ZEN is a series of portable media players designed and manufactured by Creative Technology Limited from 2004 to 2011. The players evolved from the NOMAD brand through the NOMAD Jukebox series of music players , with the first separate "ZEN" branded models released in 2004. The last Creative Zen player, X-Fi3, was released at the end of 2011.
61-527: NetShow was Microsoft's original framework for Internet network broadcasting, intended to compete with RealNetworks RealMedia & Vivo ( acquired in 1998 by RealNetworks ). It was later renamed and marketed under the Windows Media umbrella. NetShow 1.0 came out in 1996. A newer version, 2.0, was included in Windows NT 4.0 SP3 in 1997. Version 3.0 came out mid-1998. The whole product line
122-603: A media player that includes transferring and syncing abilities exclusively for the players. Some models are PlaysForSure -certified for being compatible with Windows Media Player via Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and supporting the Janus DRM . They are natively compatible with Windows , with some also supporting Mac OS X . The first models branded as a "Zen" were released under the NOMAD line, and had an anodized aluminium case. The 2.5-inch Fujitsu hard drives ranged from
183-535: A 20 (NOMAD Jukebox Zen), 30 (Zen NX, Zen Xtra), 40 and 60 GB (Xtra). Unlike the earlier NOMAD Jukebox players, which looked like CD players, these had the appearance of a cassette player. Announced on October 14, 2002, the NOMAD Jukebox Zen was the first player to include the "Zen" branding. It had the distinct ability to connect via USB 1.1 or FireWire , while subsequent releases had connectivity to USB 2.0. Up to 14 hours of continuous audio playback
244-486: A 30 GB 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive and can partition a part of its hard drive to work as a removable disk (up to 16 GB) for any operating system . There are some features of the ZEN Vision which require compatibility with certain operating systems, e.g. require users to have access to Microsoft Windows XP (SP1 or higher). Like past models, the ZEN Vision comes with an FM tuner, a voice and FM recorder, and
305-487: A Face to Your Music , with emphasis on a whole new range of customizable "Stik-Ons", which are decal stickers that can be placed and removed from the face of the unit. The ZEN MicroPhoto, released on July 28, 2005, shares the same features of the ZEN Micro except Audible.com support (reinstated in firmware versions 1.31.01 and above), and adds an upgraded 262,144-color (18 bpp) OLED screen for displaying photos. To fix
366-518: A PC game distribution application that allows users to play casual video games for free for 60 minutes, then decide if they want to purchase them. Many of the games were developed by GameHouse, which RealNetworks acquired for $ 35.6 million in 2004. In 2010, RealNetworks re-branded its games division under the name Gamehouse. It began focusing on social games, such as Facebook applets, and in 2013 acquired casual casino games company, Slingo, for $ 15.6 million. On September 30, 2008, RealNetworks launched
427-460: A calendar and organizer that can be synchronized with Microsoft Outlook . The ZEN Vision has a 3.7-inch, trans-reflective VGA TFT-LCD screen. It has a video output ( PAL or NTSC ) port and a CompactFlash slot which can be used to transfer the contents to the player. An adapter for other memory card types is also available as an accessory. The ZEN Vision also supports an optional infrared remote. The ZEN Vision:M, launched on December 8, 2005,
488-410: A line in record function. This model does not use proprietary USB drivers; it is a standard USB mass storage device. On November 17, 2005, the microdrive player was updated to 6 GB and a new flash range was launched in capacities of 512 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB. The revised device is equipped with a dual-tone OLED screen. The device is also accompanied by a new marketing campaign, Put
549-708: A mobile phone app called Listen in April 2014 that plays custom ringtones to those calling the user's phone. On December 21, 2022, RealNetworks was taken private by founder and CEO Rob Glaser. RealNetworks has its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, in the Home Plate Center building in SoDo across from T-Mobile Park , sharing the building with local television station KING-TV and Logic 20/20 Consulting. Notable RealNetworks employees have included Alex Alben ;
