Product Description
This 5GB MP3 player is MP3, WMA, and OGG compatible; it supports 40 languages and includes a rechargeable battery that lasts a whopping 18 hours on one charge. Features voice recording, ID3 tag, direct encoding and 5 band equalizer. Available storage capacity may vary. Imported.
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5GB MP3 Player Jukebox - VHD 5000
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 3 reviews
- Sales Rank in Electronics: #107193
Avg. Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Not bad for the price, but be warned! 2007-01-03
Comment: I bought the VHD-5000 for myself last week. Seemed to be roughly what I wanted, a low-frills mp3 player at an attractive price. But after a few days of use I noticed the following shortcomings:
1. It occasionally crashes (freezes up) and you can't do anything to restart or reset except find a paperclip or a toothpick to insert into the tiny reset buttonhole. Annoying but not tragic.
2. You can add files loaded with your mp3s but if there are too many songs in one folder, it seems to max out and not all songs are available for selection. Basically, the files are stored on the drive but they are not accessible when the player is activated. Again, not tragic but certainly an unattractive downside.
3. Similar to the above, even though you can max out the 5GB or drive space, it looks like you can only access 28 folders of music. I maxed out the 5GB with about 50 albums but then noticed that only the first 28 I dropped in are accessible when the player is turned on. And to make matters worse, there's no easy way to switch which 28 you want to have available. You have to plug into your computer and do some manual file deleting and adding etc to change it out. This is probably the most annoying aspect of this player, in my opinion.
4. Since #2 and #3 above appear to be firmware related, I was hopeful that I could get a firmware upgrade from NHJ via their website and circumvent these problems. But the website didn't seem to be working. I called tech support and the message said the number had been disconnected. Hmm. A little research reveals that the company went bankrupt and now appears to be out of business. So there is obviously not support available.
In the end, I suppose this is just confirmation that there is no such thing as a free lunch. It seems likely that Target bought a boatload of these things when the company went under at firesale prices and is now unloading them on the public (through Amazon and their own stores) at an apparently excellent sticker price.
All of the negatives aside, though, I give 3 stars because it's a nice simple player with good storage capacity at a decent price and will probably work well for those who either have a small music collection and/or the patience to work within the player's constraints. For all others, caveat emptor.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Big Bang for the Buck When Onsale 2005-04-23
Comment: More details...
This 5GB MP3 player is MP3, WMA, and OGG compatible; it supports 40 languages and includes a rechargeable battery that lasts a whopping 18 hours on one charge. Features voice recording, ID3 tag, direct encoding and 5 band equalizer. Imported.
Another short description reads...
Enjoy MP3/WMA music and FM radio anywhere with this VHD-5000 Digital Jukebox! It also features a 5 GB hard drive and voice recording capacity. It features a large 8 line graphics LCD display, supports four equalizer Modes, and has up to 18 hours battery life! With its compact design and easy-to-use interface, this VHD-5000 Hard Drive Digital Jukebox makes it easy to carry your music and data anywhere!
Features/Specifications
* 5 GB Hard Drive Digital Jukebox
* General Features:
* Black case
* 5 GB hard drive
* MP3/WMA file playback
* Large 8 line graphics LCD w/128 x 128 dots with blue
backlight
* MP3 encoding
* FM tuner
* Voice recorder
* USB 2.0 interface (backwards compatible with USB 1.1)
* 3.8v Lithium-polymer rechargeable battery
* Up to 18 hours battery life
* Specifications:
* 85db with20KHz LPF noise ration
* 20Hz - 2KHz output frequency range
* 8.75MHz - 108.00MHz FM frequency
* 45dB FM signal to noise ration
* 1%/10dB FM distortion/FM utility sensitivity
* Available recording bitrates: 64 Kbps, 128 Kbps, 192
Kbps
* Equalizer Modes:
* Normal
* Rock
* Jazz
* Classical
* Unit Dimensions:
* 3.5 x 2 x 0.5-inches (H x W x D)
* Weight: 82g (0.18 lbs)
* Regulatory Approvals:
* FCC
* CE
* Retail Package Includes:
* 5 GB Hard Drive Digital JukeBox
* Driver CD
* Manual
* Earphones
* Audio cable
* USB cable
* Carrying pouch
* AC adapter (100-240V, 50/60Hz, 0.15A)
* Notes:
* Model: VHD-5000
Product Requirements
* Pentium 133 MHz processor or higher
* Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
* 64 MB RAM
* 20 MB free hard disk space
* Available USB port
* Available power outlet
I think it looks bad in black (it loses a star for color) but if you can grab it cheap enough there is nothing to stop you from modifying the outside with some model paint or vinyl decals, use your imagination! A very important feature is that this is a USB 2.0 UMS device and can be loaded via drag and drop without all the DRM restrictions that many current players present. The downside for a few people is that you can not go to DRM sites like Napstor to Go and buy their music for this player.
But for a really ambitious person it would be possible to rip your own tunes and put them on this player. I know some people who even borrow CDs from the library or their friends and rip them to MP3, OGG, or WMA without spending a dime. Since this player has a radio it would even be possible to rip tunes directly from the FM broadcast band using this type of player/recorder.
I used player/recorders like this to take notes in auditoriums where they broadcast the PA system down on a channel in the FM broadcast band using a low power wireless transmitter. The quality of the recording is so good it sounds like I had hooked the recorder directly into the PA system, which in a sense I did. These low power broadcasts are meant for the hearing impaired but they are perfect for taking high quality notes without all the normal audience background noise.
This player looks like it would be a good deal for audiobooks that have been ripped from tape or CD. It is not compatible with Audible.com audiobooks because of audible's DRM. You will have to roll your own audiobook MP3's with this player.
Another tip is to download internet Podcasts meant for the Ipod, these will play perfectly on this unit.
There are a ton of free old time radio shows on the internet that you can download and hear on this player. Each one of these is about 20 to 30 minutes in length. They are fun to listen to while traveling when you tire of constant music.
IMHO when this player is on sale below the price of similar player/recorders from Creative, Samsung, Sony and iRiver it provides a big bang for your buck.
If you appreciate this additional information either email me a buck or else let Amazon.com know via feedback you appreciated this post.
Vic
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Excellent quality and saves a few bucks. 2005-01-10
Comment: I've had my NHJ for about a week. I received nothing but Target gift cards for Christmas (per my request) because I wanted to go there and buy an iPod. As it happens, this 29 year old mother of 2 had no idea what a popular gift the iPod was this year. After Christmas, they (and every other comparable product) were sold out with no clues as to when they would come back in.
I did my research and had decided that I only needed 5G of storage, and decided to buy this one even though there were no reviews out there to give me any confidence in my purchase. I chose it because it had the longest battery life (18 hrs) available, more storage than the iPod mini, and included an FM tuner unlike the Creative. Also it was the only one in stock at Target.com (I can't lie)!
I am so glad I saved my self a few bucks, because it is awesome. The only downside is that it doesn't have as attractive an appearance as the iPod or Creative. It's just very basic all black, but does have pretty blue backlighting.
It is so easy to use. You don't need the software, just plug it in and drag or copy your files to it. The sound quality is great. It's super easy to navigate, change settings, etc. It fits easily in the palm of my hand and the play/pause, FF/Rew, and volume are all easy to adjust without using my other hand, which is great for when I exercise. I waited a week to write the review because I wanted to make sure the screen didn't freeze like the other brands I had read up on, and it hasn't, although I'm sure the reset button would easily remedy that if it happened.
Would definitely recommend.
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5GB MP3 Player Jukebox - VHD 5000
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