Received a new 1GB 1.8" screen Full Metal Platinum from UXcell. (This is the kind that looks exactly like the 2nd gen iPod Nano). Very impressed with this player, overall. (I would upload a pic but you can see a better one on UXCELL's site).

It features:

"Real" 3.5mm headphone jack
Standard mini-USB jack!

Defects: My unit had a small mark in the centre button that does not appear to be removable. The headphones didn't work right out of the box (only on one side). Neither is a big deal.

The mostly green WELCOME screen is much nicer than I've seen, more tasteful (firmware is a newer v9.1.50). The firmware is superior to previous versions in other small ways. ie. Besides the file browsing, it scrolls the line you are on in the menus. The screen itself is delightfully better than my 1st gen Nano clones, even if it were the same size. Bright, sharp, perfect contrast.

Unlike the 1st gen Nano clones I've had (but like the Glacier), this player actually remembers where you were in music, ebook and videos. VERY important detail!

CONSTRUCTION:

Overall, it has more of a quality feel than the Nano clones. The loop for the lanyard though appears to be plastic, and looks like it'll break if you look at it hard. I like the feel that it has in my hands, more so than the Glacier. Its smooth and feels sturdy, plus the buttons are easier to use.

COMPATIBILITY:

Not sure about MP3 VBR's (since I don't yet know how to identify them in windows), but I found it played more non-protected WMA's than the Glacier did. The one OGG file I tried gave a squealing sound, as on the Glacier. It played a WAV file no problem, which the Glacier couldn't without major problems.

USAGE:

I found the USB connection dodgy, as with the Glacier, but not as bad as with my Glacier (so far the FMP seems to work more times than not). It might connect okay the first time, but then it might lose connection, or connect at 1.1 USB unless you specify a port, etc. In case anyone thinks its my computer, note that I also have a new 1st gen Nano clone that connects correctly and stays connected.

VIDEO:

I like the Full Metal Platinum's screen. Its very bright and peppy, and makes the Glacier look dark. You watch it with the player turned sideways. Some people don't like that, but it makes perfect sense. Movies are wider than they are tall, and so is the screen. If it were designed any other way, either the player would be wider or the images would be stretched.

In most cases, the Glacier screen is superior. The colors are richer, the screen is larger, and things are a bit sharper. This is most notable on the cartoon show called The Family Guy, where the Glacier portrays angled lines without the rough jaggedness of the Full Metal Platinum (or even worse, the 1st gen Nano clones). But there's a bit of a "slurring" on the Glacier when scenes cut from one to the next. You can see the screen change, whereas on the Full Metal Platinum, the video is smoother, and you're not bothered by the "slurring" of scene transitions nor is there any ghosting effect (which 1st gen Nano clones are famous for).


Full Metal Platinum vs. Glacier (sound)

Well, the sound of the Full Metal Platinum surprised me, at how good it was. Listening to the new George Martin remix of The Beatles "Get Back" (from "Love"), sounds were extending way beyond the headphones (which were slightly modified Koss SportaPro's). Direct comparisons to my Glacier made it even harder to choose which sounds better.

After doing a comparison with Destiny's Child's "Bills", it was clear the Glacier could reproduce timbre more accurately, whereas the Full Metal Platinum had a same-colouration across the band. In short, they both sound good, they both have their strengths. But if I have to say which was immediately more impressive, it would be the Full Metal Platinum. Although bass was looser on the iP compared to the Glacier, it, like everything else on the iP (audio & video), was also more clearer, due to the separation. (The iP has a much wider soundstage, which causes greater separation between instruments, it also has a taller and deeper soundstage, which in total creates something of a surround sound effect on good material and phones). The Full Metal Platinum was also more forward, sonically, and in some ways more musical and fun to listen to (the Glacier was more musical in other ways, such as with vocals). I don't think you could go wrong with either of them, for sound, provided you have decent phones. The Glacier would probably make more sense with really good phones, like Grado's or SuperFi's.