610-645: A monthly fee. In January 2004, RealNetworks announced the RealPlayer Music Store , featuring digital rights management (DRM) restricted music in the AAC file format. After some initial tries to push their own DRM scheme (named Helix DRM ) onto all device manufacturers with the Creative Zen Xtra and the Sansa e200r as the only existing compliant devices, they sparked controversy by introducing
671-586: A new product called RealDVD. The software allows any user to save a copy of a DVD movie they own. The company was later found to have violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and RealNetworks' contract with the DVD Copy Control Association , as the software also allowed anyone to save a movie they do not legally own. (See RealNetworks, Inc. v. DVD Copy Control Ass'n, Inc. ). The product's distribution
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#1732783735302732-453: A piano black front, while the 4 GB model comes only in black and silver. The Neeon 2 supports MP3, WMA, and WAV, display JPEG images and plays AVI videos which are transcoded upon transfer. Also, the player has an FM tuner, built-in microphone, and line-in recording in WMA. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery plays up to 20 hours of continuous audio playback and up to 8 hours of video playback,
793-516: A removable battery rated to last for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. In addition, the player has an LED -backlit LCD , a glowing case, and offers hard disk capacities of 4, 5 and 6 GB. The Micro also features a built-in FM tuner/recorder, voice recorder and microphone, partitioning for data storage (i.e. acting as a removable hard drive for PCs), and the ability to synchronize contacts, tasks and calendars with Microsoft Outlook . Accessories for
854-545: A technology called Harmony that allowed their music to play on iPods as well as Microsoft Windows Media Audio DRM-equipped devices using a "wrapper" that would convert Helix DRM into the two other target DRM schemes. Real Networks acquired Dutch game company Zylom for $ 21 million in February 2006. It became part of GameHouse . On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody was spun off from RealNetworks. In July 2013, RealNetworks acquired Slingo for $ 15.6 million. The company introduced
915-426: Is a reverse engineered package. In November 2011, RealNetworks' case against Edskes was dismissed and RealNetworks was ordered to pay him €48,000 in damages. Details of the case and judgement have been published. RealNetworks appealed the case in 2013, this time alleging that Edskes was after all involved in uploading Real Alternatives. Edskes countered that while his automated script did upload Real Alternatives,
976-542: Is a Nano with an FM tuner with 30 custom presets, plus voice, radio, and line-in recording. Recorded audio is encoded in WAV (ADPCM), except for line-in, which encodes to MP3 . The ZEN Neeon 2, a successor to the Neeon, was announced on August 2, 2006. The player has a 1.5-inch CSTN-LCD display in a resolution of 128×128. The 1 and 2 GB models are available in a black, silver, blue, pink or orange backplate, accompanied with
1037-433: Is achieved by the rechargeable battery, and an optional wired remote gives the player an FM tuner and microphone. The Zen NX, as it was later called, was released on August 20, 2003, as an upgrade to the NOMAD Jukebox Zen, with a removable battery and a slightly smaller size. Included with the player was MediaSource, the music management software that would be used with subsequent Zen players. The NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra, or
1098-447: Is adapted from the earlier released Vision. The 2.5-inch, TFT LCD display has a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels ( QVGA ), and is capable of outputting 640 x 480 using a composite video cable. The player has an estimated battery life of 16 hours for audio, and five hours for videos (tested under continuous playback). Album art is shown during playback, and image-viewing is enhanced with pan, zoom and rotation abilities. The 30 GB model
1159-543: Is an American technology company and provider of Internet streaming media delivery software and services based in Seattle , Washington . The company also provides subscription-based online entertainment services and mobile entertainment and messaging services. RealNetworks (then known as Progressive Networks) was founded in 1994 by Rob Glaser , an ex- Microsoft executive, and a management team including Phil Barrett, Andy Sharpless, and Stephen Buerkle. The original goal of
