At a price which is just a shade under Rs 7000, the Zebmate Cinema 4.3 does have a price advantage over the likes of the Philips GoGear range. However, lack of perceived brand value may turn off a few consumers. However, it is a good buy considering you would pay more for a similar feature set from a big brand.
Having recently reviewed the Zebronics Zebmate Cinema 3.0, and complained about the lack of touchscreen capabilities, I am happy to see the Zebmate Cinema 4.3 arrive for review. This is the Cinema 3.0, plus quite a bit more. Let’s find out how good this actually is.
The Cinema 4.3 is dressed in black coloured plastic, which is thankfully matte finish. The front panel does not have any buttons around the 4.3 inch touchscreen. The left panel has the 3.5mm headphone jack, the TV out port, microSD card slot and the miniUSB port. The rear panel has the speaker, and the top panel has the power on/off button.
Performance: Where’s the punch?
The Cinema 4.3 promises a lot on paper. The 4.3 inch touchscreen is much bigger than the smaller and non-touch versions offered by most rivals in this price bracket. The touch response works well, and the screen has enough real estate space for precise finger touch. The resolution of 480×272 is enough to allow for an okay-ish video viewing experience.
FM Radio capabilities are a part of the device, but in areas where the reception is a bit patchy, this one won’t work very well. There will be a lot of shrieking and screaming, but not too much of the radio will be heard! The audio player has the usual gamut of features, including the EQ settings. However, what we noticed is the fact that the audio is a lot sharper than expected. We were using high end headphones, but the sharpness was hurting a bit more as the volume went up. Rock EQ settings were the best option, because the Dynamic Bass Boost settings actually managed to make the audio sound as if it is coming from behind a pillow- stifled.
The Cinema 4.3 is capable of slideshow playback as well as displaying e-books. However, the screen is just manageable enough to enjoy both.
The interface of the device does not exude class. It has a dull colour theme, and the resolution limitation make the colours seem a bit washed out at times. Zebronics claim a battery life of 13 hours for audio playback and about 5 hours for video viewing. However, this is largely dependent on the volume and screen brightness as well.
At almost Rs 7000, the Zebronics Cinema 4.3 seems expensive- particularly because of the fact that Zebronics as a brand is not as popular as the likes of Apple and Philips. However, the fact that it can play back 720p HD video files, has a touchscreen which works well and 8GB built-in memory means it is very loaded in terms of specs.
Contact: Top Notch Infotronix (India) Ltd.
Phone: 044-43936000
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Brand
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Zebronics
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Model
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Cinema 4.3
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Features
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Capacity (GB)
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8
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Display Type
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LCD
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Number of Colours
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260K
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Resolution
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480X272
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Size of Display
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4.3-inches
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Type of Battery
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Li-ion battery
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Weight of Device (in grams) |
128g
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Firmware Upgradeable (Y/N) |
Y
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Memory Upgradeable (Y/N) |
Y
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Type of upgradeable memory |
MicroSD
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FM Tuner (Y/N)
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Y
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Voice Recording (Y/N)
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N
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Audio Formats supported |
MP3, WMA :8Kbps ~ 320Kbps/ OGC: Up to Q10
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Image Viewing (Y/N)
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Y
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Image formats supported |
JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG
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Video Playback (Y/N)
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Y
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Video Formats supported |
MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer 3, WMA, ASF, WMV9 SP,
MPEG-4, RM/RMVB,AVI, 3GP, VOB, FLV, MKV,
MOv, TS, Mp4, MPG,
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Screen Brightness adjust (Y/N) |
Y
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Screen Orientation Sensor (Y/N) |
N
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Bluetooth (Y / N)
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N
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Built-in Speakers (Y/N) |
Y
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No of Preset Modes
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8
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Customisable Equaliser (Y/N) |
Y
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Point A to B Track Repeat (Y/N) |
Y
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Custom Playlist saving (Y/N) |
N
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PC connectivity type
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USB 2.0
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Audio File Transfer (Sync/Copy) |
Y
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Use as Portable Drive (Y/N) |
Y
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Addon Features
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Built-in Calendar
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N
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Built-in Contacts
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N
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Built-in Stopwatch
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N
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Built-in Alarm
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N
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Bundled Software
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Y
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Bundled Accessories
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Y
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Additional Features (If any) |
720P HD video playback
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Menu Layout (So 10)
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5
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Navigation (So 10)
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6
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Performance
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Transfer Speed (in MBps) |
5.7
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General Display Performance (So 10) |
6
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Video Performance (So 10) |
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Brightness
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7
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Colour
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5
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Contrast
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5
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Overall Video Viewing Experience |
6
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Price (Rs)
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6800
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Music Performance (Out of 10) |
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Dire Straits – Money For Nothing |
7
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U2 – Where the streets have no name |
4
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Eric Clapton – Layla
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5
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Pink Floyd – Time
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Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears |
6
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Sound Performance (Out Of 10) |
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Treble Detail
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7
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Mid-Range
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5
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Bass
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4
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Soundstage
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6
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Bundled Headphone Quality (Out of 10) |
5
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Battery Life (Actual Tested) |
8
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Price (Rs)
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