Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) | 
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| Brand: Transcend
Category: CE
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $44.99
You Save: $25.00 (36%)
New (8) from $44.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 771
Media: Electronics
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.6 x 1.4
Warranty: 2 years warranty
MPN: TS4GMP840
Model: TS4GMP840
UPC: 760557806677
EAN: 0760557806677
ASIN: B000VG2KBU
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | 4 GB capacity for about 1000 songs | | • | 30 hours of music playback on fully charged battery | | • | 1.8-inch TFT LCD screen with 176 x 220 pixel resolution | | • | Plays MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM10, and WAV audio formats; MTV video format (convert using included software); JPG and BMP image files | | • | 2-year limited warranty |
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| Accessories:
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Combining a mirrored surface and metal body, Transcend's T.sonic 840 is a real eye-catcher. This compact 4 GB MP3 player boasts a high-resolution, 1.8-inch color TFT-LCD screen, delivering great image quality for video and photo playback. The 3-phase wheel control and the intuitive graphic user interface make the player simple to use. Enjoy your entertainment on the go, and quickly access useful functions like a digital voice recorder, FM radio, FM recorder, real-time world clock displaying local and world times, and more.  The Transcend T.sonic 840 is the perfect marriage of elegance and functionality. |  The player features a bright and colorful 1.8-inch TFT screen. (White model shown here.) |  Smooth metal backplate. |  3-way easy navigation wheel (2 GB white model pictured). | Enjoy Your Music Anywhere, Anytime
The T.sonic 840 provides 30 hours of nonstop music playback, and it supports MP3, WMA, and WAV formats, including WMA-DRM10 subscription music files. It also boasts a few features you don't find in many players--like the A-B repeat function (which allows you to continuously replay a designated section of a track), variable track playback speeds, and a sleep mode (which will power off the 840 after 15, 30, or 60 minutes). And naturally, you can dial in the EQ--the 840 features seven equalizer settings, including one customizable user setting. Take Your Entire Photo Library with You
T.sonic 840's high-resolution screen and slideshow screensaver is perfect for viewing your favorite pictures. Pull up JPG and BMP format images for sharing anytime. A Movie Theater in Your Pocket
Transfer full-length movies and video clips to the T.sonic 840 for convenient, portable viewing. Just use the included Transcend Media Converter software to convert to the ".mtv" format, and you're good to go. Listen to Your Favorite Radio Stations
T.sonic 840 is equipped with a crystal-clear recordable FM radio with 20 station presets. Pull up your favorite stations in a snap, and if you want to save it for later, just hit record--the 840 features FM recording. Read Novels Without Turning a Single Page
Leave your books at home, and use the T.sonic 840 to read all of your favorite e-books or other text documents while on the go. The text feature also lets you display lyrics for karaoke-style fun. Create Memorable Voice Recordings
Class lectures, important meetings, or personal memos can be recorded at the touch of a button with T.sonic 840's digital voice recorder enhanced with voice-activity detection (VAD) technology for high-quality gapless recordings. Take Your Files with You
The Hi-Speed Mini USB 2.0 port ensures easy computer connectivity and fast file transfers. An added plus is the ability to use the 840 as a USB flash drive for carrying/transferring files. What's in the Box
Transcend T Sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black), earphones, neck strap, USB cable, software CD, quick start guide, warranty card
Product Description
Combining a mirrored surface and metal body, Transcend's T.sonic 840 catches people's eyes. This MP3 player is easy to carry because of its compact size. The 1.8-inch color TFT-LCD screen with high resolution, which delivers the best image quality, is especially designed for video and photo playback. The 3-phase wheel is easy to use and the brilliant graphic user interface displays clearly through the shiny screen. The versatile T.sonic 840 is not just a portable entertainment center, but also provides many useful functions such as digital voice recorder, FM radio, FM recorder, real time clock to display world times, and has a 13-language interface.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Competent Player - But Keep Expectations Low December 4, 2008
When you take the Transcend T.sonic 840 out of the package, the first thing you'll notice is the heft. This player feels rock solid.
And first impressions are good: the interface is reasonably intuitive, and there are a lot of features. Overall I like this little player a lot, but have some reservations - so you may have to do a cost/benefit ratio of your own to decide if this is better for you than an iPod or Zune.
PROS: Drag and drop simplicity for adding media (using either a Mac or Windows machine). Music sounds good. Very bright, colorful display. Radio reception (FM only) is surprisingly good, and you can pre-program up to 20 stations. One-touch sound recording for making memos to yourself. Pictures and video look good (though see my comments in "Cons").
