Sansa Fuze+ Firmware 01.32.00

Is there an RSS feed those of us who don’t want Sansa updater can follow in a feed reader to keep trak of updates instead of visiting the forum every few days?

@alienkid10 wrote:

Is there an RSS feed those of us who don’t want Sansa updater can follow in a feed reader to keep trak of updates instead of visiting the forum every few days?

Yes, there is. It’s under Options in the upper right-hand corner of the posts. Problem is, when there’s a new update, a completely new thread is started, so you cannot subscribe via RSS to something that hasn’t been created yet.

Checking back every couple of weeks should be sufficient for this new player. Otherwise, firmware updates are usually released every 3 months or so.

OK so I’ll just resume my normal habbits of checking back on the forum once 1 week or so. They really should make an RSS or something like a kb article which has the firmware zip so everytime it’s updated we can download it without needing to check back every few weeks.

I agree; This is the 7th Sansa product I have purchased. I’ve had reliability issues with 2 of those (in fact, I had to return my previous Fuze because of the headphone jack problem, and replaced THAT replacement by purchasing this Fuze +. ) It’s attractive because of the potential quality vs. price, but the current lag, long start-up times, hangs, etc., make it unacceptable, regardless of price. The normal firmware update cycle is unacceptable because we’re not talking about tweaks, we’re talking about basic usability and functionality. I’ve been reluctant to go public with my complaints, but seriously, if you’re not a Sansa “fanboy,” how could you seriously recommend this product to anyone who wasn’t…“Oh, sure, it takes 3 minutes to start up, is completely unresponsive when you want to do something like play a specific song, but it looks pretty, and sounds great when it works, and I’m sure someday they will have an update that allows it to work half as well as a nano.” And the SD card is not an excuse; the prior Fuze didn’t take 3 minutes to boot. I hate to say it, but if you release a half-baked MP3 player for approximately $100 with the expectation it will work like it should in the future, you SHOULD get ripped. SANSA, you’re not my girlfriend…I don’t OWE you loyalty…FIX THIS!!!

Hi. I just ran this recent update and now I can no longer see the audiobooks folder in My Computer. I know that it should be in the podcast folder. I listen to audiobooks at least 3 hours per day.  I can still navigate to the audiobooks folder in the Sansa Fuze+ and it just shows and empty folder. Please tell me how to bring it back into My Computer so that I can load more books. Thank you.

@chupacobras wrote:

Hi. I just ran this recent update and now I can no longer see the audiobooks folder in My Computer. I know that it should be in the podcast folder. I listen to audiobooks at least 3 hours per day.  I can still navigate to the audiobooks folder in the Sansa Fuze+ and it just shows and empty folder. Please tell me how to bring it back into My Computer so that I can load more books. Thank you.

Firmware updates have a habit of changiing the USB connectivity mode on you. Your computer cannot see content added except when connected in the same mode as when the files were added. I would try switching the mode to the other one (MTP or MSC) and see if that ‘brings them back’. Avoid using the Auto Defect setting. It can cause these problems by the very nature of how it works.

really ? on my computer my playlist can’t be modified, because she’s empty (0ko, but on the fuze+ there is more than 200 musics in the playlist oO). there’s a bug ?

thanks

@neutron_bob wrote:

Unlike the previous Sansas, the new Fuze+ allows editing playlists after clicking the “Add to Playlist” choice when an individual track is open.  You will have the choice of addind / deleting the track from individual playlists, after first selecting the “add” choice in the initial menu.

 

With other models, the GoList is the only list that can be edited from the device itself.

 

The list can be transferred or modified from the PC when connected.

 

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

hi bob ! thanks for your answer :smiley: !

I’ve tried to make changes on the playlist from my computer but she’s empty (0ko) ! but on the fuze+ there’s more than 200 songs saved in the playlist oO there’s a bug ? I’ve tried in MSC and MTP usb mode and under linux os and windows xp/7 but there’s no differences…

I have a stupid problem with the Podcast folder. Since upgrading to the 1.32.00 the main Podcast browser menu now shows up to 4 times as many tracks as there actually are.

e.g 12 episodes when in fact there are only three in the podcast

(some folders only show twice as many).

I’m Synchronising via 3rd party software to a folder on my PC using MSC mode and have had no problems prior to this.

Hi.

I’m new here. Going to receive my Sansa Fuze+ player in a few weeks. :smiley:

I just wanted to ask that should I install each firmware one by one or can I just upgrade to the newest and it’ll contain all the previous fixes too?

This will be my first Sandisk player as I’ve previously only used players by Creative.

