Q's regarding database limits and RDS in FM Radio in Clip Sport.

Hi!

I got 2 questions regarding new Clip Sport.

  1. I’ve heard there are some database limits. What are they and what do they mean in practice? I’m interested in bying 4 GB or 8GB versions, and have some 16 and 32 GB memory cards which I want to use with Clip.

  2. Does Sport FM Radio support RDS like Clip ZIP? Is FM chip in SPort the same as in ZIP? Anyone compared FM reception/signal strenght etc quality between the two?

  3. Is sound quality in Sport the same as in Clip+/ZIP? I’ve heard it’s louder (has more output power), but is sound quality (regardless loudness) the same/better or worse?

1)  Currently, 4000 files on the internal memory and 4000 on the external; they do not combine together.  But other factors can affect these numbers:  the length of titles, the length of the paths, and the like.  BUT NOTE:  SanDisk currently is working on a firmware upgrade for the player to add capabilities and fix others, and these figures likely will go down.  The revision should be coming shortly, and you may wish to wait, to see if new limits will meet your needs.

  1. No RDS.  I find FM quality to be the same or thereabouts. 

  2.  Likewise, I find the sound quality to be the same or thereabouts.

juhaz wrote:

 

  1. I’ve heard there are some database limits. What are they and what do they mean in practice? I’m interested in bying 4 GB or 8GB versions, and have some 16 and 32 GB memory cards which I want to use with Clip.

 

Currently the database limits are 4000 internal and 4000 external (card). That’s likely to change when the new firmware update is released though. I’ve heard it may be lowered to accommodate more important issues and/or fixes.

hi!

thanks for the replies.

I see that new firmware was released, with new (lower) database limits, 2000 objects on both internal memory and on sd card. Q is:

does this limit also apply to browsing/playing music by folders (not by id3 tags)? Or even when browsing via folders on say cd cards, some files (above 2000 limit) won’t be seen as well?

Please elaborate on music/sound quality - is it better/inferior than on older clips ? I know SoC is different on Sport - does it affect sound quality much?

And, is there any time difference in battery life on Sport, when playing say standard VBR mp3 files, and FLAC files? If yes, is the difference substantial? Anyone could do some tests on battery life, please?

anyone, please?

I still wonder/have to decide whether to buy it or not.

tia!

Sound quality, to my ears, is similar.  I do wonder whether you might just do better in picking up a new Clip+ or Clip Zip.

why so?

===

also, what about these Q’s?

"1) I see that new firmware was released, with new (lower) database limits, 2000 objects on both internal memory and on sd card. Q is: does this limit also apply to browsing/playing music by folders (not by id3 tags)? Or even when browsing via folders on say cd cards, some files (above 2000 limit) won’t be seen as well?

  1. And, is there any time difference in battery life on Sport, when playing say standard VBR mp3 files, and FLAC files? If yes, is the difference substantial? Anyone could do some tests on battery life, please?"

You’re welcome.  I answered the Q I then had an answer to–just a consumer here, just like you.

The Sport has various limitations not present in the earlier and still-available Clips (database limits, sorting limits, others).  But you can read about them elsewhere here and decide what meets your needs. 

Recently, a few people have posted that the 2000 + 2000 database limits do not impede browsing by folder (that is, there is no limit there).  SanDisk currently is looking into that further.

Strange “confirmation”.

Just got an 8GB Sport and it had, in the US where it was bought and as well here in Europe, full support of the RDS stream.

Station ID and RT (Radio Text) was at all times present and cycling on the lower part of the screen, under the spectral line hosting the Frequency readout.

But that was under v1.09, the version it shipped with.

I did an ugrade to 1.17 because that’s what people normally do and I also wanted the lock functionality, something my old Clip has.

Now I have lost the whole RDS experience with this new FW. Shame on the Sandisk guys for so much inconsistency.

Not everybody in their dev team seems to have enough maturity to think twice about updates that backfire.

As guilty as I am myself, to blindily trust techies fooling around in their dirty kitchen …

Can someone confirm that the old version of Sandisk Clip sport firmware has RDS support, which is removed in the new versions? It’s unbelievable.

@m142857 wrote:

Can someone confirm that the old version of Sandisk Clip sport firmware has RDS support, which is removed in the new versions? It’s unbelievable.

Firmware version 1.09 and 1.22 has RDS support (both PS and RT) but it’s not avaiable in 1.17.

@m142857 wrote:

Can someone confirm that the old version of Sandisk Clip sport firmware has RDS support, which is removed in the new versions? It’s unbelievable.

Firmware version 1.09 and 1.22 has RDS support (both PS and RT) but it’s not available in 1.17.