implemented as an addition to browsing by metadata.
, but is also compatible with Mac OS X
and Linux
(when USB mode is set "MSC") as a drag and drop USB mass storage device. The player can also function as a Windows Media 10 and up device. The Fuze's USB cable utilizes a proprietary connector that is also compatible with its predecessor, the e200 series, as well as the c200 series. It has a mechanical scroll wheel
(as opposed to the touch sensor on an iPod
). Also unlike an iPod, powering the device off cuts all power usage completely, rather than switching to a sleep mode
that merely shuts down its visible operation. It has a MicroSDHC slot that can be used for standard media storage, and also for the proprietary Sansa services known as Slotradio and Slotmusic.
For editing playlists, the Sansa Fuze supports Windows Media Player
(in MTP mode), Winamp
(in MSC mode) and YAPL for Fuze (in MSC mode). In auto detect, you can view the files like you view them on a hard drive. You can add music through these programs, or you can just drag and drop via a file browser like Windows Explorer.
The Rockbox
port for the Fuze originally supported the first version. Most recently, with the Version 3.7 upgrade, it now supports the second version Fuze devices.
The Sansa Fuze+, announced on August 31, 2010 in capacities of 4 GB (US$79), 8 GB(US$89) & 16 GB (US$119), is a portable media player
with a 2.4-inch color display (QVGA) and touch capability. It also features an FM radio with FM recording, a voice recorder, and 24 hours of audio playback from a single charge. It supports the following audio formats: MP3, WMA, Secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, Audible, Podcast
s. For video it supports MPEG-4, H.264, and WMV. Storage is expandable via a microSDHC slot, and it can be used to play slotMusic and slotRadio cards.
Portable media player
A portable media player or digital audio player, is a consumer electronics device that is capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, video, documents, etc. the data is typically stored on a hard drive, microdrive, or flash memory. In contrast, analog portable audio...
developed by SanDisk
SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
, and released on March 8, 2008. The Fuze is available in three different Flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
capacities: 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB. It comes in five different colors, black, silver, red, pink, and blue. Storage is expandable via a microSDHC slot with capacity up to 32 GB. All models have a 1.9 inch TFT LCD
TFT LCD
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display is a variant of liquid crystal display which uses thin-film transistor technology to improve image quality . TFT LCD is one type of Active matrix LCD, though all LCD-screens are based on TFT active matrix addressing...
display with a resolution of 224 by 176 pixels, built-in monaural microphone
Microphone
A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
and FM tuner
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
, recordings of both are saved as PCM WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
-Files.
Media support
The Fuze supports MP3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, WMA
Windows Media Audio
Windows Media Audio is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs. It is a proprietary technology that forms part of the Windows Media framework. WMA consists of four distinct codecs...
, PCM WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
and, since the 1.01.15 firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
revision, OGG Vorbis, and FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
audio codec
Codec
A codec is a device or computer program capable of encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. The word codec is a portmanteau of "compressor-decompressor" or, more commonly, "coder-decoder"...
s, and can display both pictures and videos, both of which must first be converted with the Sansa Media Converter software for Windows; this program converts images to BMP
Windows bitmap
The BMP File Format, also known as Bitmap Image File or Device Independent Bitmap file format or simply a Bitmap, is a Raster graphics image file format used to store bitmap digital images, independently of the display device , especially on Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems.The BMP...
format and videos to DivX
DivX
DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
-AVI
Audio Video Interleave
Audio Video Interleave , known by its acronym AVI, is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in November 1992 as part of its Video for Windows technology. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback...
, with specific parameters that make the media compatible with the device. Alternatively, the open-source, platform-independent application video4fuze can also be used. Video4Fuze offers more options and the ability to save the file to your computer instead of having the device plugged in every time you want to convert a file. The Sansa Fuze supports media playlists types of .m3u and .wpl
As of the 1.02.26 and 2.02.26 firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
revisions, Fuze now supports ReplayGain for MP3, WMA (non-DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
only), Vorbis and FLAC, which utilizes any ReplayGain metadata that has been encoded into the media files. Also, navigation by folder was implemented as an addition to browsing by metadata.
Operation
The Sansa Fuze is mainly supported on Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, but is also compatible with Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
(when USB mode is set "MSC") as a drag and drop USB mass storage device. The player can also function as a Windows Media 10 and up device. The Fuze's USB cable utilizes a proprietary connector that is also compatible with its predecessor, the e200 series, as well as the c200 series. It has a mechanical scroll wheel
Scroll wheel
A scroll wheel is a hard plastic or rubbery disc on a computer mouse that is perpendicular to the mouse surface. It is normally located between the left and right mouse buttons.- Functionality :...
(as opposed to the touch sensor on an iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
). Also unlike an iPod, powering the device off cuts all power usage completely, rather than switching to a sleep mode
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
that merely shuts down its visible operation. It has a MicroSDHC slot that can be used for standard media storage, and also for the proprietary Sansa services known as Slotradio and Slotmusic.
Software
Sandisk includes the Sansa Media Converter to convert video and photos for use on the player. Equivalent open-source packages also exist, such as Video4Fuze.For editing playlists, the Sansa Fuze supports Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player
Windows Media Player is a media player and media library application developed by Microsoft that is used for playing audio, video and viewing images on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system, as well as on Pocket PC and Windows Mobile-based devices...
(in MTP mode), Winamp
Winamp
Winamp is a media player for Windows-based PCs and Android devices, written by Nullsoft, now a subsidiary of AOL. It is proprietary freeware/shareware, multi-format, extensible with plug-ins and skins, and is noted for its graphical sound visualization, playlist, and media library features.Winamp...
(in MSC mode) and YAPL for Fuze (in MSC mode). In auto detect, you can view the files like you view them on a hard drive. You can add music through these programs, or you can just drag and drop via a file browser like Windows Explorer.
The Rockbox
Rockbox
Rockbox is a replacement for the standard firmware in various forms of digital audio players . It offers an alternative to the player's operating system, in many cases without removing the original firmware, which provides a plug-in architecture for adding various enhancements and functions...
port for the Fuze originally supported the first version. Most recently, with the Version 3.7 upgrade, it now supports the second version Fuze devices.
Fuze+
Portable media player
A portable media player or digital audio player, is a consumer electronics device that is capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, video, documents, etc. the data is typically stored on a hard drive, microdrive, or flash memory. In contrast, analog portable audio...
with a 2.4-inch color display (QVGA) and touch capability. It also features an FM radio with FM recording, a voice recorder, and 24 hours of audio playback from a single charge. It supports the following audio formats: MP3, WMA, Secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, Audible, Podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s. For video it supports MPEG-4, H.264, and WMV. Storage is expandable via a microSDHC slot, and it can be used to play slotMusic and slotRadio cards.