CONS: Videos must be converted to the odd ".mtv" format using the included software (I tried another program, but the Transcend wouldn't read the files. Note that there appears to be NO software for the Mac which can convert to the .mtv format). The software has very little documentation, and no options for changing settings. It does, however, produce reasonably watchable videos. However I couldn't find any way to convert an entire movie for viewing, instead needing to limit myself to short clips only. Disappointing. And while pictures display quite nicely, creating too large a catalog of pictures seems to make the Transcend choke. Granted, I may have been pushing too hard to put in a library of 5000 pictures...but there was no way for the Transcend to cope with it. Additionally, the "scroll wheel" on the side of the Transcend is used to select tracks or move between selections on the menu; it works fine for that, but you can also depress the wheel to act as a mouse click. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it sticks...and I worry that eventually something will break. It's the only mechanical flaw I can cite in an otherwise well-engineered device.
Overall, I like this little player quite a bit and will enjoy using it...but it lacks the style, sophistication, ease of use, and versatility of the more expensive players. Then again, it costs less too...so consider your needs. If you're mostly into playing music and the occasional music video, or enjoy FM radio or find yourself needing to record voice notes, the Transcend may be right for you.
Good design, great sound, but has a few irritating flaws December 3, 2008
The T.sonic 840 seems really well-designed. The metal backing gives the device a little heft, so it doesn't feel cheap in your hands. The black smooth surface doesn't attract as many finger prints as I thought it would, maybe because there are no buttons on the front of the device. Although I don't abuse my electronics, I think this device could survive a few accidental falls.
All of the buttons are on the sides of the device. The play/pause button doubles as a power button, when you hold it longer than 3 seconds. There is a three-way wheel on the right side, which allows you to click up, down, or in, and is used to navigate the menu and make selections This is OK, but feels awkward. Depending on how long you hold the button in, the player does something different, so you may end up in the wrong menu until you understand its function. The wheel is smooth when clicking up or down, but pressing it in often results in a little resistance, and I'm worried that it may eventually break. If it does, it will become impossible to navigate the menus and make selections. I consider this a weakness in a relatively decent design.
The display is sharp and vibrant, and the color scheme is quite cutting-edge. It's high-contrast, with shades of red, black, white. It can be viewed easily from a 45-degree angle.
Navigation is easy -- you can select any of the functions, such as music, radio, or video, and then select from a submenu of your transferred files. Songs are organized alphabetically by artist, with sub-folders for each album. Songs, however, are listed by filename, not by song title, so if your tracks' files have non-standard naming conventions, it may be difficult to determine what song you're selecting. The device supports various modes of shuffle and repeat, but although there are folders for playlists, I have not been able to utilize playlists. You cannot manually create a playlist on the device. This can be annoying if you want to listen to specific tracks by different artists. The device plays tracks sequentially for each album for each artist, moving to the next artist alphabetically. The device does not appear to support album art, and instead displays an equalizer during playback.
You can use this device with Windows Media Player 10 if you enable the MTP function, which allows you to transfer songs protected by DRM licenses. I have transferred tracks from subscription services, such as Rhapsody, without any problems. Transfers are quick via USB 2.0, taking about 5-6 seconds per song. Although the device supports video, files must be converted to a specific and rare ".mtv" format.
Sound quality is good, and the included earbuds sound better than others I've received with other devices. The device supports preset and custom equalizer settings. Volume output is decent at about 50%. When you resume play from pause, there's a gentle fade-in, which is easy on your ears. The included FM tuner works well in my office building, and it's great having a radio function on a media player.
Depending on the bitrate of your files, you can probably expect to store 500-1,000 songs on this device. There is no expansion slot, so you are limited to internal memory. I would estimate battery life at about 15-20 hours. Typically after about 6 hours of audio playback, the battery indicator drops by about 1 bar (out of 3). While charging, you can't use the device or access the menus. It appears to take about 2-3 hours to completely recharge.
Having used other media players, I believe this is a decent alternative to some higher priced devices. However, the awkward menu structure, file names, clumsy playlist features, and sticky wheel keep it from being ideal for most experienced users. I'd recommend this for anybody looking for an inexpensive entry-level media player.
Great deal for the price! December 1, 2008
I have issues with Apple's DRM format, so I was happy to see this being offered through Amazon's vine program, and I jumped on it! This is a much better deal than an ipod Yes, the memory is smaller than one, but it's feature-rich and so far very sturdy and compatible with my video formats. This is a great player for a young person that you do not want to spend $300 on an ipod for, and works just as well (if not better because of the various formats you can put on easily!). Highly recommended!
A Cornucopia Of Features November 27, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The Transcend T Sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) is fully loaded with features in an all metal, compact body. Combined with an attractive mirrored finish, this power packed dynamo offers a brilliant multi-line display via a 1.8" high resolution LCD/TFT screen. The image quality is quite vivid and well framed without distortion. Coming out of the box, I would highly recommend immediate laminate protection to keep the front of the device free of scratches. Navigation is primarily through the on board 3 phase wheel control which easily allows access from one function to the other. As with all MP3 systems and depending totally on the area of reception, the FM radio has been kind of hit and miss. With the help of the customizable equalizer, music downloads are surprisingly crisp.
