Chris Lanier's Blog : Portable Media

Microsoft Connects the Dots with Zune HD, Zune Marketplace, and Xbox

chrisl — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:48:00 GMT

This week Microsoft took the wraps off the next Zune, dubbed Zune HD. It seems to be your basic next-generation touch screen only media player with the common additions of WiFi and an web browser (IE based). There are some other interesting parts such as a HD Radio tuner, an OLED screen, multitouch, and even HD output at 720p via a dock.

The most interesting part of the announcement is not the device, but rather the service. The Zune Marketplace will now integrate with the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, finally drawing a realistic picture of Microsoft’s “3 screen” vision of the future. Getting the most press is the HD Radio tuner, the non-HD resolution of the OLED screen, and the concept of Microsoft competing with the iPod touch.

HD Radio tuner doesn’t do much for me, it will give people a chance to explore something they likely have never heard of before, and apparently the FM radio tuner has been a big selling point among existing Zune buyers. The resolution on the OLED screen is only 480x272, which many have noted is not even close to HD. I’m not really sure why people think they need 1080p on a portable player, the lower resolution screen likely benefits the majority of people who put low-bitrate and resolution content on the device in the first place. If you have HD content, the dock now outputs 720p over HDMI. The big question in terms of resolution is actually what codec’s and resolutions it supports syncing. If it supports all popular codecs and HD resolutions, that means I can sync without transcoding.

I have never seen the Zune as a good competitor to the iPod, I don’t feel much different about this one. Microsoft is still playing catch-up here by connecting their services. This is something Apple has mostly had for years. Within the next 2-3 years I can finally see the landscape start to change a bit, but Microsoft is going to have a very hard time going after Apple when you compare numbers.

Lacking is any mention of Media Center, which wasn’t a shock to me personally. I firmly believe Microsoft has moved on from what most reading this wanted Media Center to be, and of course for years I’ve said the Xbox was the real competition to Media Center (this will become much clearer as we go on). Connecting the Xbox, Zune, and Windows finally makes all of the products marketable. Microsoft also just announced that Xbox 360 has sold 30 million units and has 20 million on Xbox LIVE.

A few have noted that all the details have not been released and that Media Center integration could still be there. I don’t anticipate it, but would welcome it. I doubt we will see this act as a Media Center Extender as many have wanted. If Microsoft could of improved anywhere in the Zune-Media Center connection I hope it was with syncing content, mainly TV. The Zune does support syncing TV, but it doesn’t support anything copy protected (CableCARD, likely any future premium Cable/Sat services), and also doesn't support syncing content with Dolby Digital audio. If this stays true just about the only TV content the Zune can sync (in the US) will be analog cable/satellite captures. Even OTA content will be purely Dolby Digital next months, so even your favorite local channels will not sync unless Microsoft decides to change.

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player

chrisl — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:24:00 GMT

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 26, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.
Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.
The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*
Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

Windows Mobile Gets Netflix Queue Updating Software

chrisl — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:43:00 GMT

Developing...

"This month, Microsoft and Netflix, the world’s largest online movie rental service, will offer software that enables Windows Mobile customers to update and view their Netflix movie queue. Changes will appear instantly on Netflix on Xbox LIVE, extending the existing service that launched in November. Xbox 360 is the only game system that lets people instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix, many in HD."

Microsoft Announces New Zune Pass Music Subscription Model

chrisl — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:02:00 GMT

Consumers can now keep the tracks they love.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 19, 2008 — Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s digital music and entertainment service, today announced landmark agreements with major and independent music labels to bring significant new value to the subscription music model. The Zune Pass subscription service currently gives consumers on-demand access to millions of tracks for $14.99 per month. Starting today subscribers will also get to select 10 tracks per month to keep and add them to their permanent collection (an estimated $10 value).

Agreements have been signed between Microsoft and EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group, as well as independent distributors INgrooves, Independent Online Distribution Alliance and The Orchard. The Orchard delivers digital music, video and brand services globally, and represents labels including Barsuk Records (Nada Surf) and Fania Records (Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz). IODA represents labels including Arts & Crafts (Broken Social Scene, The Stills) and Ghostly International (Matthew Dear, School of Seven Bells). The new enhanced subscription model came about as a result of close collaboration with all of these companies.

Zune Pass subscribers will have the added benefit of retaining digital rights management (DRM)-free MP3 tracks from Sony BMG and UMG, in addition to MP3 tracks from EMI Music, Warner Music Group and a large portion of the independent music labels. With the addition of tracks from UMG and Sony BMG, Zune will soon offer over 90 percent of its music in the MP3 format.

“The way people consume music has changed. With the shift to digital from CDs, it is more challenging than ever to offer the right mix of deep content, music discovery and economic value,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune at Microsoft. “People want the freedom to listen to whatever they want across millions of songs, combined with the confidence that they can keep their favorite tracks forever.”

