Samsung's 4GB 1st-Gen iPod nano clone does music, video, photos and FM radio, but with limitations. Does it overcome its handicaps?
Review summary of the Samsung YP-T10:
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 The T10 is a cute little device, and Sammy and his clone puppies certainly grew on us the more that we used it. But it seems more energy went into the interface animation than actual audio and video playback, because the dearth of format options was disappointing. We loved the FM radio recording option, and once we actually got the music playing, it was an enjoyable experience. For a $100 player, we feel it’s a solid option, but it's certainly not the only one. Release: October 2007. Price: $100.
Pros: Thin, light design, great top-level menu animations, FM radio record
Cons: Limited audio and video formats, small screen for video
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Full review of the Samsung YP-T10:
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Design - Very Good
The T10 is roughly the same size and shape as the first two generations of Apple's iPod Nano, although its 2-inch QVGA (320x240) screen is considerably larger. It is controlled by a five-button touch-sensitive directional pad and a sliding power/hold switch. The included 4GB flash memory is middle of the road for such a device, allowing for a decent mix of mp3s and movies. We found powerup to be a little slow, and felt like we had to hold the power button down for several seconds before the device would start up.
Interface and Transfer - Very Good
We enjoyed Samsung's cute, animated, top-level menu screen, featuring their mascot, "Sammy," performing various portable media-related acts. We can tell Samsung put considerable time and resources into drafting the interface, and while the dancing mascot might be a bit much for us, we commend their attention to visual design.
We wish there was variable scrolling on the device, but instead the scroll seems to be stuck in a constant first gear. This was not the case in video playback, however, as the fast-forward button knew to accelerate if we held it down longer. It's an oversight that could be troublesome for users with large music libraries. We also would have liked to see some form of the EmoTure touch and slide functionality from the T10's cousin, the Samsung YP-P2, but not if it would bump the price up.
The T10 is Windows-only; no Macs allowed. For Windows users, the transfer process in Windows Media Player 11 is standard MTP, synchronizing whatever folders we selected and manually adding or deleting songs and videos. Speeds were on par with other USB 2.0 devices, but on-the-fly transcoding with MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) was extremely slow, taking about a minute for every minute of video. Files could be added manually in Explorer, but we found using WMP11 easy enough that it became our method of choice.
Using Samsung Media Studio is all drag and drop. Songs are added by simply highlighting them and dragging them to the player window. It's not as automated as Windows Media Player's setup, but it definitely offers specific control over which files are on the device, and it's not difficult to select the entire library. Both WMP11 and SMS require transcoding for videos, as the player can only handle Samsung's proprietary SVI format and select WMV files.
Audio - Good
We're disappointed that the only formats the T10 can play back are MP3 and WMA, but for a budget player the omission of OGG, AAC and FLAC support is understandable. The included photo viewer works while music is playing on the T10, allowing you to listen to music while browsing photos or viewing a slideshow. The viewer is compatible with both .JPG and .BMP files, however, the integration between the music and the photo viewer is quite poor; we wish they had included a complete set of music controls within the slideshow itself.
Support for the "Datacast" feature on the device was average; all podcasts had to be managed on the computer through Samsung Media Studio, and management through the proprietary software was awkward. The selection of broadcasts in the library was minimal, so finding new 'casts within the software may prove difficult, but any feed can be subscribed to manually so users are not limited to Samsung's selection.
We loved the FM radio feature, mainly because of the included recorder. Selecting recordings was simple, and they can be accessed through SMS upon connection to the computer. While we admit scrolling through the dial was slow, once your presets are set it is definitely fun making mixtapes from songs recorded off the radio, provided you can actually find a song you like on the airwaves.
Video - Good
The YP-T10 is severely limited when it comes to video playback. Because it can only play videos in Samsung's SVI format and certain WMVs, almost any video put on the device needs to be transcoded, and therefore loses quality. It also takes considerably more time to transfer to the device. Because of how handcuffed the Y10 is in terms of video formats, this feature seems like an afterthought more than anything else. The small screen hurts, but despite the transcoding, most videos that we could successfully sideloade to the device looked great. Brighter colors fared much better than blacks, especially when there was any glare on the screen. We suppose the T10 would work well for short-format videos, but it's more of a novelty than a true video device.
Accessories -
Included with the T10 is a proprietary USB cable, CD-ROM, manuals and a cheap white pair of earbuds, no better or worse than what's standard on other PMPs. We would have liked to see a case of some sort, especially with the sensitive nature of the T10's touch-sensitive buttons.
Price and availability
The Samsung YP-T10 is availble now for $100.
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