1220-562: Is an upgrade of the ZEN with a 20 GB hard drive , FM radio, built-in microphone, and sports an aluminium casing. Like its predecessors, it can synchronize with Microsoft Outlook's calendar, address book, and memo functions. The player has a battery life of up to 20 hours. The ZEN Sleek Photo was released on October 6, 2005. It is the color-screen equivalent of the Sleek, with the extra ability to view JPEG photos on an OLED screen. The ZEN Vision
1281-607: Is available in capacities of 20 and 40 GB. Unlike the previous two generations, the Zen Touch does not have a removable battery, and plays audio for approximately 24 hours. Even though the battery is not removable, it can be replaced rather easily since the case is closed with screws only and the battery attaches with a connector. The Zen Touch has a brief uncredited appearance in Diet Pepsi 's commercial which aired during Super Bowl XL featuring P. Diddy . The ZEN Micro
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#17327837353021342-535: Is available in white, black, green, blue and pink. Like the other players in the Vision and Micro lines, this model is known for its glowing button symbols. The ZEN Vision:M has won a number of accolades, including the "Best of Show" and "Best Portable Audio & Video Device" awards at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show , as well as the Red Dot Design Award . On August 31, 2006, Creative announced
1403-406: Is the first ZEN to have an SD card slot, support for unprotected iTunes -encoded AAC , and a 24-bit color screen. The ZEN MX is a derivative of the ZEN, released in 2009. It shares the same form factor as the ZEN, but reduced processing power, cosmetic changes and changes in firmware resulted in a slightly stripped-down and sluggishly operating player, retailing as a lower price. The ZEN X-Fi
1464-564: The Microsoft Media Transfer Protocol and the PlaysForSure certification with updated firmware . The Micro competed with players such as iPod Mini and Rio Carbon . The ZEN was released on April 6, 2005, and is slightly larger than the ZEN Micro with a 20 GB hard drive capacity. The ZEN, however, has a magnesium back-casing and the battery is unremovable. This model was initially available in
1525-425: The download manager RealDownload, was already used for pushing small software, such as games, to subscribers' computers. On top of the subscription for RealDownload and using its RealVideo streaming technology, a service called GoldPass, including unlimited access for video snippets from ABC and movie previews, was offered to registered users for a monthly $ 10 fee. More content was added through deals with CBS for
1586-621: The streaming media markets and broadcast one of the earlier audio events over the Internet, a baseball game between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners on September 5, 1995. They announced streaming video technology in 1997. According to some accounts, by 2000 more than 85% of streaming content on the Internet was in the Real format. Despite this success, problems arose because RealNetworks's primary business model depended upon
1647-693: The 30 GB version. The ZEN Nano and the ZEN Nano Plus were released internationally on June 1, 2006. The player is a rebranded MuVo N200. The ZEN Nano Plus is a USB mass storage device , and does not require proprietary drivers. It has a battery-life of up to 18 hours using an AAA battery. Like the Micro and the MicroPhoto, the Nano is available in ten colors: black, pink, red, orange, green, light blue, blue, purple, gray, and white. The ZEN Nano Plus
1708-555: The Asia-Pacific region, but soon became available in the US through Cambridge SoundWorks, a subsidiary of Creative. The ZEN Neeon was released on May 17, 2005. It is a throwback to the old Zen Xtra, but in a much smaller size. The 5 GB model has an SNR of 98 dB and a battery life of 16 hours (19 hours with new firmware version). The front has a piano black finish, and the back is anodized aluminium that comes in ten colors. and
1769-764: The Helix open-source code and the Helix Universal Server, which hosts, distributes and manages digital rights for multimedia content. Helix competes with the Windows Media 9 Series from Microsoft, but has a greater emphasis on open-source. Helix was announced in July 2002. Support for mobile devices was added in November 2005. It was discontinued in October 2014. In 2000, one of the initial products,
1830-521: The LCD screen has a 7 color backlight. The Creative ZEN Neeon was criticized highly at the time of release for having a slow interface, more specifically slow start-up, menus and song switch. As well, the first released models came with a Windows virus. A later firmware update provided a much quicker start-up time and interface. Like the Zen Micro, this unit has an FM tuner and a microphone , but also has