From its inception, Zune has bet on the power of subscription, not only as a consumption model but also as a way to highlight the music discovery features central to the Zune experience and the PC platform. The Zune service gives consumers convenient and unlimited access to the music they want, and also connects them to other music fans and expert sources to help them find the music they will love. The new enhancements to the Zune Pass subscription service offer unprecedented value for all music fans.

Read Full Press Release

Short Bits: Zune Mobile, Home Servers, TV Pack, More

chrisl — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:15:00 GMT

Remember when I said you would hear more about Zune on mobile phones before the years end? Well, now you have. “Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc.," said Steve Ballmer.

Missing Remote has had a few great articles over the past few weeks including a Battle of the Windows Home Server Systems and a letter to Microsoft about what is going on with Media Center. The article ends with a note to Microsoft asking for them to “go back to the drawing board and re-think the Media Center product: its future as a product, the viability of the strategy of having it tossed into random Windows versions, and goals for the technologies that make up Windows Media Center.”

Last month Ed Bott wrote the best article ever on the Media Center platform. He covered several issues but mainly focused on the TV Pack and all of the issues that happened behind the scenes. I didn’t get to post about it when he first published it, but I have to get it out there because Ed really did a fantastic job with the article.

PC Mag has an “unofficial” Guide to the TV Pack including installation instructions just in case you happen to find it online somewhere.

I’ll be a guest on The Media Center Show before year’s end, but that shouldn’t stop you from waiting until then to listen to Ian’s other weekly podcasts. Hear about Open Media Library (OML) from David Shulitz and CEA Mark Of Excellence Awards with Roland Graham.

Short Bits: Zune WTV Sync, WTV Documentation

chrisl — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:22:00 GMT

Media Center users that own Zune’s can see several places where Microsoft forgot to think things through. Those with the TV Pack installed have a few more, including the fact that Zune 2.0 software can’t do anything with WTV files. That has now changed with Zune 3.0 software where WTV syncing officially work.

Speaking of WTV, Microsoft has finally published some documentation on the format. The document covers handling WTV files with DirectShow (that includes transcoding). (Via The Green Button).

Zune Brings Powerful New Entertainment Features to Every Zune Portable Media Player With Software Release

chrisl — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:54:00 GMT

Internet access provider Wayport enables wireless music downloads for Zune customers in Wi-Fi hot spots at more than 9,800 McDonald’s restaurants.

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 16, 2008 — Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, today released its much anticipated free software update that will bring new features to every Zune portable media player. Revealed last week, the new software will allow Zune users to wirelessly stream and download music from the Zune Marketplace store on the go; tag and purchase songs directly from the built-in FM radio; and tap into new, personalized music recommendations and programming. To allow customers to take full advantage of the new wireless functionality, Zune today announced that it is working with high-speed Internet access provider Wayport Inc. to deliver Zune users free, wireless access to the Zune Marketplace from more than 9,800 participating McDonald’s®restaurants across the U.S.

“Wayport is pleased to be working with Microsoft to make it easier for Zune users to access music on the go,” said Dan Lowden, vice president of business development and marketing for Wayport. “Our ability to enable and manage applications and devices over converged networks creates exciting new opportunities for our clients to attract new customers whose digital lifestyle extends beyond their home and office.”

More Colors and Custom Designs

Zune Originals, the online store designed to let consumers customize their Zune player with laser-engraved art and personal text, now also offers exclusive color combinations. In addition to the recently announced Zune 16 and Zune 120 available in black at retailers nationwide, Zune Originals (http://www.zuneoriginals.net) also will offer the Zune 16 in blue, red, pink and green as an online exclusive. In addition, Zune Originals is refreshing its collection of custom artwork with 14 eye-catching new designs from artists such as Rolito, MWM (Matt W. Moore), Ippei Gyoubu and Aya Kato to give consumers more options to personalize their Zune experience.

The Digital Content Consumers Want

In addition to launching Zune Channels, which push new music to subscribers’ collections each week, and personalized music recommendations, Zune Marketplace also offers editorial features such as the Zune School Music Masters Program and the Xbox Gamer Central pages, as well as Instant Collections playlists to help consumers explore specific themes and genres. Zune Marketplace now offers more than 4 million songs, 80 percent of which are available as digital rights management (DRM)-free MP3s; 8,500 music videos; 3,000 episodes of popular TV shows; and more than 6,000 audio and video podcasts.

Zune customers have a choice in how they acquire music — they can pay per track or choose a Zune Pass subscription. Zune Pass subscribers can download or stream music from their Zune or computer interchangeably, all for a flat rate of $14.99 (U.S.) per month. To give people a chance to experience Zune Pass subscription, Zune is offering a free, 14-day trial to all new customers. More information is available at http://www.zune.net/setup.