CONCLUSION:

The 1.8" Full Metal Platinum is better in some ways than the Glacier, not quite as good in others. I'd be happy with it in place of the Glacier, were it not for the battery. It does not appear to be easy to replace, and assuming you can find a replacement battery, once you pop off the white tabs at the end to take the unit out of its sleeve, they may not fit properly after that. If you gave me the choice of real Nano or Full Platinum, guess which one I'd choose....

My advice is to forget about the old 1st gen Nano clones. The Full Metal Platinum is where its at, and its worth spending a few bucks more on. I for one am avoiding all players that don't have a 3.5mm jack!

i always wanted to buy various players but their batteries were the major limiting factor. i really didnt want to get into the mess of soldering and stuff.

does anybody have an idea, for how much time these inbuilt lithium batteries in nano clones and platinum player and generally all mp4 players last?

thats why i have been buying only mp4 players with nokia battery as they are easy to replace and was planning to buy a glacier soon. but the general mp4 players with lithium battery are much wider in range and have some models like the above mentioned platinum which i would like to buy. any notes about the lithium battery?

anyways good review

michiganjfrog,

Nice review there.
Thank you for taking the time to do the review and sharing it with us all.

deepakrr wrote (View Post): › i always wanted to buy various players but their batteries were the major limiting factor. i really didnt want to get into the mess of soldering and stuff. does anybody have an idea, for how much time these inbuilt lithium batteries in nano clones and platinum player and generally all mp4 players last? thats why i have been buying only mp4 players with nokia battery as they are easy to replace and was planning to buy a glacier soon. but the general mp4 players with lithium battery are much wider in range and have some models like the above mentioned platinum which i would like to buy. any notes about the lithium battery? anyways good review

Soldering? Darn, I thought the batteries in the clones used push-pin connectors, like wireless phone batteries. If they require soldering, then I see your point: it doesn't make it very practical to change a battery. I read they last 1-2 years, but I guess YMMV. According to Apple, the Nano isn't meant to last longer than the warranty (1 year...). I always thought the Glacier was the only player to use a Nokia battery. Which others do? Where can I find them, I'd be interested in checking them out?

i bought one from rediff.com

it was supposed to be 1gb but turned out to be 256mb lol.

it has sony td-98 written on the lower right corner of the plastic cover for lcd screen. there at rediff, they call it mp4 model 'XChange'

the stock battery which came with it was bl-4c 320mAh and gave me charging and restarting problems which i solved by buying a genuine nokia bl-4c battery 600mAh.

Michiganjfrog-

Thanks for the review. This is what I had been wanting to see when I was looking for my chipod. I purchased the 1.5" screen version, and it arrived today. I've only had an hour with it, but I'm happy. I checked for memory hack, and I was shipped the 1GB version I ordered. After reading all the horror stories from others, I was definitely worried.

The interface is clunky. I've never owned one of these before, but scrolling seems slow, and the button setup is not totally intuitive. I've learned quickly, and I have become accustomed to the setup. I can navigate, but it's like a man walking with a limp - not very smooth.

The sound quality is good. My headphones actually worked well out of the box. The cord on them is a little short, though, for my comfort.

One feature I was surprised by is the tempo feature. I have the Bible on MP3, but the voice moves quite rapidly. I can slow it down to a more conversational pace, and it still sounds good. Neat.

I've backed up my firmware, and I'll upload it for everyone to have access to.

I can't wait to try out this unit more fully. I am concerned about battery life, so I'll keep an eye on that.

-Scott

MJF-

VBR (which I assume means variable bit rate) does work on this player. The part of the screen where the bitrate is shown just constantly jumps around.

-S

HI Michigan

Just wondering about your Full metal Platinum. How is it now after a few days of use?? Battery Life??. I am curious is the menu for it the right way up as in not sideways like when it plays videos. I have the Super I Platinum and was a bit put off by the fact that it is all sideways, menu, video and button configuration. I am not that interested in the video side of things. Am waiting waiting waiting for a firmware tool to extract and update it, was kinda thinkin of flogging it off and getting this new Metal jobby!!. regards the battery is the outer shell easy to remove at all?? have you tried it to see the internals etc etc??How is the bottom and top panels fastened?? screws or clips?? Sorry for so many questions

Cheers

Joffa