CompactFlash is great, Real Jukebox is not
Written: Oct 25 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easily upgradable, sounds good, batteries last a while
Cons: Parallel Port drive has problems, included Jukebox software is poor quality, LCD screen may break
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| WillMontu's Full Review: RCA Lyra RD2204 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
I ordered the 64MB version of the RCA Lyra about a year ago. At the time, I was familiar with MP3 files, and had just discovered Napster. I chose this player over others, because it was the only one I could find that used CompactFlash memory, as opposed to SmartMedia, which is used by other players. I preferred to use CompactFlash because I used the same memory for my digital camera, and that I did not have to upgrade the player to make use of higher capacity memory.
In the box
When the player arrived, it came with everything I needed, including the player, the 64MB flash card, the car kit, a parallel port CompactFlash drive, a CD with all the software necessary, and the headphones. The headphones are quite good quality. Currently, I have about 13 songs on the 64MB card, but that is at the maximum sound quality (128KB, 44khz). The player runs on two AA batteries, and the batteries last a while.
File transfer
The parallel port drive is the only way that music can be downloaded to the player, and it can cause problems. It requires a connection to the keyboard port for power and supports printer pass through. On the software end, it can be a problem, as it tends to freeze the system up often, and is a hassle to connect and disconnect. There is also a USB drive available, but it is available for a pricey $69.95. I eventually ended up getting a $30 USB card reader from SanDisk. The parallel port drive also has difficulty running under Windows 2000. There are no official RCA drivers for the drive, so I had to download drivers for a similar product from Lexar’s site (www.lexarmedia.com). The drivers worked, but Windows Media Player does not encrypt the files into the proper format. The solution to this was to tell WMP to re-sample the music into the Windows Media format, as the player seems to be able to handle this file format, regardless of how it was encrypted. This method is slow, but it works with the USB flash drive also.
The software
The RCA Lyra comes with a working copy of Real Jukebox. When I first used the player, Junkbox was the only way to transfer files to the player, as they are encrypted. It is not possible to simply copy the MP3 files onto the flash card. Jukebox is not very stable, and it tends to crash, especially in the middle of a file transfer. It also has trouble seeing the parallel port drive sometimes. I later found it easier to use Windows Media Player 7, as it supports the Lyra.
The interface
The interface on the player is fairly basic. When turned on, it has a list of all the files on the flash card, and they can be selected. There is the option to change the play order (in order, repeat, repeat all, shuffle, shuffle all, and programmed). There is also an equalizer, and some pre-set settings. Music quality is quite clear, but the sound quality is sometimes distorted when music is copied at a rate higher than 128K. There is usually a delay between playing songs, especially when switching from different file formats (ie. MP3 to Windows Media and back). I have found, however that sometimes it will simply turn off when knocked or dropped.
Reliability
A few weeks after I first got the player, the LCD screen went bad. It had a black mark on it, and it did not display a menu or anything. It would still play music, but I was still under warranty and sent it back to get it replaced. RCA had a setup with Mailboxes Etc. in which I had to bring the player to them and they would supply the replacement. Unfortunately, they shipped the player to one location and the information to another, so it took some time to drive between two different locations to organize everything and get the replacement player. Ever since, I have not had a problem with the player.
Upgrading
The Lyra is designed to support future technologies. It uses CompactFlash memory, which means that it will support any capacity card possible. There is currently a 256MB card, but it costs somewhere around $700. When technology improves, this price should go down a little. The player has a Type II slot, so it supports with Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards. This also means that it may support the IBM Microdrive, which is basically a small hard drive.
Overall, I like this player. With the Windows Media Player, I can still use the player without having to use Jukebox or the parallel port. The sound quality is really good and the batteries last.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
WillMontu
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Location: Gainesville, FL, USA
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Former UF student with degree in Computer Engineering
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