Zune also now supports audiobook content from leading distributors including Audible Inc. Zune users can now explore more than 50,000 books, magazines and newspapers from more than 600 publishers and content providers at audible.com and sync it to their Zune. To commemorate the addition of audiobooks, Audible is offering all new and existing Zune owners a free copy of “Black River” by bestselling writer Dean Koontz.

New Software and Firmware

The Zune PC software is a free download that provides rich discovery and media management capabilities to help consumers make the most of their existing music collections in addition to providing access to the Zune Social and Zune Marketplace so they can add to it. To experience new features such as Buy from FM, wireless music downloads, Zune Channels, Picks personal recommendations, games and more, the new Zune PC software and device firmware are available for free download at http://www.zune.net.

Estimated retail pricing for the Zune device is as follows:

120 GB: $249.99 (U.S.)
80 GB: $229.99 (U.S.)1
16 GB: $199.00 (U.S.)
8 GB: $149.99 (U.S.)
4 GB: $129.99 (U.S.)1

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, the Zune Social online music community created to help people discover music, and the ZuneOriginals.net online media player customization store. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

1 A limited number of 80GB and 4GB devices remain in the channel, and those remaining will be available at this price.

Zune Takes Music Discovery to the Next Level With New Ways to Find and Access Digital Music

chrisl — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Software update will enable Zune users to tag songs and buy music directly from FM radio and download and stream music on the go beginning Sept. 16.

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 8, 2008 — Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, again revolutionizes how customers discover and connect to the music they love, where and how they want it. Starting next week, every Zune portable media player will let consumers wirelessly download or stream millions of songs on the go from thousands of wireless hot spots around the country. Free, powerful software and firmware updates will give Zune owners the ability to discover, tag and purchase songs directly from the built-in FM radio, wirelessly access the Zune Marketplace store on the go, and tap into interactive, personalized music recommendations that add even more value to the Zune Pass subscription. Zune is also expanding its device lineup with new 16GB and 120GB capacities as well as shiny new blue-on-silver and sleek all-black color schemes. The new features will begin rolling out on Sept. 16, 2008.

“Digital music services really come alive when they help people find not only the music they know they like, but the music they didn’t know they would love,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of Global Marketing for Zune at Microsoft. “With the combination of subscription, wireless access to millions of tracks, and powerful discovery features like personal recommendations and the ability to buy music from FM radio, Zune is taking the digital music experience to the next level.”

Wireless Connections

More than 61 percent of people say they discover new music by listening to the radio. (1) With that in mind, Zune is taking advantage of the wireless connection and the built-in FM tuner to deliver a new feature called Buy from FM, which lets customers tag and purchase songs they hear on FM radio stations (2) directly from the Zune device. When the customer is in a Wi-Fi hot spot, the song can be immediately downloaded to the Zune device. If Wi-Fi is not available, the device will have a queue of songs ready to download when connected to a home computer or in a hot spot. Buy from FM uses Radio Data System and RT+ data feeds within the FM broadcast frequencies that identify song and artist data and enable the Zune service to identify and deliver the track to the customer.

In addition, users can now access the Zune Marketplace music store directly from their device when they are in a recognized Wi-Fi hot spot, or through a home wireless network. To make it easy to discover music on the go, customers can browse lists of featured new releases and top songs and albums sorted by genre, or use the on-screen keypad to type in the song of their choice. Once they have picked a track or album, they can either download it or stream it directly to the Zune device.

Zune customers have a choice in how they acquire music: They can pay per track or choose a Zune Pass subscription. Zune Pass subscribers can download or stream music to the device or their computer interchangeably, all for a flat rate of $14.99 per month. So whether a device has 4 GB or 120 GB of storage, Zune Pass customers can access and stream millions of songs directly to their Zune.

More Ways to Discover Music: Channels and Picks

The new Zune software update taps expert sources, recommendations from the Zune service and online music community, and the user’s own play data to create a dynamic, digital music experience where discovering music is easy and seamless.

Channels. Channels are an exciting new tool for music discovery. Customers can explore channels programmed by experts from the music industry such as the Billboard Top 100, The FADER magazine and KEXP radio, in addition to workout-themed channels tailored for high, medium and low impact, and top chart channels from all genres and subgenres. The powerful Zune software will even create custom channels for each user, based on favorite artists and genres. Channels are included with a monthly Zune Pass subscription and can be synced to the device for playback on the go. For non-Zune Pass subscribers, the Channels are available for a la carte purchase.
Personal Picks. Now the Zune software learns what kind of music users like and makes personal recommendations. When users log onto Zune Marketplace, they’ll find a new area called Picks where the Zune recommendation algorithm will suggest artists, albums and tracks based on the music they have been listening to, as well as channels they might like and listeners like them in the Zune Social.
The Zune Social online music community. Customers can connect with millions of like-minded fans and share music via the Zune Card, a real-time playlist of each user’s favorite and recently played tracks that can be accessed on the Web or within the Zune software, or synced to the Zune device. Zune Pass subscribers can play full tracks from Zune Cards synced to their device while on the go, and now the playlists will even automatically update with the most recently played tracks when Zune connects to a wireless hot spot. It’s like subscribing to a free feed of music from the sources people trust most — their friends.