@sapphire87 wrote:

Hi.

 

I’m new here. Going to receive my Sansa Fuze+ player in a few weeks. :smiley:

 

I just wanted to ask that should I install each firmware one by one or can I just upgrade to the newest and it’ll contain all the previous fixes too?

 

This will be my first Sandisk player as I’ve previously only used players by Creative.

Just the latest. Each firmware is complete, containing all the previous updates as well.

Ok. Thanks for answering my question… :smiley:

That was the only thing that I really was wondering about.

Everything else about the player is quite clear.

Browsing this place sure has given me much valuable information already.

Any idea/comments/information when the voice and fm recording thing will be fixed?
& of course the sluggish performance…

I have mixed feelings with the new fuze+

On the plus side, when the touch controls work, they are sexy, and I like it.  The new menu system is awesome and the look of the product is great. 

Another fantastic feature which is not mentioned here is transfer rate.  The transfer rate via Rhapsody and Winamp is outstanding.  I love how fast Rhapsody channels now updates.  It’s almost twice as fast.  The transfer rate for winamp is also sweet.

On the down side, the player takes too long to boot, the sluggish performance navigating menus is really annoying.

What I am finding is the biggest delay is when I go from “albums to Songs” in the Music menu.  Since I have over 4000 songs listed, when it has to make this list, it is several seconds and I just have to wait.

Unfortunately, I use Genre as my preferred method of picking music, which means I have to always navigate through the songs sub menu to get to Genre.

Ideally the lists should be seamless, but if Sansa can’t physically make that happen, at least let us “order” the sub menus in a specific order.

Let me pick which sub menus I want in which order.  (Of course looping through menus would also allow me to navigate the other way and thus avoid the problematic “songs” menu.).

I also want to eliminate the “card” menu from the top like other menus.  Since the only navigation possibilities in “card” is by artist, it’s not very useful.  Also, since the card is already integrated into the other menus, I don’t see the necessity of the “card” menu unless a “slot music” card is inserted.

Either way, let me disable that menu if I wish.

The higher catalog size (10,000) is nice and hopefully will be expanded even further considering a 16GB unit can eventually support 48GB. 

I think since Sandisk does it’s “capacity” based on 128Kbit/Sec MP3’s, then the database size should also sized accordingly.

I have high hopes for the device.  There were similar “gaffs” with the Fuze when it first came out  (such as non-looping menus and a “fixed” scroll rate).  Sandisk matured the product nicely and eventually the Fuze became my favorite player.

@sabina wrote:

I really want to like this player, but so far there’s just a lot of room for improvement…

 

What I would love more than anything in an update would be for my player not to be sluggish.  My library is not even full.  I can deal with the slow start up, but when it takes several seconds between EACH music menu?  That’s a problem, especially if I want to listen by genre or playlist, it takes FOREVER to get there.

 

What I would love even more than that would be to trade in for the same player with tactile buttons, because these touch controls are pretty much aweful.  It compounds the lag problem, because I don’t know if the touch controls just didn’t register, or if the player is just taking a while to respond.

I am forced to whole heartedly agree… I really wish I had just returned this thing to newegg.com within the first 30days but I kept thinking, “oh well maybe the next firmware will fix it” but no, it is still a laggy POS… why can’t you guys fix this? it’s ridiculous, I know it’s not an iPod touch or anything, but come on it was still almost $120 when I purchased it, that’s not exactly “pocket change”… seriously hope I can find some 3rd party firmware, cause this ■■■■ BLOWS!!!

The voice recording issue has been identified and the fix should come in the next firmware release. Before everyone asks I have not been given a release date for the next firmware.

As to the sluggish performance. The initial investigation points to the way the device is integrating the library for the external card. The way this was handled in previous Sansa devices was changed to cut down on database refresh time. In the Fuze+ the external card content is rebuilt on the fly. This was done to cut down on database refresh time.  This is likely what is leading to sluggish performance with large amounts of data stored on the external card. For an immediate work around you can reduce the data stored on the external card. We are looking into way to improve this function but may end up changing the integration to happen during database refresh. This will lead to longer refresh times but should resolve the sluggish performance when changing menus. 

Forum Admin 

slotmonsta

@slotmonsta wrote:

For an immediate work around you can reduce the data stored on the external card. We are looking into way to improve this function but may end up changing the integration to happen during database refresh. This will lead to longer refresh times but should resolve the sluggish performance when changing menus. 