The T Sonic 840 brings a lot of bang for the buck with these key features;
- FM Recorder
- Video Player (.mtv)
- E Book Reader (txt.)
- Digital Voice Recorder
- Customizable Equalizer
- Preset 20 Station FM Tuner
- Photo Album (jpg/bmp format)
- Karaoke Style Lyrics Display
- Real Time Clock (Displays local & world time)
- Music Player (MP3,WMA,WAV,WMA-DRM10) formats
- 13 Language User Support (For Song/Artist Display)
Whether you're a Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows user, this device is compatible to all three operating systems. For music service subscribers, its a no go with Napster but operates with some hiccups included with Rhapsody. The sweetest feature is the voice-activated recorder. It gets high marks on the Cool Meter for it will automatically begin recording when it registers a sound and pause itself when it can't detect noise. In a quiet space it is one gem of a feature.
Powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery, non stop music play logged in at a little over 20 hours. So much for the 30 hour lifespan. Accessories include the industry standard but comfortable earphones, neck lanyard, mini USB type A cable, zip string carrying bag and software CD.
Overall, the Transcend T Sonic 840 4GB MP3 Player is a cornucopia of features that value conscious shoppers will find hard to resist. It is without a doubt one of the best buys out there.
Excellent at this price. November 26, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've been playing this mp3 player for several days and I've concluded that although imperfect, it's quite a bargain. If you're new to mp3 players, this would be an excellent first choice. This is my fourth mp3 player (three flash and one hard drive) and I'm reviewing the Transcend T.Sonic from this perspective.
With its black mirrored finish and metal casing, it looks very slick and weighs quite a bit for its small size. All of the controls make ergonomic sense, are labeled appropriately and work well with one exception: The menu wheel. Rather than the more standard directional disc or arrows on the front such is found on the iPod Nano, SanDisk Sansa, and many other mp3 players (including the T.Sonic 850), Transcend opted for the grooved wheel control that can be pressed inward to select an item and pressed up/down to scroll. The action of the wheel is difficult to modulate with the fingers because moving from one direction to another (in-out, up-in, in-down, etc.) is rough rather than smooth and the wheel itself is thin and cheap. This is the T.Sonic's most significant flaw because it is the control that the user will be manipulating the most. All other controls work as expected and extremely well.
The screen is beautiful to look at; the colors are rich and the resolution is detailed. Downloading to the T.Sonic is as easy as opening a picture file and copying to the appropriate drive. Pictures appear in landscape mode, thus requiring a 90-degree counter clockwise turn and the display is a slow but attractive gradual vertical appearance.
The sound is very good. I've played classical, jazz, and classic rock files using both earbuds and supra-aural headphones and all in all I'm impressed with the T.Sonic's music rendering. Highs are clear even at higher volumes and while I found the bass lacking, the built-in equalizer allows me to either choose built-in settings (classical, rock, etc.) or customize by manually adjusting the EQ's bands. The stock earbuds that come with the T.Sonic are cheap; to fully appreciate the unit's sound, you'll want to use a decent pair.
The FM radio is a great feature if you're a radio listener as I am, but I do wish mp3 players had AM capability. The T.Sonic automatically scans for stations based upon signal strength and managing the list of stations as well as selecting among the list is intuitive. The radio does not continue to play if you, say, choose to review your settings or view pictures. Neither do the music files. This is a flaw, as I assume many like myself would like to listen while viewing.
A voice recorder is included and you can record also record from the radio. The recorder features VAD (Voice Activated Detection) allowing gapless recordings. I've experimented with this feature only once and the sound quality is decent, but not great. This is great for grocery lists, etc., but I'm not sure about lectures or conversations with much background noise.
I don't watch videos on small screens such as this one, so I haven't tried this feature. Downloading videos does require file conversion software and this is located on the mini-CD disc that comes with the player. I don't yet have a mini-disc player, although the software is available at Transcend's website.
There are many other features such as a karaoke text display for songs, the ability to download and read e-books and other text files (.txt), a playback speed feature that allows you to fast forward through a song, displays in 13 languages, continuous replay, and local and world clock display.
As another reviewer has mentioned, the rubber plug for the USB port is difficult to remove -- strange for something that will have to be removed every time the player needs charging or content is altered.
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At this price, the sheer number of features and the apparent overall quality of the T.Sonic is commendable. I recommend it on price alone, although there is one feature the Sansa line of players includes that gives them a distinct edge: A memory card slot that allows for memory expansion. Also per the 4GB capacity, the 8GB T.Sonic 850 is only a bit more expensive ($16 more here at Amazon) -- a better memory bargain considering you've doubled your capacity.
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