Powerful Software

The Zune PC software is a free download at http://www.zune.net that provides rich discovery and media management capabilities to help consumers make the most of their existing music collections, in addition to providing access to the Zune Social and Zune Marketplace so they can add to it.

Mixview. Customers can select an artist, album or Zune Card to activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners. With each click users can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical way to discover new music. Mixview works with users’ current collection of music, in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.
Now Playing. The improved Now Playing view is more interactive and cinematic. Users can sit back and enjoy the combination of great artist imagery, colorful effects, bio information and data from the Zune online music community, all combined in a full-screen view. They can also click to dive deeper into the music behind the picture, providing another great way to interact with their collection.

A new firmware update will also improve the experience on the Zune device. In addition to the new wireless functionality, Zune will bring new features customers have been asking for:

Games on the go. Two free games, “Hexic” and “Texas Hold ’Em,” will keep users entertained on the go.
Audiobooks. All Zune devices will feature support for audiobooks this fall from industry leaders in the digital distribution of audiobook content.
Audible. Customers can visit audible.com to download and sync favorite books from the 50,000 titles available from over 600 publishers and content providers.
OverDrive. They can download content from sites powered by overdrive.com, including 7,500 libraries’ Web sites worldwide. (http://search.overdrive.com)

Device Pricing Information Effective Sept. 16

120 GB: $249.99

80 GB: $229.99 (3)

16 GB: $199.00

8 GB: $149.99

4 GB: $129.99 (3)

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft’s music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover music. Zune is part of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company’s software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

(1) According to a Kelton Research study sponsored by Zune (April 2008)

(2) The song needs to be available in Zune Marketplace for consumers to purchase it. If it is not available, but the radio station is broadcasting the song’s meta data, consumers can tag the song (so they can remember the name and artist), but will not be able to purchase it.

(3) There are a limited number of 80GB and 4GB devices remaining in the channel, and those that are will be available at this price.

Bach Says No to Blu-ray in Xbox 720, First Party ZunePhone

chrisl — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:39:00 GMT

We don’t even have to wait until tomorrow to find out that the Xbox 360 isn’t getting Blu-ray. Why? Because Robbie Bach was asked if Microsoft had plans for Blu-ray to appear in the next generation Xbox (Via Engadget) and answered “No. There is nothing to even talk about right now with regard to the next generation. That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about.” Now I’m sure some of you will tell me that he didn’t deny Xbox 360 with Blu-ray and instead just talked about the next generation, but trust me Blu-ray is not coming to the Xbox 360 tomorrow or anytime soon. He also touches on Xbox 360 lasting longer than the previous Xbox as I also talked about today.

Robbie also went on record again saying the ZunePhone (eg. first party hardware) isn’t happening, but does suggest that a Phone+Zune software might be on the way as I suggested a few months ago. I can actually say it will be happening and that I know Microsoft is currently trying to get OEMs on board. The Zune software (or a variation of it) will appear on several different OEMs handsets. Not sure if it will just be Windows Mobile, but I’d love to see them open it up to other platforms.

Lastly on the mobile side, Bach said “We don't make phones ourselves. We don't have any plans to make phones ourselves” which I thought was interesting considering Microsoft now owns Danger. Danger isn’t a hardware company per-say, but I guess it can shine a bit of light on what Microsoft isn’t planning to do with their new acquisition.

Short Bits: Digital Copy, tru2way, Big Media

chrisl — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:52:00 GMT

Remember just last month when I said “I’d like to see companies embrace the fact that DVD is still the mainstream format?” Based on a story in CED from this past week studios are starting to realize that’s the key, with one Warner exec saying “….64 percent of consumers said having a digital file gives better value.” This story was about including protected digital copies of films on DVDs (Example) which I think is a great idea and needs to happen much more often (on all DVDs). Now let’s also see it work the opposite way too, if I buy a digital download allow me to get the physical DVD at a discounted price (or free? Yeah right)

I know I haven’t covered tru2way much yet, but that’s because there isn’t much to say. Quickly, tru2way is CableLabs basically renaming the CableCARD 2.0/OCAP platform. Of course a large majority of the media doesn’t understand any part of it; CNET even asked if tru2way can succeed where CableCARD failed. Just so we are clear, tru2way is a platform for CableCARDs. It’s now a two-way platform instead of one-way like all previous devices. It will require use of the exact same CableCARDs (which are all two-way). MegaZone did a good job explaining it, yet CNET didn’t retract the article or edit it despite the fact it is 100% incorrect. Two-way CableCARD for Media Center isn’t likely to appear until Windows 7.

