Sony Walkman MP3 players have never been too popular, at least from what I’ve seen. In the past, you’ve been forced to use Sony’s dreaded SonicStage software or convert your music to the proprietary ATRAC format. Well all that is in the past now with the new Sony NWZ-A810 Video Walkman.

The NWZ-A810 is a pretty slim player, comparable in size to the 2nd generation iPod nano. On the sides is a chrome finish that complements the black, silver, pink, or white finish on the front and back of the player. The A810 comes in capacities of 2, 4, and 8 gigabytes. On the front you’ll find the 2-inch 320×240 display, a navigational pad, a dedicated play/pause button, an option/power off button, and a back/home button. On the side is a volume rocker and on the back, a hold switch – which should have been located somewhere easily accessible. You’ll also find a proprietary dock connector on the bottom.

Since Sony ditched SonicStage, the NWZ-A818 supports DRM and non-DRM Windows Media Audio (WMA) formats including Rhapsody and Napster. For video, the A810 supports both MPEG-4 and M4V file types. The A818 had no problem displaying video, running fluid and crisp depending on the encoding. Once you turn on the A810, the interface is nothing like an iPod but is well-designed and organized. You’ll find nine icons in total that magnify and pulse when highlighted. The now playing screen features album art and other information about the current song. The screen itself is very bright, crisp, and easy to read outdoors in sunlight.

A nice touch was the included in-ear earbuds. Usually when you buy an MP3 player, the first thing you’ll want to replace are the headphones. That’s not the case with the A810, which included earbuds that are similar to some of Sony’s other in-ear type like the EX85’s. Noise isolation was surprisingly good and sound quality was above par. Battery life was also something to note, Sony is rating the device for 33 hours of audio playback and 8 hours of video playback. In the 3 weeks that I’ve been testing it, I’ve only had to charge it once the entire time.

Extra features like an FM radio tuner and voice recorder are not included in the device but users not needing these features will still be pleased. A memory expansion slot would also have been nice for users who need more than just 8GB of capacity.

If you’re looking for a viable iPod alternative with great sound and picture quality, be sure to take a look or give the Sony NWZ-A810 Video Walkman a try.

Pros

• Bright, crisp screen.
• Ditches SonicStage for Windows Media.
• High quality earbuds included make for pristine audio quality.
• Slim design.
• Long battery life.

Cons

• Hold button located strangely on the back.
• No FM tuner, voice recorder, or memory expansion slot.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars.

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