1891-580: The Vision:M, while the videos will be trans coded upon transfer. There are also built-in microphones for voice recording, as well as wires for line-in recording . The rechargeable lithium-ion battery has a life span of up to 15 hours of continuous audio playback. The ZEN V Plus won the CNET Editor's Choice award during that month. On September 29, 2006, Creative announced that the blue-and-black ZEN V Plus had been upgraded to 8 GB. Four days later,
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1952-535: The ZEN Micro include matching color speakers, wireless headsets and a wired remote control. The first 35,000 units shipped worldwide were packaged as a "Limited Edition" package that came with an additional rechargeable battery. Asian models of the Limited Edition included the extra battery and a wired remote control. At CES 2005, it was announced that the ZEN Micro line would be expanded to include 4 and 6 GB models. The ZEN Micro optionally supports
2013-570: The ZEN Stone Plus is identical in design. However, the ZEN Stone Plus has a monochromic OLED screen, a built-in FM tuner, a stopwatch (the first ZEN player to have this ability) and a built-in microphone. The ZEN Stone Plus plays approximately 9.5 hours of continuous audio playback, and comes with the same colors as the ZEN Stone in a 2 GB capacity. A 4 GB model was subsequently released on June 29, 2007. A built-in speaker version
2074-423: The ZEN line to have the following features: a 16-bit color screen, unlike other ZEN players, which are 8-bit; a battery life of 30 hours (20 with the speakers), which was the longest compared to any previous ZEN player; the ability to read e-books ; and the ability to show 3 different time zones "at a glance". The ZEN Wav comes in capacities of 2 and 4 GB. Creative's first flash -based portable media player
2135-474: The ZEN:VisionM, simply called "ZEN", offered many of the same features but in a small pocket-sized form factor. This flash -based player was released on September 14, 2007, in capacities of 2, 4, 8, and 16 GB. A 32 GB model was announced on December 4, 2007, setting a record for storage capacity among flash-based players. The player is 0.44-inch thick, making it the slimmest ZEN player so far. It
2196-527: The Zen Xtra (renamed by Creative for commercial reasons) was released simultaneously with the Zen NX. The player was presumably named Xtra, thanks to the larger screen. The package includes the player, a leather case with belt-clip, a lithium-ion battery, a USB cable, and a pair of standard earbuds. The Zen Xtra does not support the FM tuner from the original Zen and does not have recording capability. The Xtra
2257-582: The ability to use a picture as a custom wallpaper, with color themes to change the tones of it, and six color schemes. The player was first announced at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show , where it won the G4TV Best of CES award in the Audio To Go category. In November 2005, the player was the CNET Editor's Choice award on CNET.com . The ZEN Sleek was first available on August 30, 2005, and
2318-399: The availability of an upgraded player with 60 GB capacity. This version has a USB host adapter cable, which enables users to transfer photos from a digital camera directly to the player. It is only available in black and white, and was initially slightly thicker than the 30 GB model. On March 11, 2007, the 60 GB model was upgraded with a new slimmer profile - the same thickness as
2379-593: The company joined forces with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to release a pink version of the 2 GB model, available in most areas. In Europe and Japan, the 8 GB version is available in a red-and-black color. On August 8, 2007, Creative released a 16 GB model of the ZEN V Plus, making it the highest capacity flash-based player until the ZEN beat its own record with the release of its 32 GB model. The replacement of
2440-628: The company was to launch the first coordinated effort to sell and deliver music from major record labels over the Internet, part of a broader initiative by the company to develop subscription Internet services aimed at Web users with fast Internet connections. In 2002, a strategic alliance was formed between RealNetworks and Sony Corporation to expand collaboration. In October 2005, Microsoft agreed to pay RealNetworks $ 460 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit. In August 2003, RealNetworks acquired Listen.com's Rhapsody music service, and renamed it RealRhapsody . It offered streaming music downloads for