Speaking of CNET (now owned by CBS), anyone else find it ironic that big media conglomerates have purchased these smaller outlets which still post on things like breaking copy protection on DVDs? Hey CBS, if your new media outlets are going to report on breaking copy protection, let’s just skip the formalities and disable things like CGMS-A on Showtime, AACS on CBS Blu-ray Discs, CSS on DVDs, etc.

Short Bits: Zune Mobile

chrisl — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:10:00 GMT

This post is short for a reason, I don't have any real details. This is just speculation on my part.

Still, expect more information about a Zune integrated with a phone later this year. Some might call it a ZunePhone, but whatever you call it I believe it is for real and Microsoft has a dedicated team at now creating the v1 product. I'm not suggesting there will be a new hardware product, I'm suggesting that the Zune software will find it's way onto Windows Mobile phones.

Some commenters have suggested that it will just be streaming from Zune-to-phones, not a ZunePhone. As I said, I have no information on this but I do think it's real. This post shouldn't be taken as inside information or a real news source, just me spouting off.

Update: "Come and join the “Connected Entertainment” experience on mobile handsets - the most ubiquitous, most personal and most used devices in the world. We are a rapidly growing, V1 product team with great opportunities for motivated individuals who can hit the ground running! "

Anyone want to join?

Update 2: I'm not suggesting there will be a new hardware product, I'm suggesting that the Zune software will find it's way onto Windows Mobile phones. If Microsoft does a new hardware product, I wouldn't be suprised (especially now with Danger), but ZunePhone to me means Zune software on a Phone.

Related (6/8): Bach Suggests Zune software on Phones

In-Depth Zune Review

chrisl — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:07:00 GMT

I’ve been fairly critical of Microsoft’s Zune since it was released, so I decided that I should get a Zune and give it a try. Over the past two weeks I’ve been playing with it giving my plenty of time to sum up all of the features.

User Interface (UI)

Say what you like about Microsoft and user unfriendly of their applications and features, but they almost always get digital media UIs right. From the first version of Media Center to the first Zune, the UI has always been amazing. Anyone can pick up a Zune and figure out how to use it within a matter of seconds.

This UI is somewhat customizable, easy to navigate, and includes small little visual effects just like Media Center. I have nothing to complain about around the UI of the Zune.

Navigation

Overall the navigation around the UI is very simple, but it includes one huge downfall. ~~Unless I’ve missed something, the only way to get back to the now playing section is to manually keep going back and back until you get back to where you started~~ (Thanks to Jaxim in the comments, you hold down Back in order to get to the Main Menu, then Back again to get to Now Playing). Assuming you are building a playlist and you have gone into and out of a dozen artists/albums menus this is crazy. I have found no easy way to return to now playing. The Zune badly needs a Green Button on it. If I missed something here and another Zune users knows what to do please let me know.

Other navigation downfalls include the autorotation to landscape when in picture/video mode. The first video I fired up had a portrait/vertical view and thus changing the landscape of the Zune was needed to figure out how to change the volume. The Zune Pad rotates with the Zune in picture/video mode, so volume up and down is actually side-to-side in portrait/vertical. More consistent navigation and volume changing would be nice in future releases.

Zune Pad

Charlie said that I’d love once I got to use it, and he is partly right. I love the concept of touch much like Apple has been doing in various ways on the iPods, that said the Zune Pad takes some getting used to and well over two weeks after I still can’t say I’ve mastered it at all. For long distance scrolling the Zune Pad is perfect, however for selecting a track that is just below the current selection it is nearly impossible to do. You’re supposed to touch the Zune Pad to stop the scrolling, easier said than done when you are trying to select a single item. In this case I found myself leaving the touch features behind and using the sides of the Zune Pad to do all the work (D-pad).

Wireless

No doubt one of the selling points and major features of the Zune is supposed to be integrated wireless. However in my practice, it feels much more like a gimmick then a useful feature. With the exception of being slow, it works great (technically) whenI could find a reason to use it.

If you have something like a Zune 80 that plenty of hard drive space it is easy to use the "Sync all my music" option, then you can have it sync new content added on the PC wirelessly. However, on a smaller Zune 4GB/8GB (or even 30GB) this really isn't an option that I'm aware of. In this case you still have to build a playlist of some sort on the PC before you can remotely or locally initiate the wireless sync, thus it becomes kind of pointless. If I’m already sitting at the PC I might as well plug-in the Zune via USB and sync it in 1/10 the time.