Forum Admin 

slotmonsta

this is most definitely NOT the cause, because I’m not even using an external card and the response time is MURDER… well more like death by old age… have a total of just over 3000 tracks on a 16GB Fuze+ and I literally want to throw this thing it’s so frustrating… just waiting for a fix… until then I’ll keep using my android phone as my media player (but that means I have to charge much more often, which also ■■■■■… I know this thing has potential to be a great little mp3/media player, but boy do I wish I had done a little more digging before making the purchase… I made the purchase because my sister had a Fuze and loves it to death… but Fuze+ is really more like Fuze- (negative)… it’s like self torture in a bad way everytime I turn it on…

@slotmonsta wrote:

As to the sluggish performance. The initial investigation points to the way the device is integrating the library for the external card. The way this was handled in previous Sansa devices was changed to cut down on database refresh time. In the Fuze+ the external card content is rebuilt on the fly. This was done to cut down on database refresh time.  This is likely what is leading to sluggish performance with large amounts of data stored on the external card. For an immediate work around you can reduce the data stored on the external card. We are looking into way to improve this function but may end up changing the integration to happen during database refresh. This will lead to longer refresh times but should resolve the sluggish performance when changing menus. 

Forum Admin 

slotmonsta

 

Ahh, the infamous “refreshing database” raises it’s ugly head again.  Sansa has been dealing with this issue for as long as they have integrated the sd cards with internal memory.  I first ran into the “refreshing database” lag with my E280R.

 

A simple solution option would kill two birds with one stone would be the following:

 

Simply have the initial lists under “artist” “album” and “songs” be alpha-numeric.  That is, they only show the numbers 0-9 and A-Z, (or whatever language equivalent).  That way there is no lag, because each list is static regardless of the database size.  Scroll down to the desired letter/number and tap the center and you now get the list of the items that fit that letter at which point you can “build the list” on the fly, since you will only be building a subset of the whole list. 

 

This kills two birds with one stone, it allows for more precise navigation and limits the amount of swiping a customer does, and creates less overhead to build the list on the fly.  It also allows the device to build the sublists on the fly and not require the extensive DB update during boot.

 

So When I tap the Music Menu option My initial list looks as follows:

 

Artists:

0-9

A

B

C

D

.

etc…

.

 

or better break it up into groups of three letters (like are already on our phones) so that all the letters can be displayed on a single screen:

 

Artists:

0-9

ABC

DEF

GHI

JKL

MNO

PQRS

TUV

WXYZ

 

You get the picture.  Yes, it adds one more menu level, but breaks up long lists into easier navigatable chunks.  The same look would be for Albums and Songs.

 

That should be very easy to implement and would allow easier navigation across large libraries. 

 

Not only that, it gives me another opportunity to see my cool background Album Art mosaic :slight_smile:

 

You guys are so close.  I think this and a better lock and unlocking mechanism will do a lot for this player.  That being said, once I get use to the capacitive controls, I quite like them.  It has a definite “high tech” feel, and if you just allowed users to adjust sensitivity to their own tastes (use tactile volume control to set this feature), I think you could nail it.

 

Hey, I’d like to see the “inertial” rapid sweep implemented in the horizontal plane as well.  This would make navigating at the top level really cool.  Wraparound scrolling would also be better than the “bounce back” effect, with one exception, going between two choices as in Podcasts / Audiobooks can retain the “bounce”.

These new machines have plenty of memory for a database file.  If needed, a full refresh can happen in the background, at least you can resume playback without having to wait for the coffee to brew.  There should be a flag set if there have been no changes (USB transfers) the last time the device was active.

Bob  :smileyvery-happy:

Bob,

You and I are on the same page.  I suggested this back in the 280R days and it seemed that we were told that it was “not possible”. 

I am not a user of Rockbox, because the Rockbox for the Fuze broke the software RhapPFS.  I had a rockboxed E280R and that rocked since it was hardware based, Rockbox couldn’t destroy it.  But for the Fuze, when I upgraded to Rockbox, I lost my ability to play rhapsody channels or tracks with a constant red dot.

Thus I uninstalled rockbox from the fuze after the first day.  I just can’t give up my Rhapsody subscription

But besides the point, the Developers should really download rockbox and run an original fuze on it for ideas on how to implement a good “database” synchronization plan.

The ability to navigate directly to folders, combined with the ability to perform db updates in the background or during startup and to manually execute DB refreshes gives the user ultimate control over the DB synchronization.  Probably a little confusing for beginning users, but definitely a checksum that can detect no changes in the DB as well as DB sync done in the background should satisfy most users.

“True” Folder navigation would allow immediate playback of files recently added while the DB is refreshing in the background without any more overhead.