2501-559: The company was to provide a distribution channel for politically progressive content. It evolved into a technology venture to leverage the Internet as an alternative distribution medium for audio broadcasts. Progressive Networks became RealNetworks in September 1997, in advance of the company's initial public offering (IPO) in October 1997 when shares of the company started trading on Nasdaq as "RNWK". RealNetworks were pioneers in
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2562-402: The content of the message and sorts it into categories to determine which ones are more important, and prioritize message delivery. In March 2021, RealNetworks unveiled KONTXT for Voice to identify and stop scam robocalls. RealNetworks on September 24, 2013, launched RealPlayer Cloud, a service that adds the ability to share videos recorded on smartphones and tablets. RealPlayer Cloud ties into
2623-448: The direct upload of images. The ZEN Stone, released on May 3, 2007, is a small and screenless 1 or 2 GB player. Coated in glossy plastic, the player is available in black, white, blue, pink, green, and red. The ZEN Stone is compatible with the MP3 , WMA , and Audible formats, is UMS compliant, and the battery lasts up to 11 hours. Although it is slightly larger than the ZEN Stone,
2684-426: The existing RealPlayer; however, it also has a Web app and apps for Android, iOS and Roku. The service has 2GB of free cloud storage and more storage for a monthly fee. It was renamed to RealTimes on May 19, 2015, with a new focus on creating and sharing "Stories"—video collages of users' personal photos and videos, set to background music. RealNetworks entered the computer game market in October 2001 with RealArcade,
2745-450: The first Chief Privacy Officer of Washington State ; Tony Fadell , the inventor of the iPod ; musician Daniel House ; and Philip Rosedale , the founder of Linden Lab . The domain real.com attracted at least 67 million visitors annually by 2008, according to a Compete.com study. Launched by RealNetworks on July 17, 2018, SAFR – Secure Accurate Facial Recognition, is a machine learning facial recognition platform. The SAFR platform
2806-469: The highest for any Creative digital audio player. Like its predecessor, decal stickers called "Stik-Ons" are sold separately to customize the look of the Neeon 2's frontplate, though they cannot be interchanged. The players and their "Stik-Ons" are only available in Australia, Singapore and several other Asian countries. The ZEN Vision W was released on September 17, 2006. A variant of the ZEN Vision,
2867-464: The lack of bass with the ZEN Micro, Creative implemented a Bass Boost feature, available in most subsequent players. The 8 GB player is available in the same colors of the Micro and is advertised to store "thousands of JPEGs " or "4,000 songs". Due to its larger battery, the player can play up to 15 hours of continuous playback, 3 hours longer than its predecessor. The MicroPhoto is the first of many subsequent players with expanded customization, with
2928-491: The portable media player has a 4.3-inch, widescreen (16:9) TFT-LCD display. The player comes in black and is available with 30 or 60 GB capacity. Like the ZEN Vision:M, a built-in microphone and an FM tuner are included, as well as support for the same media formats, a similar graphical interface and the ability to sync organizer data from Microsoft Outlook. It also includes a CompactFlash reader for extra capacity and
2989-826: The reality show Big Brother and NBA basketball. Creative Zen Three Creative Zens (the Portable Media Center, Micro Photo, and Vision:M) won the Best of CES award from 2004 to 2006 in their respective categories, with the latter winning the overall award. The ZEN series had a strong foothold in Asian Pacific markets, especially in Singapore , the location of the company's headquarters. All players support MP3 and WMA formats, while some models support also WAV and Audible formats. They are bundled with device drivers and Creative MediaSource,
3050-504: The sale of streaming media server software , and Microsoft and Apple were giving those products away. As servers from Microsoft and Apple became more capable, Real's server sales inevitably eroded. In RealNetworks, Inc. v. Streambox, Inc. in January 2000, RealNetworks filed an injunction against Streambox, Inc. regarding that company's product designed to convert Real Audio (.rm) formatted files to other formats. On December 4, 2001,