If the Zune supported syncing from a Media Center and Media Center Extenders (10-foot with remote), my feelings would be completely different. I’d love to be able to create or select a playlist from one of my Extenders and then remotely sync it wirelessly with the Zune.

I did get a small amount of use out of the wireless by RDP’ing into my desktop, creating a playlist, and then syncing wirelessly in my home. I can’t imagine that’s the scenario Microsoft is going for, but it is the only time I found it useful.

I didn’t test Zune to Zune sync as I don’t know or was unable to find anyone that actually has a Zune locally.

Zune Software

The Zune Software is of course independent from Windows Media Player which presents problems for Media Center users. Media Center is locked to Windows Media Player, so the addition of a Zune that doesn’t sync with Windows Media Player leads to multiple applications managing your music. No matter how good or bad the Zune Software is, I can’t get over it. Either give me a way to sync the Zune using Windows Media Player/Media Center or give the Zune Software the hooks to work with Media Center as its backend player.

Now that I’m off that I can say the Zune Software isn’t half bad. Navigation though the UI is relatively simple and performance with my music library is a bit better then with Windows Media Player.

Again there are a few things I dislike when making the needed comparison to Windows Media Player. There is no taskbar controls for the Zune Software so attempting to use it as your main music playback and management software leads to it being open on the desktop all the time.

In addition I feel that Microsoft tried too hard with parts of the UI. This eye for design leads to text and scroll bars being too small. A perfect example is the text is the Settings menu which is actually an 8 point font! I’m all for streamlining the UI, but there was so much unused space that there is no need for a font that small to be used.

Recorded TV Sync

As I’ve talked about in the past, the Zune Software doesn’t support syncing of ATSC content (or rather, content with AC3 audio). Because of this oversight, you either have to use SD recordings or use a separate program to content the HD content (DVRMSToolbox, MCEBuddy).

I successfully had the Zune Software transcode and sync SD recordings without any issues. On my Core 2 Duo E6750 it took just under 20 minutes to convert a 30 minute show. If you are going to do a lot of video conversation and syncing, a fast processor is your friend.

The quality of recorded TV on the Zune itself was fantastic expect for a bit of motion blur. The screen on the 4GB/8GB Zune is very small, so if video is your primary use then you should skip the 4GB/8GB Zune and go with the 80.

Addition: All CableCARD content (including SD and HD) is protected and thus can't be put on a Zune or any other portable device.

Social

I’m not really into the social aspect of the Zune, I’m getting tired of every product and company thinking it needs a social network behind it. I’ve used a few social music services in the past for random listening on the go (Last.fm, Imeem, etc) but I’m not really interested in spending time with the social aspect of the Zune.

ZunePass/Marketplace

I also didn’t test the Zune Marketplace, but I wanted to correct something I had said in the comments of another post. Thanks to everyone at The Green Button, I now know that ZunePass music can play in Windows Media Player (and thus Media Center), but the experience is broken due to the need to have the Zune Software get the license for tracks before Windows Media Player can play them. Since this process happens monthly and on a per song basis, there is no way to logically integrate ZunePass and Media Center at this time.

Update: Some are saying that ZunePass works as above, others are saying it works without any license issues at all. Again, I didn't test it just reporting what I have seen from others. For anyone who uses ZunePass with Media Center/Media Player, please comment and let everyone know what your experience has been,

v3 Wishlist

As many others have noted the addition of other Microsoft technologies into the Zune would give it a larger advantage over other players. An SDK would be my first suggestion, let developers add new functionality and value.

On top of that, Zune really needs to integrate things like Windows Sideshow. This seems like it could be done in a small amount of time and would add amazing value to the Zune. A built-in Media Center Extender type function would also be nice, but battery life would be an issue.

Of course, better integration with Media Center and other Microsoft products is on the top of my list. No reason for two music libraries in two applications, no reason for not being able to sync with Media Center wirelessly.

Overall/Conclusion

I still stick to my comments that the Zune is still not an iPod competitor, but I have to admit awareness is growing, albeit slowly. I was in a Best Buy in West Texas a few weeks ago and two teenage girls were around the iPod/Zune display. One of them said “Hey, that’s a Zune.” The other said “What the f#&k is a Zune?” That’s kind of my impression of any product against the iPod, the marketing has already imprinted the iPod name in everyone’s head.

Zune v2 is what Zune v1 should have been, but the features that are supposed to make the Zune standout have not really impressed me. Wireless in its current state is still nearly useless, the Zune Pad doesn’t match the Click Wheel or iPod touch, I don’t see the Social as a big selling point, and from a Media Center user’s perspective I’m tired of broken functionality and a lack of integration between products.

