Talk About Nseries

This is the first Nokia device to feature the FM Transmitter which allows you to transmit music from the device to the radio over a short distance. There isn’t any wires connecting the two together and it is simple to set up and use. In this post I will be looking at this handy little feature, it’s pros and cons as well as my thoughts of it as a music player!

First of all the N78 is a great portable music device and comes with the usual and very complete music player application and can easily replace a stand alone CD/MP3 player. It features a 3.5mm audio jack on the top so it is convenient to plug in any earphones or speakers you may have. I’m no expert when it comes to the quality of sound, but I found the quality coming from the device through earphones to be very good. The music through the built in speakers was also very good but as you start progressing to the higher volumes, the sound seemed to become distorted.

If you are like me and enjoy listening to music, the FM Transmitter allows you to broadcast tracks from the device wirelessly, over short distances, to a compatible FM radio. This feature is really easy to set up and use and will save you a lot of CDs in the long run!

You can access the FM Transmitter through the settings menu as well as from the music player itself. From here you can set the frequency that you want to transmit your music to (for the best reception, it is good to use a frequency that isn’t in use by a local radio station) and activate the feature. When you have enabled the transmitter, you are ready to rock and roll!

You are also notified on the active standby screen when the FM Transmitter has been activated and the frequency it has been set to. I think this is a really good idea so at a glance you are able to see this information.

After tuning the radio in question (in my case my car!) to the frequency set on the N78 already, you can start the music player as you normally would and music begins to come through the car speakers (or radio speakers). If you haven’t yet started the music player you will notice a constant ‘beep’ to notify you that the device is ready to transmit on the radio you’re using (even if you’re not!!). The volume of the music playing will now be controlled through the car stereo for example. We have a short video below that will show this working.

If your radio is compatible with RDS, it will display ‘NOKIA’ where you would normally see the frequency or station name. I think the quality coming through my car speakers was very good with no interference when the device was within the car. Even when James walked off with it, I could hear his music until he got about 10m away and then I was getting another station mixed in with it!!!

Here is a short demonstration of it in action!

Pros of the FM Transmitter:

• Wireless
• Effortless
• Can set a playlist within the device’s music player before starting
• Convenient and you can just put whatever songs on you feel like listening to on that day - can be easily updated without using lots of CDs!
• Great sound quality
• Good reception

Cons of the FM Transmitter:

Struggling here…

• Can be a strain on the battery with extensive use
• Not so easy to skip tracks when driving - but possible ;). This is why creating a playlist is handy.

So there you have it! Have you tried the FM Transmitter for yourself? What did you think? How often do you use it? Is this a feature you would like to see in future devices?