3111-419: The web server was deliberately configured to keep the file unavailable to public. He audited the uploads and deleted Real Alternatives before he was raided in February 17, 2010. Therefore, he was never committed unauthorized distribution. Helix is a suite of streaming media software and services intended for digital TV set-top boxes, mobile devices, as well as QuickTime, Flash and other programs. It includes
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#17327837353023172-472: Was also released. Both versions support MP3 and WMA , with the built-in speaker version also supporting iTunes-encoded AAC and Audible formats. A successor called the Zen Krystal was presented in 2008, featuring a pedometer . The ZEN Wav was released on May 25, 2007. The flash-based player has built-in stereo speakers and supports the MP3 , WMA , and WAV formats. It is the first player in
3233-474: Was barred by a court injunction. Real Alternative is a discontinued software bundle that allows users to play RealMedia files without installing RealPlayer. The last version, 2.02, was released on February 19, 2010. It included Media Player Classic . Beginning in 2010, RealNetworks sued Hilbrand Edskes, a 26-year-old Dutch webmaster, for having inserted hyperlinks to Real Alternative on his site www.codecpack.nl. RealNetworks alleges that Real Alternative
3294-409: Was released on June 20, 2006. The scratch-resistant models have an OLED display with a resolution of 128×128. They come in white and black with orange trim for the 1 GB version, green trim for 2 GB, and black with blue trim for the 4 GB version and later an 8 GB version. The ZEN V Plus plays video and has an FM tuner, while the ZEN V does not. The players support the same formats as
3355-421: Was released on June 7, 2004. The model incorporated major changes in design, functionality and technology. The Zen Touch has a smaller form factor and larger backlit blue display in a curved industrial design. In addition, the device uses a touch-sensitive vertical strip on the front of the unit for easier file navigation. These changes were enabled by the use of Hitachi 's smaller 1.8-inch hard drives. The Touch
3416-510: Was released on November 12, 2004, and is a microdrive player available in 10 colors. It is also the first ZEN release that sports the new branding, including capitals for all letters in Zen . The ZEN Micro is much smaller than the Touch and shares a similar interface and controls (including the touchpad, without the 'OK' button. Making a selection would be done by tapping the touchpad). The Micro has
3477-454: Was released on October 1, 2005. Since its launch, it is the winner of several awards, including Best of Digital Life 2005 and the Red dot design award . Unlike its predecessor, the ZEN Vision does not have Microsoft's Portable Media Center interface. It supports audio (WMA-DRM, WMA, MP3, WAV), video (WMV, Motion JPEG, MPEG 1/2/4, DivX 4/5, xvid) and picture (JPEG) playback. The ZEN Vision utilizes
3538-406: Was renamed Windows Media in October, 1999, four months before Windows 2000 appeared. The NetShow name is still carried on in the user-agent string in current versions of Windows Media Player , which reports as "NSPlayer". This article about software created, produced or developed by Microsoft is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . RealNetworks RealNetworks LLC
3599-484: Was the first DAP to support RealNetworks 's Helix DRM , through tailored firmware . The SanDisk Sansa e200R would become the only other player to have this feature. The Zen Portable Media Center, announced on January 8, 2004, and released eight months later, is based on Microsoft 's Portable Media Center interface, runs Windows Mobile and supports WMV , WMA, and MP3, and can display JPEG images; other video formats are supported through transcoding. This device
3660-614: Was the first to exclusively support Microsoft 's Media Transfer Protocol , and was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2004, winning the TechTV Best of CES Award in the Portable Audio and Video category. The player uses a 1.8-inch 20 or 40 GB hard drive from Hitachi . The Zen Portable Media Center was replaced by the ZEN Vision and the ZEN Vision W. The redesigned 40 GB Zen Touch
3721-544: Was updated in 2020 with COVID-19 response features, including the ability to detect whether a person is wearing a mask and identify people wearing masks with 98.85 percent accuracy. On April 27, 2021, SAFR received a grant from the US Air Force to develop its AI-powered analytics for rescue missions, perimeter protection and domestic search operations. In 2017, RealNetworks launched Kontxt, a product that offers management of text messaging in mobile networks. It identifies
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