The Zune is a fine portable media player, but it is far from the revolution Microsoft needs in order to take away from Apple’s iPod.

If Microsoft would add some additional functionality and integration with their existing products I’d have no problems recommending it to others. As it stands now there isn’t much to set it apart from an iPod, other than a name that doesn’t automatically sell. If you are interested in subscription music, the Zune is a must have. If you want high storage for video playback, the Zune 80 is for you. If you’re buying for music and occasional video playback I’d probably get an iPod because it truly has better navigation with the Click Wheel then the Zune does with its Zune Pad.

The last thing I’d consider is the possibility of Microsoft continuing to release firmware upgrades (ex. v3 firmware) that add new useful features to existing players. This is something that Apple doesn’t really do with the iPod line, but it isn’t something Microsoft has committed to either (and new features often need new hardware to start with). Addition: v1 Zunes were upgraded for free with the v2 firmware, but Microsoft has not said if this trend will continue.

I’d give the Zune a 7.5/10.

Sideshow Comes Back Into the Spotlight

chrisl — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:31:00 GMT

Windows Sideshow is back in the spotlight today at CE Pro with the news that Sideshow remotes and devices will officially support control of Media Center Extenders. I’ve briefly talked about that before, but it’s good to hear it again. Sadly, the most visible (yet still not shipping) Sideshow remote from Ricavision now costs $350 which puts it way out of my range.

DnC Multimedia is also out with news today that they have an upcoming portable media player that will include Sideshow support. No price or release date yet, but I’m now more interested in devices like this. What if instead of using a more standard remote with Sideshow integrated we could use a portable media player instead. I’d love to see a remote gadget which would allow such a device to still control Media Center using a slightly different form factor. The fact that this is a portable media player also gives hope for multi-zone audio.

Red Zune 80GB and New Collection of Artwork Debut on Zune Originals

chrisl — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:22:00 GMT

Customizable gift options and themed playlists from Zune Marketplace help consumers share the love this Valentine’s Day.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 15, 2008 — Responding to consumer excitement for the Zune 80GB, Microsoft Corp. is making the popular wireless digital media player available in red with Zune Originals, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Inspired by the themes of love and sharing, an exclusive collection of 20 new laser-engraved designs will be available to consumers for a limited time at http://www.zuneoriginals.net; in addition, Zune Marketplace will feature Valentine’s Day playlists that can be shared with friends or loved ones Zune to Zune or via the Zune Social online music community.

“Zune gives consumers a dynamic canvas that is brought to life by the music, pictures, videos and podcasts they fill it with,” said Scott Erickson, senior director of product management for Zune at Microsoft. “Zune Originals makes it easy to design a customized player, while wireless sharing and the Zune Social online music community give people new ways to connect.”

Zune Originals gives customers more options to personalize their player with 20 new designs celebrating love and sharing that can be laser-engraved on the back of their Zune. The new Valentine’s Day series features artwork from four new artist collectives — Colorblok, Friends With You, PSYOP and Studio Play Pretend — and is available exclusively at http://www.zuneoriginals.net through Feb. 14. Each new graphic can be paired with up to three lines of text, letting consumers add a personal message; if no graphic is chosen, up to five lines of text are available. For a limited time, Zune Originals also offers a gift-wrap option and shipping at no additional charge.* With the addition of the Valentine’s Day series, customers can now choose from more than 65 designs, to create a custom wireless player in the size and color they want.

The Zune Marketplace online store makes it easy to load the Zune player with favorite love songs that can be shared wirelessly Zune to Zune or with friends via Zune Social. To find their perfect Valentine’s Day soundtrack, consumers can browse playlists such as “Hip Hop Valentine,” “80s Love,” “Broken Love,” and “Talk to Me, Barry,” love jams from the legendary Barry White featuring spoken introductions. Zune software also makes it easy for people to create their own playlists in seconds by simply dragging and dropping songs to the playlist icon.

With a bright 3.2-inch screen and premium in-ear noise-isolating headphones, the red Zune 80GB is the latest addition to the new line of Zune wireless players, which also includes the slim, ultra-portable Zune 4GB and Zune 8GB, available in pink, green, black and red. All three models offer wireless sync and sharing, a built-in FM tuner, and the new Zune Pad, a touch-sensitive navigation button that lets people fly through menus or lists with the flick of the thumb, or click to easily change songs or adjust the volume. The Zune 80GB (estimated retail price $249), Zune 8GB (ERP $199) and Zune 4GB (ERP $149) are available at retailers nationwide and at http://www.zuneoriginals.net.

More information on great Zune Valentine’s Day offers from Zune Originals and retailers nationwide is available at http://www.zune.net/valentines.

