Zune Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Why I've Ditched Windows Media Player 11 And Switched to the Zune Software

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Software" @ 01:00 PM

Something interesting happened this month: after the Zune 2.5 software update was released, I started using it more to actually listen to music. Does that sound a bit strange? Previously I'd really only used it as synching software - meaning I'd load it up to push music, photos, and videos onto my Zune - but not much else. My Zune syncs with my Media Center machine, a computer that I use primarily for watching TV and DVDs. It's hooked up to a Dell 26" LCD TV and a Logitech 5.1 speaker system, so I often use it to listen to music, but always in Media Center mode so I can use the remote to control the tunes.

As I used the Zune 2.5 software more I came to realize that it was everything that Windows Media Player 11 was not: friendly, fast, agile, and able to easily handle my 12,403 songs (that's what the Zune software tells me I have). It's also much faster at picking up new content in monitored folders, which solves a long-standing problem I've had with adding new music to my collection and not being able to play it right away from another computer. It doesn't hurt that the Zune software is so beautiful and fun to use either! Windows Media Player 11 looks sad in comparison.

The Zune software isn't perfect mind you - there's no mini-player mode, no task-bar mode, and I still prefer VLC for playing video files. It's less capable when it comes to photos and videos, but still decent. All in all, I think that by going back to scratch with this software the Zune team was able to create a really great solution for managing music collections - largely because it's free from the legacy code that Windows Media Player 11 is dragging along behind it. If you're using Windows Media Player 11 to manage and listen to your music collection, I'd encourage you to download the Zune software and give it a try.

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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Zune Hits Canada On June 13th

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune News" @ 10:30 AM

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/...une-canada.html

"Microsoft Corp.'s Zune media player, the company's answer to Apple Inc.'s ubiquitous iPod, will be available in Canadian stores on June 13, the company said Tuesday. Like the iPod and other media players, the Zune supports video, audio, photos and other images. The Zune also has an FM radio tuner and a built-in wireless connection that allows users to share music. "Zune is more than just a music player for Canadians, it's a shared, social experience," said Craig Tullett, group manager for Zune Canada, in a statement. "We're excited to offer people an innovative way to discover, share and enjoy their music wherever they go." Three players will be available: an 80 GB model and two smaller, flash-memory based models, with 4 GB and 8 GB of memory. One GB of storage is enough to store about 250 songs or 75 minutes of video. The 4 GB and 8 GB flash players will have a suggested retail price of $139.99 and $189.99, respectively, while the 80 GB player will sell for $249.99."



It seems like we've been waiting forever for this to happen: the Zune is finally moving outside the US! Hopefully this is the first of several new launches around the world this year. Anyone have an inkling of where we'll see the Zune launch next? I'm guessing the UK.

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: Delving Into The Social

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 09:18 AM

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: A Video Walkthrough

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 08:27 AM

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Monday, May 5, 2008

Zune 2.5 Spring Update: Finally, Some Serious Software Updates!

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 09:25 PM

"It’s simple to create an automatically updated playlist based on rules you set from within your PC software. Those rules can include specific artists, genres, ratings, years, even your mood. As your collection grows, tracks that fit your criteria will automatically be added." - From The Zune Spring Update 2008 Reviewer's Guide


[Click to view high-resolution version of the above image.]

In the same way that the second-generation Zune hardware is really what we should have had at the v1 launch, the Zune 2.5 desktop software is really what we should have had last November when the v2 players launched - they've finally added back the things that every music player software needs, namely auto-playlists and the ability to edit album and track information. The stuff that was there in the v1 software, then removed (or, more accurately, not added in yet) when the v2 software came out. Here's what the reviewer's guide has to say about track and metadata editing: Read more...

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: A Closer Look at The Social Interface

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 09:16 PM

[Click to view high-resolution version of the above image.]

You'll notice they've made some changes to the user interface - the biggest change is the inclusion of, well, everything. Right now with the 2.3 software when I look at the "social" tab in the software, here's what I see:



That's not very inspiring is it? The new system looks to be far more interactive, and frankly, far more useful toward the goal of being social and sharing your music. I think it looks great!

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: The Zune Social

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 09:04 PM

"Previously the Zune Card was only on the Web, but with this release, they’ve become much more portable. Zune Cards are now integrated in the PC experience so you’ll be able to see and listen to the music your friends play from within the Zune software, no longer having to make that additional step linking out to the web. Your friends’ Zune Cards are now part of the Zune software, so you can easily sync Zune cards to your Zune by dragging and dropping their Cards onto your Zune’s icon." - From The Zune Spring Update 2008 Reviewer's Guide


[Click to view high-resolution version of the above image.]

The complete fact sheet is published after the break. Read more...

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: The Official Press Release

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune News" @ 09:02 PM

Here's the official press release with all the details about 2.5. I'll un-pack each feature over the next several minutes.



"Zune Expands Beyond Music to Deliver Integrated All-in-One Entertainment Experience
New software updates bring popular television shows to online store, enhancements to online music community and subscription service.

REDMOND, Wash. — May 5, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Zune, the company’s all-in-one digital entertainment brand, is adding new software features and content to the Zune online store, music community and Zune Pass monthly subscription service. Zune is expanding its video store to include downloads of popular television shows from COMEDY CENTRAL, FUNimation® Entertainment, MTV, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, Starz Media (including Magna Entertainment), Turner Broadcasting, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) and VH1 that consumers can sync to their device and enjoy on the go. In addition, by further integrating the Zune music community into the core experience, the new software makes it easier for people to find and listen to the music they want, share it with friends, and take it with them wherever they go — whether they choose a Zune Pass or a la carte MP3 downloads. Zune Pass subscribers can now set up automatic, real-time feeds of the music their friends are listening to and add those songs to their collection or Zune device.

Starting today, consumers can choose from more than 800 episodes of popular television series to download and watch on their computer or their Zune, including COMEDY CENTRAL’s “South Park,” FUNimation’s “Afro Samurai” and “Witchblade,” MTV’s “The Hills,” NBC’s “The Office,” “Heroes” and “30 Rock,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” SCI FI Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” and “Eureka,” Starz’s “Ghost in the Shell” and “Street Fighter,” Turner Broadcasting’s “Metalocalypse” and “Robot Chicken,” UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter®” and “Fight Night™,” and VH1’s “Rock of Love” with Bret Michaels. Each television show will be priced at 160 Microsoft Points per episode (approximately $1.99) at launch. With more than 3.5 million tracks, two-thirds of which are available in pure MP3 format, 800 television shows, 4,800 music videos and 3,500 audio and video podcasts, the Zune online store is a great place for consumers to find the entertainment content they want. In addition, the bright, full-color screen on every Zune portable media player delivers a high-quality video experience on the go. Read more...

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Zune 2.5 Spring Update: TV Shows Comes to the Zune Marketplace

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Software" @ 09:01 PM

"The Spring Update will expand on this by adding download-to-own TV shows to the Zune Marketplace. Zune will feature episodes of popular shows available for download. You can browse shows by genre or by network and we’ll showcase TV programming in the same way we promote music artists. Each episode will cost 160 Microsoft Points (approximately $2.00 USD) and will come with licenses for up to five PCs, and can be sync’d to your Zune." - From The Zune Spring Update 2008 Reviewer's Guide


[Click to view high-resolution version of the above image.]

The complete fact sheet is published after the break. Read more...

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The Zune Spring Update: A.K.A. Zune 2.5

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Zune Talk" @ 09:00 PM

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