Short Bits: Extender Ads, Broswers, Netflix, More

chrisl — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:07:00 GMT

Microsoft has launched their v2 Extender ad campaign on several websites include The New York Times, Gizmodo (I think CNET and so others are in there too). Assuming you don’t block ads in your web browser, check them out.

Not too much Media Center related in the past few days, but the few things out there seem to be web browser related. Missing Remote has a post about a new 10-foot browser for Media Center, VMCBrowser as well as a review of MCE Browser.

Ian Dixon continues his adventures from CES from FUZE Media Systems, Surface, and a CES photo gallery.

Netflix is said to be eliminating viewing hours from their streaming feature, so it will be unlimited now.

I did get a Zune last week and have been playing with it since. I’ll have a review in the future, I want to be able to review it on more than six hours of use.

Chris Gets a Zune; Hell Freezes Over

chrisl — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:49:00 GMT

CES Keynote Roundup

chrisl — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:27:00 GMT

Media Center was basically a no show, not too much of a shock for me. The only real Media Center is that Samsung will be supporting Extender’s in the future.
Other than that, Microsoft re-announced that HP will be shipping their MediaSmart HDTVs with Extender’s built-in.
Microsoft’s IPTV software (Mediaroom) is now on over 1 million STBs. Again, AT&T U-Verse is the only option in the US.
The Xbox 360 IPTV got more information. BT in the UK will be the first allowing ~~you to buy an Xbox 360 from them to use as both a gaming console and IPTV STB~~ use an Xbox 360 as an STB. Said use includes "The service will be available to existing and future Xbox 360 console owners," but it is not clear for what cost/fee it will be enabled.
Mediaroom will also be getting some interactive TV bits from TNT and CNN.
Mediaroom (IPTV) still doesn’t work with Media Center on the PC
Mediaroom will now let you share content to other Mediaroom STBs
Over 100 million Windows Vista licenses sold to date.
Zune will be available in Canada in spring 2008.
Xbox 360 has now sold 17.7 million units
Disney/ABC and MGM are bring content to Xbox Live. Still not in Media Center.

Bill Gates Looks Ahead at “Next Digital Decade”

chrisl — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:12:00 GMT

Microsoft announces new entertainment partnerships with Disney-ABC Television Group, MGM and NBC Universal.

LAS VEGAS — Jan. 6, 2008 — At the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and Microsoft President of the Entertainment & Devices Division Robbie Bach today unveiled several new entertainment services and partnerships, including new deals with Disney-ABC Television Group, NBC Universal and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), that demonstrate how software is improving people’s ability to connect with their favorite content and communities through new and expanded forms of entertainment experiences.

In his 11th CES opening keynote address, Gates looked at the sweeping changes since 2001 that have created the first true Digital Decade, including the continued expansion of the popularity of Windows-based PCs, the growing prevalence of broadband networks, the spread of mobile phones and the advent of portable digital media devices.

“Since I first started talking about the Digital Decade in 2001, the speed with which digital technology has become central to the way we work, learn and play has been amazing,” Gates said. “But in many ways, we are at the very beginning of the transformation that software will enable. During the next Digital Decade, technology will make our lives richer, more connected, more productive and more fulfilling in profound and exciting ways.”

Gates went on to outline his vision for the next Digital Decade — an era in which dramatic advances in hardware and software will make the power of computing a ubiquitous part of day-to-day life. Gates referenced how natural user interfaces will more closely reflect the way people interact with each other. High-definition experiences will be nearly everywhere. Services-connected devices running on the Web and huge amounts of storage accessible via the Internet will mean that information and capabilities people want will be available instantly and seamlessly, no matter where they are.

Read Full Press Release

Short Bits: Zune Tool, Media Center Show, Blockbuster

chrisl — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:10:00 GMT

Not sure if it would be helpful to users, but Microsoft just released a Zune Device Diagnostic Tool. According to Microsoft, the Zune Device Diagnostic Tool compiles data to help Product Support Services diagnose Zune USB and wireless sync connection problems.

New Media Center Show, #136 - Steven Hughes today. Don’t forget to vote in the The Media Center Show Awards!

Blockbuster Online is all buy dead now, they just raised their prices again! 3 DVD’s out at once (Unlimited per month) just went from $24.99 to $34.99. Netflix anyone? I bought a few Netflix gift certificates for holiday gifts, glad I went that way instead of Blockbuster.

I’ve got a few good posts lined up for before Christmas. CableCARD news as always, and DIRECTV (could it be?).

Short Bits: Get a Mac, Zune, Russound, Omaura

chrisl — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:33:00 GMT

Missing Remote has some good posts, Top Ten Things You Can Do With A Media Center PC and a preview of the case giveaway from Omaura. Very nice.

Ian Dixon also has some good stuff, Video Show - Zune and Media Center Recorded TV and Russound on the Media Center Show.

This is probably the best Get a Mac ad yet.